For You
Author's Note: Oh my! I have more reviews! I am ecstatic!
Mariela: Thank you so much for your kind comments. I'll dedicate this one to you, alright? Since you are ever so eager for the next chapter. Yay!
Verona Dracula: I'm glad you liked the poem, and I'm glad you like my decision to turn it into a fic!
Dark and prone to violence: Fluff? I don't think so. Bitten? I haven't even thought about it yet!
I hope you like this one.
Disclaimer: Um
Summary: Come on.
}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{)()()()()()()()()()()()()(
Chapter 5
Confrontation and Liberation
I laid on Mother's bed, unconsciously stroking the fabric of the sheets she slept in when she died. My mind was open, yet closed, for no thoughts ran through and nothing disturbed me as I tried to say goodbye.
I knew that my last words to Mother were at the graveyard, but Velkan was watching me. Not like I didn't like it of course.
Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door downstairs. I raised my head off the coverlet, then dropped it back down. Whoever it was could go away. I started to get alarmed when I heard the door creak open, then relaxed when I heard Mrs. Hubbs' sweet voice call up to me.
"Kallisto?" She called up, then I heard her footsteps on the stairs and saw her face poke into Mother's room. A stern look passed upon her face.
"Kallisto," she scolded, "what are you doing?" I raised my eyes to hers, then looked down to the floor, still stroking the cloth. Shaking her head, Mrs. Hubbs grabbed my hand, pulled me up from Mother's bed and out of Mother's room. She pulled me to my room and sat me down on the bed. I stopped thinking of Mother and started thinking of Velkan. How I felt was unspeakable. Like I was intoxicated with the fumes of his skin, his hand on my elbow, guiding me when I stumbled because of the tears in my eyes, the aroma of his dark, curly hair.
Mrs. Hubbs took out all of my gowns, robes, dresses, evening dresses and nightgowns and threw them in a large carpetbag. She went to my Mahogany chest and took out all of my undergarments, and threw those in the bag as well. It looked as if she were packing. Mrs. Hubbs closed the bag, picked it up, came over to me and pulled me out of my room, down the stairs and out the door.
Out of my Mother's house.
Mrs. Hubbs and I walked hurriedly to her house in the center of town. She opened the door and let me in first, hustling me up the stairs and into a spare room. She dumped my clothes on the bed and started smoothing them out to put them away. I stood and watched.
About a quarter way through, Mrs. Hubbs turned to me.
"If you're not going to help, go to the well and get some water," she ordered. "The bucket is on the table, if you can call it a table, downstairs. Go!" She said when I didn't move. I turned around slowly and walked out of the room and down the stairs. I turned to the kitchen and walked in, then was bombarded with a whole stream of kids. Mrs. Hubbs and her husband had three kids. That little group was more than three. After they flew past me, the cluster of children stopped, and the tallest one came over and smiled at me.
"Kalli!" This was Ferreth, the oldest boy. I smiled down at him and ruffled his blonde hair. He was seven. Dava, the six-year-old girl, came out of the pile to give me a hug, and finally, Vilcos came to give me a little hug and a tentative, "hi". He was four. I loved them all. I gave the three hugs, then sent them on their diabolical way, praying they won't fall off a cliff. I found the bucket on the table and went to get the water.
The well was in the center of the square, and as I walked out there, I saw that there was a group of older girls crowded around it, and as I got closer, heard they were talking about the latest fashions in Rome. I had no need for such frippery, so I tried to squeeze in between the lot of them, and ended up getting elbowed in the breast, which hurt, and stepped on.
When I finally got into the middle and lowered the bucket into the water, I realized that the girls had abandoned their fashion chatter and were now silent. I could feel their eyes on me. Then I heard a loud and clear voice.
"You know, Hausa, pale skin is considered ugly and sickly in Rome," the voice said, and the whole pack sniggered.
"Well, Pena, I have to admit that I haven't seen anyone in Transylvania that has such pale and sickly skin. Have you?" Hausa answered.
"Oh dear Hausa," Pena said, "there's one right in front of us, dear!" I felt my back stiffen as I tried to pull up the bucket full of water. I was finding it hard to do as Mrs. Hubbs wished.
The girl, Pena, walked out of her stage to come right in front of the well, right in front of me on the other side.
"You, girl," Pena said, addressing me. "What's your name?" I stopped pulling to wipe sweat off of my temple, then turned to Pena.
