Whisper episode 9

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🤫 WHISPERS 🤫
Written by Kemmy B. Gabriel
🖤 Chapter Nine 🖤
I walked out of school with mind far away from where I was. We still had so much to do, yet so little time. The worse was that I didn’t know anything about the history of the town, I had no idea. I sighed heavily and shut my eyes, I was beginning to get constant headache, I exhaled and opened my eyes. Another trance hit me, this time not on the school’s vicinity.
I was standing in a tree house, outside the tree that is. I already knew what the tree house was, if I was going to witness another s€× scene, I would puke and curse Victoria. I however thought against it when I heard heavy wailing coming from in,side. I opened the door slightly so I would see who. It was Esme, she sat on the floorboard, hair scattered and face flushed as she wailed. Quincy sat afar, watching her feet with guilt while Victoria and Drusilla tried to console the wailing girl.
“Esme, it’s going to be okay…”
“No!” Esme scre-med and cried more. “Quincy, you and your brother have succeeded in ruining my life, you have destroyed me. What would I tell my parents? What would I tell my people?! That my best friend conspired with her brother, lured me into sleeping with him more than four times, only for him to be killed by one of the mysterious spirit! How would I explain to them that weeks after his death I found out I am with a child! How would I explain this!”
“I’m so sorry,” Quincy sobbed.
“Sorry! Quincy how could you do that to your friend?! You have betrayed out trust and destroyed her life!” Drusilla shouted.
“I…it wasn’t suppose to end like this, Quinn never should have died, he was ready to father your baby… I…I…I…” One could tell that Quincy had been crying for weeks, she looked pale. The death of her brother had taken a t-rn on her, she both blamed herself for his death because she should have been there to save him.
What was the use of her powers if she couldn’t use it to save the ones she loved. I had no idea how I knew what she was feeling, but it was real. Quinn died after successfully impregnating Esme.
“And worse, her father is a priest, they would disown her!”
“I said I’m sorry! Did I cause the death of my brother?! All I wanted to do was protect him! He tried to kill himself, Quinn took poison when he learnt that Billy came to your house to officially declare his interest in you, and your father acknowledge it. He knew your father doesn’t like him and he wasn’t yet a man of his own like Billy, so he tried to die.
It took my potion to get the poison out. That was why he wasn’t in school for a week, he was weak, tired and frustrated, and worse! You didn’t come see him so I was pissed off. Then he spoke for the first time after seven days! He wanted you and that was his idea, I had to agree to keep my brother alive, to keep his sanity! Quinn loved you to madness, but you are so selfish you only think about yourself! You didn’t want to be with him, and neither did you want to let him go! You wanted Billy, the older one that made your father look upon you with pride, but didn’t want to let Quinn go either.
I had to agree! I was furious Esme! You were using my brother’s feeling, hurting him repeatedly and that had to stop. You can blame me all you want, but I don’t care. My brother is dead after all, he died eventually. I’m sorry, but you are carrying his child, his blood and my family’s last hope. If your parents don’t accept you, mine would, my father would k-ss your feet as long as his lineage can continue. We all know you are carrying a male in there.” She ended her yelling and sat down back.
Everywhere became as quiet as a graveyard, no one speaking. Victoria didn’t even seem to be there, she was lost somewhere else. “You are right,” Drusilla said lowly, “Quincy is right Esme, you were selfish and still is. I have never seen anyone love so much, he loved you. If you indeed love him, you would spare his child and continue his family name for him.”
“Victoria,” Esme asked shakily, “what is your opinion?”
“None would matter if we don’t stop those spirits, none would matter.” Was Victoria’s reply.
“But what can we do? Why should we care?” Drusilla asked lazily.
“Those things killed the father of my child, and three days ago, they tried to kill me. Yes, it concerns us.”
“Maybe the oak tree will know something, we have to stop it, I have to destroy what killed Quinn.”
“Candy!” I felt a sting on my cheek, I snapped out of it to see Judith raising her hand to give me another slap. I scre-med and jumped back while Sage burst into laughter.
“Seriously guys!” I shrieked, holding my aching cheek.
“You were standing here doing nothing but staring at space,” Judith said with a dramatic wave, “someone had to do something.”
“Maybe I should slap you back to return the favour,” I raised my hand to slap her. Judith scre-med and ran away, I ran after her still determined to slap her back.
She laughed as I chased her around the parking lot, well, not until she pulled to an abrupt stop, causing me to collide into her. I staggered back, good thing I had balance. “Hey, what gives!” I whispered yelled.
“Isn’t that Emy with the Coco boy?” Judith asked, looking at a direction.
