The Cursed Child

Chapter Three

"King William has officially spoken out about Princess Raine who has been missing for the past 19 years." The news reported on CNN announced. I sat in the living room with the entire family as my mom watched the news as she usually does at this time. Penny looked at me with wide eyes as Chase turned the volume on the television up. 

"I would like to send a thank you to The President for allowing this message to be broadcasted throughout America as I send this message out to my daughter and those who are hiding her. Raine, I know your heart still beats. You weren't the only one cursed that night as I was too. The curse I have is to know that you're out there and still alive but there's no possible way for me to reach you. I can't find you. I can feel you, my darling. I know that you're out in this world somewhere. I need you to come home. I want you to come home. Runne is currently in a crisis and I do not have long. If you're watching this then please return to me. If there's anyone out there who knows the whereabouts of my daughter who should have possessed her powers by now then please allow her to return with her people. Thank you for listening." He said. I watched the man on the screen in amazement. He wore a grey suit with a huge crown on his head. I could tell that he was sitting in what looked to be a throne room as the background was filled with gold fancy things and the huge throne. 

"I'll be glad when he stops this! The child is dead." Chase said as he tossed his feet up on the couch. 

"Didn't you hear him?" Penny asked. "He can feel her!" 

"That's bullshit." Chase revealed. 

"Penny? Can I talk to you in the kitchen?" I asked. 

"Of course, Raine!" She announced. Chase looked at her weirdly while my mom just shook her head and continued to watch the tv. 

"What did you say?" Chase asked. 

"It's gonna rain." Penny said before grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the kitchen. 

"You're really the worst at keeping secrets!" I whispered. 

"So you believe that you're the princess?" She asked. 

"I don't believe that I am the princess but I do believe that she is out there and still alive!" I answered. 

Penny rolled her eyes. "What do we do?" 

"I do not know. I have to think. I'm going to run out for a bit. I'll be back later." I said as I grabbed the keys off of the counter. 

"Where are you going?" 

"Somewhere where I can think." I replied before walking out the front door. I immediately got in the car and backed out of the driveway. I ended up driving straight to the park. I opened the door and stepped out. There wasn't a single person in the park. Slamming the car door shut, I began making my way down the trail. 

It seemed as if everything was happening fast. I lived an ordinary life and suddenly I'm thrown into the world of mutation and there was only more things building up on my plate — things that were beginning to be too much for me to handle. I knew nothing. I was alone in a country where my kind was forbidden. I had these strange abilities and I knew nothing about controlling them. I appreciated Penny for helping but there wasn't much she could do. She was simply an ordinary human being who was trying to grasp and understand the entire situation. 

As I walked deeper in the trail, I couldn't help but feel as if I was being followed. I refused to turn around. I only picked up the pace. I could hear the sound of the leaves crunching as the mystery person took a step. I cut through a few trees before seeing the car parked exactly where I left it. I quickly made my way out of the trail and onto the sidewalk that lead me towards the car only to be stopped by the odd individual. 

"Your Majesty." The woman called out. I stopped in my tracks yet still refused to turn around. "You're aware of your title as you've managed to stop once I called you by your title." 

"I have no idea what you're talking. I am Journee." I responded. 

The woman chuckled before walking closer to me. "You are Princess Raine Azure Maughn of Runne — the daughter of King William and Queen Victoria." 

I turned around only to be greeted by an older woman. She looked to be in her early 50s. She wore a black shirt with jeans and a long black coat. Her hair was tied into a neat bun, she looked exhausted. 

"I'm not who you think I am." I whispered. 

"You're not who you think you are." She corrected. "I am a mutant. I know when my kind is nearby." 

"Why are you here if you're a mutant? Shouldn't you be in Runne with the rest?" I asked. 

Smiling softly, the woman placed her hand on my shoulder and began leading us towards the car. "I am Simone. I am the first mutant to crossover to this side of the world and I was the only one until you came along. I helped build the country that you are set to rule." 

I stared at the woman in shock after coming to realization that she was who she was and she still lived. "Weren't you banished?" I asked. 

