Chapter 44

As soon as everyone was dismissed, I left Miranda and walked away quickly towards the back of the hall. I needed some time alone. I needed to breathe and prepare myself for the next item of the show which was showcasing 'our' different abilities. I also didn't want Robin to talk to me. So I had to avoid him.

I leaned on the pillar at the back of the hall and meditated. There were only few people in this area, so it was easier for me to think. Still, my thoughts were disjointed because there were so many things to ponder on, and it was hard to ignore any of them. Was it Mash I needed to think about, or Miranda and her 'wicked' mother? Mash was coming to the camp to say hello to Miranda-- well, not the camp necessarily. They were going to meet somewhere near the campground, and Miranda wanted me meeting him as well. What stranger being could there be , to meet? I was scared of Uncle Robinson, no Robin(He said I should call him Sword or Robin or Prince instead) at first, before I knew his identity but I thought, after knowing and relating with him, "What being could be fiercer, scarier or more powerful?" I thought he was the worst to see, but Mash had proven me wrong, at least Miranda's talks about him had. And so I was very afraid to meet him. Yet, I had a feeling he could help me. Honestly, within me, I knew I needed great help. Dr Brown, my personal therapist back at home was only trying. He couldn't heal me or stop the panic terrors. It was a supernatural thing. He couldn't make me 'unknow' what I had found out about Jamie's future. All he could do was help me feel better, despite still knowing it. It was not enough.

Mash could do many things. His greatest ability was his controlling power. He could control any earthly being he wished to control. He should be able to help me out of my predicaments, but…

Robin had sincerely warned me not to seek help from witches or vamps or wolves about knowing or altering the future. He had shown me physically what the end of those who did, was like. But, was Mash a witch?

Joe had also warned me and said I COULD NEVER change Jamie's future, no matter how much I tried to, he had said I could only try. In essence, he hadn't wanted me to even try, because "why try when it would never work? You could hurt yourself in the process or even lose your life"

"What do I do now?" I mumbled to myself. I looked around. I had to get something figured out before the break was over. Just then, I caught Miranda's figure coming towards the enclosure at the back of the hall where I was hiding. She was not alone. She was holding hands with a tall guy who had a very innocent and more mature look. It was definitely Mash.

Could it be him? This guy didn't look like he could kill a fly. I turned back swiftly and faced the other side so I would not be seen. I waited a bit and then when I felt they must have left, I turned back and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Hey babes" Someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Miranda. Oops! She had found me out. I turned to look at her with a scowl on my face.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked disappointedly. She was alone now and i could not see the tall guy in sight.

"I saw your hair from afar. What's up? What are you doing here?" She tapped my shoulder again and I shrugged it off. I wanted to tell her to just go away.

"I should ask you. What are you doing here too?" I asked, looking away. She had intruded into my meditation and I wasn't having it.

"What do you mean? I've been looking around for you all day" she was startled at the expression on my face. She thought I'd be relieved but I was annoyed instead.

"Was that Mash?" I pulled her close and whispered into her eardrums

"Huh?"

"The guy you were holding hands with, just now"

"Oh no. That's my brother. He came on a visit. Mash doesn't look like that, he's got bushier beards" she smiled. She had on her lips too much gloss that shone in the sun.

"Your brother came on a visit?" I wanted to say, "You have a brother?"

"Yes. I asked him to come see me, since he also lives in the States. I was bored" she said. "So what's up with you?"

"Nothing" I said and walked away from her. She scurried after me, calling my name repeatedly. It surprised me that she went to have fun with her brother without me, and that she hadn't even tried introducing him to me, or me to him. But I soon stopped getting angry when I realized that I might not be that much of a friend to her after all. I've always been a loner, or a person receiving so much bad attention.

"Let's take a ten-minute walk and talk. I don't know why you're suddenly acting up" she said and pulled me towards the road that led to the secret restaurant we patronized daily. I let her because it was my favorite place there. I could be sane for ten minutes.

"I told my step-brother about you. I told him I found a new friend" she smiled at me, as if reading me. Oh, so it was her stepbrother.

"You did?"

"Yes, but he could not wait to meet you. He had work, he just briefly stopped by, to hug me and give me some money and food. He promised to visit again or take us both on an outing when he's free, and maybe when we are out of here"

"Your brother is cool"

"Very cool" she blushed as we walked towards the restaurant.

"Are we going to the restaurant?" I asked. "I'm not hungry"

"No, we're going somewhere different" she said as we walked past the restaurant. "We are doing something different from today" she said in a whisper.

I wondered what it was, she was talking about. After walking for few minutes, we stopped at a bar, close to the restaurant. She pulled me in, and ordered two bottles of beer, after having a silent talk with the bartender. I don't know how she did it, but the man took our order and handed us two chilled bottles of beer in a paper bag, with a smile on his face. He even thanked us for patronizing him. We were both minors and shouldn't drink. He must have been convinced strangely. Besides, I wondered what Miranda was up to, buying alcohol for the both of us. What was it meant for?

