Hey everyone! Thanks to PhantomFan13 and coolmarauders for reviewing and to everyone else who have come to check this story out. Okay, I have been on a roll and I had this chapter finished last night but my brother is home from college and he is on-line from 9:00pm until 3:00am every night so I did not get a chance to post yesterday. Anyway, here's chapter three. Enjoy!
I wake up form a thankfully dreamless sleep and prepare to meet with Simon, who Mrs. Nightwing had already contacted after I talked to her last night. It is a beautiful Saturday morning and I am hoping for some normality. Ann is still snoring softly so I give her a nudge and tell her to get up before heading down to the dinning hall myself.
After eating a delicious breakfast of toast and marmalade I walk with Mrs. Nightwing to the garden where Simon is waiting for us.
"I do believe you said you no longer wished to be courted by Mr. Middleton," asks Mrs. Nightwing, surprising me with what sounds like her concern.
"I did."
"Then why, may I ask, are you continuing to meet with him?"
"He is a nice boy," I say, ending the conversation. We soon reach the garden and Mrs. Nightwing falls back as Simon and I greet each other. We say the necessary formalities and he kisses my hand and bows and I curtsy. The first few minutes we stroll along in silence.
"How are your classes going?" he asks.
"The usual," I say, "Mademoiselle LeFarge winces every time I attempt to speak her beloved language but my sewing is improving, I can make a straight line now." He laughs and smiles at me. We continue our stroll and small talk, the light breeze blowing the smell of peaches our way, and everything, in what feels like ages, seems normal.
Simon leaves right before noon. The rest of our time together was refreshing and I greet Felicity and Ann in the dinning hall in a much better mood than I had the previous day. We sit down to a lunch of small ham sandwiches and I tell them about my morning with Simon.
"Well," says Felicity, delicately patting her mouth with her napkin, "It seems that even though you say you have no feelings for him, you thoroughly enjoyed his company." I shrug in response, not liking where this is going.
"And for someone who claims to not have much energy from lack of sleep you certainly got up early enough to meet Mr. Middleton," she says, looking at me with an unsettling glare.
"I slept a lot better last night than I did the previous night," I say, my good mood fleeting fast.
"Tell me, dear Gemma, would you take Simon into the realms if he asked it of you." My temper flares. How dare she even think that I would do such a thing? But before I have the chance to respond she continues.
"How about taking your dear friends into the realms tonight Gemma? Since you had a good night's rest and all." Ann looks at me for my response. I can tell she wants desperately to go back, to be beautiful again, and it breaks my heart to be the one to deprive her of that happiness, but I must, I myself, still do not know what evil could be lurking in the realms.
"I can not," I say, trying to be as forceful as possible as to put them off the idea, but Felicity is determined.
"Oh, alright dearest Gemma," she says, her venom filled voice rising, "but when you finally decide to be loyal to your true friends, maybe then we will be able to forgive you for your selfishness." She gives me one last glare and then gets up and exits the room, causing the few people who were not already looking our way to stare at us.
"What are you looking at," I sneer very rudely. I turn to Ann.
"Do you feel the same way?" I ask. Come on Ann, tell me you understand, tell me its okay.
"I just want to be beautiful again," she says, not looking up from her plate. Thanks Ann, I knew you would come through. Losing my appetite completely, I get up and follow Felicity's example and stomp out of the room and head towards her room.
I knock once but do not wait for a reply before walking in. She's lying on her bed with a book in her hands, but I doubt she was actually reading.
"Come to apologize, have we?"
"How could you call me selfish when all I have ever done is take you to the realms when ever you asked it of me! I never had to let you in on my secret. If it was not for me would never have known there ever was a place like the realms!"
"But you did let us in on the secret," She says rising from her bed to stand in front of me, but I still had the advantage of a couple inches. "You showed us this paradise, gave us a taste of heaven and then refused us another bite when we are starving for it. You have all the magic of the realms but you want it all for your self because you are so selfish!" She is screaming by the time she finishes.
"I can't," I sob, " I can't bring you back!"
"Why not!" I have to tell her. Whether she likes it or not, she has to know."
"You will not like what you see," I whisper.
"I would not know if I like it or not, I have not been there of late."
"It's Pippa," I look away, not able to meet her eyes, "she as fully turned into a monster and I did not want to bring you and Ann there because I did not want to give her the chance to fool you because I knew you would have a hard time believing me." I am praying that she will except this gracefully and apologize for yelling at me. But for the second time today, I am greatly disappointed.
"How dare you say that about our Pip! All she ever was was lovely. She would have taken us into the realms if she could, and she would have shared the power with us. And if it was not for you, maybe she would still be here!" I can not bring myself to respond, the wave of guilt rendering me speechless. I take another look at Fee, her chest heaving from all her yelling, and I turn and walk out of the door. I keep walking until I reach the grounds, and then I hike up my skirts and run as fast as my corset will allow me, and do not stop until I reach the lake's shore.
I lay in the tethered rowboat, rocking gently and watching clouds shaped like big dogs float by, tears making little rivers down my cheeks. It's my fault she is dead. If I had not left her there, I could have saved her. I close my eyes and feel another wave of tears cascade down my face, tickling the side of my neck. The wind blows a piece of my hair across my face but I do not move to brush it away. The swaying of the boat relaxes all my muscles and the weight of drowsiness holds me down. I am just about to drift into a blissful sleep when I sense him nearby. Kartik.
In the next moment he comes into my view as he stands over the boat. A look of concern crosses his face as he notices my puffy, tear-streaked face, but it's gone in a flash, leaving an emotionless expression in its wake.
"If you have nothing to say, leave me to my brooding."
"I have reason for Mr. Middleton not to be trusted," he says, ignoring my previous statement.
"And why is that?" I sneer
"I saw him meet with someone in town this afternoon." I roll my eyes.
"Because God forbid that he meets with any friends."
"It was very suspicious looking." I sigh exasperated.
"Was this man wearing the symbol of the Rakshana?" I ask. He glares at me but shakes his head.
"Then do not worry about it. Anyway there are more important things at hand. Both Felicity and Ann think I am being selfish because I will not take them into the realms. Do you think I am selfish?" He gives me a hard look.
"I am just the Indian boy who is suppose to bring news, not gossip about your social life." He turns around and leaves me in a state of shock. I sit up to call after him but when I do he is nowhere in sight.
That night I do not go down to dinner, and no one complains. Instead I sit up in my and Ann's room and take out my mother's dairy. I need you mother. I am so alone. But now it seems that I am the one pushing everyone away, and maybe it's for the better. Maybe this way, no one else will get hurt. With this thought I put away the diary and turn off the lamp. I lie down and brace myself for what will most likely be another restless night of dreams and worries. Jolly Good.
