Lohikäärme

Chapter Four - Castle In The Air

Chapter Four - Castle In The Air  

          "Safia, are you done?" my mother asked from upstairs for the umpteenth time.

          Once again, I dusted my skirt and sat properly on the stool I had been sitting on for around an hour now. Mother had told me to wear something nice because the physicker was about to visit our house. He was the only visitor we'd had for twelve years, so Mother wanted us to look pleasant to our one and only visitor. "Yes, mother!"

          "Don't be irritated, Safia." My father suddenly walked inside the living room. I didn't even notice he was walking down the stairs a while ago. Was I that occupied by my mother's yells from her room? "She's just worried. You know how she feels every time the physicker visits you, right?"

          "Yes, father." I lowered my gaze on the floor, feeling rueful for being quite annoyed by my mother's unnecessary worry. "I know she's just worried about me, but she keeps on asking me if I was ready for an hour as if it was the king who would come to visit me." It was a bit harsh, but I just couldn't help but feel that way.

          My father sat beside me and waited for the physicker after explaining where my mother was coming from. There was a knock—or rather, two knocks—on the door a few minutes later, and we knew it was the physicker. No one else would have the courage to climb this steep hill to knock on the door of our house. Besides, he was the only visitor we had for years. Why would that change now?

          After telling me to stay in my seat, father stood up to answer the door. I closed my eyes and wished my eyes would suddenly become normal eyes, just like what I had done for the past years, but wish was never granted.

          As usual, the check-up didn't give good results; I still couldn't see any color steadily. The physicker told me to take the pills, and said he would come back after two weeks. After that, he left the room, and my parents went upstairs to keep me from witnessing their sorrowful moments, leaving me alone in the living room, alone to endure the guilt that perturbed me.

          Knock. Knock. There were two soft knocks on the door that I barely heard. My head turned to the door, and my lips quickly formed a smile.

          There was a knock on the door? Maybe he forgot to tell something. Maybe he had finally thought of something that would help my eyes.

          "I got it!" I yelled, taking long strides towards the door. Hope was rushing through my veins. I had never felt this happy. Something inside me told me I was going to love what the person outside would say. I brushed the dust off my skirt and fixed my top. I heard another soft knock, so, while opening the door, I said, "Yes, yes. Just wait for a sec--"

          It was him again. I stared into his wonderful, blue eyes, and he stared back. The mere feeling of staring into his eyes was too ravishing that I forgot what I was going to say. No. It was so ravishing that I forgot about everything, and all I knew was we belonged to each other, and no one could stand between us.

          "Good day, Safi," he greeted in a smooth voice, an elegant smile adorning his majestic face.

          "You came back," I breathed, my eyes glinting in wonder.

          "Of course, I would." He offered his hand, probably expecting me to take it. "Come with me, Safi."

          Should I? I asked myself. I looked at his hand, about to take his offer, but my eyes widened in shock when I saw that my hands were already in his.

          My eyes shot open as I bolted upright on my bed. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, and I could hear every beat of my racing heart. I heard Koshka scream and ask me if I there was something wrong, but I didn't manage to give a reply. I was sweating...badly, and I was breathing short, quick breaths.