46 CHAPTER 15: SABASTIAN LANCASTER

CHAPTER 15: SABASTIAN LANCASTER

Anna and I had been walking for days now. There was no one trailing us as per my knowledge, everything was calm. But as it is said- there is always calm before the storm.

"Sab, we are here." But where were we? It was a marshy swamp with thorny bushes and wildflowers.

"Anna, this is not right—"

She turned around and looked at me. Giving me the 'you don't think I know' stare.

"Well, this is where the thing led me," Anna answered. She poked around the bushes and thorns to find her way nearer to the swamp.

I scouted the area to look for something. Something else except this 'marshy swamp' to say.

"I have something!" Anna shouted. She ran my way with a piece of red stone in her hand. Anna shoved it into my palms "This is from the box. It has to be."

I looked closely at the stone in my hand. It had to be valuable for sure. The cut and polish were perfect.

"Anna, something is wrong. It can't be this easy for sure. The lines don't match the description of the place love." Said I. Her face fell for a second, but she regained her composure. "I know An, you want all of this to be over.

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Anna nodded her head and walked away. She placed her bag on the dirty ground and pulled out a piece of paper.

"What is that love?" I asked politely. I knew it was tough for her to be a part of all of *this*.

Anna placed the rough paper on my hand and when I glanced down, it was the same lines from the vision, but just with millions of scribbles and notes around them.

She was deciphering them. Alone.

"Sab, this has to be the place. This is where the 'glitter of light'" air quotes "wants me to be. Something is here."

I trusted her. "Okay An, we have a marshy swamp and some scrubs, what could we possibly get?" asked I

Anna thought long and hard. She stomped around thinking and muttering and well finally, I thought of making myself comfortable. I pulled out some sheets from the worn-out bag and placed them on the ground and –

"THAT'S IT!!" Anna shouted. She came running to me and held my face. "that's it Sab, I found it." She screamed. She jumped with joy as though she had solved the mysteries of the universe.

"Anna what?" eagerly asked I. I pulled her down on the thin sheets and turned her around to face me. I asked again, "what?"

"Sab, the lines don't show ocean and sea. They show life and nature." Exclaimed An.

"Explain" I was not understanding a word she was saying. Only a few days ago we had come to the conclusion that it was sea, ocean, and the beach. Now what?

"The moon shines in the dark sky, dying to be down here, the first line. It represents the first walks of life. Not the moon as the planet, but the moon goddess. The symbol of life's constant changes."

"but—"

"wait, let me explain." Remarked she. She got herself comfortable on my lap as though it was going to be a long night. I pulled her closer and wrapped my arms around her petite frame.

"The sunsets in the orange hue of the atmosphere, the second line. Sunsets show the beauty and the mysteries of life. The feet sink down into the heaven of life, the third line. It shows water and clarity of thoughts and finally—"

"— Turn towards the ship signs and walk the path and play the dice shows the path of life. Anna, you are brilliant!" exclaimed I. This was a breakthrough.

She gasped as I tightened my wrap around her and placed my head on hers. I swept my legs from underneath and placed them over hers. Pinning her to me completely.

"Relax for the night, tomorrow we venture…"

"—But where?"

And to that, I did not know the answer. I shrugged.

"Okay, let's solve that. We have changes in life, mysteries of life, clarity of thought and walks of life." Said she.

I cut her in the middle "And all we have to do is join them somehow."

"Let's start at the very beginning. Anna, where were you before coming to the capital?"

"A few miles off the capital city towards east." Answered she.

We continued this until I had her life history. It was officially a very long night.

"So, you are from Franshire, your 'maa' was into illegal trading—

"—Sab! I did not say illegal, maa used to trade goods for food"

"—outside the state, which was illegal."

"but—"

"Let's carry on—so you had a simple life looks like, which you have forgotten. Now we have to once again figure out what to do." Said I.

I looked at her from above her head and stared into her eyes. The same blue which always attracted me had a wave of worry in them now.

The blue eyes. That's it.

"Anna! You, you are the prophecy!" remarked I. "You have the box!"

She quickly got up from my lap and faced me. Her quizzical eyes stared into mine. "What do you mean?"

"An, the changes and mysteries belong to your life when you met me and what happened after that. The clarity of thought is what the visions depict and the walk of life is the path you will take home."

She considered my words for a moment and then asked, "Why would I keep the box with myself? I was told to hide it."

"An, you did hide it, but not somewhere else, but in someplace that called to you. Someplace where you felt safe."

"—someplace like my old house. Where maa lived."

"That's it!" said I.

"Sabastian, I don't think I ever had a box. Maa never told me."

I nodded my head and told her to think of that tomorrow when we leave for her place. Tonight, she shall sleep and I shall keep her safe.