A Sorceress From the Future

Chapter Nine

Everything was gold.

Even my dress was gold hued, and my accessories too. I looked, for lack of a better word, magnificent. My mane of ginger hair had been curled and its waves were currently flowing at the sides of my face. My skin glowed and I couldn’t help the huge grin on my face. Earlier when I had gawked at my reflection in the mirror while spewing praises to the servants, I had swatted myself. I could still feel the sting in my cheek. There was no doubt about it, this was reality. For the first time in my life, there was a party held in my honor. Mt father didn’t believe in the whole concept of birthdays. The only reason I knew when my birthdate was is because my father made a point of being extra mean on that particular day. I hated my birthdays.

“You look spectacular! Something of a regal, no…a princess.”

My cheeks flushed as Lawrence leaned in to kiss my left cheek. His scent was incredible, nothing like the nauseating colognes boys my age splash themselves with. Like many of the men inside the humongous elegantly decorated room, Lawrence was dressed in a bizarre outfit. While I had expected the men to be in tuxedos or at least three-piece suits, Lawrence had on tight fitting pants, a loose flannel and a brown coat that matched his boots. On his head sat a hat with a green feather lodged in it.

“You look…strange.”

Lawrence c****d his head to the side, his expression etched with absolute confusion. It was comical and somewhat appealing.

“How so? This is my best attire!”

I choked back a chuckle when his expression morphed from confusion to that of being offended.

“Well, from where I am from the fashion statement of prominent, elegant men is quite different from what you guys are wearing…”

“Guys?”

“People…sorry”

“And what is it your men wear then?”

“Shorts and t-shirts…”

“What are those?”

“They take trousers…like the ones you are wearing and rip them all the way from their knees…”

I watched amusedly as Lawrence’s mouth went ajar and his eyes proceeded to widen a significant fraction.

“And the t-shirts are sort of like flannels that have been ripped from somewhere above the elbow….”

“Preposterous!”

I found myself bending forward with heartfelt laughter. My arm moved to clutch my stomach and I could feel my eyes stinging with delighted tears. I couldn’t pinpoint a single moment in my life when I had genuinely laughed this way. My guffaw suddenly came to a sudden halt, Lawrence had inched closer to me and was now holding me by my elbow. I went rigid when his breath began fanning my neck.

“I do not take too kindly to being an object of mockery my ginger gem…”

My breath hitched inside my throat as I began to see images of Lawrence squeezing my arm or worse, twisting it. I swiftly kicked him in the shin detaching myself instantly. As I swirled around to vanish, I heard Lawrence yelp then yell out my name. I increased my pace whilst trying to ignore the hoard of people ogling at me.

Once I was on the other side of the room, I let out a strangled breath. I lifted the fluffed-out parts of my gold hued dress and dropped to the floor. I leaned back and banged my head against the wall. How could I have thought that someone was paying attention to me for my witty conversation or my intriguing personality? I should have known, all men were the same after all.

“I-I don’t s-suppose where y-you come from p-people simply v-vanish from their own f-feasts or d-do they?

I rolled my eyes playfully at Barry who was dressed in a tail coat, a loose flannel and stark dark boots. His usual disheveled hair was now sheen and had been slicked back by a gel no doubt. With no bangs covering the half of his face, Barry was extremely attractive. He had a boyish grin on his face, he looked different. Less tortured.

“I needed air…”

Barry tsked before reaching out in his coat and revealing a small object; it was a bottle covered with skin. I quirked my eyebrow.

“N-no, you kicked m-my best friend in the s-shin and d-dashed off…you d-drink gin?”

I shook my head vigorously and watched in horror as Barry gobbled down a huge amount of alcohol.

“W-why d-do you look so s-shocked? A-aren’t s-stammering people m-meant to d-drink?”

I quickly shook my head as I wracked my brain for something to say. Barry’s expression changed; he was full on smiling. I found myself mirroring him.

“Aren’t you going to offer a fine lady a drink?”

“S-see a-any here?”

I playfully swatted Barry across his arm as we both snorted with laughter. He then handed me the tiny gin bottle. At my first gulp I coughed successively, the bitter taste scorching the lining of my throat. Despite my father’s habitual drinking, I had never gotten around to consuming alcohol or any other drug for that matter.

But you sold it didn’t you Nina?

“W-with time it g-gets easier t-to s-swallow…I-I don’t e-even blink as m-much as I used to…”

For the second time that evening, I doubled forward with laughter. Barry joined me soon after. I took another swing at the gin; a shiver ran down my spine. Why would anyone drink this? It was awful!

Yet you are still drinking it.

“S-so, what d-did Lawrence d-do? H-he is usually v-very g-good at impressing l-ladies…I t-think this w-was a f-first for him…”

I sighed, not sure how to respond to this question.

“I felt claustrophobic…this means-“

Barry chuckled before shaking his head.

“W-we have b-books in t-this here too…I-I know what i-it m-means…why t-though?

I twiddled my free thumbs after Barry robbed the gin bottle from my hands. I swallowed.

“When he grabbed my elbow, I felt vulnerable so I retaliated…It is something I often do…”

“I-I noticed…”

Once again, I found myself smiling, Barry’s full smile was hard not to mimic. I felt much better.

“I p-promise you, L-lawrence is a g-good soul…he is q-quite taken w-with you…I-I c-can’t say I b-blame him though…”

A blush creeped in my cheeks. I averted my gaze as a smile played on my lips.

A boy was taken with me? But why?

“W-what?”

Had I just said that out loud? What in the name of father Christmas…I yanked the gin bottle from his hand and swallowed a mouthful. Lawrence had not wanted to harm me; he had just done something normal and I had gone completely bonkers. I sighed, I will never be normal.

“W-we h-have to g-go back…m-my father is a-about to f-formally i-introduce y-you…”

I bobbed my head and began to hoist myself up. I failed horribly and winded up back where I had been seated. Barry broke into bouts of laughter, I joined him. How refreshing this all was.

“C-come on I-I w-will h-help y-you…”

For someone so thin, I hadn’t expected Barry to be this strong. He threw my arm over his shoulder and held me by the waist. We proceeded to goofily smile at each other before breaking into snorts of laughter.

Well, that does it, you are drunk Nina.

The hallway suddenly felt really cold. My teeth chattered as I snuggled closer to Barry. A mist began morphing. It was spreading rapidly; first against the skirtings of the wall until it gradually surrounded us, completely obscuring our vision.

Okay Nina scratch that you are seriously drunk!

I felt myself being disentangled from Barry by an invisible force. Then I began floating midair. What in the name of father Christmas was going on? I tried reaching out for Barry but he was not there.

Was this normal for drunk people?

“Well, she is nothing like I expected her to be, oh well…what are you waiting for? Take her!”

“What about him?”

“Take him too…”

Before I could comprehend what was happening, I was swallowed by darkness.