Her shiny, raven-colored locks shone under the bright lights, exactly the opposite of her porcelain skin. Smoothing her black satin dress, Odyssomai looked at Kelsi intently, her dark eyes gleaming like the glistening opals she word around her neck.
“I know you can speak. I know more about you than you know yourself. I even know about your parents,” her words were cold, without feeling, just like her stunning beauty, but they were enough to release Kelsi from her stupor.
“You know my parents?” The words were squeaked out, nonetheless they were exactly what the strange woman wanted.
“All in good time, my dear,” Matron had sometimes called Kelsi “my dear” before, but when Matron said it, Kelsi felt warmth. When this woman, Mistress, said it, she felt fearful, as though the words were snakes waiting to bite her. “We have much to discuss before we come to the subject of your parents.” She fingered a strand of hair, a strand as crimson as her full lips.
Kelsi felt the need to protest but swallowed it, feeling that questioning the mistress would only provoke her. “Yes, Mistress. What would you have me do?”
An unnerving smile played across Mistress’s face. “First, I would have you eat lunch with me. I assume you haven’t eaten.”
“No, Mistress.”
Mistress clapped her hands and Caleb appeared in a cloud of smoke.
“Yes?” He quietly asked the mistress, looking into her bottomless eyes.
“Fetch us some food. The finest from the kitchen.”
“Yes, Mistress,” Caleb vanished, the reappeared moments later, displaying an extravagant meal.
Kelsi realized she hadn’t eaten since lunchtime yesterday but found she wasn’t hungry even with the platter full of delicacies before her. Caleb set in on a faceted crystal table that was set for two.
“You may leave,” the mistress told Caleb. Kelsi wanted to call out, to make him stay and not leave her alone but it was too late, he had vanished.
Mistress took two bowls of soup, steam rising from them in spirals, from the silver tray.
“Take a seat,” she motioned for Kelsi to sit down. Kelsi looked at the mistress questionably, there was no chair for her to sit in, until Mistress snapped. A delicate little platinum chair appeared. Kelsi gingerly sat down, afraid to even breathe for fear that the chair would break.
“Be at ease. Eat,” Mistress commanded as she blew on her soup.
The soup was thick, creamy and white in color. Kelsi carefully dipped in her spoon and, following Mistress’s example, blew on the soup. She closed her eyes and relished the flavors. Potatoes and onions were obviously the staple ingredients, though she couldn’t recognize the other flavors, mostly due to her lack of knowledge in the food department. The orphanage wasn’t known for it’s culinary arts. The school cafeteria either.
“Like it?” The mistress asked, smiling faintly. “I’m sure you haven’t had anything like it on Nesserum. The secret ingredient it cilrag, a native plant grown here. It’s mostly known for it’s horrendously potent poison but, if cultivated correctly, the bulbs are a delicacy. Shall we move on to the next course?” Mistress snapped her fingers and the bowls disappeared. She lifted up the cover and dished some type of meant onto the two plates, then added two small piles of what appeared to be vegetables.
“Speak. I grow tired of your silence,” Mistress commanded.
“Where is my friend?” Kelsi tried to say the words with force but they came out frightened instead.
“Such loyalty and dedication,” the mistress said, her words mocking Kelsi. “She is with the others.” She carefully cut a small square of meat and placed it into her mouth, even her chewing was graceful.
“Others?” Kelsi questioned.
“Those against us, those that are wrong,” she paused, drawing a drink from her jeweled goblet. “It is not time to speak of these things, at least not yet.” She waved her hand over the two plates. As before, the plates disappeared. Kelsi’s meat had hardly been touched, she had only taken two or three bites.
“Did you find the meat satisfactory?” Mistress asked. Opening the cover for a last time, she drew out two fruit filled pastries.
“Yes, Mistress.”
“Good.” Several silence filled minutes passed by.
“Why am I here?” Kelsi couldn’t hold the question in any longer.
“That, like many of your other questions shall be answered later,” she daintily ate the last mouthful of pastry. “You may leave. I will summon you when I need you again.” She clapped and Kelsi found herself in the bedroom once again.
