Chapter Four

Tamina was about to leave her house when she saw cassandra coming her way. Her facial expression almost expressed the fact she did not want to be around Cassandra. Her thin lips curled into a fake smile

"I wasn't expecting to see you today"

"I just decided to stop by and visit. Where are you going?" She asked accessing her friend who was dressed in a taupe dress with puffy long sleeves. Cassandra wore something similar. Tamina held a small basket of fruits, slightly covered with a green napkin.

"Well you would not know, because you abandoned me" Tamina said and continued walking.

Cassandra followed from behind, "I did not!"

"You have changed Cassandra, so much that I am afraid our friendship cannot continue"

It hurt for her to say that. Tamina was the only friend that stayed after Edgar was executed. Melissa and Tamina were all she had. When she was Cassandra's glommy face, she regretted her words instantly.

"That did not come out well. I am sorry but please do not distant yourself from me and also stop misbehaving" she cautioned "That's the last thing your mother needs right now"

"I will, I will"

The two friends tagged along the lonley streets of Tiwan. Everybody in Tiwan knew that they were very close friends.

"So where are you heading to?"

"Sir Charles" she said rolling her dark asian eyes "Mama wants me to give it to him personally, she has evil intentions to get me married to him"

"He is not frightening but maybe a little bit too old for you "

"A little bit!" She exclaimed "He is very old. Why doesn't she see me getting married to Prince Williams? I do not care for her answer, I must go for the royal ball"

"What ball?" Cassandra asked

Tamina let out a deep breath "How do you not know about the royal ball?" She then remembered what had been done to her father. "Oh I understand"

"I don't care about the royal family. I would never step foot into that castle not to talk of pleasing the prince"

"Anyway, the king will prepare a royal ball for his eldest son, Prince williams. Young maidens are supposed to come and he shall pick the prettiest one that pleases his eyes" she grinned touching her black long silky hair " I am pretty enough"

"You are!" Cassandra confirmed "Good luck! I hope he picks you" but she didn't sound thrilled at all

"I understand how you feel. The thought of me going to please your enemies... but can't you, can't you forgive them? It's been eleven yea-"

"Enough!"

Tamina bent her head in silence and then she spoke up " It is better that way, Cassandra. In the church the other day, I learnt that unforgiveness can bring about depression and depression can affect you physically. It would be as if you have locked yourself in some kind of cage. You look like depression is eating you up" she said almost crying

Tears threatened to come out but Cassandra held them back. " I wish you would know that I am not depressed and neither have I forgive them but I have let them be. If you want to go for the ball, go. Become the future Queen and let me know the people of Tiwan are in good hands"

And that was it, nobody talked as they walked to the house of sir Charles. Some children about the age of six to ten, were playing on the street, behind the market side. One of them, a plump brunette picked up a tomato that had started to rot. Her friends encouraged her and then she threw it towards Cassandra. Immediately, it hit Cassandra's head, She turned back and pretended as if she was not the one.

Cassandra growled in anger as she touched her sticky hair. Yes, sometimes her hair was untidy but she could not tolerate a child helping her out. Cassandra actually loved her hair very much.

"Just ignore them, they are children" Tamina said and used the green napkin to dap her hair. Cassandra bit her cherry lips in anger.

The brunette turned again, this time with a big mango that had started to rotten. She was getting them from a big waste basket close to them. She targeted Cassandra's head and threw it with all her strength. She turned back immediately to giggle with her friends.

The impact of her strength and the weight of the fruit hit Cassandra's head and she almost fell.

Tamina turned immediately "Stop that you brats!"

Cassandra slowly turned and spotted the guilty face. The voice in her head said

"Tear her into Pieces and feed on her soul"

As she walked towards them, she could feel her canines grow longer like that of a beast. It was not strange to her because it had happened before. One time or several times she had mercilessly killed a bunny to satisfy her urge.

The manner of which she walked and her facial expression scared the other children. The brunette stood in fear, her thick legs suddenly grew weak.

"It's alright Cassandra, you have scared them away. You can come back now" said Tamina

But Cassandra wasn't listening, she had an urge she had to satisfy. When the brunette got the balls to actually flee, Cassandra held her hand, piercing her long nails into her skin.

"I am sorry" she squealed but cassandra was not done. She leaned over and deeped her canines into her fleshy neck.

"Cassandra! That's enough" Tamina shouted making her way towards them. She dropped her basket on the ground.

