4 The worst birthday

Mia had no clear idea how she spent the rest of the fortnight . Gazing outside the mist covered window , she half expected , someone to come and get her out of here . Every time the door bell rang she would rush out of from wherever she was ?hoping to see an odd looking stranger but even after two weeks of wait , nobody came to get her .

If not for the letter hidden underneath , the floor boardings of her room , she would have thought that she had dreamed about a black cat with a letter fastened on its neck . But the letter was still there , hidden from the peering eyes of her mother , who seemed to be on her heels for the past few days . She knew that her mother hadn't seen or read the letter at all but maybe she had ended up behaving out of normal and that's why her mother was getting suspicious of her .

It wasn't that she didn't try to wheedle information out of her , one morning after Mia had rushed out of the kitchen when the door bell rang , her mother looked at her sternly " Out with it , Mia " she had demanded .

But Mia who had a feeling that the matter regarding the letter was something, her mother need not to know , had stammered an excuse about spilling the milk the night before . Of course she ended up losing her lunch but in her eyes ,it was still better then losing her letter .

Well , how should she explain it . That letter was not just a letter , Everytime Mia read it , she felt that a warm hand had caressed her gently from behind the veil . It was as if she was familiar with the sender but could no longer remember them .

Now , if you had a black cat barging into your room delivering a letter , you might be too scared to even think about the prospects of what was going to happen with you but Mia wasn't scared , she had a feeling that - whatever that place was , where she was going to be taken away , was the one where she belonged .

She had tried very hard to balance herself , to embed her being in the school and this family her she couldn't find a place where she had a sense of belonging but the letter had somehow given her what she wanted a feeling of being desired and wanted , a place where she will belong to .

She placed the dishes on the rack after cleaning them up and walked upstairs . She was heading straight to her room when she heard hushed voices from her parents room , not intersted in hearing what they were quarreling about right now , she walked two steps when all of a sudden she heard Stuart calling her name .

" Mia - she will be thriteen soon , the awakening is near , are you gonna keep hiding it from her "

" I don't understands what're you fussing about ? When I walked out on her father , I decided that he will no longer be a part of our life ! " snapped her mother wildly .

" So what are we supposed to do ? Keep her hiding ?"

"Yes " she said finally " if we keep ignoring it - the awakening will be delayed , if - she is what I hope she is not , and I really wish you stop harping on and on about it ! You will only end up rushing it ! " she hissed madly at Stuart who sputtered .

" But -"

" I said shut up ! I don't believe that its something we can't stomp out of her after a good deal of education and strict parenting !"

Mia could hear her mother's incoming footsteps , she rushed out of there in a hurry , taking two steps of the stairs at once . She didn't know whether her mother had seen her or not but Mia didn't want to take any chances at the moment , ignoring the wild thumping of her heart , she threw the cover over her head and pretended to sleep .

Five minutes later, Mia heard the sound of footsteps coming up on the stairs . She tried to even out her breathing , a shadow loomed over her , Mia ignored it ,still feigning.

After her mother had made sure that Mia was indeed sleeping , she walked out of her room , walking down the stairs. Only when the sound of footsteps have completely died down , did Mia opened her eyes.

" Well that settles it " she muttered , all of her doubts vanishing in an instant , the letter wasn't a prank and something was really out there for her , something from which her mother was really afraid of .

As for the awakening , Mia had no idea about what It meant but she couldn't ask her mother about it and looking at how adamant her mother was about hiding it from, it was unlikely that she will let Mia know what it meant .

The lighted dial of the self repaired digital clock told her that the date have changed to 30th of August . It was her birthday , there was no point in wondering whether her mother would remember it , she never did .

" Happy birthday to me " Mia sighed and stretched out on the bed . There was no point in agonizing over it , if only the sender of the met her arrive quickly then everything will be fine .

Next morning at breakfast everyone was rather quiet .Erica and Poppy were scowling , a particularly mean look in their eyes , even meaner than usual . Mia knew what was this about , Yesterday they had their long awaited recital in which - to not to her surprise performed so badly that Mia felt her ears bleeding .Luckily , the judges had much more intelligence about music than her mother and they knew that a piano should not sound like a hundreds of nails being hammered all together .

Erica and Poppy had screamed in protest ; demanding that there must be some sort of mistake and they should judge their performance from vision of that of an artistic side. They only stopped when the headmaster , solemnly and seriously spelled it out that there was no point in listening to their performances all over again , as it can get no better .

