Elothere daughter

Roaming on the empty streets of Ratri, Shivani was starting to realise that despite being a secretive area, the day to day routing of people was not so different from rest of the world.

At the birth of day's dawn, town was peaceful and soothing to the level where Shivani, for a moment, forgot about where she was, how she got here.

In this moment, her brain was teeming with pleasure offered by the mild fragrance coming from unknown source.

With every step away from their cabin, the fragrance intensified, breathing in heavily, she continued towards the source of this heavenly aroma.

In vague sense of passed time and turning directions, Shivani walked and walked. Emptiness of streets wasn't lonely anymore, dullness of early morning not so dark, life seemed less of a disaster and death, an idea of liberty.

After walking with blurred and void mind for what seemed like hours even though the change of morning light was not even slight, Shivani's mind snapped out of the daze as she found herself standing among the leafless trees.

She was now far away from the pathway that guides towards the heart of town and was deep into the forest they passed by along with the the five goons of Martha, on way in.

She couldn't remember walking into the forest but here she was. Is that the toxicity of the fragrance that manipulated her into making this journey, she thought to herself.

Surrounded by tree trunks, panick rose in her gut as she turned towards the road, staring longingly for seconds, the distance tenfold in her mind and a wave of despair clouded her heart.

"Too late." A chilling voice echoed in the air. Without second thought, Shivani recognized the voice from her dream, voice of Banshee.

She snapped her head in various directions to find the possible floating spirit, in case Banshse looked as she imagined her to be in the childhood stories.

"Who are you? Why don't you show yourself?" This request itself sent chilles to her spine and she shook off the consequences if the request were granted.

"No dear, not yet. You have time."

"Why you kidnapped us?"

"Kidnapp? Is that what you call this?"

"Stop this." Shivani yelled in frustration.

"Stop what?"

"Stop using the long way in this conversation. I know you are just playing with me."

"Smart stuff, aren't you? Maybe Martha was not so wrong, you are somewhat special."

"What you want from me? End this game and spill the truth, we deserve that."

"You do. You do. But if you always got what you deserved, you won't be here. Time to except the truth and leave the life you long for, behind."

"I won't and we'll get out of here." The memory of her dream which lifted her confidence and hope to say this, was the fact than her friends were closer to finding her.

Despite it being a hard possibility, she expected them to drop out of nowhere and rescue her.

"So you know about the rescue team from home. Is that fierceness build on the hope that they can help you?"

"Don't dare you harm them."

"We can't. Not now. Not so soon. They got help."

"Help? Who helped them?"

With a sudden outburst of air, banshee shrieked loud.

"Enough of chit chats human. Now time for your first task."

You live by us, you die in here

Wanna go out, cease the fear

I guarantee no happy ending, but this—

Shivani squashed her head between her hands as Banshee continued the song in low pitch sound, squealing like a maniac.

"Banshee, are you troubling my daughter?" Shivani froze on spot. It's been years since her mother called her from the lawn outside their house to water the plants together, years since she tickled her into fits of laughing, years since she heard her mother talk but this voice is something she can never fail recognize even in the crowd of thousands.

Unable to turn or utter a word, Shivani kept staring at the blank space in front. Voice with uncanny similarity to her mother's, spoke again.

"Banshee leave."

"You don't order me Elothere daughter. She's not your concern anymore." Banshee's voice turned icy cold, even without being able to see her expressions, Shivani knew that Banshee was infuriated at the woman with her mother's voice.

"Neither is she yours. You didn't think I won't find out what you were doing to my daughter. With you invading her dream, you exposed, not just yourself but also the queen. You showed her the way to us."

Despite the intense urge to turn and look at the woman talking, Shivani couldn't help but stand there like a live statue, afraid to break the charm that made her listen to her mother's voice again.

Tears were piling up in her eyes as she struggled to pull her mouth open, choking onto the feelings rising through her heart, she took a deep calming breath.

"Look at me daughter. Shivani." The woman said.

"Who are you?" Shivani said without looking.

"I'm your mother, Evesa. Look at me Shivani."

"I can't, I'm sorry."

"It's okay dear. I'm right here." Evesa waited for her daughter to except the truth. The sudden exposure to the fact that her mother was alive after 15 long years came as a bolt from the blue for Shivani.

She was afraid to turn, to even move, fearing it to be a dream that would disappear in an instant.

"Shivani!" Ray's yawp from a distant shooked the silence of the forest. Time seems to have paused since she left the cabin as the sky was still dim gray. She finally turned and saw Ray running towards her, passing the dried grass and tree, worry and eagerness evident on his face.

With mild effort, he stopped in front of her.

"Are you okay?" Said he, breathing heavily.

Shivani couldn't help but notice the absence of any other living being around, falling into despair once again, she feared if the woman who called herself her mother, left.

"Why you are here?" She asked rubbing the drop of sweat off her forehead.

"I was going back to sleep but couldn't so I got up and didn't find you there. I was worried Shivani."

"How long has it been?"

"I don't know, close to 5 or 10 minutes I guess."

This information confused her as for her it felt like hours.

"Banshee's presence pause the time." Evesa emerged out from the shadow of tree trunks, looking into the eyes of her daughter, she smiled.

"Momi? Ma. You?"

Ray was surprised at the miraculous reunion of the mother and daughter in such a weird place and circumstances while Shivani walked and snuggled into the outstretched arms of her mother.