“Where? I can’t see anything,” Judith turned my neck to the direction. Emy was caged to a super cool ride by Coco’s brother, her eyes shining with enthusiasm and admiration. The guy was saying something that interest her, something so Emeraldlike. “Oh, that is definitely not something you see everyday.”
“Love is such a wonderful feeling,” Judith sighed dreamily. I looked at them closely, something didn’t feel right, something wasn’t right. I suddenly wasn’t comfortable with that guy, that smile.
My eyes w¡dened as it hit me, my heart hammering against my chest. I quickly brought out my phone and checked our previous photos, the one where Emy for once carried her natural ash blonde hair. I looked back at the guy, red hair, mulberry eyes but different face. Coco was sitting on another car talking to her girls, same hair, same eyes.
Quincy and Quinn were alive!
I wasn’t sure, maybe they were just reincarnation, just simple people in the school. Emerald looked exactly like Esme, only without the albino skin, freckles and yellow eyes. I was discombobulated, did it mean they were dangerous? Or were they just mere reincarnations living the same as the past.
Please Victoria, tell me what to do.
Emy waved him bye and ran over to us, she had a bright smile on her face as she ran. “Hey girlfriends!”
“Is that your boyfriend!” Judith shouted teasingly. Emy smacked her arm while they both laughed.
“Ida, are you okay? You look pale.” Sage asked with concern. I swallowed hærd, I wasn’t sure what to say. Tori said not to tell them everything but…
“Oh yeah! I found the next one!” Emy declared then ran towards the car we brought. Judith ran after her but Sage remained, waiting for an answer.
“Sage, I’ve been seeing things, trance on Victoria’s life here and in there I saw Coco and her brother, they were her friends. Coco’s brother – whatever his name is – was killed by a spirit, but he was in love with another of Tori’s friend…”
“Esme, and Emy is Esme’s lookalike, not reincarnation.” She completed.
“How did you…”
“It seems like while Tori shows you visions, she is blunt with me. She explains to me what you cannot understand, and leaves instructions on what you must do. Idalia, she said Coco’s brother is in a way pure, we have nothing to worry about.”
“But…”
“Trust me, that is what she said. Also,” she pulled me along, “did you hear the whispers today in school? Everybody is talking about it.”
“I did, you?”
“Yes, and the strangest thing happened,” she trailed off, as if remembering something.
“Hurry guys!” Sage snapped out of it and smiled at Emy who was in a rush.
“What’s with the rush?” Judith questioned.
“I found the next clue, and I need to get it done before my date with Chlorie this evening…”
“You are already going on dates?” I asked frightened.
“No biggie, he just asked me to a cafe, baby steps.” I looked at Sage who only smiled. I remained quiet, even as Emy drove us to the next place.
“So I sang the song again and put two and two together… Okay, I was singing it when Chlorie heard me sing it. That was when he mentioned something interesting and in exchange for the information, I go on a date with him.”
“Heh heh,” I chuckled nervously.
“Don’t dare the phoenix
Don’t touch it tail
It fears no flame
It seethe all scares
A heart of fire
Wings of the sun
Heat of a lava
See it and run
The phoenix I love
The phoenix I want
I wish I can see you
Where the sun k-sses
The maiden of the sun.” Emy sang the words.
“Don’t you see it! The maiden of the sun is a statue of the rom-n goddess Aurora. She was built in the middle of the park and every dawn and dusk, the sun would reflect on her, causing the statue to turn yellow and glow like a mini sun. It is one of the popular tourism point, a statue which sunlight keeps the park lit at night.”
“And you wanna know the coolest thing about it?” Judith asked as she browsed through her phone, “she has a fire phoenix resting on her shoulder, one that turns red at night. Legend says that during an ecl¡pse, the phoenix would awaken and both itself and the maiden’s light would shine so bright, the wh0le town would be under the sun.”
“How on earth is this town not famous,” I gushed. “It has all potential to be, magic still clearly exist here and would be awesome for Hollywood, scientist, writers and even reporters.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Sage said with the same amusement. Emy drove us to the town park, the biggest one which we had never been to. We all got out, Emy more hasty than ever. She led us to the middle of the park, there the statue of Aurora stood in all her glory, a phoenix on her head.
“Now, how do we get whatever we are looking for without anyone noticing, the wh0le place is packed up,” I said as a matter-of-fact, looking around the park. It just had to be at the middle, didn’t it.
“First, we need to know what we are looking for,” Sage said as she stepped back to find any glint. We all did the same, going to every corner of the statue but finding nothing.
“Now what? Could it be that this isn’t the right place?” Emy asked disappointedly.
