Author Note: Sorry for the slow update. I have a busy schedule since school is coming soon. Now, we're back with Claire and her perspective.
I see myself in dark waters again, but not simultaneously. It's like the shadow realm, except without the rocks floating everywhere around me. I can't see the bottom and endless miles of darkness around me. I try to swim up, but something holds me down. The more I struggle, the harder I get pulled down. I start to lose my breath, and when I open my mouth, water sweeps in my mouth, and I gag. I hear a cackle and a burning sense behind me. I turn around, and to my horror, I see Bellroc and Skrael. They laugh maliciously at my pain, and I feel myself being sucked into a black hole. I can't breathe, I see nothing, and all I hear is laughter. Suddenly, I feel a hand grab me and pull me up. I look up and see the blurry vision of a frail woman.
"You are strong, Claire. There is magic flowing inside of you." She says softly. She sounds like Abuela, but I can't see her facial features and pass out from exhaustion.
I gasp and see a muddy ceiling come into view. I can't move but breathe heavily as my lungs feel like they've been sat on. I start coughing and wheezing.
"Claire, shhh, shhh, shh!" I hear a voice say softly, making me calm down a bit.
It's not Mom's voice I heard earlier. It's more masculine and hoarse, calm but shaky. Even though my ears are still ringing, I know that voice. It's Jim's. I try to turn my head to look at him, but blood rushes fast to it, making me groan in pain and keep my head still.
"Shhh, shhh, shhh! Take it easy, Claire. Shhh!" He reassures me gently.
I obey and slow down my breathing. I feel a hand slip into mine, squeezing it. I moan and struggle to see through my blurry vision. I blink and see a shadow over me. I focus and see dark brown hair. I focus more and see a pair of dazzling sapphire eyes. I focus harder and see all the physical features of my boyfriend's face. I smile slightly and want to reach up and touch him, but my limbs won't budge. They feel stiff and cold. "Jim..." I moan.
"Yes, Claire." He replies. He pulls my hand up to his cheek and covers my other hand with his. I feel my palm brush against his soft skin. "I'm here."
We don't speak. I tried to, but Jim quieted me every time. After a long time of silence, I start to gain back my strength thanks to my healing powers. I regain more of my sight, and the ringing stops. Jim notices and helps me sit up, arranging pillows behind my back. I look around and find us in my bedroom, and I'm sitting on the bed while Jim sits on the edge of it. NotEnrique emerges from his hiding spot to hug me on the bed. I return it, and he sits next to me. I look down and see I'm not wearing my bikini. Instead, I wear a simple blue dress that goes down to my ankles. I blush as I notice I'm not wearing a bra and try to quickly cover myself up with a blanket. I also touch my earlobes to feel if my earrings are still in, sighing with relief when feeling them. Jim chuckles and scratches the back of his neck.
"Don't worry, Claire. I didn't remove your clothing. Your mom and abuela did and asked me to watch over you while you were sleeping." He says nervously, blushing.
"How long have I been asleep?" I ask weakly, feeling my head spin.
Jim frowns. "For about two hours." He says calmly.
"What time is it?"
"It's about 7:20." He replies, checking his phone and doing something else on it, too, most likely texting by how his fingers move on the screen. He looks up and smiles. "How do you feel?"
I place my hand on my temple. "Like my head is spinning out of control." I moan. "What happened? I remember the sea, seeing Abuela, hearing random voices, and my mom's face." I ask clearly.
Jim sighs deeply and glances down for a moment. "You were missing for nearly two hours out to sea. Everyone was worried and looking for you. Your grandmother was the one that found you and said that you swam all the way back to the beach and collapsed in her arms. My mom thankfully resuscitated you, and your dad carried you here. My mom checked to see if you were alright, but you were unresponsive. So, she and your mom undressed and put you in warm clothes so you wouldn't catch a fever. They couldn't stay with you long. So your mom asked me to watch over you if something happened." He says softly but sounds sad.
I look down at my lap, feeling sad. I worried so many people. "I'm sorry," I mumble.
