Chapter 6: When Katie Wakes Up
Katie's head felt as if it was spinning. She blinked and saw an open window and felt the cool evening breeze brush against her face. It occurred to her that she was lying in a wide bed, underneath the covers with her clothes still on. She started when she heard a door open behind her, and heard footsteps in the room.
"Which one of the chosen are you monitoring?" Katie heard a woman's voice speak.
"The Earthling," She heard a man reply, and the girl said "ooh" as if impressed. "It has been pretty smooth: the assassins' sleeping potion work well on her. I have had plenty of time to read. How about you?"
"I have been bombarded with questions from just about everything: from porings to dragons."
Katie heard a chair squeak against the floor, and someone plopped down into it.
"Isn't she supposed to be ready for dinner by this time?" The female asked.
"The Kafra told me to wait a little longer. Perhaps she will wake on her on. She says not waking her helps with the side effects."
"So from the five chosen, who do you think hold the stone?"
"Hmm… no clue. I wonder what Xanthien was looking for when he chose one to insert the stone into."
"Do you think your little Earthling might be the one?" There was a pause, and then the female giggled as if she was teasing him.
"I would be surprised. Earthlings have no magic background. Wouldn't you need magic to summon a thousand demons?"
The female laughed. "You need a brain at least."
Suddenly there was a loud popping noise like a bebe-gun and Katie felt someone standing over her.
"She has wakened up," Another female spoke. "Hullo, Mrs. Wilshire."
Katie felt that was her clue to turn over. She viewed the three people in the room watching her; none of whom wore the dark colors of the thieves that had kidnapped her. Nearest her was a purple-haired lady with green eyes wearing a purple dress and an apron. She smiled at Katie and looked like the ideal servant. Sitting at a small round table was another female; her hair was blonde and cut just above her shoulders. Her top was cut to show her midriff and her pants were short enough to sport her legs. At first glance, it seemed as if she had been hiking somewhere in her boots.
The last person Katie observed was the male in the room. The fellow was sitting comfortably in a chair near the table and reading a newspaper with a cup of hot green tea. He was dressed so elaborately that Katie could only gape at him. His hair was a reddish brown and unevenly long like some punk rocker. He wore a brown cloak which bore a high collar and an odd, abnormally large golden ring around his neck. He wore gloves, bracers, rings, pants, a shirt, a belt, a choker necklace and a kilt to match his overcoat. Behind him, leaning on his chair was a long, tall silvery staff with a head shaped like a moon.
"Funny people," Katie could almost hear her mother say. She wondered if the fellow was hot in all his clothes. The girl however could possibly be freezing.
"How do you feel?" The purple-haired lady smiled at Katie sweetly. "I was afraid the assassin's potion was too much!"
Katie wanted to tell her her head was spinning and also that she felt awkward staring at someone with light purple hair. Where was she? She wanted to know and who were these people? How did they know so much about her?
"Well," the lady said when Katie only gaped at her, "if you need anything, the Kafra service is all throughout the building to offer your assistance. Teleportation, (this only made Katie's headache worse) directions, room service, anything! Just look for the women in the aprons!" And she flapped her white apron at Katie. "Would you like more tea?" She asked the fellow.
"No, thank you," The male replied. The kafra smiled once more at Katie and the popped away instantly, startling Katie again.
Avoiding their gaze, Katie gazed around the unfamiliar room. The room had a high ceiling, wide space, a dresser, a mirror, a bathroom, and a closet. Everything that happened in the last hour came back to Katie and her head started spinning again.
"There's a glass of water if you want it," the male spoke, still watching her. "You might be suffering from the potions side effects."
Katie drunk the water gratefully, the fell back into the bed, hoping this was all just a dream.
"You might better start getting ready," He spoke again. "We must head to the dinner hall in 15 minutes."
Katie only turned over.
"She's sick," The woman said. "Geez, what did those creeps do to her?"
"Where are your people?" The male asked her.
"They went with Lily to the dinner hall. Everyone is now just waiting for you," And her, Katie was sure she was about to say.
"Where're my parents?" Katie grumbled, wanting nothing more than a remedy from her mother.
The male replied. "I don't know. Where did you leave them?"
"I was kidnapped."
"Not by me. We must hurry, Earthling." The way he said the last word caused Katie to look up and glance at him. This was not a dream; he was becoming impatient and irritated.
"You can go without me."
"No, I can't. I'm on guard duty."
"I don't need protection! I need a-" Her head swam. Good god, where was the bathroom?
"Ought I call the kafra?" The female asked him, but he was staring at Katie and Katie was holding her head.
"I want to go home,"
The male shrugged. "That's none of my business. You'll have to take that up with High lord Francis. Trust me, if I weren't following orders I wouldn't be here."
Katie shot from the bed and ran towards the bathroom, slamming it behind her. She bent over the toilet, but nothing came out. It wasn't a stomach ache; her head was swimming.
"Now look what you've done!" Katie heard the lady fuss at the male.
"She's acting like a baby. I want to go home, what the hell is that?"
"You know how Earthlings are-"
"I just hope she's not the one with our stone. Or we're doomed."
"Kachel!"
"It's true! There's universe catastrophe, people dying out there and she's talking about she wants to go home. Have any of your people said that?"
Katie splashed water from her face over the sink, flushed the toilet even though there was nothing there, and then stormed from the bathroom. She stomped passed the male and female and out the door into the hallway.
The filled hallway.
Cameras, lights, microphoenes, floating pencils and papers, and curious people filled the hallway, engulfing Katie in their questions that tossed at her.
"How does it feel to be the first Earthling to ever step outside its own galaxy?"
"Do all Earthlings dress like that?" Someone asked and Katie looked horrified at the flowery sweat suit she was still wearing.
"Do you know how important you are right now to civilizations across the universe!"
" How does it feel to come from a planet so ignored and now so important!"
"Do you have any boyfriends?"
"What do you think about Spira as of now?"
Katie felt her palms become clammy and her legs swaying. She felt she would have toppled over if not for someone seizing her hand suddenly.
"Move away! Move back people!" Katie heard the girl tell the crowd.
The fellow was pulling her as fast as he could down the hallway and down the stairs. "Keep up and stay close to me," he ordered.
"So much for keeping the operation classified," He murmured angrily to himself, not letting go of Katie's hand as if she was a child. Katie was frightened she had messed something up or did something wrong, so she did not question him further. She was glad she did not try to answer any of those questions the news reporters had thrown at her.
"Keep up, I said," He demanded hastily, jerking her forward. "I do not know how those cameramen knew which room you had retired too. Lord Francis will be so angry-" He broke off, staring intensely ahead.
"I'm sorry," Katie began weakly, but he only mumbled furiously. Katie could hear the crowd of reporters hurrying down the steps after her, but they were approaching a kafra.
"Diner's hall," The male said. He touched the lady and Katie felt herself being jerked somewhere away…