"I was told that I couldn't rule because I was a woman so I left. I loved that country as if it was my own child but I refused to live there knowing that it was filled with misogyny." She replied. "I crossed over and traveled to Europe and I've lived there since. Around a week ago, your father had a message broadcasted throughout Europe asking for his daughter to return home. I've lived out here for decades since I'm immortal. During all of my years, there has never been another mutant out here besides myself so when I felt drawn towards you, I automatically knew who you were." 

"You traveled to New York because you felt me?" I asked. 

"I traveled to New York for a vacation. I've been here for two days now. I had just come from a shopping spree when I saw King William on the news again. That's when I felt drawn towards Monroe, New York so I jumped in my car and drove here. I felt lost so I stopped here at this quiet park and look who I managed to run into?" 

I shook my head. "I'm sure she's around here somewhere but I must be going now."

"When are you going to stop running away from your problems, Raine? I know that you're scared and I know why because deep down you know that everything I am telling you is true. You know that you're far from ordinary. You're country and the people needs you. You should return home." 

"Do you not understand that this is the life I know? I have a family here!" 

"You have a family in Runne! You have a family who has been searching for you for many years and they love and miss you so much! You cannot just abandon them!" 

"I cannot abandon the family I have here either!" 

"That's understandable." She started. "But you have a job, a duty, and that is to rule The Runne Kingdom. It is your birth right." 

"They do not know I exist!" I exclaimed. "I am sure that there's someone else who can take my place." 

"You would willingly treat the people who have not only adored you since you were in the womb but people who've have searched for you, prayed for you, loved you, and never gave up on you. Even when people said that you were dead, those people never listened to it. They threw celebrations on your birthday every year in hopes of you returning home. You would willingly give up on them?" She asked.  

I stood there for a minute before sighing heavily. I pinched the bridge of my nose before turning faced her again. "How am I supposed to get there? What am I supposed to do? Walk there and say that I am the cursed child?" 

"You need to travel there. Runne is heavily guarded since your kidnapping so you'll be greeted by guards. You let them know who you are and they'll take you the rest of the way." 

"How will they know that I am Princess Raine for sure?" 

"You are cursed. The scar that you have on your shoulder is there because of what happened that night. There's a woman there named Hope and she can show you your past. Raine, allow her to show you and everything will fall directly into place."

"There's no curse! There's nothing about me cursed!" 

"He lives." She revealed as she opened the car door for me. "He may not be here in human form but he lives and he wants to do nothing more than finish where he left off." 

"What?" 

"You need to return home so you can learn more about yourself and be safe. Whatever you do, do not embrace the dark side." She finished. 

"What are you saying?" I asked as I got in the car. She smiled at me softly before closing the door shut. 

"Don't embrace the dark side." 

I watched as she tapped the window for a bit as a farewell before walking away from the car. I sat there for a minute trying to understand what just happened. I quickly pulled out my phone and called Penny. I let the phone ring as I backed out of the parking lot to the park and headed home. 

"Hello?" Penny answered. 

"Penny?" I started. I was beyond shocked. "I cannot believe I am saying this but you were right." 

"I was right about what exactly?" 

I sighed preparing myself to say the next sentence. I took a deep breath before saying it. "I am the lost princess. I am the cursed child." 

As soon as the words fell off of my lips, I felt something strike me hard. I squeezed the stirring wheel tightly as my vision began to blur. 

"Are you okay?" Penny asked from the other side of the phone. 

"I'm not feeling too well." 

"It's beginning to rain." Penny revealed. I could hear the panic in her voice. "It's you. Where are you? Pull over before you wreck!" 

"I'm pulling into the driveway now." I said before ending the call. I parked the car but I was too dizzy and weak to even turn the car off. I opened the car door as Penny ran out the front door towards me. I fell down as she was quick enough to catch me. 

"Journee?" She called out as she placed my head in her lap. I could see our mom and Chase running out of the front door and towards the both of us but it was the last thing I saw before I was overtaken by darkness.