"What did you tell him?" I asked. After she took the bag from him and paid, she pulled me along with her with her other hand, and we walked back to the camp.

"What did you tell the bartender?" I asked again but she didn't say a word. It was almost time for the next item on the show, and we needed to be on our seats before then.

I was glad Robin didn't find me, maybe he also needed some time to himself and maybe he didn't even bother to look for me after everyone was dismissed. Instead, Miranda did. I was so grateful to her. She made me stay sane when I could have gone crazy.

Miranda and I slipped into two seats in the back of the hall where the lights were dimmer, just when people were settling down. Many people were still having fun outside. Break was not over yet but it'd soon be.

She moved closer to me, dropping the bag of beer at her feet. "Ary, I want you to listen to me perfectly well, and cooperate with me too"

I nodded. She must be smarter than I was. Just maybe.

"I bought this beer to save us from drinking from the gourd" There we go-- the gourd. She did talk about everyone drinking from the gourd every year, immediately after showcasing their different abilities. It was usually served in the midnight.

I nodded and listened to her. I had so much to learn from her.

"I reasoned that what I've been doing to save myself all these years, might not work for you. It might be hard for you to pretend drinking the solution from the gourd, without thinking about anything."

I nodded again. "So, we are going to be drinking this beer instead of the solution from the gourd?"

"Exactly"

"What if they find out?" I asked apprehensively

"They won't, as long as we act naturally. The solution from the gourd is bitter, and this beer is not any tastier. The serving bottles look similar to these beer bottles. That's why I got them. We have to pretend, in order to survive"

"That's true. Thank you for thinking fast" I said. "It's not going to be hard acting natural" I said and we both smiled to ourselves.

She stood up and dialed some digits on her phone. She must be on a call with someone.

"Mash is here" she said as soon as she returned to her seat and as soon as the bell was rung for everyone to return to the hall. It was almost midnight but I wasn't even feeling sleepy. No one was. Everywhere buzzed with noise and activities. Many thoughts were running through my mind as well.

"He's here?"

"That's what I said" she shrugged, smiling. I started to fidget. "He'll find us. He told me he'll find us" I tried to comport myself as the show began. All that was in my head was the secret of the gourd and the sudden appearance of Mash beside us.

The show began with some music that drowned out the noise and made everyone quiten down. Everyone was seated beside his mate, except for the mate-less ones. Surprisingly, the music sounded really interesting to the ears. In fact, it sounded like something that didn't, or could never exist in the natural world. No one was physically singing but we all could hear the music. I think it was what shut everyone up instantly. Except for the music, no other sound was made. I looked around for Mash. I didn't want him appearing beside me abruptly. I didn't want to be jittery.

"Where did he say he was exactly?" I asked my friend for the umpteenth time.

"Are you afraid?" I heard, But it wasn't Miranda who said this. It was Robin. He was seated beside me all of a sudden.

"Are you afraid?" He asked again and took my hand in his. He rubbed it slowly without taking his eyes off me. I didn't answer him. I thought he should know.

"Don't be. I'm here for you" he kept rubbing my hands, and talking to me, so I didn't know when Mash arrived and signalled to Miranda to come over to meet him, until I looked behind me. I did, because I couldn't find her beside me.

"I'm fine, Robin" I said to him and withdrew my hands. "Don't worry about me"

"It's my duty to worry about you. I'll take you home now if you want. You don't have to be here"

"You'll take me home?" I asked, facing him suddenly. I started to feel hope rising in me.

"To the cabin I mean" he said. "You need to be out of here" There, he dashed my hopes.

"No I'm fine. I'm enjoying myself. Thank you" It was a lie. I didn't want to be there, but not at the cabin either.

"We both know that's not true" he said. "We could take a walk until everything is over" No I didn't want to be alone with him.

"No I don't want to take a walk" I turned away from his sharp stares.

"Are you still afraid of me?" He said. "I can't hurt you, I told you" . I looked away. I wanted to push him away.

"If you want to watch the show, you could still watch it, but at a safe place. I'm afraid here is not safe for you"

"Really? Why did you bring me to the camp then? Isn't this all your plan?" I said , my voice shaky with annoyance.

"Ariana" he started. The music still played, and I kept stealing glances at Miranda warming up to the controller guy called Mash, behind me. He was gorgeous and he smiled every second. They looked like they had known each other since childhood.

"Let's go to the castle?" He pleaded with his eyes. "Let's watch the show together, but from the castle" he said warmly, rubbing my hands. His touch was warm and made my heartbeat regular again. His presence made me feel calm all the time, still I didn't like him that much or that way.

"Yes" I said, finally. "But I need to say goodbye to my...

