SELENE POV
I slowly opened my eyes. The walls were painted in white, the scent of drugs reeked the air.
"Selene!" Katherine cried, her eyes puffy.
"Why are you crying?" I said. My throat felt sore and thirsty.
Cough, cough.
"I'm sorry, here" Katherine said, picking up the glass of water beside the bed.
"Thank you" I said, drinking down the water quickly, soothing the soreness in my throat.
I felt a hand on my cheek and looked up at Katherine. Her eyes moist, red and swollen, her hand trembling.
" Kathy, I'm ok".
"You scared me, I was so scared" Katherine mumbled, her body shaking and the sound of sobs echoed through the room.
"Kathy, look at me I just fainted. I didn't die" I said, wiping her tears with my hands.
" You're not allowed to scare me like that," Katherine said, slapping my hand away.
"That really hurts you know".
"You deserve it," Katherine said, smiling through the tears sliding down her cheeks.
I stared at Katherine, my chest felt warm and relaxed. I better start going home, but mom was supposed…oh no
"Kathy, my mom!" I quickly pulled out the IV drip inserted in my arm and climbed up from the bed.
" Selene, What's wrong"
" My mom , have you seen her"
"No"
"Something is wrong" I said, a chill running down my spine, and quickly ran out of the room.
" Selene!Where are you going?" Katherine shouted, running after me.
A hand gripped my arm.
"Selene, calm down, you're not fully recovered" Katherine said, anxiously .
"Kathy, I think my mom is in danger" my heartbeat accelerated, my eyes twitching.
"I'm sure Auntie Mariam is…"
"Then why isn't she here yet, I'm sure you called her to tell her what happened "
"She didn't pick up"
I grabbed Katherine's wrist , glanced at the watch she was wearing. " This is 9 pm for fuck sake, my mom should have been here seven hours ago," I said, my body shaking.
"I will go home with you, I have texted my parents about sleeping at your place when you were unconscious."
We sprinted outside the school, panting and heaving for breath.
"Taxi!!" we yelled together
We quickly entered the taxi. "Sir take us to the road leading to the Taiga forest"
"What, sorry miss I can't…"
"I will triple the price" I said, staring into his eyes through the rearview mirror.
"Here we go"
I clutched the gold colored locket on my neck, my heart felt uneasy.
"Sir, step on it!" I said anxiously. We have to get there fast, no matter what it takes.
"Here is the money" I said, running out of the car with Katherine. A wave of apprehension washed over me as I stepped into the forest. Panic fluttering in my chest.
"Let's follow the shortcut" I said, running through the forest, the sound of our feet is the only thing I could hear - the forest was uncomfortably quiet.
"We meet again screamer"
"Thud''
"Oh my God, Selene, are you alright?" c Katherine cried.
I stumbled and fell flat on the ground on hearing that voice - that I haven't heard in the past three months. " Where are you?" I said, looking around but everything was dark.
"Selene, who are you looking for?" Katherine said, looking around her.
"You better leave here, something dangerous is not far from here"
" What are you saying?" I asked anxiously
" Leave here now, lea. .."
"No, no, no!!, you can't leave me like last time, ghost, ghost, please come back!"
" Selene, what is wrong with you, who are you talking to"
"Kathy we to need hurry, I will explain later"
We continued running deeper into the woods without turning back, the trees rustling and owls hooting ominously. I stopped in front of my house. The small garden in our house was destroyed, the door broken in half, blood stains on the floor.
" Mom!"
"Auntie Mariam!"
"Mom, where are you?" I ran into the house and upstairs calling out to my mom. Books scattered everywhere, the chairs were broken , and the smell of smoke in the air was like something was burned.
"Selene! Over here" yelled Katherine
I immediately ran downstairs towards the back door of the house.
"The back door was wide open . And look, they're fresh blood stains on the floor" said Katherine, fear in her eyes.
" My mom must have ran out through the back door, let's go"
"Wait" Katherine said, walking to the kitchen and came out with two knives. "Here, to defend ourselves"
I looked at the knife she gave to me. " Kathy, I think you should just go back"
" No we are into this together" said Katherine, courageously.
I took the knife and torch light from behind the door. We followed the footprints and crushed leaves on the ground.
Swoosh.
Is that a fire? What could cause a fire in the forest during the rainy season?. My legs sprinted on their own towards the direction of the Flaming red.
There she was.
"Mom!!"
I ran toward my mom. Surrounded by eight men dressed weirdly. Are those real swords in their hands?
"Selene, what are you doing here?" Mariam said, despair clearly in her voice. "You are not supposed to be here"
" Mom , what is going on?" I cried.
"Listen to me. I will distract them and you both will run out of here. No matter what happens don't turn back ". Said Mariam, blood sipping out of her mouth.
"We are not leaving here without you, Aunty Mariam."
"What brave girls".
"I'm sorry to interrupt your touching reunion but I have a business to finish" said one of the men. He looks like the leader. We shuffled back as he moved forward, a chill running down my spine.
"Lady Mariam, give me want I seek and I will let the girls go"
" I have already told you that I don't have it," said Mariam, coldly.
My hand firmly held the kitchen knife as my eyes darted from one man to another. I looked at Katherine - her hands were trembling but she still stood rooted beside me. My eyes felt watery.
" I don't have time for this, it's almost midnight. Give me what I seek or lose your head!"
"Androprovabra, tunrusiki.."
"Stop her!! she is casting a teleportation spell"
The ground beneath my feet started glowing with strange markings, my body grew cold. Katherine quickly held my hand.
"Mom , what is happening"
"Listen to me Selene, find Mariah my twin sister. She will take care of you" Mariam said, stuffing a crumpled paper into my arms, her fingers bruised.
"Mom, what are you saying? You don't have a sister"
"I'm sorry but I hope one day you will forgive me " said Mariam, tears flowing down her cheeks.
My heart felt restless, I tried to move. "Mom , I can't move my legs." I looked down at my feet and tried to move by force but couldn't. I stared at where my mom was standing. There weren't any glowing markings there.
"Androprovabra, tunrusiki. Vukijuru vasa."
"No , mom!!!"
"Auntie Mariam!!"
A bright, overwhelming light burst out of my mom's hands. I stared at my mom's face. I have never seen that kind of expression on her face before - everything went dark.
________________________________________
KATHERINE POV
Where am I?
I looked around at the giant trees. Are we still in the forest? No, this place was different. The air smelled of pine and damp earth, but also of something I don't know…
I turned beside me.
"Oh my God!!…"
Selene's hair. The white streaks..they were glowing, a soft, shining silver against the dark brown. And there were more of them, spreading from her temples like frost across a tree.
"Selene! Selene, wake up. Something's wrong!" I said, shaking her. Her body was like a furnace, her skin flushed and slick with sweat.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I dragged her behind a large rock, fumbling to loosen her uniform collar. "Selene, can you hear me?"
Nothing.
"Auntie Mariam," I whispered into the quiet air, "what am I supposed to do?"
Hyiaaah!
The sound ..a sharp, commanding shout cut through the forest. I froze, then peered around the rock.
Horses. Dozens of them, clad in leather and polished steel. Men in full armor hiding their body rode them, their helmets hiding their faces. Sunlight glinted off sharp looking spear tips and shield swords. Please tell me this isn't real!
"Where the fuck are we?" I breathed, shrinking back. "I must be dreaming. This isn't real. It's biologically impossible. Physically impossible…"
But the chill of the rock against my palm felt real. The warmth of Selene's feverish skin was real. The drumming of hooves growing closer was definitely real.
I grabbed two fistfuls of my own hair, a scream building silently in my chest.
We are nowhere near home.