"No, no, no, Claire. Don't be sorry." Jim says sweetly, placing his hands on top of mine. I look up and meet my boyfriend's soft blue eyes. "It wasn't your fault. Please don't feel guilty about it. You've been through a lot today."
"But I wandered off from the girls when we were splashing each other in the water. I was so distracted I didn't know I swam so far and so long. I worried everyone about how long I was gone and when I would wake up. I'm-"
"Shhh! Claire, you're overwhelming yourself. It's ok. I'm fine; you're safe. Everything's alright." Jim interrupted me by placing his index finger on my lips.
I look into his eyes. I bite my lip and lean my forehead on his chest. I wrap my arms around Jim's waist, and he does the same, pulling me closer. I breathe in and welcome the silence from my ears, knowing I'm in the arms of the boy I love. The security and the warmth of his arms give me strength. I love it and snuggle to be closer to it, but I shiver, feeling tears coming to my eyes. I grip Jim's jacket tighter, remembering the fear I felt in the water. I curl up in a little ball, and Jim scoops me in his arms. "I was so scared at the moment, Jim. I couldn't see the bottom and what seemed miles away from shore. I thought something would come out and take me down with them. I was scared I would die and feared I wouldn't see you guys again, but that fear is what motivated me to get back on the beach. It gave me the strength to pull back to safety." I say softly before crying.
"Shhh! It's alright, Claire. I'm here, and you made it safely. You don't need to be scared anymore. Please don't cry." Jim replies softly in my ear. After a while, I stop crying and regain my composure. We peel apart to look at each other. Jim leans in and kisses me on the head. "I'm proud you swam back to us."
I frown and raise my eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" I ask in confusion. "I didn't swim."
Jim blinks and tilts his head slightly. "Abuela said she found you on the sand, thinking you swam all the way back. But if you said you didn't, how did you?" He asks, confused too.
Before I could open my mouth to say anything, the doorknob turned, making NotEnrique hide under the bed. We turn our heads to see Abuela standing in the doorway. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" She asks in a frail and sweet voice as she approaches us.
"Not at all, Maria," Jim says calmly, smiling and straightening up.
"How are you feeling, Claire?" Abuela asks, sitting on the other side of the bed.
I press my hand on my temple again. "Well, I don't feel sick, but my head still hurts since I woke up," I reply calmly, relaxing.
Abuela smiles and turns to Jim. "Thank you so much for staying with her."
Jim shrugs his shoulders. "Well, your granddaughter has been there for me when I was unconscious. I thought I would do the same." He replies and smirks at me. I playfully swat him on the shoulder, making him chuckle and hug me.
Abuela giggles too. "You're a good boyfriend to my granddaughter, Jim."
"Thank you, Maria!" He replies calmly and pecks me on the cheek, making me giggle.
The door opens again. Mom, Dad, and Barbara walk in with warm smiles. Suddenly the room starts feeling a bit warmer and smaller.
"Hello Ophelia, Barbara, Javier!" Abuela greets her daughter, son-in-law, and Jim's mom warmly.
"Hey, Mom!" Mom replies clearly.
Jim lets me go and steps back to allow Dad to sit down on the bed next to me. "How's my little princess?" He asks sweetly but with worry.
"I'm fine, Papá!" I reply. "But it's starting to feel a bit much with all these people in here," I say, holding my head with my hand.
Jim volunteers to get out. He says goodbye, and Mom, Dad, and Barbara thank him for staying with me. "Get out of here before someone catches you," Dad calls out to him as Jim leaves the room.
Dad kisses me on the forehead and gets out too. The room feels much better with only three people in the room.
Abuela gets up and lets Barbara take her place with a first aid kit. "Ok, Claire. Let's see if you're all good." She says gently, opening up the kit.
Barbara wears gloves and feels for anything on my throat, chest, and/or arms. She checks my ears, eyes, temperature, and blood pressure, looks in my mouth, and uses a stethoscope on my chest to hear my breathing. "Seems to me you look fine, but you still feel feverish and have sunburn and dehydration. So, I request you drink some water, rest for another hour, and do nothing active until Monday, alright?" She says seriously, looking into my eyes.