She sat down on the bed and stared at the wall blankly. What just happened? Her brain felt like it would explode from an information overload. Or rather, a sensory overload. I didn’t really learn anything new. Kelsi thought harder. Well, I did learn that someone knows something about my parents. What that something is, I don’t know. She flopped back on the bed and looked up.
On the ceiling there were stars, glittering dots that were faintly shining different shades of blue, red, yellow and white. She couple pick out a few constellations she had learned back at the orphanage, like Twenty-five Kittens and Singing Family but they were in the wrong place and took a while to find. Other constellations that should’ve been there, weren’t. Weird. Why would anyone paint the stars on wrong? Is this some kind of a senseless joke? What’s the point? She closed her eyes, not wanting to look at the wonky stars on her ceiling. Sleeping was out of the question. She was too keyed up from the new . . . place she was at.
A desk in the corner, sturdy ebony with delicate carvings, caught her eye. In her excitement earlier today she had overlooked it but now she had plenty of time to examine it. It might help pass the time; she had no idea when Mistress would summon her. She walked over to the desk and fumbled with the objects on it. Several reams of paper were on the desk along with multicolored inks and quills made of exotic feathers. Inks and quills? This place seems to be untouched by time! Not that it’s a problem for me. I never could use ballpoint pens anyways. She dipped a bright blue plume into some scarlet ink and carefully printed her name across the top of some parchment: Kelsi Wood. Wood wasn’t really her last name and she didn’t particularly love it but she didn’t have much of a choice. When she had come to the orphanage Matron hadn’t known her last name so Kelsi was named after where she was found, a wood. It had led to several mean nick-names like Wooden Head and Dumb Tree, names which had hurt at the time but no longer bothered her. Anyways, by now she had been called more insulting things.
She unrolled a scroll that was in one of the cubbyholes and frowned at it. The scratches on it were just as foreign as the words Caleb had spoken a while ago. Kelsi suspected that they were the same language. Another unrolled parchment showed a map of the nighttime sky using the same star patterns on her ceiling. There were many constellations on the paper but Kelsi rolled it into it’s former shape and put it back. She wasn’t up to the crazy stars again.
Her thoughts bounced around her head, untamed, caged monkeys that wanted to be free. Reaching out for a fresh bottle of navy blue ink, a snowy white feather, and a fresh piece of paper, she opened the cage door. She began to list all her questions in neat letters down the page.
Why am I here? How did I get here? Where exactly is “here”? She rested her head on her fist. After a second she scribbled furiously. Where is Lorna? Is she okay? Will the “others” hurt her? Will they brainwash her? What is the weird language that Caleb spoke? What does Mistress want with me? How does she know my parents? Are my parents still alive?
Though she had many more questions she lay down the quill. Writing down all her questions not only made her think of more questions, it was also rather tedious. It’s sad how I try to deep myself occupied and I end up confusing myself even more! She crumpled up the paper, stood up, and scooted in the chair.
I could just take matters into my own hands. If Lorna is anywhere here, wait, Kelsi interrupted herself. Mistress said that “the others” have her. She sunk onto the floor, resigning.
What can I do? In a strange place with no one I know I’m helpless. Tears of self-pity began to run down her face as she realized her predicament. I can’t even help Lorna because I have no idea where she is!
A knock on her door made her quickly dry her tears. “Yes?” She opened the door, not to terribly surprised to see Caleb on the other side.
“Are you alright?” He asked, his emerald eyes full of concern.
“I guess,” Kelsi smiled ruefully. She hadn’t thought that her tears were so apparent. “Does Mistress have need of me?”
“Not yet, though I dare say that she will soon. It isn’t like her to take someone in and forget about them. I suppose that you are wondering why I’m here. I was rather abrupt earlier and I’ve been afraid that I gave you the wrong impression ever since.”
“What’s that?” Had she been incorrect in trusting him?
“That I’m rude, secretive and uninformative. I can assure you that those qualities are not in my nature. I wanted to make it clear that those are all characteristics that I lack. Would you care to take a stroll with me?” He offered her his arm.
Kelsi was speechless for a moment. How he could think that she thought him anything but gentlemanly was beyond her. “I would love to,” she finally got out the faint reply.
“Mistress has a lovely garden. I was thinking that it would be a good place to walk. It does get a bit chilly though,” he added as an afterthought. “You may want to bring a coat of some kind.”
