9 The mentors

—Don’t worry, just wait.—said the woman.

Alyra was not very confident, but as already said, she did not have many options.

Mrs Hugs delayed her return home as long as she could, it was a month until those who Ma'am Madelaine said would be her tutors, could be contacted and finally arrived. But the work was already too much, and the woman had to go, when Mrs Hugs was preparing to return home, Alyra took courage to say something that she has wanted for some time.

—I'm sorry, lying was never my intention, but I didn't know if I could trust … I'm really sorry.

—I already knew that.— she said without even looking.—Just as I know that not everything is a lie.

For a moment the girl froze, and confused, she waited for the lady to continue.

—A person told me about you, said that you would show up soon, so I waited.

Without saying anything else, she left the room, Alyra wanted to go after the woman, and force her to say everything she knew, but Mrs. Hugs was quicker, and left before she could ask about it.

Alyra sighed, at least it was new information, she thought.

She took one of the potions, which really solved the problems for some time, and drank, before any spirit appeared, it was strange to have the feeling that what seemed to be the end before, seemed more normal now.

Each day, it seemed a little more natural to her, scary, but bearable, it was strange to have the feeling that what seemed to be the end before, seemed more normal now. All she wanted to know, was how they suddenly started to appear, sometimes she thought, if it was not all a kind of outbreak, like the first time, or maybe she had died, perhaps she had drowned in the waterfall, and was in a dilemma between life and death.

—Alyra, come here.

The girl heard a loud voice calling to her, so she went down the stairs, meeting Ma'am Madeleine and a few other people she didn't know.

—Yes, Ma’am?— said Alyra.

—So you are the girl we had been listening about.—said a tall man.—Some of ours are scared.

All of them are smiling at her a slightly different smile, Alyra felt that there was something strange about them, she gives a little smile back.

—First, you need to introduce yourself.—said for the visitors.

—I am Celine, I can listen to them.—said quickly.

—I am Dinah.—said excited.—I can see them!

—And I am Jimmy.—said the older, the same who talked first.—I can feel them.

—You can trust in them, they will teach you how to control your abilities.—said Ma’am, leaving the room

—Excuse me, Ma’am, and you?—asked.

—You will know soon..—said mysterious, and left.

—The first thing you must do is to stop taking the potions.—Celine said.

—How do you know that I take potions?—asked curious.

—No one who could see, hear and feel the spirits could be so calm at first, you act as if they are not here, but they are. I heard you came with Mrs Hugs, so I deduced that she gave you something.—said with a cold expression.—I wish I had met her in my day.

Celine fell silent after saying this, while the others talked non-stop, trying to know more every moment. In just two hours, Alyra already had an idea of how each one worked, Celine was the most quiet and observant, it was as if at every moment she evaluated the girl, Jimmy was the one who seemed to be the most adviser, giving several advice to the girl on how to deal with it all, and finally, Dinah, she was apparently the youngest and most excited, she spoke everything, and sometimes without thinking, and besides, from the way Jimmy looked at Dinah, she felt there was something more, Alyra just looked at them, and answered some questions, on alert all the time.

—Alyra, can you come here a moment please.—Ma’am asked.

The girl politely excused herself and then went to the woman, who was waiting for her at the door.

When the girl was gone, the three started talking about her.

—What did you think of her?— Dinah asked, holding up a jar of cookies that Ma'am Madeleine had offered earlier.

—She is very suspicious.—said the gentleman, resting his back on the soft sofa.

—For sure—Dinah said.

—The spirits told me about her—Celine began.

—And what did they say?—Dinah asked curious.

—Apparently, she is in denial, they can help her, but she has a much higher level of sensitivity, so the painful and the wicked can also communicate with her.

—This is terrible....—said Jimmy.—For all the rumours that spirits have told those who hear, they don't seem like the type we would like to hear, see or feel.

—Maybe that's why she takes the potions!— Dinah said.

—Clear as water, Dinah. This girl's head must be tormented, the middle has caused so much pain in so many of us, imagine what the painful and the wicked can do.— Celine countered.

—She will lose her soul to them.—Jimmy said.

One thing was a fact, although everyone was there, none of them, not even Ma'am Madeleine believed that everything was going to be okay, no one who has seen more than should, could actually be okay, at least that's what they believed, but nobody would say that to Alyra.

Meantime, Ma’am Madeleine and Alyra were walking calmly through the beautiful field in front of the house, while the older one remained silent, nothing embarrassing, which made the girl feel better, it had been some time since she had felt that.

—Lady?— Alyra broke the silence.—I know you want to help me deal with them … But I would like to know if I can just … I don't know, let them go …

—Do you want to leave them?—She asked seriously.

—I don't want this, I never did, I just want my normal life.

The silence returned, this time, ruefully.

—They spoke to me…—the lady began.—I was told to tell you something.

—I thought you said you felt them.—he said, wondering at the contradiction.

—But no one needs to know—she said, smiling.—You're not going to tell anyone my secret, will you, honey?

Alyra was confused, although the woman was saying this with a smile, it seemed like a threat, not wanting to get into any more trouble, Alyra just shook her head.

Even curious, Alyra was waiting patiently for her to continue.

—They told me it wasn't a dream, you really were here already … They didn't talk about it much, but they said you would understand.— Alyra for a moment froze, as Ma'am no longer heard the girl's footsteps, she stopped too, and continued saying—They also asked to say that she is well, and that she misses you, but that she needed to make this sacrifice for you, if she did not do this, you would not be able to return to Plutanix.

—Is she with them?— She said.

Alyra knew who it was, it was about Vega, for a moment, she remembered saying that she wished she had never met her, and it was one of the things she most regretted, all this time.

Somehow, it was as if Alyra had known her a lot longer.

—I was told that they will only tell you more if you accept them.—she replied seriously.

—And why?—She asked desperately.—This is killing me, I just want to live in peace, why don't they leave me alone?

—They want you, Alyra, it's different this time, they chose you.

The woman spoke as she approached, and Alyra just took a few steps back, there was an insane gleam in Ma'am Madeleine's eyes that did not please her.

—How so?—She asked stressed..

—You are different from us, Alyra.

Out of her own mind, Alyra held the woman by the arms, shaking her, the girl couldn't take any more of that.

—No! They cannot decide that they will torment me, they cannot! You have to get this out of me.—Alyra now had a cold energy, so cold that Jimmy could feel it.

—ALYRA,— he shouted, running up to her, accompanied by the others.

Alyra released the woman, and started to walk away from them.

—Alyra you are not like that.— Dinah said.

—AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS?—She screamed tiredly, the tears could no longer stop, and all she felt was pain.

Pain for not knowing how to recover Vega, pain for knowing that her parents died for some unknown reason, pain at the disapproving look they had on her, pain for not knowing who she was and what she needed to do.