I nod my head. "Alright!" I mumble. But I hear my stomach growl.
"Also seems like you're hungry," Mom says clearly.
"I'm starving." I moan, hugging my stomach.
"Well, that's expected when you use all your energy to swim back on the beach," Barbara replies.
Mom walks over to where Jim and Dad sit and strokes some hair from my face. "I'll get you something to eat. You should stay away from crowds tonight as everyone is talking about you. You might be a bit intimidated after reacting with five people in a room." She says calmly.
I nod my head and lean back.
"I hope you feel better soon, Claire," Barbara says sweetly as she packs up the aid kit.
"Thanks, Barbara!" I reply softly. Mom kisses me on the forehead, gives me a water bottle, and says the same things as Barbara. I say goodbye as they walk to the door, but Abuela doesn't leave the room.
She sits back where she originally was and looks at me. "If you don't mind me, I'll stay here with my brave, beautiful granddaughter for a while." She says sweetly, smiling.
I chuckle and shake my head. "I don't mind, Abuela," I reply softly, smiling back at her.
But awkward silence fills the room for a good few minutes. I don't know what to say. Everyone thinks I swam back to shore, but I didn't. I tried to explain to Jim how, but we were interrupted by the woman next to me. She doesn't know about my abnormal life as a guardian of Arcadia, and it should stay that way, but something tells me that Abuela lied about how she found me and that she knows something. Her smile is suspicious, and I want to know without making the wrong slip. I have to keep things simple and read the signs.
"Abuela, may I ask you a question?" I ask calmly as I take a swig at the water.
"Yes!" She replies in her sweet voice.
"What was Dad talking about before Jim left the room?" I say curiously. I was about to ask her how she found me, but it didn't slip; also, I was curious about what Dad said.
Abuela sighs and glances down to the floor for a moment. "Your abuelo, Aunt Olivia and Uncle Lucas didn't want Jim in here. They thought it would be better if someone in the family stayed with you, but your parents wanted and insisted Jim be with you. He did agree, but they didn't. They are suspicious of how close and long you've been hanging out with Jim while you are here." She says more softly but sadly.
I gasp and feel guilty. I should've known this would happen. Of course, Olivia, Lucas, and Abuelo would object to Jim staying with me. I think they know Jim and I are dating, but I also blushed, as Mom and Dad wanted him to be with me. In the beginning (which was even a year ago), they wanted me to stay far away from Jim. Now, they want him to be as close to me as possible, even insisting he stays with me as I'm unconscious when some say otherwise. Why couldn't they pick one of my cousins or friends, but I don't complain.
"Diego and I were the ones who stood by your parents," Abuela says reassuringly. "Jim is your boyfriend, and he cares deeply for you." Making me blush. "I feel he is the one for you." She adds sweetly.
"Abuela!" I say sheepishly, playing with my fingers. "Jim is my first boyfriend. How could he be the one?" I ask. Why would she think or say that? Abuela doesn't know Jim well. She just met him yesterday.
"Who knows?" Abuela giggles. "The world and fate hold many secrets. Just remember to live in the present and think of the future. Don't dwell on the past, but it is good to look into it occasionally."
I raise my eyebrow at her statement. "What do you mean, Abuela?" I ask in confusion.
"Shhh! Not now. You must rest. You've gone through a lot today, and I do believe your friend, Douxie, I believe is his name, wishes to talk to you later." She says softly.
I roll my eyes but nod my head, leaning back against the pillows. She's right. I feel exhausted from the day. I have a headache. I need to talk to Douxie and might be overwhelmed by my friends with their questions. So, I need all the strength I can get, but I want to know what Abuela is talking about.
"Rest, Claire." She whispers and presses her hand on mine. I feel my skin tingle, making me feel warm but drowsy. My eyes feel heavy, and I start to drift off. I close my eyes, last seeing Abuela's kind chocolate eyes. I think-feel Abuela is hiding something.