Kelsi glanced around the room and found a golden cape on a hook. “Sounds wonderful,” she smiled as she grabbed the cape and linked arms with him.
“Would you mind if I asked you a question?” Caleb asked as he led Kelsi through the corridors.
“No, not at all,” she looked at him expectantly.
“Why were you crying?”
“You weren’t supposed to know. I guess I never was good at hiding my emotions,” she studied the threads of her sleeve as if they were a fine portrait instead of well done embroidery.
“I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer.”
“No, I don’t mind,” he had finally gotten them outside. Kelsi sat down on a marble bench and collected her thoughts. “I’m just so overwhelmed and,” she paused, “so helpless. I hate to admit it but I’m stuck in a strange place with no friends. It’s not like I had many to begin with and now one of them’s lost!” She stopped, breathing in deeply so she wouldn’t cry. “In a way I feel like an ungrateful brat, I mean, new clothes, a perfect bedroom, fabulous food, hot baths, how could a person go wrong? But . . .” she trailed off. “Does any of this make sense?” She felt bad, overwhelming the poor guy when she hadn’t even known him a full day. With her luck he’d think she was a whiney crybaby. He probably regretted ever asking such a question.
“Well, at least you got one thing wrong, you do have one friend,” he gave her a warm smile. The smile touched his eyes, or rather lightly tapped them, but in that instant Kelsi saw a glimpse of how he really was without the curious sorrow.
She gratefully smiled back and actually looked around the grounds for the first time. Earlier that morning through the open window the garden had looked young, like it was late spring or early summer. A closer look showed it to be about the same season as the forest near the orphanage, late fall. A slight cold breeze blew through the garden, tousling the leaves. Kelsi shivered slightly and drew her cape in closer.
“Are you cold? You can use my cape if you wish. Mine is probably warmer,” Caleb offered his hunter green cape.
She inspected the cape and decided he was right. His was lined with something fleecy and warm while hers was made of a thin silk, decidedly not the warmest of materials though it did have a certain appeal, look-wise.
“No thanks, I’m all right. Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“I may not be able to answer it but other than that I don’t mind.”
“Why are you sad?”
Caleb instantly stiffened. “That is one of the many questions I can not answer.”
“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked,” Kelsi instantly regretted asking the question; even though it had been praying on her mind all day it wasn’t worth turning her only ally against her.
Caleb relaxed. “No, I shouldn’t have reacted that way. It’s hard to explain and it is forbidden. It would cost me my life indefinitely if I told you,” he hesitated for a moment. “I could give you a reason but it may be a bit uninformative.”
“No!” Kelsi quickly interrupted. “Please, forget I even ever asked. I was out of line, I’m so sorry!”
He looked surprised that she felt so strongly. “Let me show you more of the gardens,” he offered his arm to her and she took it.
Kelsi sighed a sigh of relief. It was as if Caleb had read her mind. She really didn’t want to continue discussing her disastrous, dangerous question.
The sun began to set, it’s dying rays turning the sky blood red.
“Oh no,” Kelsi murmured, her eyes riveted to the sunset.
“What? Are you alright?”
“The sky, it’s red,” she replied faintly.
“Is that bad?”
“Horrible, worse than horrible. Red skies are the worst of signs. It’s a terrible omen. Back when I lived at the orphanage you knew you or someone you loved would get hurt soon, either physically, emotionally or mentally, if the sky was red.” The superstition had proven to be true, at least to Kelsi’s point of view.
* * * * *
She had been eight when she had first heard the of the questionable fear. Even at eight she had scoffed at tales of boogeymen and black cats. When she heard of the red sunsets her reaction was the same as when she had heard of ghosts. She laughed.“Red sunsets? They’re just a scientific phenomenon. There’s nothing creepy or scary about them,” she could hear her little kid self now.
The older orphanage girl, Stella, gasped. “With an attitude like that, they’re going to become more than that. You shouldn’t say stuff like that, especially not that loud! They might hear you.”
Her little, naive self nearly fell over, she was laughing so hard. “I think that you’ve had to much homework or something. You’ve lost it!” She skipped away, still chuckling.
