A Journey's Revelations

Suspicions

Kinley, the Nuvannian Prince, tossed and turned in the fist of his nightmares. He was nearly 11. His memory of the k********g was nothing but a nightmare. His memories of his life before Earth were fuzzy, and he had been told that they were nothing but dreams. He knew himself to be Aaron, the name that his mother, Laila, had given him at birth. But in his nightmares, he dreamt of the days when he had been taken to Earth, of black leather, of clopping hooves, and of shaking ground. He dreamt of his home.

~~~~~~~~

The girl, who was called Aubrey, inched closer and closer to the door, head c****d to the side,her expression one of those of intent curiosity and fierce disobedience. The name Princess Rayne did not even hold a sliver of recognition in her bright mind. The place that had been her home for her first nine months of life held no corner of her memory.  But, it was just behind that door that’s always been in her living room. She’d always been told the door led to a dangerous place, like an attic. She’d always been told she shouldn’t enter. But she just had to know what lay behind it. Just as she reached for the doorknob, her witch of a mother entered.

“Aubrey, if you so much as turn that handle another half-centimeter, you will not see the light of day until you’re 16,” The voice stated, in a firm, harsh tone, and Aubrey’s hand dropped. But Aubrey, being only 8, perceived the threat as empty, and pushed at her mother, to whom the voice belonged.

“But Mama, I just have to know what’s behind the door. You can’t keep me inside for 8 years,” She said as she reached for the knob. Her mother was there in a flash, yanking her wrist and dragging her to her room and locking her inside. Her mother then left for the grocery store. 

Aubrey, intelligent and well read as she was, knew she could escape. She had multiple ways she could get out but it was pointless. She grabbed her current read and sat in the corner of her room reading. She couldn’t bring herself to try again now; the pang in her wrist was too fresh. Aaron knocked and let himself in, bringing his action figures and quietly playing on the floor, keeping guard over his sister. Every so often, he would glance at his sister to see that she was unharmed. 

The front door open and shut, revealing their father, home from work, who walked straight into his bedroom. A little while later, the garage door opened, the family car drove in and the door grinded shut. The mother too walked straight into the bedroom, taking only enough time to acknowledge Aubrey’s door was open. A few minutes later the Ash and Laila entered the her room and the boy climbed onto the bed where his parents and sister sat, sensing that if he were to ignore his parents, he would be punished. The father moved to the corner, a shadowy figure. The mother gives her daughter a dangerously quiet speech, talking about the consequences of entering the door, the danger of it, and what will happen if Aubrey ever disobeys one of her parents again. Aubrey’s tears flow without sound and she nods, her parents merciless in their scolding, which does not stop at words. Her parents leave, and Aubrey’s little body is racked with sobs, her bottom bruised and welted. It doesn’t take long for Aaron to wrap his sister in his arms and rock her back and forth.  He cannot understand her insistent curiosity, but he loves her, so it doesn’t matter. He knows how much pain she must be in. He quiets his anger at his father for laying a hand to them, and focuses on comforting his baby sister.