"Diablo," I answered evenly, knowing full well that none of the girls knew what that meant. In Spanish, the language of that faraway country of Spain, that word meant "the devil". It was my little joke, my genius wit, yet these girls were so slow they didn't get it.
Pena smiled.
"Diablo? What an interesting name!" I saw Hausa's brow furrow in concentration. Pena's smile was saccharine. She leaned forward a bit.
"What does it mean? My name is a biographical name. That's all my mother told me. Hausa over there," Pena pointed her thumb behind her to signal the brown skinned girl. "Her name is 'the Chadic language of the Hausa people widely used in western Africa as a trade language' or so she tells me. So what does Diablo mean?" She leaned into the well.
I finished pulling up the bucket and set it on the ground, then leaned into the well to meet Pena.
I told her what it meant.
Pena squeaked and backed up.
"You," she rasped, breathing hard, and I bent to pick up the bucket.
"Devil!" Pena turned around to the other girls.
"Her name means the devil!" The group gasped, and Hausa crossed herself and stared at my back in horror. I could feel her eyes on my back and I walked faster into the house.
"Devil!" a girl from the crowd shrieked, and I threw open the door to Mrs. Hubbs house to be bombarded with Ferreth, Dava, Vilcos and the rest of the children as they ran outside. I let them pass then stepped over the threshold and closed the door. I leaned against it, the bucket falling on the floor and water sloshing over its' edges.
I threw myself on the floor, kneeling and crossing myself.
"Bless and forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. I have taken a false identity of someone who is horrible and cruel. I have deceived the people of my town and have frightened them. Please forgive me, Father." I crossed myself again.
"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us our day, our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those, who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen," I finished, sighing with the weight lifted off my shoulders. Then suddenly it was back again. Sighing in a different way, I crossed myself again.
"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," I started my routine. "I have taken your holy gift for granted and have fallen in love with Prince Velkan Valerious. Please forgive me for this mistake and set me free of his enticing grip, Lord. Please," I added in a pleading tone. "I don't want to be broken when he finds a love of his own." Biting my lip, I felt my eyes fill up with tears as I imagine my beloved Velkan with a beautiful, golden- skinned girl with bright blue eyes and red lips, curving against him. I squeezed my eyes shut and managed a raspy "Amen," then I crossed myself again and stumbled to my feet.
I want to be free
Author's Note: Oh my! I have more reviews! I am ecstatic!
Mariela: Thank you so much for your kind comments. I'll dedicate this one to you, alright? Since you are ever so eager for the next chapter. Yay!
Verona Dracula: I'm glad you liked the poem, and I'm glad you like my decision to turn it into a fic!
Dark and prone to violence: Fluff? I don't think so. Bitten? I haven't even thought about it yet!
I hope you like this one.
Disclaimer: Um
Summary: Come on.
}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{)()()()()()()()()()()()()(
Chapter 5
Confrontation and Liberation
I laid on Mother's bed, unconsciously stroking the fabric of the sheets she slept in when she died. My mind was open, yet closed, for no thoughts ran through and nothing disturbed me as I tried to say goodbye.
I knew that my last words to Mother were at the graveyard, but Velkan was watching me. Not like I didn't like it of course.
Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door downstairs. I raised my head off the coverlet, then dropped it back down. Whoever it was could go away. I started to get alarmed when I heard the door creak open, then relaxed when I heard Mrs. Hubbs' sweet voice call up to me.
"Kallisto?" She called up, then I heard her footsteps on the stairs and saw her face poke into Mother's room. A stern look passed upon her face.
"Kallisto," she scolded, "what are you doing?" I raised my eyes to hers, then looked down to the floor, still stroking the cloth. Shaking her head, Mrs. Hubbs grabbed my hand, pulled me up from Mother's bed and out of Mother's room. She pulled me to my room and sat me down on the bed. I stopped thinking of Mother and started thinking of Velkan. How I felt was unspeakable. Like I was intoxicated with the fumes of his skin, his hand on my elbow, guiding me when I stumbled because of the tears in my eyes, the aroma of his dark, curly hair.
Mrs. Hubbs took out all of my gowns, robes, dresses, evening dresses and nightgowns and threw them in a large carpetbag. She went to my Mahogany chest and took out all of my undergarments, and threw those in the bag as well. It looked as if she were packing. Mrs. Hubbs closed the bag, picked it up, came over to me and pulled me out of my room, down the stairs and out the door.
Out of my Mother's house.