“I tell you, someday you’ll regret that you didn’t listen to me!” Stella yelled after her. She, being young and inexperienced in many things, payed no heed to Stella’s warnings.
If only she had. How much heartache would she have avoided? Kelsi could only wonder.
The someday that Stella talked of, happened the very next day.
Kelsi had a kitten, a pure white one that she had found forsaken near the forest. She loved the kitty, which she ironically named Midnight. Kelsi had fixed up an abandoned shed that was near the orphanage, collecting old, dirty dishcloths that the cooks discarded, she even found a broken, old crate for Midnight. The food that she brought to her kitten was food from her own plate or food that she rescued out of garbage bins, like tuna cans and leftovers no one would eat. She never had a pet of her own, never had anything to care for so she cherished Midnight and visited her every day, before and after school.
This particular morning she was surprised to find that Midnight hadn’t greeted her at the doorway, like she usually had. She walked into the shed and lifted up the towel that covered Midnight’s bed. Midnight lay there, her breathing shallow. Kelsi’s eyes grew wide.
“Midnight?” She gingerly reached in and picked up the kitten. Midnight’s eyes were closed tightly. Kelsi just sat there dumbly, not sure what to do. She held the frail kitty close, tears running down her face. A few minutes later, the inevitable happened. Midnight died.
Kelsi did the only logical thing she could think of. She wrapped the kitten up in the cleanest of all the towels and carried her outside. A rusty shovel was near the doorway so Kelsi put Midnight delicately down and began to dig a small grave near Midnight’s favorite climbing tree. The task wouldn’t have taken very long except Kelsi had to stop more than once, her sobbing making the task quite difficult. Once she was done she laid Midnight’s body down into the grave and sprinkled flower petals over the towel covered kitten, then cast a handful of dirt over the petals. Finishing the job, she shoveled the dirt over the kitten she had loved so dearly, placed a large stone at the head of the grave and placed blossoms on top of that. Kelsi tried to quiet her wails but soon gave up, she crumpled up into a heap and cried, long and hard. She wasn’t the girl she had been a day ago, the girl that scoffed at silly superstition. She was older now, she had now know abandonment, loss and death.
Wiping her tears, she eventually walked back to the orphanage, long after school had ended for she had spent the entire day at Midnight’s grave. The school had called and she received questioning and a lecture from Matron but she didn’t care. What could Matron do that was worse than the death of her beloved cat?
* * * * *
Caleb put an arm around her, trying to soothe her. “That may be a bad omen on Nesserum but it isn’t a bad sign here. It’ll be okay.”No, it won’t. She silently thought. “If you don’t mind, I’ve had enough for one night. Please take me back to my room.”
“It would be my pleasure,” Caleb turned and led her back the way they had come.
The two walked the rest of the way in silence. Before Kelsi knew it, they were already at her bedroom door.
“Thank you,” Kelsi opened the door, “for showing me some of the gardens. I’m sorry we couldn’t see the rest of them.”
“We can always see the rest another night, that is, if it would please you,” Caleb bowed to her. “Good night.”
“Maybe, good-night,” she shut the door then slid down, her back against it. Her breathing came in gasps and she shook, terrified. Subconsciously she knew it was ridiculous to have this fear of a sunset but she couldn’t shake it. The fear consumed her. Anyways, if it was bad luck at St. Bradwock’s it was bound to be worse here in this strange place where nothing made sense. She sat on the ground a while longer, quaking until she realized that she was quite tired.
What do I wear to bed? She looked for a closet but a dark blue nightgown with silvery gauze draped over the darker fabric caught her eye. Kelsi shed the dress that she had been wearing and slipped the nightgown on. It wasn’t quite as soft as the previous dress but it was warmer and cozier. Flowers and swirls were embroidered in darker silver thread keeping the gauze from becoming separated from the dark blue cloth. Kelsi stopped shivering and climbed into bed. She was so much warmer now, especially since she was under the downy comforter.
She banished all confusing thoughts, for now she would forget that her best friend was missing, forget that her new acquaintance had a troubling past that could result in his demise. Right now she would just pretend that she really was a rich girl who lived in a rich house with a rich guardian who gave her rich things.
Kelsi smiled at the though. She may not understand what was going on but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. There may be consequenses tomarrow but she was going to live it up today.