I must find out. That was my last thought before hearing nothing and the first when Mom's soft voice woke me up. It was 8:40; Mom brought me chicken soup, strawberry yogurt, and crackers from the grocery store with hot tea, a banana, and grapes from the manor kitchen. I feel something brush against my hip. I look down to see NotEnrique, curled up in a little ball, sleeping soundly. He slowly stirs, sniffing from the smell of the food and me scratching his back.
He turns and looks up at me. "Hey, Claire!" He yawns and sits on my lap. "Are you feeling better now?" He asks in concern.
I smile and wrap my arms around him. "Yes! I'm feeling much better now. Thanks, brother!" I say sweetly. We hug for a moment.
"Come on NotEnrique. Claire needs to eat." Mom says nicely.
"Sorry, Mrs," NotEnrique says timidly and steps back from me. I feel him tremble and look nervous.
A few days after I returned from New Jersey, NotEnrique told me he tried to call my parents, Mom and Dad, while I was gone, but Mom looked angry when he said it. NotEnrique has lived with us for almost a year, but my parents didn't know he existed until May. He disguised himself as my little brother and would've devastated my family if I didn't know about trolls and my parents found out, but it wasn't his fault. He didn't originally want to be Enrique's familiar and be in my house, but now, since Mom and Dad let him stay, NotEnrique wants to call them as I do.
Mom places the food she got on a tray table and sets it over my lap. "Eat Claire." She says softly but sternly. I hesitate. I did say I was starving, but as I looked at the food in front of me, I felt sick to my stomach. "You'll feel better."
I obey without saying a word and eat silently while looking around the room. Abuela is nowhere to be seen. I remember her singing the lullaby Mom sang to me. Her soft, sweet voice helped me fall into a thankful dreamless sleep, but the way she sang was slightly different from Moms. It sounded more like she was telling a story while Mom told it like it was—a song. I touch my neck and feel that it's bare. My heart almost sinks, and I feel my blood freeze. Oh crap!
"Don't worry, Claire. I have the necklace." I hear Mom say. I look up and see Mom holding the necklace out. "Hold up your hair."
I obey without a word, too shocked but happy to see the necklace again. I sigh as I can finally breathe again as I feel Mom secures the chain at the back of my neck. I let my hair down and smiled as I looked down at the necklace. When I touch it, it glows purple and gives me a warm, secure feeling.
I hear Mom chuckle. "You really like it, don't you?" She says sweetly.
I look up at her and nod my head. I want to tell her one of the reasons is because she gave it to me. The best thing she's ever given me, but like I've done since I was 10, I don't say it to her. I feel odd when Mom pulls up a chair beside the bed. "What are you doing?" I ask in confusion, raising my eyebrow.
"I'm pulling up a chair to stay with you." She says sternly, making me freeze, but she quickly looks up and softens her expression. "If that ok with you." She says more gently.
I pause. Sure, I asked Mom to stay with me the same day she sang the lullaby, but now, she's offering. Mom hasn't done that since I was eight. I remember her telling me stories, singing to me, and just being the last thing I saw before closing my eyes. I nod my head and smile. "Yes!"
Mom smiles in return and sits in the chair. An awkward silence fills the room. I don't want to keep looking at my mother, so I look down to eat the food on my lap. NotEnrique gets curious, and I give him a cracker on a napkin while I eat the soup. "Don't make a mess." I remind him, smiling as he studies the item.
But he licks his lips, looks up at me, and smiles. "Thank you!" He says clearly before biting down on the cracker.
"Everyone was asking about you as I walked in and out of your room." I hear Mom state.
I lift my head to look at her while swallowing a spoonful of soup. "Who?" I ask. I think this is just a way for Mom to make small talk.
"Some of your friends, cousins, aunts and uncles. They are really worried about you." She says flatly.
"What did they ask?"
