Hey, Everyone!
So, I read over this story last week so I could write this chapter, and you know what I noticed?
My writing style is so different now! And my writing, if I may say so myself, is so much better now. SO much better now! Sorry, Past Me!
But, I hope you enjoy this as much as you guys have said you have in the reviews!
Enjoy!
Chapter 10
Finding the Prophecy
The next morning I woke up and found myself in very different clothes then I was in the night before.
I sat up, stretched, and looked around.
I was outside on Kelsey's balcony. I was wearing a red tank top and golden jean shorts. Rather short, but modest. A red belt a similar color to my tank top was woven through the belt loops, and fastened around my waist.
I was barefoot.
I could hear the showering running from out here.
I scratched my head, opened the door into Kelsey's room, and stepped inside.
Kelsey wasn't in bed and her bathroom door was closed.
I left her room and wandered through the house. I found myself sitting by the edge of the pool, with my feet kicking back and forth in the water.
Everyone else in the house seemed rather preoccupied with things, so for the first time in a long time, I was finally alone.
I just thought. About Ren. About Kishan. About Kelsey. About Brandon Towers. My brother, Brandon Towers. Who had done so many great things in his life. Who probably didn't even remember my first name…
But, I didn't really know who I was. I mean, I had a name, but I was used to being, "Hey, Girl!" from down in the basement.
That kind of took a toll on someone after a while. No one caring for a long time. Twenty years of, "Hey!" or "Girl!" or stronger words.
I never thought of people to be caring. Greed got the best of people. Every time.
The water felt soothing on my legs. But water couldn't wash the memories away.
Nothing could.
Catherine Delphinium Towers. Everybody has a name. Most people share it. I didn't.
What would they call me? In all my daydreams and lucid dreams, my friends called me "Cathy" or "Ryn," even though my name wasn't spelled that way.
And then there was that time when I wanted to be someone else, and whenever someone demanded a name, I'd say my name was Delphinium. They called me "Delphi," like the Oracle.
I'd never thought too much about my name, my life. But sometimes I did. And I hated every second I thought about it.
Except when I thought about my brother. The article said he was twenty-three. I knew where he lived. I wanted to find him. I didn't know if he thought I was dead. I didn't know if he wanted to see me. I didn't know if he'd remember me.
I wanted him to remember me.
Brandon and Catherine Towers.
I couldn't remember the names of our parents. I couldn't remember what they looked like. But they had to look something like us, right?
I thought about Kelsey and Ren and Kishan again. I wanted them to like me. I was pretty sure Ren liked me. But I wasn't sure. And Kishan was confusing. I didn't understand him.
That whole thing in the kitchen I was supposed to forget about.
I wanted to be friends. He was obviously in love with Kelsey. The way he looked at her is enough.
But Ren was confused. It was obvious to see that. Obvious enough, anyway.
I wanted to find my brother and be out of their lives. That would be better for all of them.
I was about to stand up when I heard, "Haven't spoken to you in a while."
I stayed seated. Ren sat down next to me.
"Yeah," I nodded.
He was in his regular get up. White shirt. Bare feet.
"You're wearing something different," Ren commented.
"Yeah," I nodded. "Read and gold is kind of thing, I guess. With the whole, 'gold in blood' thing and everything."
"Does it hurt?" Ren's question surprised me.
"I didn't know about it until a couple days ago," I replied.
"Are you sure Lokesh didn't make you that way? Curse you in any other way then the tiger?"
I nodded. "I'm sure."
"But if you didn't know about it, then how-"
"Ren, everything is falling into place for me now," I put my hand on his arm to stop him. "I understand every problem in my life now. It's all because of the gold in my blood. Okay? I understand now. So please, don't doubt me, and don't push me."
He nodded.
"Well, I came to tell you that Kishan, Kelsey and I are going out," Ren whispered. He stood up and my arm dropped to the concrete.
"I don't want to come," I replied, and went back to staring at the clear, blue water.
He nodded. "I understand. But I thought you and Kelsey worked things out?"
"We did. I don't want to come."
Ren left after that. I looked up at Kelsey's balcony and saw her looking down at me.
I waved a fake kind of happy wave.
She rolled her eyes, smiled, then walked back inside.
"If only," I sighed. I was having second doubts about this whole, "getting out of their lives" thing. I wanted to, but I didn't know if I could actually do, when the time came.
They were the nicest people I'd met in my life so far. I mean, even Kelsey was nicer than the people I was prisoner for. She hadn't whipped me until I bled and cried.
I thought about what she did to my arm. I glanced at my elbow. There was a dark burn mark. I pulled my plastic knife out of my shoe and slit my skin up above my elbow. It bled and ran down my arm. I could see the gold and I watched it pour down my arm and I could feel it healing my elbow.
I smeared it around the cut I had made and watched it heal.
I got up, wiping the blood of my arm and walked inside. I wanted to talk to Mr. Kadam.
I walked into his study to find him working at his desk, with some of paper. He seemed to be copying.
"Whatcha doing, Mr. Kadam?" I asked.
"Decoding, Miss," he replied.
"Decoding what?" I inquired.
"It's a complex story," Mr. Kadam responded.
I backed off and looked around. I found a bunch of papers strewn around on the floor and on chairs. I picked up a paper that had a bunch of words I could never understand.
I fumbled with a couple more until I found one that caught my eye.
It was titled, "Wet Gold."
