Chapter 11-Anigari
"What is an anigari?" Ralya asked Lyss.
"I don't know," Lyss replied. "Dashana said something about it, but she didn't tell me what it was. Do you know?"
"I've never heard of such a creature. You're sure you don't know anything about it?"
Lyss shook her head. "No. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Thanks."
As Ralya turned to leave, Lyss whispered, "Are you gonna find out how Dashana died?"
"I hope so, Lyss. I hope so."
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"G'night, mom. G'night, dad." Ralya went to her room that night, leaving her parents alone and talking about her.
"I think I should talk to her," said Jaina. "She must be so scared, with her dream, and then Dashana, and now Aruna Ni. I shouldn't tell her I had the dream, too, should I?"
"I think you should just let her alone," Kyp advised. "I know this from experience. If she wants to talk, let her come to you. Otherwise she'll just tell you everything's fine and you won't be able to get anything out of her."
"But I can't," Jaina insisted. Tears filled her eyes as she said, "My mother wasn't there for me when I was growing up. When Ralya was born, I promised myself I'd always be there for her."\
"Jaina, don't make promises you can't keep. You can't hold her forever."
She brushed away the tear that had fallen down her cheek. "I know. But I can at least be there for her now."
"So you're going to talk to her?" Kyp asked, even though he already knew the answer.
Jaina nodded. "Yes." Then she got up and went to Ralya's room.
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There was a knock at the door. "Ralya, it's mom. Can I come in?"
Ralya sighed. "I suppose so."
Jaina walked through the door and sat down next to her daughter on the bed. Looking at her, she suddenly realized how much they looked alike; they had the same oval face and short dark hair…but Ralya definitely had her father's eyes.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ralya asked, "What did you wanna talk about?"
"About your dream," she replied.
All the tears Ralya had been holding in all day spilled out. "Oh, mom, I'm just so scared! I don't know what's gonna happen, and I don't know why Dashana died, and I don't know why Aruna Ni is like this…She was having the same dream."
"She was?" So there was more to this dream than met the eye. And Ralya had said that she was worried about the baby…
Ralya sat up and looked into her mother's eyes. "You had the dream, too, didn't you?" she asked. "Something is happening with the baby."
Jaina had changed her mind about telling her daughter about the dream, but now it was too late. "Yes, I had the dream. But the baby…" Suddenly she realized what Ralya was really afraid about. "Ralya, you're not gonna die. Not if I can help it you're not."
Ralya sniffed, wiped her wet face with the back of her hand. "Thanks, mom. But I don't think anyone can protect me from this, whatever it is. And it's just a matter of time…"
"For what?" asked Jaina. She wasn't used to her daughter being so pessimistic. "Ralya, don't talk like that. Please."
Ralya went on as if she hadn't heard. "Soon, everyone will be dead, or dying. There's nothing we can do to stop it." Suddenly, as if snapping out of a trance, she jerked her head up and stared at Jaina. "Have you ever heard of an anigari?"
"What is an anigari?" Ralya asked Lyss.
"I don't know," Lyss replied. "Dashana said something about it, but she didn't tell me what it was. Do you know?"
"I've never heard of such a creature. You're sure you don't know anything about it?"
Lyss shook her head. "No. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Thanks."
As Ralya turned to leave, Lyss whispered, "Are you gonna find out how Dashana died?"
"I hope so, Lyss. I hope so."
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"G'night, mom. G'night, dad." Ralya went to her room that night, leaving her parents alone and talking about her.
"I think I should talk to her," said Jaina. "She must be so scared, with her dream, and then Dashana, and now Aruna Ni. I shouldn't tell her I had the dream, too, should I?"
"I think you should just let her alone," Kyp advised. "I know this from experience. If she wants to talk, let her come to you. Otherwise she'll just tell you everything's fine and you won't be able to get anything out of her."
"But I can't," Jaina insisted. Tears filled her eyes as she said, "My mother wasn't there for me when I was growing up. When Ralya was born, I promised myself I'd always be there for her."\
"Jaina, don't make promises you can't keep. You can't hold her forever."
She brushed away the tear that had fallen down her cheek. "I know. But I can at least be there for her now."
"So you're going to talk to her?" Kyp asked, even though he already knew the answer.
Jaina nodded. "Yes." Then she got up and went to Ralya's room.
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There was a knock at the door. "Ralya, it's mom. Can I come in?"
Ralya sighed. "I suppose so."
Jaina walked through the door and sat down next to her daughter on the bed. Looking at her, she suddenly realized how much they looked alike; they had the same oval face and short dark hair…but Ralya definitely had her father's eyes.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ralya asked, "What did you wanna talk about?"
"About your dream," she replied.
All the tears Ralya had been holding in all day spilled out. "Oh, mom, I'm just so scared! I don't know what's gonna happen, and I don't know why Dashana died, and I don't know why Aruna Ni is like this…She was having the same dream."
"She was?" So there was more to this dream than met the eye. And Ralya had said that she was worried about the baby…
Ralya sat up and looked into her mother's eyes. "You had the dream, too, didn't you?" she asked. "Something is happening with the baby."
Jaina had changed her mind about telling her daughter about the dream, but now it was too late. "Yes, I had the dream. But the baby…" Suddenly she realized what Ralya was really afraid about. "Ralya, you're not gonna die. Not if I can help it you're not."
Ralya sniffed, wiped her wet face with the back of her hand. "Thanks, mom. But I don't think anyone can protect me from this, whatever it is. And it's just a matter of time…"
"For what?" asked Jaina. She wasn't used to her daughter being so pessimistic. "Ralya, don't talk like that. Please."
Ralya went on as if she hadn't heard. "Soon, everyone will be dead, or dying. There's nothing we can do to stop it." Suddenly, as if snapping out of a trance, she jerked her head up and stared at Jaina. "Have you ever heard of an anigari?"