Mom sighs and leans back as she acts exhausted from the question. "They were asking if you were ok, and they want to see me, but after how you reacted with five people in this room, I'm not letting them near you until tomorrow. Jim was also swarmed with questions, making him stay in his room because I chose him to stay with you while I was trying to help Abuela, and your father was with Enrique." She groans, rubbing her temples.
"They just care about my well-being and want to see me. Seeing someone instead of hearing about them tells the brain everything is alright." I reply, reassuring her. But not too much, as most of my sympathy bends to Jim.
Mom takes a deep breath and straightens up. "Yes, I know, but you need to stay away from crowds right now. They will overwhelm you, and you already had enough to deal with for one day." She says clearly, but a little shaky.
Wait! What? "How would you know?" I ask a bit pessimistically, raising an eyebrow. How does Mom know? How could she know what I was feeling? Is it because she wants to pretend to be sympathetic to me?
"Because I was in a similar situation as you were." She sighs.
I blink and let out a small gasp. Mom never told me much about herself to me. And when she did, it was either she complaining about what life was like at the manor or her journey as a young mother and college. Even before becoming a neglectful mother, she never liked to talk to me about life as a kid. No matter how many times "little curios" me asked.
"How?" I ask, more interested but still pessimistic.
Mom sighs again. "When I was around your age, I got in a little... accident." She replies, focusing on no one. Accident? Mom? Impossible. "I still remember it even 21 years later. I just turned 16 about two weeks ago. I really wanted to have some fun, so I and some friends went to the beach. I snuck out of my room with a beach bag and swimsuit at the beginning of dawn. My friends and I walked to the beach and played on the sand until the sharks were gone. We surfed, splashed, and swam together. After lunchtime, my friends sunbathed on the sand, but I played in the water and ended up far away from the shore. I start to try to get back, but the current keeps pulling me in. I panicked and felt like I was done for, but thankfully, I could swim back to the shore as the waves pulled me in, but I got scraped and cut by the rocks on the shallow waters. When I pull myself out of the water, I pass out." Mom explains sadly, looking at me.
I gasp, and my eyes widen as my blood runs cold through my veins. I never knew my mother would do such a stupid thing in her life. She was always perfect in my eyes. Never made a mistake. Never made a bad decision. To hear her telling me this is strange and kinda abnormal. Is this why she didn't want me to be a trollhunter? Is this why she wanted me to be perfect in everything I did? I want to ask, but instead, I ask her something else.
"What happened after that?" I ask softly but shaky, really curious now.
Mom takes another deep breath. "I woke up in the hospital. The nurses told me Abuela found me. I didn't know how and why. When we finally saw each other, she wasn't mad or furious. She was just reassuring me while I apologized continuously. Then, Abuelo, Olivia, Lucas, and Sebastian came in. They were concerned and worried about me from what happened, but as they hugged me, it wasn't warm or reassuring. It felt cold and stiff. When I came back home, everyone swarmed me with questions, but it wasn't directed as if I were a person. It was directed at me being a possession. They were only worried about me as the "Firstborn" of the family. It was different whenever Olivia, Lucas, Sebastian, or anyone else got hurt like that. Our family treated them as people, and on that day, I knew I had to get out." She says flatly.
I look down and feel like my heart just broke. I knew Mom didn't want to live in the manor. She always despised it when describing her life here, but this story and her face tell me something else is under the surface.
"This is exactly why I hated coming over here with you. I knew as my first child, you would be treated the same way I was for what you did, when you did it, where, and/or why. I didn't want you to grow up the way I did. I wanted you to have a life where you could make your own decisions and life as an independent woman." Mom adds a little more kindly.
But the last sentence draws me back to square one with her. An independent woman? Make my own decisions? Before letting me go to New Jersey with Jim and the trolls, Mom never allowed me to be who I wanted to be. She was neglectful while expecting me to be an A student, care for my baby brother, and always be perfect. I feel rage flowing through my veins. Mom never let me be independent. She never let me make my own decisions. I want to scream at her. Tell her to get out. But I don't and just focus on finishing the dinner my workaholic mother gave me.