I began to read the words on the page:
A drop of gold,
A drop of blood.
A cup for poison;
A half for love.
A smear for healing.
Three drops to save a life.
The one has power
Entwined with strife.
The end is near,
Approaching fast.
But for her the pain
Will end at last.
I folded it up and put it in my pocket. I didn't want anyone to see that. End at last? I thought. I don't…I don't want to die. Not yet.
I left his study then and went to watch a movie in the movie room, waiting for Ren and Kishan and Kelsey to return.
"Mr. Kadam, we're home! I'm going to take a shower!" Kelsey shouted angrily.
"Hey, Stowaway," Kelsey muttered as she ran upstairs.
I had almost expected her to call me Catherine.
Ren and Kishan came in afterward.
Kishan plopped down on the couch next to me. Ren walked upstairs and mumbled, "Hey," to me before disappearing.
"I can feel the tension," I said. I raised an eyebrow at Kishan. "What's the problem?"
"Phet," Kishan sighed.
"What?" I asked.
"We went to go see a man named Phet out in the woods about Ren's memory loss. Apparently, Ren is blocking Kelsey out. It wasn't beaten out of it, like we thought it was." Kishan sighed and rolled his head back against the couch and closed his eyes.
"Please, he never got hit hard enough for that," I scoffed and looked back at the credits rolling by on the movie screen.
He opened one eye and looked over at me. "I forgot. You were there, too." He sat up and turned to me. "What happened?"
"Weird…weird stuff," I admitted. "Lots of weird stuff."
"Like…?" Kishan pressed.
"Whipping," I confessed. "Question and answer sessions. For him. Not for me. Me, it was just whipping. He didn't want to know anything about me.
"Some stabbing, too. Lots of blood drawn. Broken fingers. He was just looking for answers. 'Where is Kelsey Hayes?' The first day I saw him like this, he either said, 'I will never tell,' or nothing at all. Everyday after that, it was just, 'Kelsey who? I don't know who you're talking about!'"
I neglected to mention what I saw. What the woman said. The crazy…the crazy sad look on Ren's face. What he asked of me.
Remember the name.
"Did he ever get hit in the head?" Kishan asked.
"He wanted him conscious," I replied. "No, never."
I was faced with the memories. That defense of mine was down. Gone. I wasn't fighting anything anymore. Just…seeing. Everything that I went through in Lokesh's jacked-up torture house.
Everything Ren went through. Everything I had to see. Every scream I heard.
Every sadistic smile on Lokesh's twisted face.
I didn't know it until I felt Kishan's hand in my hair. I was screaming. I was screaming my lungs out. My throat felt raw. I couldn't see; my eyes were shut tight. I could feel the dampness of tears on my cheeks.
I could feel the pressure of my elbows pressing into my knees. My hand were pulling on my hair and I was still screaming and still crying.
I stopped screaming. I hiccupped my tears to a halt. I removed my hands from my hair. I looked up at Kishan. I stared at him, saying nothing. Shocked, by my own weakness.
His gold eyes were worried.
Gold.
I hiccupped again, and the tears started flowing. Silently this time. And Kishan engulfed me in a hug. I pressed my face into the crook of his neck. He ran a hand through my hair.
And I cried.
And I cried. I cried a crazy person's tears.
I was going crazy.
Wasn't I?
An hour later, Mr. Kadam called Kishan, Ren and I into his study. Kelsey was already there. She looked pale.
I still wasn't quite over my epidemic in the movie room. Kishan seemed to be the only one who heard; Ren had been in the shower, Kelsey had been in the shower, and Mr. Kadam had been in his study.
"I deciphered the Prophecy," Mr. Kadam said excitedly.
Kelsey mumbled, "Why are you excited? Dragons…"
"Dragons?" I asked. "What?"
Kelsey rolled her eyes. "I forgot: Tiger hearing."
"Please, don't be alarmed. I want to read it to you," Mr. Kadam responded.
"Lustrous gems of blazon black
Once graced her satin'd skin.
A ruthless knave her neck ransack'd;
The strand sank deep within.
Now beads hide buried in the sea;
A brave one brings them out.
Deadly monsters bite and sting—
Too horrible to rout.
But trident wield, kamandal imbibe,
And the lady who weaves the silk
Will guide and guarantee you lay
The wreath on sea of milk.
Seek dragon kings of oceans five
From cardinal compass as you dive:
Red Dragon's stars move in astral time;
Blue Dragon's range points the way;
Green Dragon helps see through the clime;
Gold Dragon's town lies 'neath the waves;
White Dragon unlocks the door to icy lights.
Take her arms and wield them well
Her unblemish'd prize to win.
Capture the string with fluid power;
Head homeward once again.
Cool India's lands with precious dew;
River, stream, the rain will fill.
The dry land and the heart renew,
Else healing pow'r is latent still."
I was shocked still. Dragons.
"Off to Durga's temple we go, I guess," Kishan sighed.
Durga? I thought. I didn't trust myself to speak. I was too worried about what I might say.
Dragons.
NAME REVEALED.
Sorry if I disappointed anyone with her name. Sorry it wasn't as exciting as you wanted it to be, if it wasn't. XP.
And what was up with that extra prophecy? ;)
I really hoped you guys enjoyed, and thanks so much for reading! Sorry I didn't update last week! I will try to make-up for it somehow.
Thanks for Reading!