Hurting and Haunted

It was night at Dalphia and the students had gone to bed. Suite 303 in the female residence was silent, save the whimpering coming from Kelila as she slept. She was being tormented in her sleep by some of her worst memories.

Five year old Kelila knelt at the old wooden door as she played with the door bolt until it fell to the ground. She knew Madre will not approve but she just wanted to see her Mommy. She dragged the door open with her little hand and peered inside. She saw her Mommy, her eyeballs were totally black. She was itching, peeling her own skin and muttering to herself. Tears welled up in Kelila's eyes as she stood in the doorway. "Momma?"

Her mother's head turned sharply in her direction. "Claudia!!! I will kill you!!" Her mother ran at her and pushed her to the ground. Kelila tried to wriggle free as her mother's hands were clamped tightly down on her neck. Her mother was pressing hard and choking life out of her. Kelila's little hands tried to pull at her mother's hands. "Mo...mom." Kelila could feel breath leave her body. The last thing she could see were the black wells that took the place of her mother's loving eyes and everything greyed out.

There she was again, this time she was eighteen and grown. Kelila was standing in her mother's room facing the window, with her back to her mother. She was waiting for her mother to come to her senses. Her mother crawled down from her bed with great speed and to where Kelila stood. Her mother took the knife Kelila had secured at her side. Before Kelila could make a full turn to face her mother, the blade sliced the left side of her waist.

Kelila jolted from her sleep, gasping for air. Her hands flew to her left side. Thanks to the nightmare, the pain felt so fresh. She slipped her hand under her silk night top and felt for the wound. The wound was not as fresh and was healing already. It was not a deep cut, but it hurt. The incident had happened the morning before she left Diesel Town.

She looked around her. "I am in Dalphia. It was just a dream, Kelila." Kelila said quietly to herself as she worked to steady her breathing. "Mom's going to be okay. Madre said so. Focus here on Dalphia." But her mind was not obedient, her mind started replaying the scenes from the dream. Of course, they had actually happened.

Kelila had almost died in the first incident but Madre had showed up and saved her. Kelila had been so distraught. Madre had brought her out and sat her on the front step. Kelila had been crying still. "Hey look up." Madre said and brought out a little white box that had a yellow button. It was a music box. She gave Kelila the music box and pushed the yellow button and music began to play out through the little speakers on it.

Madre began to dance in the field before the house. Kelila had been enthralled and then consoled and encouraged. Madre called her to join. "When you're happy, you dance. When you're sad, you dance too." That's when Kelila started to dance.

Kelila pushed away the covers and slipped her feet down into her slippers. She stood up and went to her desk. She pulled the drawer open and took the little white music box from it. It was Madre's, the same she had given her since she was five. She took her dance flats from her shoe rack and wore them

Kelila pulled her wool long jacket over her night top and shorts and tiptoed out. She closed the door quietly behind her. She went into the elevator at the middle of the hall. She arrived on the last floor. She walked out of the female residence to the wide green garden in between the male and female residences. She looked around. The whole place was well lit up but there was no one around and it was quiet.

Kelila pushed the button on the music box and placed it on the floor. The music began to play out softly. The gentle classical music seemed to give volume to the song her heart was singing. Raising her hands, she stood en pointe with an almost perfect balance. Madre had taught her to dance. She moved to flow with the rhythm of the music.

There was no doubt that Kelila had a sad heart. Her mother's last words to her before she left for the Capitol City floated back into her mind. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you a normal life. But go to Dalphia and make for yourself the kind of life you will be proud of. Forget how horrible things have been here and focus on getting the best out of the life ahead of you." Her mother had smiled sadly. "You know, Wild Bush. I love you. I can't make any promises but I want you to know that one thing." Her mother had hugged her and squeezed her so tightly.