After that it was simply pandemonium ,as Mia remembered it with a wince . Erica had thrown away her new dresses and accessories , sobbing away day to night . Poppy took even more of a dramatic stance as she got sick on purpose , threw her cat from over the roof down to the road , yet it changed nothing .They cannot alter the verdict of the jury , even if Erica demanded that her mother do something about it , this was completely out of her mother's control and so here they are. Erica and Poppy kept looking at each other darkly , muttering now and then .

Their gloominess had spread over the table and it was with great relief when everyone finished eating .

When everyone rose from the table , Mia started to clean it up but when she returned after placing the tureen on the aisle, that she had used for serving porridge . She was surprised to see Erica still sitting on her chair , looking at her in elation . Mia looked at her frowning , what was up with that know it all smirk ? Wasn't she just scowling the entire time they had their breakfast .

Mia who knew Erica too well ignored her , she knew why Erica was here. As stupid as she looked Erica wasn't that stupid , she was smart and knew how to bully a person , rather then using her fists like Poppy , she liked using her mind .

" I know what day it is " she finally spoke leaning forward to grab an apple from the fruit bowl .

" Congratulations , in finally able to learn the weekdays " said Mia blandly , placing plates upon one another on the tray .

" It's your birthday isn't it ? Poor you , I feel so sorry for you sometimes , how can somebody be hates by their own parents this much " said Erica not sounding sorry at all .

Mia feigned deafness , no matter how angry she was feeling , she kept ignoring her .The more angrier she got the more meaner Erica will become .

" I bet mother regrets marrying that good for nothing father's of yours "

" Keep talking and I will make you understand what's regret really is !" snarled Mia forgetting her feigning deafness .

" The truth hurts doesn't it ?" asked Erica looking at Mia in amazement , a satisfied smirk on her face " Well , no matter how much you try to ignore it but the fact remains that your father wasn't nothing but a miscreant and you are nothing better than him - you're just like him - a filthy little mongrel "

And then Mia had no idea what happened , all she knew that anger started to course in her body like poison . A new found strength burned in her limbs - as she picked up the table and threw it .

The next thing she knew , Erica was on the floor covered in the remains of food , screaming her head off . As for the table it has been reduced to splinters and chunks of wood after hitting the wall opposite to them .

If Mia was it so engulfed in her anger , she would have been surprised at what she had done . She was thin even weaker looking than Erica . Weak and frail as she was , her completion was always paler than the others , yet she had reduced a fine oak table into nothing but wood shavings .

The rest of the family came thundering down the stairs . Her mother in lead rushed at Erica who was still shrieking .

" Its all right - Its fine " said her mother trying to stop Erica .

" Her eyes - HER EYES " yelled Erica pointing her fingers at Mia who suddenly had an urge to rip it off .

" Mother ! Her eyes are red !" gasped Poppy as she hurriedly stepped back gaping at Mia in shock .

Her mother looked up , in her eyes . She took one look at her face and her complexion turned ashen .

" Mia , stop this ! I'm telling you to stop ! Can you hear me?" she shouted.

However , Mia who's entire body was pumping with an unreal strength didn't heard her mother . The strength made her feel incredible , it was as if she can do anything - anything at all .

Time slowed down . And her legs tensed , she had a sudden desire to leap straight up on her family , the air intensified with scent of blood and fear and she it .

Why she didn't know , the only thought in her mind was to tear their bite their neck off and she would have done that if not for the electric fire malfunction behind her huddled up family .

Mia knew she turned it off but currently the fire was roaring with life as if it had been burning for hours . On and on it flames rose , higher and higher in the chimney .

Her mother sensed her gaze and turned to look behind her and her complexion went even paler than before if that was possible .

" Poppy hurry turn it off ! Turn it off " she shrieked at Poppy who just kept looking stupidly .

When Poppy didn't respond , her mother got on her feet , rushing up to the fireplace trying to turn it off but she was a little too late .

BOOM.

An explosion that shook the roof reverberated from the fire sending soot and sparks all over the hearth , down to the carpet .

And then as Mia's eyes widened in amazement her anger totally forgotten .

A woman , of ethereal beauty came whirling out of the roaring fire. Mia gazed at her , her mouth gaping open at the sight . Not only the woman wasn't burn in the slightest , but she looked as if she was burning with the glow of the fire itself , her eyes shimmering with amber like glow , her bushy blonde hair sticking out in all of the direction .

The woman walked out of the fireplace , down to the hearth right into the dining room , with such a grace that Mia felt her face burn in shame as she looked down at herself , she had a yankee cap on her , dressed up as a tomboy completely different from the woman striding forward at them .

" Ah - You have grown so much since the last time I saw you " she said with a grin as she walked up to Mia ignoring everyone else that were watching her in shock and in Mia's case , amazement .