Magic Land: The Lost Princess (On Hold Until January)

Chapter 8

Imogene read the note over and over again, trying to make sense of it.

Who left this outside her door?

Why didn't they stay and just talk to her?

How did they know about her parents?

These were the questions that were running through Imogene's mind as she pondered the message. She's not going to deny it. She did need answers about her parents, but this was very creepy and suspicious. It was also weird because these things would only happen in movies. If someone knew something about her parents, why didn't they just talk to her here instead of being dramatic and asking her to meet them?

Imogene thought about in some more and then sighed. It was mid afternoon, and the park would be crowded. No one would try something daring in broad daylight in a crowded place.

Making up her mind, Imogene took up her jacket and checked her watch. Five minutes have passed since she received the note. She still has five minutes to reach the park. She really wanted to know about her parents, and if someone knew something, she had to give it a try. She'll just quickly hear what the person has to say, and if it's just a prank, she'll come back home. She had nothing to lose because she'll be in a crowded place. She wouldn't have gone otherwise. She took up her phone and left the apartment.

Imogene reached the park in three minutes. As expected, the park was crowded with families and friends. She walked over to a bench, which was near a lot of people, and sat down. She was sitting there for two minutes, when she heard a low voice.

"Hello, Zuri." The voice said behind her.

Imogene turned around and came face to face with a man. He looks to be young in his late twenties. He has dark black hair and handsome features.

"Zuri? Who is..." Imogene began to ask. She wasn't really sure of the first thing to say.

He smiled. "That's your name, Zuri Crusoe."

Imogene looked at him skeptically. "How do you know this? Who are you?" She asked cautiously.

The man walked over to her and sat down on the bench beside her. "I'm Armin Dellesandro. My father was close with your parents."

"My parents?" Imogene asked, not sure what to believe. At the same time, a small part of her was relieved to hear someone mention her parents.

"Yes, your parents. I can tell you about them. About who they were. That's why I'm here." Armin answered. "My father told me about them and about you. I was just three years old when you were born."

Imogene thought about what he said for a while. "Wait, are my parents....?" She couldn't bring herself to finish the question. However, she didn't have to because Armin knew what she was asking.

He nodded his head and looked down. "Yes, they are both dead." He looked at her again before adding. "They were murdered when you were four months old."

As Imogene did not expect to hear that news, she looked down at her hands in her lap for a while, taking it all in. Looking up at the guy again, she focused on one word. "Murdered? What happened?"

"I can answer all your questions, but first let me tell you who you are and who your parents were." Armin said. "Firstly, you are not from here, and when I say not from here, I mean not from here."

"What do you mean?" Imogene asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"You're from a place far, far from here. A place called Magic Land. Your parents were the king and queen, and they were very powerful. They were not ordinary people." He answered. He then looked at me intensely before continuing. "Just like you."

"Just like me?" Imogene asked as her mind tried to take in this new information. Her mind was a bit foggy, and nothing was really making sense. Even so, she still tried to understand. "So, why didn't you find me before? Why now?"

"I couldn't find you before. I was able to find you now because you started using your powers." Armin said.

"Powers? You mean...?" She trailed off as everything started to click inside her head. It all made sense based on what had been happening to her these last few days. "But why didn't I have these powers before? I know for sure that I've never experienced these things before."

"Your powers are supposed to develop when you're in your early twenties. It's very powerful, so it's designed that way. At this point in your life, you'll be mature enough to handle it." Armin answered calmly. He was talking about all this as if it were natural. Maybe it was to him, but this was all strange to her.

"Handle it? I'm not handling anything." I said freaking out about the whole thing.

Armin placed his hand on hers. "Calm down. That is why I'm here. I'm here to help you."

Imogene nodded her head and took a deep breath. She looked into the guy's eyes, which were stormy grey. He gave her a short smile before standing to his feet.

"Wait," Imogene said, stopping him. "Can you take me to this place."

He shook his head. "No, you're not ready as yet. I have to show you how to use your powers before you can go." She looked at him skeptically, so he added. "You won't be able to get there if you can't use and control your powers. Come on, let's go."

"Where are we going?" Imogene asked cautiously.

He held his hand out to her. "I'm going to help you and answer all your questions." Imogene stood immobilized and looked at his outstretched hand. She didn't know if she should trust him or not, but he did seem to have all the answers to her questions.

Pushing her doubts away, she decided that she was going to go with him because he seemed to have all the answers. Answers to questions that she's been asking all her life. Hesitantly, she took his outstretched hand, and he smiled again, which helped to relieve some of her tension.

Just for now, she will try and trust this mysterious stranger.