Mrs. Hubbs and I walked hurriedly to her house in the center of town. She opened the door and let me in first, hustling me up the stairs and into a spare room. She dumped my clothes on the bed and started smoothing them out to put them away. I stood and watched.
About a quarter way through, Mrs. Hubbs turned to me.
"If you're not going to help, go to the well and get some water," she ordered. "The bucket is on the table, if you can call it a table, downstairs. Go!" She said when I didn't move. I turned around slowly and walked out of the room and down the stairs. I turned to the kitchen and walked in, then was bombarded with a whole stream of kids. Mrs. Hubbs and her husband had three kids. That little group was more than three. After they flew past me, the cluster of children stopped, and the tallest one came over and smiled at me.
"Kalli!" This was Ferreth, the oldest boy. I smiled down at him and ruffled his blonde hair. He was seven. Dava, the six-year-old girl, came out of the pile to give me a hug, and finally, Vilcos came to give me a little hug and a tentative, "hi". He was four. I loved them all. I gave the three hugs, then sent them on their diabolical way, praying they won't fall off a cliff. I found the bucket on the table and went to get the water.
The well was in the center of the square, and as I walked out there, I saw that there was a group of older girls crowded around it, and as I got closer, heard they were talking about the latest fashions in Rome. I had no need for such frippery, so I tried to squeeze in between the lot of them, and ended up getting elbowed in the breast, which hurt, and stepped on.
When I finally got into the middle and lowered the bucket into the water, I realized that the girls had abandoned their fashion chatter and were now silent. I could feel their eyes on me. Then I heard a loud and clear voice.
"You know, Hausa, pale skin is considered ugly and sickly in Rome," the voice said, and the whole pack sniggered.
"Well, Pena, I have to admit that I haven't seen anyone in Transylvania that has such pale and sickly skin. Have you?" Hausa answered.
"Oh dear Hausa," Pena said, "there's one right in front of us, dear!" I felt my back stiffen as I tried to pull up the bucket full of water. I was finding it hard to do as Mrs. Hubbs wished.
The girl, Pena, walked out of her stage to come right in front of the well, right in front of me on the other side.
"You, girl," Pena said, addressing me. "What's your name?" I stopped pulling to wipe sweat off of my temple, then turned to Pena.
"Diablo," I answered evenly, knowing full well that none of the girls knew what that meant. In Spanish, the language of that faraway country of Spain, that word meant "the devil". It was my little joke, my genius wit, yet these girls were so slow they didn't get it.
Pena smiled.
"Diablo? What an interesting name!" I saw Hausa's brow furrow in concentration. Pena's smile was saccharine. She leaned forward a bit.
"What does it mean? My name is a biographical name. That's all my mother told me. Hausa over there," Pena pointed her thumb behind her to signal the brown skinned girl. "Her name is 'the Chadic language of the Hausa people widely used in western Africa as a trade language' or so she tells me. So what does Diablo mean?" She leaned into the well.
I finished pulling up the bucket and set it on the ground, then leaned into the well to meet Pena.
I told her what it meant.
Pena squeaked and backed up.
"You," she rasped, breathing hard, and I bent to pick up the bucket.
"Devil!" Pena turned around to the other girls.
"Her name means the devil!" The group gasped, and Hausa crossed herself and stared at my back in horror. I could feel her eyes on my back and I walked faster into the house.
"Devil!" a girl from the crowd shrieked, and I threw open the door to Mrs. Hubbs house to be bombarded with Ferreth, Dava, Vilcos and the rest of the children as they ran outside. I let them pass then stepped over the threshold and closed the door. I leaned against it, the bucket falling on the floor and water sloshing over its' edges.
I threw myself on the floor, kneeling and crossing myself.
"Bless and forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. I have taken a false identity of someone who is horrible and cruel. I have deceived the people of my town and have frightened them. Please forgive me, Father." I crossed myself again.
"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us our day, our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those, who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen," I finished, sighing with the weight lifted off my shoulders. Then suddenly it was back again. Sighing in a different way, I crossed myself again.
"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," I started my routine. "I have taken your holy gift for granted and have fallen in love with Prince Velkan Valerious. Please forgive me for this mistake and set me free of his enticing grip, Lord. Please," I added in a pleading tone. "I don't want to be broken when he finds a love of his own." Biting my lip, I felt my eyes fill up with tears as I imagine my beloved Velkan with a beautiful, golden- skinned girl with bright blue eyes and red lips, curving against him. I squeezed my eyes shut and managed a raspy "Amen," then I crossed myself again and stumbled to my feet.
I want to be free