This place is scorching!
"Huh?" The little girl spun around, letting her Barbie doll fall onto the parquet floor that laid the foundation of her pretty pink room. Her eyes wide with fear, she scooted to the corner of her room.
Wait… You can hear me?
"Y-Yes," The little girl answered hesitantly, looking in all directions wildly and yet seeing no soul in sight.
I'm over here, near the window!
Her eyes travelled to the pastel pink window that adorned the side of her room. Right next to it was a potted plant of a species she did not know. "The plant?" The fact that she was asking such a ridiculous question dawned on her and she laughed inwardly.
Yes! This is so intriguing! What's your name?
The girl furrowed her eyebrows for she knew not what the word 'intriguing' meant. "My name is Bella. What's yours?"
I don't have a name, but you can call me Aloe Vera!
"Amora," Bella voiced, unable to properly pronounce the word.
Hahaha, I guess you can call me that too. I hope we can become best of friends! Oh, by the way… It's rather hot here. Could you move me a little away from the window? I'd really appreciate it.
"O-Okay," Bella gingerly stood up and made her way clumsily towards the plant. Grabbing the clay pot in between her tiny fingers, she heaved it up and placed it onto her mini study table, where Amora was to stay.
~~~ Thirteen Years Later ~~~
Good morning, Bella
"Morning, Amora!" I responded, shooting a grin at my Aloe Vera plant as I sprinkled water over it with a tiny watering can. Still in my pajamas, I bit back a yawn.
Happy birthday!
Oh, that's right. Sighing, I placed the watering can back onto my wooden desk.
What's wrong?
"Oh, it's nothing much. It's just that I'm not looking forward to school, as usual." I muttered. "The guys are probably going to bully me twice as much if they knew."
Don't fret too much. I'm always here for you!
A smile made its way onto my face. "Thanks Amora. See you later then!" Walking over to my modest closet, I hastily grabbed a set of my Lucent Academy uniforms and went to freshen up and change.
Trudging down the staircase to the dining room, my adoptive parents, Leah and David, came up to me and handed me a wrapped gift. "Happy 18th birthday Bella," Leah gushed, planting a light kiss onto my forehead. David gave me a warm smile and beckoned me to open the present. With utmost care, I tore at the ends of the wrapping paper, revealing a thin black box. Placing the wrapping paper on a nearby chair, I lifted the cover of the box and a pair of intricate ear studs greeted me.
"Hope you like it," Leah's chirpy voice caused me to chuckle.
"I do! Thank you so much!" I gave my parents a hug and grabbed my bag, bracing myself for yet another day of purgatory, also known as school.
"What's up, crimson?" Zach, the notorious bully in my school, called out to me. Ignoring his remark, I continued walking to class, nonchalant to the snide remarks my schoolmates made about me. Born with an unusual clipped accent, coupled with an even more weird fiery crimson hair tone, I was used to being ostracized and different compared to others.
"Birthdays," I muttered under my breath, struggling to balance the books resting in my arms and slamming the locker shut. "I don't care about them." Despite what came out of my mouth, nevertheless – I felt a twinge of melancholy for nobody, not even my close friends, remembered my special day. "I should have gotten used to this by now." Lugging my schoolbag, I lethargically dragged myself out of the school grounds, making my way towards the desolated dirt path that led to the place I called home. Don't get me wrong – I did love the home I was currently in. However, I never felt like I was a part of the Millers, considering the fact that both my parents were brunettes. In every family picture we took, I was always the odd one out, my hair colour striking. Who knew why they picked me when I was in the orphanage.
"Bella," a velvety voice called out from nearby. Not recognizing the voice and thinking that it was probably another one of the school bullies who never let me go through a day of peace, I continued walking.
A cold hand clutched at my arm from behind roughly and I bit back a scream. Slowly, I turned to face the stranger who had randomly grabbed me just like how Mr Whitlock, a teacher in my school, would randomly rip someone's worksheet for no apparent reason.
