The Elemental Heiress

chapter 2

                                                                                            Willow

            My nerves were killing me. It wasn't so much the graduating part that had me worried; it was the after. In 20 minutes, I would walk up that stage and officially end a chapter of my life. The problem was that I had no idea what the next chapter would be. It was a topic that I and my therapist had been discussing during our weekly sessions. His answer was always the same, it will work out, and of course, take your medication. Speaking of which my pill bottle was straining against the fabric of my jeans pocket. I don’t understand why they didn't design the gowns with pockets of their own. Considering how much they cost I was owed a pocket.

I had wanted to wear one of my oversize hoodies, but my mom said I needed to graduate in a dress. We compromised on light faded blue jeans and a flowy pink top. I watched from the stage wings as people filled the seats reserved for the family and friends of the graduates. I rubbed my hands together nervously. I hadn't had a panic attack in a while it’s been the longest I'd ever gone without them since they started when I was fourteen. My dad swore it meant that the medication was finally truly working but I still kept the pills within reach. Better safe than sorry.

“This is the last time I'll let Miss Mursof tell me to put my phone away.”  I smiled as my best friend Sky walked up to me. Some of my nervousness washed away as I took in her untamable curly blonde hair. Her gown was open in the front revealing a white dress that showed off her swollen belly.

Sky had never been ashamed or tried to hide her pregnancy even after her stepdad had kicked her out when she told him. My family had gladly taken her in with open arms when they found out. My parents had always loved Sky as their own and her being pregnant didn't change that.

 “After today she won't be able to,” I say as I pulled her into a hug. whenever anyone asked about the baby's father Sky always responded with just some college guy. So people always assumed that she didn't know, but I knew her better than that. Skye didn't like to share the things she loved and this baby was no exception.

“Knowing her she'll track me all the way to new Egypt just to nag me about my phone” she huffed.

“Egypt?” I looked at her in shock as she nodded shyly.

“I just got the text.” a few months ago a woman brought bought a huge chunk of land from the Egyptian government and named it New Egypt. It’s all the media will talk about but no one was more obsessed than Sky. She loved anything Egypt-related since she was in diapers. She checked out every book that so much mentioned it from the school library. When they ran out she spent all her money buying more from the bookstore. Her college friends would even sneak her into their classes just because they were going over a chapter on Egypt. I had never met anyone more knowledgeable on the subject. She was even learning the language online and spent most of her free time watching documentaries about mummies. Insane.

“What about the baby?” I asked.

“I’m paying double to get us both in, but it'll be worth it.” Her blue eyes were shining with passion. She had been trying to find a way into New Egypt since it was established. Her pregnancy just made her more desperate. “My child will be born in a new flowering country. Full of opportunity and culture. He'll be one of the first native-born citizens to new Egypt.” She took a deep breath I couldn't help but be envious I wish that I could want something that badly. “They say even though the pharaoh was raised here in the states she still runs the country traditionally. However, she did take our beliefs in freedom and equality with her.”

“Just be careful,” I said. The idea of my best friend jumping head first into an unfamiliar and unstable country filled me with dread, but I wouldn't waste my time trying to talk her out of it. When Skye made a decision she saw it through. It was one of the reasons I admired her so much.

“When have I ever not been careful?” she asked sticking out her belly for emphasis. We both burst out laughing. “You can come to visit when they open the borders back up.” Old Egypt, as people were calling it now, wasn't letting anyone travel or send things through their land to get to New Egypt. Which meant that the only way anything arrived or left the country was carried by plane, and even that was limited. It had something to do with the Egyptian government selling the land with the notion it was just a barren desert then coming to find out after she bought it that the land was lush and healthy. They felt cheated and refused to acknowledge the Purchase.

“Who knows when that will happen.” It would likely be years till they gave up the fight if they ever did at all.

“I have faith in the Pharaoh. From what I've heard she's an amazing and driven leader.”

“From what I have heard she dumped her American wife so that she could marry the closest descendant to the Egyptian royal family, all so she could take the throne,” I said. Sky clicked her tongue at me, annoyed by my statement. “All I'm saying is that you should wait to put all your faith in someone till you know everything.”

“Even if that were true that would just prove her drive even more,” she stated stubbornly. Or how power-hungry she is, I thought to myself.

“When are you leaving?” I asked not wanting to argue.

“Tonight,” she said sheepishly. My eyes widened.

“I thought they had put you on a waiting list.”

“I had and they had an opening, but we have to leave tonight.” The Pharaoh was resorting to sneaking people in since taking in more subjects was a violation of the limitations the Egyptian government was trying to enforce.

“Will I see you again before you go? What about packing?” Everything was happening so fast and it was putting me even more on edge.

“I have to leave as soon as I grab my diploma if I want to make it to the rendezvous point in time.” She gave me a guilt-filled look.” I have an emergency bag in my car. I've had it packed just in case. I won't need much just cash, important documents, a change of clothes, pictures, and some hygiene stuff.” I was quiet for a while struggling with what to say. I felt like Sky had been a lifeline I was relying on and without her, I truly would have no direction. I took a deep breath.

“I'm happy for you,” I said genuinely. It wasn't fair to hold someone as driven as Sky back just because I was lost on what to do next.

