The Same Destination

"Then, let's change it. I suggest we play truth or dare," Andrea was ready. She received grumpy noises from Elena.

"So do you have a better suggestion?" Sarah snapped.

"You know what? Why not? I'll go first," Elena agreed.

Maya worried Elena might use this opportunity to antagonize Sarah further.

"Andrea, isn't that a masculine name in Italy?"

Maya was relieved.

"It is," Andrea answered. "But I don't think you know how this game works. You don't really want to ask yes or no questions."

"Did your parents want a son?" Elena asked again. It was oddly insensitive.

"You're supposed to ask: truth or dare?" Sarah mixed in.

"Andrea wasn't my given name. I chose it when I arrived here—I felt it suited me better. They always used it as a nickname for Andreina…" Andrea paused, a sudden realization hitting her. "Oh God. Do you think they actually wished I'd been born a son?"

"What would she know? She's just a sad little orphan girl," Sarah inserted with a rancorous tone.

"Aren't we all, technically? We all lost our parents," Maya dampened her accusation, trying to calm the situation down.

"I didn't lose mine. I still hope they pulled through somehow… after I was gone," Andrea admitted.

"What do you mean? How did you get here then?" Maya realized she knew nothing about the tragedies that led them here.

"I have a younger sister, Loretta. We grew up in a rural area of Italy and were never well-off. It seemed like a miracle when we both received English scholarships to study in the UK. However, someone had to stay behind to care for our parents. I chose to decline the opportunity and remain at home. Loretta went on to study abroad, but we lost all contact with her."

Andrea looked down, saddened by her memories.

"It was all a scam. Loretta never made it to the UK. She vanished without a trace, and I'm certain my parents held me responsible. As the older sister, I was supposed to protect her. I thought I was making a noble sacrifice to give her a chance at a better life, but it turned out, I sacrificed her. Loretta was beloved by everyone—sweet and charming. I was the stubborn, blabbering one. Sometimes I wonder if my parents wished it had been me who disappeared instead of her."

Andrea's mood sank.

"With time, my parents got sick and I had to drop out of school to take care of them. It was hell. I had to work hard to provide for us and would get home to constant complaining and belittling by very people who depended on me. When they approached me with this absurd story of witches and magic, I went with them without hesitation. One part was to run away from it all, and the other part was in hope I would end up where my sister was taken. To see her again…"

"I'm so sorry for your sister," Linda said.

"Me too," Maya squeezed Andrea's hand. "But did you leave your sick parents?"

"I know it's scummy. But I couldn't take it anymore. They were taking a piece by piece every day. I felt there would be nothing left of me but a shell. They have people in the village who would take care of them."

"Parents can be bad, but I would give up everything to have mine back," Linda said. "I guess if we are sharing, I will share my story as well."

Linda took a deep breath.

"We moved to America last spring in hopes of a better life. But we haven't made it out yet and lived in a bad neighbourhood. Their English wasn't good. They learned slow."

Maya could feel Linda wanted to share her story with someone for a while.

"This summer they got mugged and shot dead out of a misunderstanding in some dingy alleyway."

Maya and Andrea shared a look of understanding with her.

"I'm so sorry," Maya was becoming rapidly aware of how tragic everyone's lives were.

"I had to choose between being deported back to China to live with my awful conservative grandmother or go here," Linda was fidgeting with her hands. "I hope I chose right," she looked up at them and smiled faintly.

"I'm glad you chose this," Andrea said, grabbing her hand. "I didn't hope for it to be real, but I am happy it was. I think it's worth it to be awarded with magic for our miserable lives," she was feeling for Linda. "What about you Maya? How did you get here?"

Maya nervously scratched her arm. She would always become anxious whenever recalling her past tragedies.

'I guess I still haven't gotten used to it.'

"I lost my mother in a car crash a couple of years ago. This spring my father died from complications caused by the same crash. It was a heart infection from a shrapnel that was left inside of him."

It was the first time she had to recount to someone out loud what she had been through. Linda's hand on her shoulder was so comforting for Maya that she almost let her emotions surge and let out a tear.

"I know this isn't helpful, but there's a bittersweet poetry to it. It's as if he died from a broken heart after losing his love," Andrea said softly.

"That could have been the truth… had he not remarried."

"Oh… Sorry," Andrea looked down to her feet.