Brown curls adorned the young man's head, and his tanned features were finely chiseled, as though carved by a master sculptor. An amused smile was tugging at the corner of his lips. His eyes. Sky blue orbs that captured the light of sun. Yet his eyebrows were furrowed and he looked rather frustrated.
"Bella," he breathed. For a moment, a wild thought that he had Down Syndrome or a speech disability due to his lack of vocabulary streaked past my mind. "I've been looking for you," Okay he did not have Down Syndrome.
"Come with me now," he offered his hand to me. Snapping out of my trance, my eyebrows furrowed. "Who are you?"
He tilted his head to the side and gave me a reassuring smile before answering, "I am your guardian, Jacob."
Suspicious if this was merely a dubious person doing dubious things, I crossed my arms.
"Just follow me," he implored, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I promise that no harm will befall you."
"Fine," I answered curtly, dropping my backpack on the ground and taking Jacob's hand. "Where are we going?"
"To the Garden of Hesperides," He answered, and a massive light overcame us, forcing me to close my eyes.
When the light seemed to have dimmed, my eyes fluttered open, and I felt like I was in a dream. All around me was lush greenery. The chirping of insects and the songs of birds could be heard faintly in the distance. There I stood, letting the calm rush of the waterfall nearby entrap me in its melody. The majestic trees seemed to sparkle, and at that moment, life seemed to course through my veins. I had never felt so alive.
After eighteen years of life, I finally felt like I belonged.
The freshness of the air tickled my nostrils lightly as a cool zephyr caressed my crimson locks. Relishing in the calmness of the surroundings, I heard the trees calling out to me.
Princess Bella. Princess Bella. We have been awaiting your return.
"Princess?" I wondered aloud, turning towards Jacob in hopes that he could explain what was going on.
"You will understand later," He replied, placing his right hand in the small of my back while walking me gently through the leaf-splayed path until a majestic palace made out of stone came into the midst of our vantage points.
"When you were merely a defenseless baby, someone unknown kidnapped you and sent you to an unknown land. The King and Queen were filled with vexation and they sent out the elite soldiers to scout for you, but to no avail. However, on this day, which was meant to be your coronation, I managed to find you as your innate power is at its peak," Jacob explained, looking far into the distance.
"Are my blood parents still alive?" I could not help but ask.
"Yes. In fact," He grinned. "I'm bringing you to them."
Waiting patiently in the hall where I was supposed to meet my parents, my heart was filled with doubts and uncertainty. What was going on? Who exactly am I? What am I doing here? What-
"B-Bella? Is that truly you?" A gentle and mellifluous voice echoed around the large hall. A sense of nostalgia swept through me. Clad in a simple sundress, a young woman around the age of thirty came into view. He hair was, similar to mine, fiery red. Before I even had time react, she came over and embraced me tightly, her eyes brimming with tears. As we pulled apart, she wiped away a few stray tears and held both of my hands. "I am your mother, Renee."
I, too, started to tear up as a distant memory of the same voice singing lullabies to me infiltrated my mind. So much time had passed since then, and I felt a twinge of lamentation as there was just so much time we had to make up for.
"Come, your father must be waiting!" She uttered cheerily, beckoning us towards a large door nearby.
Tears of joy were shed that day, and Jacob spent most of the time standing awkwardly in a corner, not wanting to ruin the special moment, until the King dragged him in for a massive group hug.
"There are so many things that we wish to tell you," King Charlie said. "However, today must have been a tiring day for you. Jacob, please escort her back. We'll continue this conversation another day."
Jacob bowed respectfully in comply and I bid farewell to my parents. Stepping outside into the cool breeze, he picked up a shimmery leaf from the ground. "Here, take this," he spoke as he placed the leaf gingerly into the folds of my palm. "Whenever you desire to return, hold it tightly and in your mind, think of where you want to go and it will bring you there." With a final smile, he kissed my forehead lightly and whispered in my ear. "We hope to see you soon, princess."