“I don’t know, but let’s just take this time to relax and think,” I pointed to the bench under a willow chair and headed for it.
“But my date…” Emy tried to protest.
“Is not until six, it’s just four Emy…”
“She takes three hours to decide, she better go now, ” we all grinned at Judith who said that. She whimpered, almost collapsing to the ground dramatically. “Me and my big mouth.”
“Yes! Thanks girls!” Emy shrieked in excitement, k-ssed Sage and I on the cheeks and then whisked kvetching Judith away. Sage kept laughing as she watched them, while I went over to the bench and sat down.
I tucked my legs in and shut my eyes, the wind seemed to admire my face because it began blowing on it gently.
“Witch! Witch! She is the reason for everything, kill them!” I snapped my eyes open. I was standing by the village square, the place was crowded but that wasn’t what made me gasp and eyes fly open with horror, no.
Tied to a pillar was Drusilla, she was crying as she pleaded with the people to let her go. Her black hair fell down loosely, sticking to her w-t face and sweaty body. She looked pale with baggy eyes and dry l-ips, she was about to be burnt alive.
“Tell us where the others are!” The people shouted.
“I’ve told you, my friends and I didn’t create the spirits, we went there to stop it and we did, we are not evil…”
“Silent!”
“Please, don’t burn me, you already did that to my house, you burnt the innocent people in,side alive and now you still want to do this. I swear, I didn’t…”
“The men just sent a message, one of the witches ran into the dark forest but got eaten by the beast.” The wh0le town shouted for joy. Eaten? That means the vision…
“Here,” one man threw Esme’s body to Drusilla, she was bleeding allover and was already dead. My heart cried out to them, my stomach churned, why!
“Light the fire!”
“No!!!” Drusilla scre-med, more tears running down her face. Her eyes w¡dened when she saw something. “Don’t! Don’t save us, run, run and never come back!” She shouted. I followed her gaze, standing at the roof of a house was Victoria. She looked the same as Drusilla, only more exhausted.
“There’s the last one! Lady Victoria!” Drusilla chanted out a spell, scre-ming in pain for the rope binding her was meant to prevent her from using her powers. She didn’t care, she used her life to chant her last spell, a spell that teleported Victoria far far away from harm.
I couldn’t help, I stared aghast as her head dropped, she was dead. Even with that, the people still set the fire, burning her and Esme to ash. Esme was pregnant, her baby was killed along with her. The trance ended after the last part of their body turned ash. I was crying, in reality I was crying, Sage held me completely befuddled.
“Idalia, why are you crying? You are scaring me,” I threw myself on her, wrapping my arms around her torso. They were killed after helping the town, their future destroyed.
Why then was I here? What exactly does Victoria want? Revenge? Is that what she wants from us? If it was, then I was more than ready to avenge their deaths, even if it took mine.
Vengeance is a snare to the soul it entraps, do not be quick to conclude Candy… A voice echoed in my head.
After crying for hours, I slept off in Sage’s arms, after begging her not to take me home. The place felt cold, I was alone in that forest again. Victoria came out of the mist, her eyes were red and blood ran down her cheeks, she was shedding blood tears.
“Why? Why would they do that to you after you all saved them! Why!”
“We were naive Candy Crush, we didn’t look deeper into the force attacking the town. The oak tree tried to warn me, it gave me dreams to put together so I would see what was happening, but I refused to accept the truth, I killed those girls, not the people.” She said bitterly, guilt overriding her smile.
“How do you mean?”
“I saw the clues, the handwriting on the wall, but I refused to accept it because I loved her, accepting it was eventually admitting that my mother was a dark witch. Idalia, she did everything, she conjured the spirits to devour the people because of a sin done on her many years ago, one she never wanted and still don’t want to let go. I was her daughter, I loved her as much as she loved me, I didn’t want anything to happen to her, so I thought maybe the oak tree was wrong…”
“So you didn’t tell the others about it!” I shouted incredulously. “Your mother turned the people against them, killed them but spared your life because you were are beloved daughter! How could you! How could you do that!”
“That is why I have spent my entire physical and spiritual life trying to stop her, but it gets h-rder by each try. I really wish I can explain everything to you, but the oak tree has bind me to keep my mouth shut, it will explain itself for the trust it had has been broken. Whether I try or not, I am and will always be it scorned one.
I paid for my sin with my life, I continuously pay with each life I take. I die painful deaths, one in which you saw in the vision of the oak tree. I plead that you forgive me and be patient, the time for you to know everything is near, just forgive me.” Her words echoed all around me, the mist slowly rose until I was completely swallowed.