"Claire, what's the matter?" I hear her ask with concern.
No! "Yes! I'm fine!" I hiss. I finish my food in less than 10 minutes in silence. Mom grabs the tray away from me and starts to fix the trash. "Do you need any help with that?" I ask flatly. It's not to help her. Just to make me feel better.
"No. It's ok. I got it, Claire. You just relax." Mom answers clearly. But I can hear a hint of hurt in her voice. She doesn't look at me, but I can see slight sadness on her face. She appears as she comes into my room and walks towards the door.
"I have to talk to Douxie and my friends," I state to her, making her stop in her tracks. There is a brief pause. It's chilling and uncomfortable. It's like when I tell her something at home. But as I would be used to it, it feels more painful for unknown reasons.
"Alright." She sighs before walking to the door. It sounds like an agreement more than a shrug. "Do you need anything else, sweetie?" She asks sweetly.
I shake my head. "No!"
Mom nods and opens the door. But as the door closes, I feel sick to my stomach and hit my head on the bed. I start trembling and feel a lump come in my throat. There are so many questions I wanted to ask Mom. Why didn't she tell me about her past sooner? Why does our family do this? Why did she pick Jim instead of what they wanted? And my biggest question since I was deep underground for three months. If my mother wanted to make me become an independent woman who makes their own decisions, why was she neglectful?
"You alright, Sis?"
I peek out and see NotEnrique's big eyes staring at me with concern. At first, I had forgotten he was in the room. I want to tell him it's fine. "Don't worry about it." I moan, but he doesn't buy my lies and has seen many of my interactions with Mom. I shake my head. "No." I groan.
"Why did you shut your mum down like that?" He asks with concern.
I huff. "Because she that's not her words. She's just making up stuff to make me feel better. I don't need or want her sympathy."
"Come on, Claire. We both know she wasn't lying. You just don't want to admit that to yourself."
I straighten up and raise my eyebrow at him. "How would you know? You lived with us for less than a year. You don't know how bad it has been for me since I was 10. I tell her of a performance I have, and she says she can come, but I don't find her in the crowd. 'Oh, sorry, Claire. Something came up at work, but I'd make it next time.' Is what she will say repeatedly."
"She came to your Romeo and Juliet play. I ever saw it from her shoulder." NotEnrique protests calmly.
I scoff and roll my eyes. "Once! That one time in six years. She always makes excuses about why she couldn't come. Work, hard day, didn't feel like it, or don't have time." I feel the lump in my throat grow bigger and cross my arms. "The day I heard Mom was pregnant with Enrique, I was thrilled. I always wanted a sibling, but I was also scared. I was 14, and Mom had barely paid attention to me. How would she give a baby attention?"
I laugh and begin to shake. "I should've known she would put all the brunt on me. Once Enrique was born, she took a few weeks off work and went back to it while dropping everything in my lap. 'Make sure you feed Enrique his dinner and put him to bed. Oh, and keep working on your studies.' That is what she would tell me. How the hell is a 15-year-old girl supposed to feed her baby brother and put him to bed while you do homework? That's not a teenager's job! That's a fucking mother's job!" I shake my head, holding back tears. "She wasn't there for help, support, guidance, advice, love, and/or comfort! She only cared about her one daughter, being perfect in everything she did. No mistakes, no accidents, no choices, no decisions. Just become Mamá fucking little perfect trophy so she can be proud of." I laugh sarcastically and let the tears fall. I don't care if someone comes in and tell me to stop. I don't care if I mess up with all my crocodile tears on the covers. I just want to go back into the darkness and in Jim's arms. Even though it's not the best, it was away from everything that hurt. Far, far away. I start crying softly, hugging myself, and close my eyes. I want it to stop. I want everything to stop.
I feel a hug at my side. "Hey, hey. Shhh, shhh, Sis. It's ok." I hear my troll brother whisper gently.
I turn to see his big yellow eyes that look cute but sad. I open up my body, and he crawls in my lap.
