Chapter 10: What The Water Gave Me

Roxanne felt hazy; like she was half asleep and couldn't wake up. The white cloth of the dress floated lazily around her in the still water and she finally closed her eyes.

She saw blood on her hands. Her face was damp with tears. Smoke was engulfing her and scorching heat ripped the air as flames surrounded her. She looked down at the body of the older woman, her face pale and her yes wide and glassy. Roxanne knelt down and looked at the younger bloodied hand that was where her own should have been. She reached over to the woman's hand and tugged a ring off her finger. Shouts filled the air and she felt someone grab her from behind and carry her away from the woman.

Roxanne emerged from the water; she coughed and spat out the cold, salty water that had been filling her lungs. She clung to the edge of the pool and tried to breath despite the cold that was paralysing her.

Her surroundings had changed; the cold, icy air was replaced with a more humid environment. She heaved herself out of the pool and looked at the mossy ground. The walls sparkled despite the darkness and she lay down on the soft ground. It took her a moment to realise she had her right hand clenched into a fist; she opened her numb hand and watched something drop onto her stomach. She wiggled her fingers to try and get some feeling back before she attempted to pick it up. She fumbled on her stomach until she found it, the ring she had just moments ago seen a younger version of herself steal from a dead woman.

Roxanne groaned, she had been a thief, a cheap pickpocket who robbed the dead,

' It belongs to you' a faint voice murmured from the darkness

' Because I stole it' she said, her voice stuttering from the cold that was slowly ebbing away from her body,

' No…I was mine and it was always meant for my daughter' Roxanne slowly turned her head to see the woman from her vision sitting on the other side of the pool,

' Who are you?' she whispered hoarsely, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it,

' Your mother dear' she looked at the pale blonde hair that was so much like her own, she saw her eyes and her porcelain skin. Tia had been right she did look like her mother,

' Did I do that to you?' she asked timidly

' No…you didn't kill me my darling' she smiled softly and her eyes glittered like the walls of the cave,

' What happened to you?' she said, she wanted to sit up but her body felt heavy,

' The same thing that happened to you dear…I just didn't have your luck' she raised a delicate hand and tapped her temple. Roxanne felt her eyes burn and squeezed them shut.

She didn't open her eyes again. She slipped into sleep as a delicate hand slipped the ring onto her middle finger of her right hand,

' Keep it safe my darling'.

Vines of ivy began to spring up from the ground and entwine Roxanne's body until she was completely covered and then the ground slowly swallowed her.

Faces swam in and out of her vision, Tia, Shen, Teague, her mother and others she couldn't place.

She was on board a ship at the helm, her hand gripped it tightly and it felt natural to her. The waters around her raged and a crew scurried about securing the sails, their shouts carried back to her on the bellowing wind.

She was back in the sacred gardens, a younger Shen shouted at her and hit her on the head with his walking stick to discipline her.

She was standing atop a cliff facing a woman's whose face was obscured by an immense amount of flaming red hair. The woman pointed a gun at her, a shrill laugh escaping her lips as she fired and Roxanne fell down. Down into the cyan depths that engulfed her as she swayed in and out of consciousness and her temple burned.

Roxanne opened her eyes and squinted at the bright light, she raised her hand to shield her eyes from the light and saw the ring on antique gold on her finger. She turned her hand around and looked at the shining, creamy opal that was set elegantly into the gold.

It had been real.

She sat up and turned around. She was back on the beach and her younger self was standing a few feet away behind her,

' That's all you can be shown…the rest is for you to discover' she turned and walked away. Roxanne didn't try to stop her, she knew there was no point, she was done here.

She changed back into her own clothes and walked down the beach, she spotted a figure sitting in the distance and wondered if she had stumbled into someone else's place in the locker.

She got closer and a smile broke out on her face, Shen sat looking out to sea and banging his walking stick against the sand. When he saw her walking down the beach to him he smiled knowingly,

' Finished already…what did the water give you?' he said standing up

' How long have I been gone?'

' A day…you got off lightly' he said walking down the small sand dune to her,

' Oh just a day, it was strange…I'm not sure how to even describe it?'

' Then it's best to keep it to yourself' he said smiling she smiled back and pushed her hair out of her eyes, Shen's eyes widened and he grabbed her right hand,

' You saw her?' he sounded amazed as he seized her hand,

' My…my mother…yes' she watched Shen run his finger over the opal ring on her finger before he clasped her hand in his,

' Keep that safe' he said looking up at her almost pleadingly

' Where did she get it?' she said, he looked up and he and seemed to think for a moment before he sighed and released her hand,

' Your father' he said solemnly.

My deepest apologies for the late update please review my lovelies x