Reading my mind she pulled me into a hug and said. “It will come to you eventually. You'll see, one day you'll see something and just know that's what you were meant to do.” for her benefit I nodded. Teachers started yelling that it was time to take our seats Skype promised to write and I promised to visit when I was able to. With one last hug, she went to find her seat. I blinked away my tears as I watched her go. Miss. Mursof’s voice rose to tell Sky to zip up her gown. I couldn't help but laugh.

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the rest of the ceremony went smoothly. I even managed not to cry as Sky took her diploma and disappeared through the back door. She was right I’d find my drive for something, eventually. It was normal to need time for these things and I had the rest of my life to figure it out. By the time my name was called, I had almost even convinced myself it wasn't that big of a deal. One moment I was walking towards the stage on steady feet, the next everything felt wrong.

 I was on the steps of the stage when it hit. My skin suddenly felt tight, as if something inside was trying to break free even if it meant tearing me apart in the process. I tried to focus on my breathing as a burning feeling crawled up my spine. I needed to get to a place I could take my medication but I couldn't leave now without making a scene all eyes were on me. In out, I chanted in my head as I walked further onto the stage. Just a few more moments. I must not have looked as calm as I wanted to seem because my principal gave me a concerned and questioning look. I nodded at him attempting to smile but it came out more like a grimace.

 I didn't give him a chance to ask any questions as I grabbed my diploma and all but ran off the stage straight for the bathroom. Locking the door behind me I pulled out my pill bottle. My breathing was rapid as I shook out two pills and ducked my head under the sink faucet to help swallow them. Almost immediately my breathing evened out I slid my back down the wall till I was sitting on the floor with my head between my knees. The fact that I was sitting on a bathroom floor didn't disgust me, I was still shaking too badly to care. The burning feeling was slowly fading and I was starting to fit in my skin again.

“Willow?” The gentle voice of my mother came through the door. I heard her try the locked handle. “Is everything OK? It's not another attack is it?”

“I'm fine mom, I already took my medication I'm feeling better. I just need a moment alone. I'll meet you in the car.”

 “Okay, if you're sure?”

“Yes, I'll be fine.” When the sound of her heels faded and I stood up and rubbed my eyes. I tried to trace my steps back to what triggered the attack. My therapist had said figuring out the root cause of the attacks was a large part of finding a solution. I hadn't had one that bad in a while and as far as I was aware I had felt fine right before the attack. I was thinking about what could be making this happen when it hit me again only so much worse.

My vision blurred as I fell forward slamming my knees into the tile. Before the feeling had felt like it was seeping into me this felt like a dam breaking. Like something had broken within me and released the full might of it all at once. I clutched at my throat trying to put out the flame I felt burning. My skin was so itchy that it felt like my whole body was vibrating. my eyes must have been playing tricks on me because it looked like the water from the sink was flowing upwards till it turned to steam covering the mirrors. The floor felt unstable as if it was rocking. I reached for my pill bottle with shaking fingers.

The ground lurched and I watched my pills scattered on the floor in front of me. I curled into a ball accepting that whatever was about to happen would happen. I had never had a panic attack longer than a few minutes. I was always able to suppress it with my pills but something told me that they wouldn't work this time. All I could do was gasp for breath and wait. It was always the same during each attack a feeling like I was going to burst from my skin. This time I felt like I was really going to explode and they would have to scrape me off the walls of this bathroom. The same walls that we're currently smoking, I must be losing my mind. I was having a hard time focusing when the door kicked in. I felt relief for a split second, thinking it was my parents coming to my rescue. Till I heard an unfamiliar voice.

“Quickly we’re nearly too late.” I heard a gruff voice say.

“That wouldn't have been a problem if Bertram hadn't taken so long with his research,” a second male voice cut in saying the last word sarcastically.

“It was a necessary detour bringing her to unconsciousness won't be enough to curb the force of her power. We need what he found,” a woman said.

“Don't even get me started on you. You barely knew where she was,” the second voice said

“Enough all of you. Cosmo knock her out already,” The first voice snapped

“I've been trying this whole time, she's fighting me.” Cosmo, the second voice, said sounding frustrated. I must have been really out of it because as far as I was aware I wasn't fighting anyone I was too busy trying to hold myself together. “Unless you want me to knock her out the more traditional way.”

“Don't you dare touch the heiress,” the female voice hissed.

I felt a light touch on my wrist. “Don't worry these should start working quickly,” a new voice said. “They will absorb her excess power and keep it contained for as long as she wears them until she's until she releases the power herself.”

“I don't care how it does it as long as it stops her from exposing us long enough to get out of this cursed realm.” Little by little I could feel the pressure being pulled away towards whatever they had tied around my wrist. I was so relieved that I barely cared about who they were and what they were saying. The pain was still there the feeling was slowly going away. All I could do was paint on the floor.

“What are you doing?” Cosmo asked I felt a cool liquid slide between my lips and down my burning throat. I immediately started to feel drowsy.

“Just an extra precaution,” the woman said. “To bring the child peace.” I was on the edge of unconsciousness when I heard her whisper “Sleep now dear, all will make sense when you wake up.” I felt someone pick me up before I slipped into a blissful sleep.