"Hey, it's ok, Sis. Your mum may have made a terrible mistake, but as Doll said, ever since New Jersey, your parents' actions caught up with them, and they regretted it." He says softly and sincerely. "I saw it."
I both feel relieved and angry at NotEnrique's response. How many times will I hear that and not get an answer? I sigh, and we hug for what seems like forever until I hear a ping on the nightstand. We pull away, and I turn to the nightstand. It has my cell phone on it. I reach out and grab my phone. I look at the screen and see a text notification from Douxie. I tap on it and unlock my phone.
Douxie: 'Hey! I know what happened to you, and I wish I could give you a big hug. Everyone is worried about her too. The only one who saw you was Jim, and I'm sure he was very gentle to you. As for what you said on the boat ride, I would like to tell you everything, but after what happened today, I don't know if you want to make the journey to my room and/or hear what I have to say, but if you want me to, I would be more than happy to help. Just ping me your decision.'
I think about it. I do want to hear the truth from him. I feel like he's hiding something from me, but maybe it is something I don't want to hear after today. I can wait on it for tonight and-
No! I'm going to hear everything that Douxie has to say. I want the truth, and I want it now! I don't care if I'm dizzy, exhausted, and flooded with emotions.
Me: 'Thank you for the concern. But I'm fine and want to hear what you got to say. I'll be there in the room in less than five minutes. I want the truth. The whole truth and nothing but the truth.'
I sent him that and got ready to go. I shift to the edge of the bed and take a deep breath. I jump off and land on the floor. My legs feel weak. I almost slipped but caught myself by grabbing the mattress.
"What are you doing?" NotEnrique asks with concern. "You're not supposed to walk until tomorrow."
"I have to meet Douxie and my friends in his room. And besides, I'll feel worse if I don't start walking now." I protest. I began to feel better with each step I took. Looks like my healing is really supernatural. It kicks in faster than the average human's immunity. I walk over to my suitcase and grab my bra, pants, and shirt. I walk to the bathroom and get them on. "I'll be back soon," I tell NotEnrique as I touch the door knob.
"Wait! I'm coming with you." I hear him shout. I turn to my bed and see NotEnrique walking towards me. "If my sister is going to talk to the wizard, I want to hear about it." He says with determination.
I roll my eyes. "Just make sure you stay beside me and out of sight," I say flatly, gesturing to the door. We arrive at Douxie's door right on time. I look frantically around for anyone. It's almost 9:00, but still, people are walking around. Thanks to my magic, I portal the two of us to the second floor on the other side of the manor; also, thanks to Miguel, I knew where the right door was. I take a deep breath and knock on the door. I wait for an agonizing few seconds until the door opens for me to see golden hazel eyes.
"Claire," Douxie says calmly but with concern. "Come in."
He opens the door wider to let me in. I walk in and see everyone. Jim, Toby, Steve, Eli, Krel, Aja, Zoe, Mary, and Darci, some sitting or standing. Archie is sitting on a bed, and Nari is beside him.
"Claire! You were crying." Nari says with concern in a sweet voice.
I kneel down and open my arms for her to enter. "It's ok, Nari. I'm alright." I reply softly.
"Who is this?" Nari asks as we pull away. She looks behind me with curious eyes.
I turn around to see my changeling brother slowly crawling toward us. He also looks curious but defensive. "Who is this, Claire?" He asks, raising his eyebrow.
I chuckle as the two haven't met each other yet. "NotEnrique, this is Nari. It's alright. She's with Douxie. She won't hurt me." I gesture and explain to him to Nari. "Nari, this is NotEnrique. He is my changeling brother. It's hard to explain." I gesture and explain her to NotEnrique. They slowly crawl closer to each other, and like NotEnrique and Archie, they start to have a friendly conversation.
As I stand up on my feet, Darci wraps her arms around me. "We're so glad you're ok." She mumbles.
I hugged her back as her hugs always felt good, but I had to let her go after a few moments when she squeezed me. I spent the next 10 minutes talking, hugging, and reassuring everyone about my red eyes and what had happened these past four hours, but I sat down next to Jim because the strain of having ten people and three creatures in a closed space made my head spin.
