My heart pounded in my chest as they grew closer, remembering the curious and shy looks that Jean had given me earlier—the stares by Tomlin, too. Jean might be easier to subdue, but if it were Tomlin, I would have to hope that someone might come to my rescue.
The footsteps stopped as they reached the bed.
"Are you asleep?" came Adelia's squeaky voice.
Oh, thank god. I sighed.
"Not yet," I answered. And then, without asking, she got into the bed with me.
"I woke up and couldn't get back to bed." She admitted as she made herself comfortable, curled up next to me.
We lay there for several minutes in silence, unsure whether either of us was asleep. I didn't have any other siblings, and a few of my cousins were parents, so I didn't know how to deal with a child who snuck into my bed.
"Did you see anyone else in the Zandel forest?" Adelia's voice was small and shaky.
Zandel Forest?
"Where is that?" I asked, unsure how to answer.
"It's where you walked out of the day by the river."
I remembered the open meadow where I had woken up, the tall grass and giant trees, and the eerie stillness of it. Not even any birds' chirping.
"No, I didn't see anyone else there." Adelia remained quiet, but she wasn't asleep, as I could feel her playing with strands of my hair.
"Mama went in there." She finally said in a whisper so low I barely heard it. "She said she was tired of it and went in one night."
"Tired of what?" I probed.
Adelia burrowed herself deeper at my side.
"Of this life," she finally said.
I waited for her to continue, but she didn't, and I didn't have the mental capacity to get into such a psychological conversation with a child.
This is all pretend. The voice in my head said. Maybe she was improvising a backstory on her own, I thought. I hoped.
"What is the city like?" I tried to change the conversation, but I was met only with silence. I could feel Adelia's chest falling slowly and softly at my side. She had fallen asleep already.
What did I want to find in the city? I asked myself.
A sense of unease and dread coiled around me as exhaustion finally pulled my eyes closed and I drifted to sleep.
If I dreamt, I couldn't remember a single thing.
Maybe that was for the best. It felt like I had just shut my eyes when Adelia was gently rousing me awake. I could have definitely used a few more hours, hell, even a few more days of sleep.
Adelia beamed as she watched me closely, making sure I didn't fall back asleep. She was already dressed. At her age, I was being dragged out of bed to get ready for school every day.
She had a better work ethic than most people I knew.
After I had rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I noticed that she was holding a dress in her arms.
"Is that for me?" I asked, pointing to it.
She nodded enthusiastically, as if she had been waiting for me to ask about it.
"You would stand out too much in your old clothes."
The dress was simple. It was made of a lightweight linen, with a square neckline featuring blue flowers embroidered along the seams. A dark blue ribbon that matched the flowers was tied around my waist.
"It's a perfect fit," Adelia said as she helped fasten the last button on the back.
"What a coincidence that you just happened to have a dress that was exactly my size."
Not a coincidence at all, they probably used my clothes to get my measurements. Well, almost the perfect size. The dress was a few centimeters too long. It dragged a bit on the floor and covered my sneakers, which was a good thing as they didn't have any spare shoes for me. I guess that's not in the budget.
Adelia watched earnestly as I attempted to brush out the rest of the knots that were still in my hair. It was a losing battle. Chunks of hair were being ripped out, but the knots were not loosening.
What if I have to cut the knots out? Tears sprang to my eyes at the thought. The knots started at the crown of my head.
"Can I help?" Adelia asked shyly as she stared at my hair.
"Do you have anything for this?" I asked, pointing to a rather nasty knot.
The young girl eagerly nodded her head and approached, pulling out a tin from her apron. It was a white, hard substance; she took about a tablespoon and rubbed it between her hands. I watched as it dissolved down to a fragrant oil. I turned my back to her and felt as she ran her hands through my tangled locks.
The knots were coming undone with each pass of the brush. There was no pulling, no tearing, no breakage.
Who were the makeup and hair stylists for this event?
Within a few minutes, she had detangled my hair and pulled it into the neatest braid, tied with a ribbon a shade lighter than the one around my waist.
"How do I look?" I asked as I turned to face her. She tilted her head to the side and took in my appearance in earnestness. And without saying anything, she walked out of the room.
That bad, huh? I mused with a chuckle. I hadn't looked at my reflection in the mirror since the bath, but I imagined that the dark circles, sunken eyes, and gaunt cheeks were still there.
I heard the small footsteps returning along with the jangling of something. When she walked back into the room, Adelia was holding a small wooden chest and sporting the biggest smile on her face.
She opened the chest, and inside were the most beautifully adorned makeup compacts.