Kelila did a gentle pirouette as tears escaped her eyes. I love you too, Mother. There's so much I want to ask though, so much I don't understand. There are just so many pieces scattered on the floor, how will they ever come together?  Her thoughts made sad gentle twirls in her mind as her toes did the same on the garden floor.

Madre had never answered any of her questions and so Kelila had learnt young to stop asking. She still had them though. Madre always said, "Time will bring all your answers."

Well, time's really taking its time doing that, she thought sarcastically. As she had grown, her questions only increased and her pain deepened. "Let the pain have a purpose," Madre had told her once. So she had poured her energy into her martial arts training as her mother wanted. "The world's a wicked place. You've got to be able to protect yourself", her mother had been repeating that since she was seven. And now she was in Dalphia.

"Dalphia can be a pretty place as it could be dangerous too. So be careful. Don't trust all you see." Madre had told her at the train station before she left Diesel Town. "Forget your life here and don't worry about your mother. I will take care of her, she will be fine. Dalphia is what's ahead of you now."

But here she was at Dalphia, hurting and haunted by the past. She determined to put it all behind, focus on here and now and maximize it. The music was building to a climax and so were her emotions. Kelila felt something so strong rising within her, but she could not say what it was. She did one last pirouette and stretched her right hand in the air. Her hand released lightning into the sky. The sky responded with a loud thunder and it began to rain immediately.

Kelila blinked and returned to a normal standing position. "What just happened?" That's when she saw Sir Sebastian.

⭐🌷🌷⭐

Sebastian was returning from his inspection of the school grounds. The staff quarters was behind the male residence and that's where he was headed. He looked at his wristwatch, it was just a little past midnight. He looked at the tall buildings of the students residences. He hoped the students were actually resting. He proceeded on his way. He got to where the stone path divided into two, leading to the female and male residences and he saw a girl dancing in the middle garden. He heard the gentle music playing out. "Who is this?" He thought it funny that a student would be dancing out here alone. But then he stepped into the lawn and made for the garden.

Sebastian contemplated her dance. The young lass with blonde curls danced beautifully, but her dance communicated a depth of sadness. He wondered what she was processing that she had come out here alone. He had expected a few of the kids to be homesick, but her sadness seemed deeper than that. He stopped just before the entrance of the garden.

The girl twirled and gently leaped, following the gentle flow of the music. Her dance was a mixture of ballet and contemporary dance. Sebastian noticed she was favoring her left side, like she was trying not to pull so much stress on it. He sensed she was coming to the end of the song as she began a series of graceful pirouettes. Then the music came to an end and she stopped. From her right hand that was stretched, she released a lightning bolt into the sky. Suddenly there was a loud thunder and it began to rain. Sebastian was surprised.

The girl too was. At that moment, she noticed his presence.

"Sea and sky." He said to her as he came closer. The rain was pouring hard. "Your magic well's awake. Sea and sky is your primary magic division." He nodded towards the female residence. "You should get back inside."

"Yes, sir." The girl scurried to get her music box and she left immediately.

Sebastian took shade by the wall of the male residence. "Who is she?" He wondered about her. He knew the magic well of the students would be manifesting in different ways as the students have not been yet been taught about their magic. But he felt it was to early for a young witch to wield such power he had just witnessed. Or had her parents ignored the law to give her the Binder and harnessed her magic instead? Or maybe she was simply special, Sebastian concluded.

He stepped out of the shade and into the rain. He started a little whirlwind about him and it lifted him into the air. The wind warded off the rain from pouring on him and took him to the staff quarters. Sebastian guessed no one would think much of the rain as it was just early September.

The wind dropped him on the front porch of his own home in the staff quarters.

He thought of the blonde girl. He hoped it was not a nightmare that had kicked her out of her bed. He hoped if it had been a nightmare, it would not return.

"Can two friends have a chat?" Sebastian turned to the left where the voice came from and there he saw his good friend. King Lucien Whitmire of Paxisia stepped into the light. "It's been a while, Bastian." He grinned.