Chapter Three
1123 Words
I read somewhere that, “Gravity is matter’s response to loneliness.” After reading this quote, I gnawed over it a while before deciding that I was jealous of matter; at least it has a way of fighting the ominous ghost that is loneliness.
My father always made it a point to remind me that I was the reason behind my mother’s death. On the days that he would bang my head against the upholstered staircase, he would blame my “big” head. On the days that he would twist my arm until my bones crackled, he would blame my “lanky” arms. Different assaults on my body would be defended; he was my punisher, he was punishing the evil that took his wife away. It’s sad though, how I thought that I could make him love me. My bashed in head conjured wild theories; I honestly thought that the incessant beatings would somehow bring him closure. That eventually, my father, the man who helped birth me, would learn to love me.
All he learnt to love was me being his scapegoat.
“Hey! Hey! Get me out of here!”
I had honestly thought that I could get away in a castle crawling with armed guards. Well, I had obviously thought wrong.
“I’m warning you! I am a very powerful witch; I will destroy you…no I will annihilate you!”
Yes Nina, use big words that will scare them!
I was currently banging against an enormous door. My hands were bound by iron shackles which in turn were bound to the precarious red bricked wall. I was in a dungeon. Yes, there was no doubt about it; I was in some strange historical timeline. How I reached here? I was beyond clueless. Was I dreaming? Was this actually happening? My breath hitched in my throat; I was bleeding. I had been twisting and yanking my arms. Somewhere during all this fracas, I had winded up hurting my wrists. Why did the pain feel so real? If this was a dream…
“This is your penalty. You will be executed during the stroke of the first light. A guard will come to escort you to the gallows…any last words witch?”
Once again, I charged towards the enormous door.
“What have I done to deserve this punishment? Get me out of here! I don’t deserve this!”
My fists pounded the rusted metallic door aggressively. They soon turned purple, palpitating with stagnant blood. I blinked owlishly, afraid that the tears would fall. If there was one thing I had learnt from my father, it was this; tears were absolutely useless.
“Do you know what suffering my father has persevered? Do you know what my people have gone through because of your kind? You and your people have done nothing but harm us yet you sit there thinking that there is a possibility for your pardon? Tell me heathen, have you ever lost someone you love?”
My mouth opened and closed successively. I was not sure if I had ever loved anyone to begin with.
Except him, I needed to get home.
“Well, my father is very dear to me. He is the greatest ruler Chi has ever seen; the people worship him. He does no one any harm, always granting strangers safe passage and organizing feasts for orphans. If there is anyone who does not deserve pain and suffering it is him. Watching him cough out blood and hearing his labored breathing…every wheezed breath is a sign of his impending doom. My father is dying and so shall you…”
At some point during Luke’s speech I had retreated back to the origin of the shackles and slid against the wall to the ground. I had listened to his voice breaking, I had heard his snivels. Luke might look and even be tough, but deep down he was just a boy who was afraid of losing his father. If tables had been turned, I would have gladly watched mine die.
“I can help…”
Poignant silence filled the air. I swallowed hard and hoisted myself from the ground. I slowly moved towards the door, my weak shaking hands raised midway. Whatever Luke had described sounded like a common disease that I knew well. I wondered if there were any doctors in this era.
What did I do in History class again?
“You think I would accept help from the enemy? Do you take me for a fool witch? I will have your tongue removed-“
“E-enough L-luke…Let’s h-hear her o-out.”
Barry was here.
He had been there all along. But why hadn’t he spoken up all this time? Did he believe his brother? Did he honestly think that I was some sort of sorceress after his father’s blood? Magic didn’t even exist for crying out loud! It was a myth, work of fiction. Magic was just a figment of a creative’s imagination.
I had actually thought that…that he was human, that he was my friend.
“You were going to let me be hanged Barry?”
Silence.
Well, what had I expected? If a man I had known my whole life couldn’t conjure up some sort of affection towards me, what about a total stranger?
“J-just say how y-you can h-help. Only t-then we can we strike a b-bargain.”
Quid pro quo. Good to know this principle had started a while back.
“I will heal your father on the condition that you send me back…”
Silence.
“Send you back?”
I gulped. What if they did not know how to? What if they were just as clueless about my situation as I was? What if I was stuck here? If I had indeed teleported to another time, didn’t that mean that magic was real?
Ha-ha Nina.
“You keep saying that sorcery exists correct? If you want your father’s health to be restored then you must find me someone who can take me home…”
“Excuse my bluntness but I do not think that you are in a position to strike such a bargain…besides don’t you have some sort of broomstick you can use?”
Was he actually trying to be funny? What in the name of father Christmas…
“You heard me. I am not from here-“
“We already know that you witch-“
“B-brother listen to h-her…”
I heard a strenuous breath being released from beyond the door. A string of murmured profanities followed. For some reason, a small smile made its way to my dry lips. Luke’s frustration seemed to ignite happiness within me despite my obvious predicament.
“Okay witch, we are all ears, where are you from?”
I ran my grazed thumb over my bleeding wrists. I suddenly felt exhausted.
“It’s not where, it’s when. I am from the future…”
- Writer