But I have business to get to. That is the reason why I'm here. I take a deep breath and straighten up to look at my mentor. "So, Douxie. You texted me you would tell me everything." I say with determination and no fear.
Douxie becomes stiff and tense. His eyes look nervous, and his forehead spells worry on it. Archie and Nari walk up to him, looking nervous, but Douxie takes a deep breath and nods. "You're a tough girl Claire, but I fear you will both hate me and be scared simultaneously. I haven't told anyone this, but Jim told me what happened two weeks ago, and I have; you need to know what Archie, Nari, and I know." He says calmly but a bit regretful. "So brace yourself."
I take a deep breath and nod my head. I don't care what he says. I need to know, but as Douxie opens his mouth, I hear a painful ringing in my ear. I shut my eyes and tense up. Oh no! Not again.
"Claire, are you ok?" I hear Jim say gently. I hear many concerned voices belonging to my friends. But I try to shut them out, covering my ear.
"Claire."
I find myself in front of the manor, seeing Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!, running towards me.
"Claire! Tobias! Master Jim! Terrible news!" Blinky shouts. Panic and fear resonate all over his body. AAARRRGGHH! is the same way. Then, I see a vision of the shadow creature that has been chasing me for the past two weeks in the same spot, but its features are a bit more exposed. I can see how tall, it has armor, and it looks like-
A half-troll.
Shit! I finally figured it out.
Then, I see a vision of a woman. The same woman who I saw when I hit my head during the fight with Alejandro.
"Go to the door of the manor. Someone is coming for you, and someone is watching you. One is good while one is bad." She says softly.
I gasped and opened my eyes to see all my friends worried faces. The ringing stops, and I jump when Jim tries to touch my shoulder.
"Claire, are you alright?" I hear Douxie ask.
I look around frantically. I feel my head and heart pound faster and faster by the millisecond. I start to hyperventilate, and my vision becomes blurry. "I... uh..." I breathe, but it hits me like a thunderbolt. "Blinky..." I whisper and run to the door. I hear voices of concern and confusion behind me. I open the door and run out. I run to the stairs and almost trip on my feet, but I pull myself up each time. Surprisingly, no one is out here. That's good so that no one will stop and/or follow me. I hear my friends' voices calling out for me, but the adrenaline in my body pump so hard I can barely make out what they're saying. I run to the door, and with all my strength, I push it open. I look frantically around, trying to find Blinky, AAARRRGGHH! and/or the half-troll. But I don't. I turn to my right and slowly walk and look around again.
"Claire!"
I turn around to see Jim, Douxie, Toby, NotEnrique, Archie, and everyone in front of the door. Some of them are panting, and some are fine, but they are all looking at me with wide eyes. "What the hell, Claire! Why did you run out like that!?" Steve screams, making me wince.
Jim and Douxie walk up to me with concern in their eyes. "Claire, what's going on? You're scaring us right now?" Jim says softly.
"I'm sorry, guys! I just saw a vision of Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! with me standing right here!" I say in a panic.
Jim raises his eyebrow in confusion. "Claire, what are you talking about? Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! and in Hoboken, New Jersey. They are 3,000 miles away on the other side of the country." He says with more concern.
"Technically, about 2,763.8 miles away." Archie corrects.
"Archie!" Douxie hisses, glaring at him with irritation in his eyes. "Not the time!"
"I... I.." I try to find my voice and words to describe what I saw and my impulse to run out of the room without explanation, but I can't.
"Ummm... Who are Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!?" I hear Mary ask in confusion.
"Claire! Tobias! Master Jim!"
We all turn to the sound and see them.
Author Note: I will be on a trip for the whole week. I will do my best to write and maybe upload a chapter. But WiFi will mostly be bad and I won't have time to write. I really appreciate your reviews and sharing this story really helps me out a lot.
What is Abuela hiding? And will Douxie tell Claire about the prophecy? Please review.