The brunette trembled in dread. She tried using her other hand to hit Cassandra's head but she was too weak. Her body was in distress and everything in her focused on the great pain she was experiencing. She tried screaming but she wasn't loud enough. Tears rolled down her eyes as she tried getting away from Cassandra.

"I am sorry. Please forgive me" she kept begging

Cassandra was digging into her flesh, aiming for a huge bite. Tamina was suddenly bemused, she looked around but there was nobody, only other children from afar screaming in terror. She knew if she dragged Cassandra, Cassandra would come off with a chunk of flesh in her mouth.

"Cassandra please! You are hurting her"

When she realized Cassandra would not budge, she grabbed a small heavy rock.

The brunette screamed again feeling a piece of flesh slowly leaving her neck. Tamina had to act quick with this action. She might end her friend's life and be praised by the people or she would leave the brunette to suffer excruciating pain and get critised by the people.

She didn't think again. That rock landed directly on Cassandras head and she passed out on the ground. The brunette could not see her neck but she used her fingers to feel it.

She screamed in pains. "Oh my God! It's about to come off"

Tamina held her arms "Calm down " she looked into her eyes "Take it easy, okay? It's not bad"

The brunette was still shivering in fear as she poured out more tears " I didn't mean to, it was just a joke"

"It's okay!" Said Tamina cleaning her tears "Go meet your mother, she would treat it"

The brunette nodded and went to join her friends.

Tamina stared at Cassandra's lifeless body for a moment. She bent over and turned her body towards her, she gasped. Cassandra's eyes were wide open and anthracite, a darkish grey color. Her mouth was slightly open and Tamina could see blood stains on her teeth.

Tamina's heart raced at the thought of her coming back to life and biting her. She carefully put her hand on her chest. Her heart beat was normal. It meant Cassandra was still alive. Tamina let out a sigh of relief.

Nobody was there to help her, so she decided to improvise. She carried the green napkin and carefully tied Cassandras hands together. She kept checking if she moved an inch or her face twitched. Tamina stuffed some light green grapes in her mouth so even if Cassandra was to wake up, the first thing she'd bite is not her flesh.

She lifted Cassandra's body off the ground. Luckily for her, cassandra did not weigh much. She walked steadily, looking at her way and also looking at Cassandra's face. She increased her pace a little when she had the chance.

Before Tamina could call out for her mother, Melissa already came out running towards them. She had been anticipating her daughter's arrival since. When Melissa saw the state of Cassandra she almost screamed

"What happened?"

" I had to hit her! She attacked a little girl"

Melissa put her hand over her mouth when she saw Cassandra's eyes

"She was biting her neck and then I hit her. She would not stop, I had to. She collapsed on the ground and I don't know what happened to her eyes"

Melissa closed her eyes, trying to think and also trying to calm herself. She wanted to take her to see a physician but this was no work for him. She remembered the dark woman and her last words.

"Wait with her here! I am coming"

Tamina wanted to immediately refuse but Melissa had already disappeared into the house.

"A book, a book" she said looking around Cassandra's room. As she checked deep inside her closet, a whiff of dried blood hit her nose. She finally found where it was coming from. She lifted up a dress, dried in blood.

Melissa gasped in astonishment and embraced herself for the worst. She picked the second, the third, fourth until she found a decomposing Rabbit. She shivered in disgust, the stench almost made her vomit. She turned around to search somewhere else. No time to think or get mad. She checked under the bed and then something made her stop, the mirror.

It's been a while since she saw her reflection. She changed drastically after her husband's death. She looked older than her age. Melissa touched her scanty red hair as she stared at the stranger in the mirror and then an idea appeared in her head, 'Behind the mirror'.

She shifted the full length mirror and was let down when she saw nothing on the floor. Her eyes drifted behind it and there it was, glued to the back of the mirror.

She ripped it out, grabbed some shillings and left. Tamina had already dropped cassandra on the ground, holding a tree branch incase of incasities.

"Thank you!" Melissa exclaimed and carried cassandra.

"Where are you taking her to"

"Cave of Zarieth" Melissa told the driver. The man furrowed his eyes brows. Cave of Zarieth was rumored to be a rock where the witches held their meetings.

"Please" she pleaded, giving him a closer look of her daughter. The man agreed and she alighted the wagon. Tamina saw them ride off and then she knew that what was happening to Cassandra was not an ordinary thing.