"This was my mama's makeup." Adelia confessed, "I am sure she would be okay if you used some."
I looked through the items she had presented me with, and though most of them were not in my shade, I did my best to use them to hide the dark circles and bring some color and life to my face. Once done, the young girl beamed and, without being prompted, said, "You look much better now."
Tomlin and Jean were already by the door when I walked out with Adelia.
"Take this." Tomlin handed me a long, hooded cloak, "And wear it when you are in the city," he then exchanged a knowing look with Jean. "Now get going, you'll want to be long gone before they come looking for you."
"What will you say to them when they come?" Jean asked his father.
"I'll say that she snuck out sometime during the night." He answered as he looked at me, "I hope you find what you are looking for and can get home." He told me, and I felt that he was being genuine.
Jean ushered me out, and it wasn't long before we were out of the small town.
The cart that we took was extremely rudimentary. Two giant workhorses pulled it. The bench for the driver and one occupant was not cushioned. In the open cart behind us, there were baskets of what looked like fresh fruits.
It took several miles to get used to the movement of the cart. With no suspension, I felt every rock, pebble, dip, and bump that we hit along the way.
During our ride, I had seen out of the corner of my eye that Jean had turned to me and opened his mouth, but no words had come out. The poor boy had wanted to say something, but at the last second, he decided against it or got too nervous.
"How old are you, Jean?" I asked, finally giving him the opportunity to speak. He let out a big sigh and broke out into a smile as he answered.
"I am but ten and eight, Miss Mara."
What a peculiar way to say '18,' I thought.
"You look like you were in your 20s," I confessed. He had looked young, but I hadn't imagined that he was a teenager.
"And you, Miss Mara."
"I am nearly ten years older than that," I said, and let out a laugh when I saw the shock on his face. "You don't believe me?" I asked him as he still wore an incredulous look on his face.
"You look much younger, Miss," he said honestly.
The image from the mirror the previous night flashed across my mind. I had looked much older in that reflection. Either Jean was lying or he had very peculiar tastes.
"How long is the ride into the city?"
"We should arrive shortly after sunrise," Jean answered quite enthusiastically.
The sky was still violet, but at the horizon it was starting to lighten. It would be about another hour or so before the sun broke through the horizon.
My thoughts wandered to Kael at that moment. Once I found my way home in the city, I would never see him again. A strange pang shot through my left arm and into my chest, vanishing almost as soon as it occurred.
Why am I even thinking about him?
I would have preferred to continue in silence, maybe even doze off for a bit before arriving, but I could feel Jean's sideways glances at me. The poor boy wanted attention. I could continue to pretend I don't notice.
I remembered the conversation I had had with Adelia, and curiosity got the best of me. Would he be as good at improvising? Since I am leaving today, I might as well check this boy's acting chops.
"What is Zandel Forest?" The question tore the smile from his face.
"Why do you want to know about such a place?" He asked, tensing up next to me.
"That is where I came from, when I awoke here." Jean didn't just look shocked by my answer; he had turned pale.
Excellent acting.
"That's not possible," he muttered very lowly. He shook his head and kept his gaze forward, "Zandel Forest is a forbidden place. It is where all the beasts and monsters that Elirius left behind went to die. Their evil magic seeped into the ground, turning it into a damned place. You can't have woken up there. It's impossible."
"Why is it impossible, Jean?" I asked, transfixed by his acting skills.
Jean's eyes widen more than I thought physically possible.
"No one who enters Zandel Forest ever returns. And..." He paused, searching for the following words. He trembled now, and I could see his eyes redden and wet with unshed tears.
He was even better at improv.
The remainder of the ride was filled with small talk. He filled me in on his small town and the work he did with his father. And I just confirmed whatever fantastical rumors or myths he had heard about Xolteca.
The truth was that I wasn't paying that much attention to him as he spoke or asked questions. My mind was preoccupied with formulating a plan for revenge.
Would I wait a bit, let them wallow in fear, not knowing when I would strike? No, I'm sure there is a statute of limitations for reporting abductions and forcible imprisonments.
"We're almost there," Jean said, and it broke through my thoughts. We had just gotten to the top of a hill, and down below I could see that the road wound through some forest, and at the end of that was an enormous wall. It extended far beyond where the eye could see in all directions.
I had never seen anything like it on my travels or in any guides that recommended vacations in the countryside. And it seemed impossible that this would not be recommended, considering that it still looked to be in great shape, given its age.
Then came the words Valeria had said about the events, that they built their own towns. But this seemed impossible for them to use simply for LARPing.
No, this place was something else entirely.