I gasp myself awake, pushing off what I was resting on. Sage held me still, rubbing her hand on my back to comfort me. “Did you see what I saw?”
“No, but you did a good job mumbling it out,” she said jokingly. I smiled.
“I’m okay, you can let me go now,” she reluctantly let go of me. I dropped my legs and flexed them a little to release the stiffness. The sun set on the statue, charging up it energy. I was facing them, I saw the red glint in the eyes of the phoenix before two beams emitted from it eyes to the tree.
I looked above me, following the mark of the beams, right before it faded off and the wh0le statue began to glow. I stood on the bench and trailed my fingers on the two s₱0ts, trying to feel any slight contour. The glassy nail of my index finger turned red and pushed against something. I gulped loudly, more strange things keep happening.
“I think I’ve got something,” I gro-ned, it felt like my finger was being cooked. I tried to pry the object out, but the hotness was visibly scorching my skin.
“Let me see if I can get it,” Sage suggested. I dropped my hand so she could try. I looked down at my finger, red and smoking of steamed meat. Sage scre-m made me flinch, almost somersaulting out of the bench.
She jumped on the ground and fell on her knees, cleverly backing the park so no one would see what was wrong, even if her scre-m attracted them. I jumped down and bent over, a gasp left my mouth. I thought my index finger was steaming, Sage’s left palm was entirely burnt.
“I just touched it and the flame spread,” she cried, you barely see her cry. Sage was crying, she was in serious pain. The burn was beginning to spread to her wrist.
“Damn it,” I cursed and knelt down. I removed my tailed fairy necklace and tied it around her wrist.
Water!… Something shouted in my head.
“Water, get your hand to water in the house, any water at all, as long as the water comes from the house. Can you get a cab?” I asked hastily.
“Yes,” she sobbed. Everyone who could see was looking at us. I don’t know if it was the anger of seeing my friend hurt, or finding out what Victoria did, but either of them stirred me to action. With angry eyes at the glowing statue, I whispered “glow”.
The light increased, I said it again, even louder. The statue glowed brighter. “Glow until none can see, don’t blind them but only I would see.”
At my command, the statue of Aurora flared up with much intensity. I knew my eyes had changed colour, I could feel energy tingling on the surface of my skin. I glared at the phoenix who had awaken, not moving but daring me to touch what was his again.
I looked at my hands, eyeing them with rage. “Reflect my rage oh ye mortal hands,” I barked at my hands. My hands burst up with flame, rising up above my head. “Drop the barrier or I destroy your precious tower,” I threatened. It made a loud screech like an eagle, mocking me.
“Don’t dare the phoenix
Don’t touch it tail
It fears no flame
It seethe all scares
A heart of fire
Wings of the sun
Heat of a lava
See it and run.” The song echoed in my head. Of course, it fears no flame, wings of the sun, heat of lava, fire won’t work on it.
I smiled and swung my hands, wh¡pping off the fire. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew I was doing the right thing. I waved my hand in the air in a circular motion high above my head, my l-ips moving and muttering words I couldn’t comprehend. Sage remained where she was, staring at me with mouth open.
Every single water I could reach rose up to my aid, dancing towards me and following the dance of my hand. The phoenix cried out once more, already knowing what I was going to do, at least what it thought I would do. Instead of directing the water to it, I turned the water on the tree, morphing it into a bigger water version of my hand. It can’t burn what can’t feel. The phoenix cried more, anger echoing in it cry.
The water hand successfully pulled out the seal, a small gold coin. The coin flipped over to me. I caught it with my other hand and waved it at the phoenix. Flame rose up from it body, burning the stone form out of it body.
“This is the part where we go,” I said to Sage. I directed the water to the phoenix to slow down it transformation, took Sage’s hand and pulled her towards the tree. Following my instinct, I pictured the tree back in our garden and jumped into the tree.
Sage and I fell on the ground of our garden with a thud, I did it! I stood up sharply and dusted my dress while Sage remained on the ground, staring at her surrounding in awe.
“As long as the seal is far away, the phoenix won’t be able to awaken. Come Sage, I’ll heal your hand.” I spoke with confidence, it wasn’t me. I then knew what had happened, I should have known from the start.
Victoria took possession of my body.
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To be continued.
Half of the truth out. Esme, Quincy and Drusilla were killed by the people, because Victoria refused to acknowledge the bitter truth. Now we know who is doing it, Victoria’s mother.
Now, what sin did the town commit on Victoria’s mother? And how did Victoria die? What battle have she been fighting for long?
We’ll find out soon.
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🏵️🍃 Authoress Kemmy B. Gabriel 🍃🏵️