Her fate
"Where are you going in a hurry?" Ava asked when she saw Karissa rushing out in a hurry.
"Oh.. that Felix asked me to meet in the market," she said, halting at the doorsteps.
"By the way what brings you here today" she watched her bruised hand and then her face," You need to rest Ava... You just scared all of us."
Karissa was the one who had seen her fall unconscious on her doorsteps. If she had not gone to visit her, she would have been lying there for gods know how many days.
"And how come uncle left you alone? Does he know you came out?" she inquired and saw her lowering her head.
Karissa flared, watching her low head. She knew this girl would have sneaked out behind her father's back.
"I will tell this to uncle", she complained and was about to go in to tell her parents when Ava stopped her holding her wrist.
"Will you please stop nagging Karissa, I have something urgent to talk" she whispered, asking her to lower her voice.
Ava wanted to talk with her, too, but she was still contemplating whether she would believe her or not.
"What happened? Are you still not feeling well?" she asked when she heard her friend whispering.
"I will tell you soon but.. don't you think Felix will get angry if you keep him waiting in the market" she diverted her question making the girl gasp in realization.
"Oh yes... I must leave but you need to explain" she walked in a hurry.
Ava releases a sigh before entering the house. She looked at the empty living area, watching no one there. She was going to call out when she heard the kettle whistle.
"There she is.." she walked into the kitchen and saw Juliet was preparing something.
"What are you making, mother?" Ava asked, watching her fully immersed in the cooking. She had been calling her mother from the time she started to speak. Ava had lost her mother, but she had got her godmother.
"Oh, sweetheart...." Juliet heard her voice and turned back to see Ava standing at the kitchen door, watching her making the food.
"Why are you standing there?" she left the knife on the kitchen table and walked to Ava, taking her out into the living room.
Juliet had gone to see her when she heard about her accident. She had been keeping an eye on her ever since then.
"I just thought to meet you. I was bored sitting home", she pouted and looked at her.
"Oh, dear... you should take a rest first... It's not good for you to come out when your body still needs rest" she got up and brought a glass of juice.
"I just came here to meet you. I need to tell you something, mother" Ava thought she shouldn't extend her stay here as she had to get back home before her father came.
Juliet saw her tense face as if she was struggling to talk to her. Ava was not a girl who would not speak her mind, but today, what stopped her from speaking?
"What happen, dear, Is there something you want to say," she asked, trying to speak up.
The silence was disturbing her. The more she kept quiet, the more she felt nervous.
Ava took a deep breath and looked up to face Juliet's question. She had to say what she had seen in the forest. She hoped that Juliet would trust her and not scoff at her words.
"Aunt do you believe in Werewolf and Vampires," she asked when she saw her body stiff. Her concerned face turned aloof, listening to her words.
"Why would you ask that?" her usually calm and caring voice turned cold, and she kept looking at her.
Ava couldn't get her sudden change in demeanour. Why would she turn so cold with her words?
"I- I just got curious about them. Y-you know I have read it in books that Werewolf and Vampire can't stand each other," she lied, watching her poker face.
Juliet was not like this, but now her behaviour change was doubting her. Ava just lied to see what she would speak next.
"I need to talk to Coal about not letting you read anything stupid...You should study books on medicine and improve your skill rather than wasting your time on unless creatures."
Ava was shocked by her words, she was never so strict with her, but now she felt as if the person in front of her was not Juliet. She just kept looking at her as if she was not the one she had come to meet.
Juliet realized her words were too harsh. Her change would easily irk Ava. She cursed herself for forgetting her behaviour towards her.
She would always care for her, and now her hard words would make her suspect her.
Juliet immediately brushed off her poker face, pulling a smile on her lips and making Ava frown her brows.
"You should better learn medicine, dear, don't waste your brain on reading about a supernatural thing. They are just distractions" Juliet smiled, looking at her, hoping she would get her words.
Ava nodded and kept the juice glass back on the table after emptying it. She still couldn't digest how Juliet spoke to her," Does she knows something which we don't know" she thought and stood up to leave.
"I think you should not roam around like this Ava... Coal would get angry" Ava nodded her head at her words and left the house.
After walking some steps away from her house, she halted as something stuck in her mind," How did she know I had not informed her father before coming here" she muttered and turned to look back at the closed door.
"Why do I feel something is not right?" she muttered and kept walking her way back home.
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Shutting the door, Juliet turned back when she saw Leonard stepping downstairs. Leonard didn't need to understand her gaze," Did she see them?" he came down, making way for his wife.
"I don't know if she saw them or not but..." she paused and turned to look outside the window.
"But what?" he followed her to the window and held her shoulder.
"But I think they know about her. I could sense it" she turned and gave Leonard a meaningful gaze.
"Do you think we should inform Coal about it" he frowned when he imagined them following her every step.
Juliet shook her head, still thinking whether they should tell Coal about it or not. It had been so many years, and the horror started to surge again.
"She needs to be kept under our watch. Did Coal inform when he will be back?" she asked.
"He said he will be back till the evening", he informed, watching his wife's concerned look.
"Hope he finds some clue that reaches her" she shook her head, trying to calm her beating heart.
Don't know why; her instinct was screaming at her that something terrible would happen. She just hopes it gets delayed and lets them have the everyday life they were living.
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Somewhere in the dark room, Coal entered to meet the man he had been asked to complete.
"What took you so long?" the man asked as his back faced Coal.
The dark room was hiding his face, only viewing his back to him.
"My daughter is not well. I had to make sure she was fine before leaving," he said and took a few steps standing a little far from the man.
"Why did you ask me to come here so urgently?" Coal frowned when the man still turned to face him.
"They found about her?" his words froze Coal on the floor as fear crept into his heart.
"How... how did they find her? We have kept her safe till now" Coal shook his head, still taking time to absorb his words.
"They never left their search for her.. maybe her unexpected encounter with someone exposed her existence," the man said and pointed his finger at the crystal ball.
"I think you should see what happened with her a few days ago."
Coal walked towards the transparent crystal ball on the large round table. If normal human eyes see it, they would only think of it as an artificial showpiece held for decoration, but it was not an ordinary crystal.
Stopping at the table, the man twirled his finger, turning the ball's colour into pink, making Coal watch in horror what his eyes were witnessing. He kept looking at the ball, watching the horrifying incident with his daughter.
He moved back, watching the wolf break the head and throw it away, landing on Ava's foot.
"This... how did they get to know" he yelled in horror.
"And who is the wolf?" he questioned, walking to the man standing next to him.
"Her fate..." he answered as disbelief was apparent on Coal's face.