"I didn't click with my stepmother and had no family left," Maya continued. "I felt like everyone was dying around me. Things got too weird and after my own accident with lightning I thought: what's there to lose?"

"Did I hear it right?" Elena's interest suddenly spiked. "Accident with lightning. Care to elaborate on that?"

"Oh, that. It was strange. It still feels unreal." Maya looked at her palm where the markings used to be. "I don't remember how it happened. They said I was struck and it did no damage. I had a Lichtenberg mark left on my skin for some time. But it completely faded away by now. I don't feel like it happened and can't tell you much about it," Maya got introspective. "What about your story, Elena? How did you get here?"

Since they were sharing, it was a great opportunity to learn more about the mysterious Elena.

"Honestly, I would like to know as well." It seems the other girls were curious as well. No wonder from how many wild rumours have been around.

"Alright. I'll tell my story if you're that curious… I am an amnesiac."

"Huh?"

"They just found me one day kneeling in a crater on a landfill but-naked without prior memories. So this world of magic doesn't feel any stranger than everyday life."

It sounded unbelievable, but Maya began to question herself. Did Elena ever specify she was an orphan? She had said something in the sense that she doesn't know her parents…

'Oh, did I just assume…?'

"Oh, I get it. If you don't remember anything, learning that the world has magic isn't particularly strange if you never knew that there wasn't supposed to be any."

"Exactly," Elena winked.

"Wait…" If she doesn't remember what is 'normal' her prior words and conduct don't align. "When exactly did that happen?"

"Um…" Elena cocked her head to the side with a finger on her chin as she was glancing at the ceiling. "A few months ago?"

'Was that a question?'

"You adapted quite well." Maya started to observe her more attentively, not wanting to question her, but she felt something was not right.

"She's obviously pulling your leg," Leo said.

Maya almost answered his retort before remembering that she was the only one able to hear it. Leo has been strangely absent tonight, but it was probably because what they were talking about was making him uncomfortable.

"That's a really… unique story."

"Are you serious, Andrea?" Sarah was shaking her head. "It's obviously a bunch of baloney. She never lost her memories and never has been more than a gutter rat. No wonder her parents threw her away. They must've known she would grow up into this lying conniving fraud."

"Let's keep it respectful," Linda said.

Sarah's statement created some tension, especially since Elena said nothing in her defence, being busy opening another bottle. Perhaps it was a good thing Sarah burst their bubble, but she didn't have to be so mean about it.

"Elena can really drink, huh?" Andrea was suddenly impressed noticing how much Elena had drank all on her own.

Maya thought it wasn't something worth marvelling at so she didn't want the attention to go in that direction and asked: "What about you Sarah?"

"Like you don't already know all about it," Sarah scoffed.

"What do you mean? How would I know?" Maya was confused.

"You expect me to believe Elena hasn't told you all about it already, just to slander me?"

Maya looked at Elena for support, but she was lying back drinking, not paying any attention to them.

"She hasn't."

"You never told me how you got here either," Andrea mixed in.

"I'm not gonna do it now, either. I'm not into this sharing of our sap stories. It's pathetic."

"We all shared ours. Was yours that bad?" Linda said.

"Shut up!" Sarah snapped at her.

Everyone was slightly tipsy, and Sarah didn't want to share her story. They agreed not to pressure her.

"Let's continue with our truth or dare. I like how we are bonding," Andrea said drunkenly. "What are your biggest fears?"

They weren't playing the game correctly, but no one seemed to care. Sarah was still sulking off to the side, so they decided not to disturb her. Elena was also on the sidelines, only partially engaged in the game while savouring her vodka.

"I never really thought about my fears. But I guess vampires or whatever's lurking outside that we need this much protection is pretty high up." Maya lied. She was afraid of that for sure, but it wasn't her biggest fear. Her biggest fear was that her parents' deaths were in vain.

"I'm afraid of heights," Andrea said. "That's why I'm keeping as far away from this big window. Thank gods It's dark or I don't think I would be able to handle seeing over the wall."

"It's because you're so short," Linda said.

They chuckled.

"What about you Linda?" Andrea asked.

"My fears are more of an existential kind. I think it's too late to start those kinds of subjects. What about you, Elena?" Linda skilfully deflected.

"Seagulls," Elena said insincerely. Perhaps she wasn't even listening and said a random thing that popped into her mind. They laughed, again.

"Do you even know what we are talking about?" Andrea asked, still laughing.