THE DESPISED SOUL

BETRAYAL

Mark and Lisa decided to move to a far-away hamlet to seek safety since the king of Avrot was still after them and wouldn’t stop until he killed Ledisa. He received a prophecy that “there will be a little girl from the land of the Grebben, she will rule and dominate the universe, and her power will be very great that no one will be able to apprehend her,” this prophecy had always disturbed Abel Duwala, the king of Avrot, he wouldn’t sit to watch a little girl take over his kingdom, he would rather displace her at her tender age. He sent his most powerful warriors to destroy everything that lives and doesn’t on the land of Grebben but none of them returned. The people of Gribben were known to be witches but they were very good people, many of the citizens of other hamlets hated and despised seeing them around. So they were forced to live separately in the woods.

Lisa’s power began to manifest, she was now sixteen years old, and she had begun to feel emotional and was able to drive the chaos.

In their new home, Asguard, they found peace and love, it seemed they didn’t know about the people of Grebben, the witches.

Mark and Lisa found an apartment near the market place and the market was in front of the king’s palace.

Lisa loved being playful, especially when she was with Anabel and Lella. These three friends were always together from dawn till the moon was out. Anabel was a little taller than Lisa, she was fair and smart, and she was the daughter of the king’s special guard. Lella is short and busty, she had the most beautiful eyeballs among them, she had lost her father too, but her mother sold medicine and treated the sick in the open market.

“where have you been all day long,” Mark questioned Lisa who was still trying to blend herself with the atmosphere. She quickly reappeared. “elm… I’m sorry, I was with Lella and Anabel,” she confessed. “How many times have I told you not to play with those kids, have you forgotten why we came here?” Mark questioned Lisa angrily, Lisa was sobbing and mute. “Answer me! You’ve kept using your powers anyhow, if Anabel could know about your powers, she’s going to tell her father about it and trust me we’re going to be in trouble,” Mark explained, holding Lisa’s shoulders angrily. Lisa bowed her head as she would always do, “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“This is not about being sorry, this isn’t the first I’ll be warning you about those guys but your response remains ‘I’m sorry,’ with those pitiful faces you wear, you know what, you’re grounded. Go inside and remain in your bedroom,” Mark yelled at her, Lisa walked towards her room feeling sad, she only wanted to live a happy life, and that was what her friends had always given her, she didn’t know why Mark was always against that.

“Your food is in the kitchen,” Mark said with a calm voice, “okay,” Lisa replied as she headed into her room.

They’ve spent four years with the Asguardians, Mark worked as a secret agent for the king with his abilities, Mark also had powers but not as great as Lisa’s. Lisa didn’t know the kind of job Mark did, she only knew he hunted in the woods at night.

Mark was so disturbed by Lisa’s power that had begun to manifest, he knew it was going to get them in trouble, so he decided to place a curse on her to cage her power and for people to despise her.

“Mark!! Mark!” Lisa shouted from her room, Mark rushed there to see what was wrong with her, “What’s wrong,” Mark asked

“See my face, it’s horrible, I can’t move my legs properly, I’m feeling like I’m going to fall whenever I stand up,” Lisa explained with fear that she might die.

“What!” Mark exclaimed, “This is a seasonal plaque that usually comes over teenagers in Grebben, how come your mother didn’t tell you about it?” Mark lied. “For how long will it remain on me?” Lisa questioned with tears forming in her eyes, “Or is it going to kill me? She added. “No, it’s not going to kill you not when I’m with you, I’m going to protect you, it’s going to take five full moons before it disappears completely, you just have to stay indoors till then,” Mark explained with lies like he wasn’t the one who cursed her.

Lella and Anabel were worried that Lisa hadn’t come to visit them for days, they didn’t know what was wrong with her, Lella thought of going to her place to check on her but Anabel warned her of Mark, the king’s secret guard, “I’ve seen him working with the king’s guards, he’s very strong and powerful,” Anabel explained, “does that mean she was grounded?” Lella asked, “oh that shouldn’t be,” she added. “I have an idea, Mark always visits the palace at night, which means Lisa will be left at home, so we can go and visit her by then,” Anabel explained.

The two friends decided to visit Lisa at night when Mark was off to the palace to do his secret assignment.

They got there very late in the night, and they knocked with fear, “Lisa! Lisa,” Lella whispered through the door. Lisa could hear them but couldn’t stand up on her feet.

Lella kept whispering “Lisa,” until Anabel noticed that the door was not locked.

They opened it and hooped in, “Lisa, where are you,” Lella said with fear. Everywhere was dark and scary. “I’m here,” Lisa replied like a sick person.

The two friends rushed towards the direction of the sound and met Lisa in pain, there were dark spots all over her body.

“Oh my dear, what’s wrong with you,” Lella knelt close to Lisa where she lay recklessly. “I don’t know, but Mark told me it’s going to leave soon,” Lisa explained.

“How soon?” Anabel asked with sympathy while standing close to her. “ He said it will only take five full moons to disappear totally,” Lisa said.

“Five full moons?” Anabel and Lella exclaimed, “A full moon takes about thirty days, five full moons will be about one hundred and fifty days,” Anabel explained with anxiety. “That’s too long, what if Mark is lying?” Lella asked Lisa.

“No, no, no, Mark is a very good person, he hadn’t for once lied to me,” Lisa endorsed Mark. “so where is he now,” Anabel asked Lisa. “He had gone to the woods to hunt,” Lisa answered.

Anabel and Lella faced each other, “Hunt indeed,” they both said in chorus.

“Mark is working as a secret guard for the king, he helps him to apprehend people that possess evil power in the community,” Anabel explained.

“what! How did you know that?” Lisa questioned Anabel.

“Well, I’ve always met him in the palace whenever I went to visit my dad, so I decided to ask him what Mark was doing in the palace and he told me everything,” Anabel explained.

The three friends were still discussing when they heard footsteps approaching the house, Anabel and Lella fled through Mariam’s window. They decided to help Mariam.

Mariam was worried, but she decided not to talk to Mark about it.