The Flame- RETURN OF THE DRAGON HEIR (Book 2)

35. The Abandoned One

It's been a week now after the incident. I didn't talk much to anyone. I attended all my classes regularly and then after classes locked myself inside my room for long hours. Sometimes even skipped meals, just to stay away from anyone. Today morning Allen gave me the news that Adrian was fine and was conscious now. I couldn't be more relieved. I prayed every day for him. I knew that the real pain would be when he comes back and I will have to ignore him intently. I have to do this...because this will be the only way he could stay safe...away from me. I didn't want anything more than him staying safe and happy wherever he was. I would live in his thoughts forever.

A tap on the door interrupted my thoughts.

"Rose?", Kat called out loudly.

"Come in Kat", I told her, and she immediately slipped in along with Merlin.

"We brought your dinner up here since you wouldn't come down", Merlin told me producing me with a plate.

"Thank you", I said automatically taking the plate from her.

"Greg wanted to talk to you. He is actually waiting for you outside", Kat said, on which I instantly sprang onto my foot keeping the plate aside and sprinted out.

"Rose eat and ...", Kat's voice faded out.

I opened the door and immediately ran into him. "Whatsup", I asked him, with a broad smile.

"We can start with our practice from now", he told me with a straight face.

"Now? Great", I said excitedly.

--------

The full moon was hidden behind the dark clouds. The wind was blowing harshly. We were walking silently through the field for the past five minutes.

"It's cold", I shivered.

"You will feel better in some time", he replied back. The rest of the walk went on pretty silently. He was taking me deeper into the woods. Twice I opened my mouth to ask him where he was taking me, but then I stopped myself again. I should trust him, I kept repeating to myself.

"Greg...", I started, but he interrupted me.

"We reached", he announced.

I silently surveyed my surroundings. It was a small clear patch around the wild forest. A patch that didn't look like something naturally formed. Puzzled I looked up at him, waiting for his explanation, but nothing did I get.

"Sit down here", he pointed at a spot, which I thought was the center of the patch (according to my calculation). Without questioning him, I silently followed his orders. I sat down at the exact location he spotted at. He too sprawled down beside me.

"The truth is within you Princess, now you need to find it", he said in a strange way that perplexed me. "Close your eyes and connect yourself with the past", he said all of sudden moving ahead and pressing his thumb on the center of my forehead.

That's it...it was all blank for me the next second. I couldn't see anything around me. It was all black, I felt cold and lonely. I was feeling empty from within. What was going on??

All of a sudden I saw a bright light source ahead. I started walking towards it clumsily. My feet were giving up as if it lost all the hopes in this world, yet I kept moving ahead no matter what. I closed in the distance between me and that light source slowly but steadily now. I was just about to reach it when BANG! I hit on something and fell down on my fours. I managed to get myself up and stretched my hand out to find that I was hit by some kind of an invisible barrier.

I could see figures materialize on the other side now. Figures which were a blur but were now starting to make sense to me slowly.

"I do not want this. I cannot carry this", a thick voice of a built-up figure spoke. Their back being towards me, I couldn't see their face.

"I cannot lose you. I want you", the female beside the man said now.

"I know sweetheart, and that's why we have to do this", he told her.

Who was it? I was curious to see their faces. I wanted to see them. There was a strong feeling budding within me. A warm feeling, I felt like I knew them. Their voices felt familiar.

"Hey", I called out to them, but no response.

"You cannot die for this. This is a curse. Give it to our child, she will carry it from now on. I cannot lose you. I cannot", that woman cried. "I cannot sacrifice you for Rose", she said.

I felt a knot form in my gut. Was this a dream? What could that mean? I knew that it had only one meaning to it. She said Rose, and I am Rose. They...they were my parents?

"I didn't want her, I cannot carry this curse anymore. She will have to die", the man...my father said.

He didn't want me? He passed on the flame to me on purpose? To kill me? He didn't want me? The thoughts started strangling me from inside. My parents didn't want me?. Why? Why did they do this to me? What did I do wrong? I wanted answers. I wanted clear answers. Now you would think that I am a lunatic, for what I did next.
I started banging the invisible barrier between me and my (no I don't want to call them my parents) with my whole strength. "Talk to me, tell to me... you are the most selfish parents anyone would ever get... I hate you...I HATE you", I screamed.

-----

"I HATE you" I screamed. I opened my eyes, and they were gone, it was Greg who was beside me now, caressing me with his fine built arms.

"Are you fine Princess?", he asked me. I couldn't answer him back as I was gasping hard. My palms and my forehead were all sweaty.

"My parents...they...they did this to me...they didn't want me...kill me...they wanted to kill me. They abandoned me on purpose", I said between short breaths.

"It's okay Princess, calm down first", he said pulling me into a hug. I didn't want to cry, and I had no tears left to cry now. So many years, so many years I had thought that my parents couldn't be with me because of what fate had decided for them. But now I knew that it was by their choice. They didn't want me. They abandoned me, they left me alone, because they didn't want me. No, I wasn't going to cry...cry for them. I pulled Greg closer to me. His embrace was comforting me, and I didn't want him to leave by my side.

"Rose...sorry Princess", he immediately corrected himself. I pulled away from him and got up on my feet. He sprang up onto his toes too. His lame editing effort brought a smile on my face.

"You can call me Rose please", I told him managing a weak smile.

"I'm sorry for that", he said awkwardly, pointing out at the spot where we were curled up.

"It helped me Thank you", I said with a slight bow. No! I wasn't going to give it much of a thought, or my energy. They didn't deserve this, totally didn't. "how did you...", I started asking him about how could he manage to show me all of this, but he interrupted me before I could even complete it.

"It's late now, we should probably head back now", he said, starting to walk ahead. A dizzy feeling started settling within me.

"Rose?", he asked when he didn't find me walking behind him.

"Ya coming", I said thoughtlessly walking ahead.

**************************************

Do not forget to VOTE;)