I hadn't completed my words when I felt myself moving in the air, moving very fast with Robin holding my hand, in an area with so much shrubs and bulrushes. Our feet were moving swiftly without touching the ground, and air rushed into my mouth and eyes and ears, the same way we moved on my first visit to the castle. I was in another land already. Did Miranda see me disappear? She would be so worried about me.

We soon landed on his bed in the castle. The master bedroom where I had slept the other time.

"Are you okay?"He asked, seeing the shock on my face. "I'm sorry I had to use a faster route, so that you wouldn't miss the beginning of the show"

"It's okay. I'm fine"I said and sat up. "I love the castle. I really love it here. "I smiled a smile of relief. "Thank you for bringing me here"I said to him. He kissed my cheek immediately. I withdrew from him because I was uncomfortable with that. He noticed and got up.

"Shall I call Elaine to serve you some drink? Pure wine?"He asked.

"Yes. Please call her"I smiled. He nodded and made for the door. "Robin"I muttered.

"Yeah?"

"Can we watch the show together?"I asked. I didn't know when those words tumbled out of my mouth.

"Sure, Ariana. I promised to watch it with you"he smiled.

"I mean Elaine and I. I don't want you to watch it with me. I want Elaine"I rolled my eyeballs. He looked at me for almost a minute and laughed.

"Okay then. Do as you wish"he said and left. I wondered why he laughed. Was I being childish? Duhh, I was a child. So what?

Elaine soon walked in looking as beautiful as ever. She was so excited to see me that she came up to me and hugged me tightly. Robin walked in just then and she hurriedly withdrew from me as if she were stung by a black ant. She knelt down on the floor immediately and began to plead.

"I'm sorry Master. Please spare me!"She cried tears and pleaded. I didn't understand any of it.

"Why are you sorry, Elaine?"I asked her, standing to my feet, because Robin's expression started to scare me. He looked furious.

"I was not supposed to embrace 'My Lady', I was too excited."She said. "Master, it won't repeat itself. Please spare my life"

"Really?"I asked, facing Robin. "She's not supposed to?"

"The punishment is banishment from the land into the sinner's hole. That's where she's going to. Get up and follow me now!"He said and Elaine cried some more.

He tried to pull her up forcefully and I just went there and stopped him. "Robin, please don't touch her"he stopped and stared at my eyeballs. Close up, Prince Robin Long Sword was even more graceful and goodlooking. He looked different in the castle, different from how he looked as a teacher from Enchanting Promises High School. He looked like a real prince now. His eyes showed so much affection as he bore them into mine. I couldn't believe he was the same man who killed someone, the death I witnessed with my own two eyes. I couldn't believe that when he said he 'hunted', it meant that he killed. Not animals but humans. It was unbelievable.

"I don't want her to be punished. Punish me instead, I hugged her first"I said I wasn't going to watch any evil come upon the beautiful woman.

Robin sighed. "It is the rule here. It is a sin for a ordinary maid to embrace the Lady of the castle. I have to inform my parents when they return from their trip. We follow our rules strictly"

"Give her a second chance"I pleaded. I was scared. It wasn't even that serious. How could you banish someone for that? Such stupid rule. I held his hands and pleaded tearily.

"Please Robin. Forgive her"

"I didn't make the rule. I was born into it"he said. "She shouldn't have disobeyed it"

I felt stupid pleading because of one stupid law that didn't make any sense. I knelt at his feet and held them. "I'll do anything you want, punish me but let her be"

After a while, he asked her to leave and she was so thankful that I felt pity for her. She left thankfully and hurriedly. The poor maid couldn't even feel excited for long.

"You'd do anything I want?"He said softly and pulled me up with so much swiftness.

"If it's easy for me"I said and went to sit on the bed. He sat beside me and peered into my eyes. He then took my hands in his, flicked one of his hands and the screen on the wall popped up and started to display the show happening at Meteors Contention Camp.

"Let me watch the show with you. That's all I want"i was relieved he didn't ask me to be his mate. Maybe he was tired of saying it or he didn't want to make me uncomfortable.

"I also want you to be my best friend. Let's court for five years at least. Let's prove my parents wrong. I want you to be with me forever" There he goes--again.

I didn't say anything. My eyes were affixed to the screen before me.

"Don't seek help from a witch. Please don't forget that. It'll end you"he said. Did he know about Mash? I thought "Don't even think about it. Refrain from it"

"I won't"I promised. "Can I watch the show now?"

"Don't try finding out about the gourd too. Too much curiousity will kill you. Some things are better left unknown. I'll tell you a story about my family after this show, how my father left my mother and how she got mated to someone else. It'll be a moonlight story"

I smiled. "Okay"and turned to the screen suddenly. Something had caught my attention. One of the students of my school was flying , hovering around the hall without wings. That was her own superpower and it was no other person than Maria, the late Anita's cousin.