Chapter 28: The Prophecy
The rest of the day flashed before my very eyes in a colorful blur, and before I knew it, it was evening again; a cold midnight was approaching... I shivered, as a gust of wind whistled through the open window; and although I knew it would be a good idea, I was too saddened to get up and close it.
As the clock struck twelve, I began to wonder where I could possibly go when I would awaken in the morning; obviously, I couldn't just stay in D'Nalge; it would be far too painful, and the thought of remaining there frightened me more than everything that could possibly ever occur to me, but there was nowhere for me to go, and there was no way out of D'Nalge that I knew of; Jacqueline had sent me here-- but she sure as hell hadn't given me directions on how to go back... Everything about me had changed since then. My eyes became heavy with tears, and I began to weep bitterly as I realized how much I missed home.
The room was quickly becoming colder still-- frigid, yet, I could not manage to stand up, walk towards, the window, and shut it again; something strange was beginning to go on, though; the wind moaned loudly, and I could hear a strange voice whispering my name, Beatrice, Beatrice… come with me…"
"W-who's there?" I called out into the empty darkness; I could feel someone sitting on my bed, a cool hand began wiping sweat off of my brow. I then realized that the cold presence was my fairy godmother, and her form appeared right before my watery eyes.
"Fairy Godmother," I breathed a sigh of relief, and her hands ceased their wiping; I smiled up at her, and did not know whether to laugh or cry; she returned the smile-- only bitterly, "You have suffered, but, Beatrice, it's time for you to go home now," she whispered.
I shook my head gently, "But I do not know the way."
"You needn't know the way," she whispered.
"Then take me home," I replied, almost pleadingly.
"Soon," she whispered, standing up, "Beatrice, you've been strong... and yet, I now fear, you may not be strong enough to continue fighting this battle."
"Battle?" I asked, now stumped, "All that I did was kill Jacqueline... There was no--"
"The prophecy," she interrupted; her voice still barely audible, " 'IN THE TIME OF THE NEW MILLENNIA, A BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND WICKED SHALL BE FOUGHT. IT'S VICTOR WILL BE AN ORPHANED GIRL; PALE OF FACE, LIPS OF RED, AND BLACK OF HAIR. BUT THIS SHALL NOT BE THE END, FOR THE SLAYING OF THE SHASKA WILL SET OFF A GREAT CHAIN OF REACTIONS… THUS ENDING IN THE DEATH OF A WORLD. ' "
I shuddered. What did it mean? A prophecy...? It just didn't make sense. I didn't want to believe it, but I did; danger was still everywhere. That was for sure. I was still not safe; I never would be.
There was a long silence between the both of us, finally ending with the obvious question from me, "But which world?" I asked, "Mine?"
Her blue eyes showed me that she did not know the answer to this puzzling question, "You must be strong," she whispered, as if I did not know this already, "You must be strong."
Another strong gust of wind blew in through the open window, causing the curtains to flutter, and I shivered once again. I still had so many questions to ask of her, but I knew that I would have to find the answers to them through the inevitable journey that lay ahead, "Take me home," I plead, as the stone around my neck glowed, slightly.
"Take my hand," she whispered. I nodded, and took one of her pale cold hands; the room disappeared, and I was spinning around in endless darkness.
