Repeat and Retribution

Chapter 9

“Wow, can you believe this?” Crystal gasp as her eyes wandered through the vastness of the place.

The whole scene seemed like something that was pulled out of a fantasy world. The pond shimmered from the moons light, glowing a mix of dark blue and white hue. Fireflies dance just above it, adding a unique kind of glow.

Tall grass surrounded the body of water, dancing to the winds call, as ripples appeared sometimes from fishes emerging from the depths of it. The lili pads gave an additional color to the place as it’s flowers were already in full bloom, floating on the surface of the water.

The two hills added a V like shape to the middle of the scenery as the mountain on seemed like a huge castle towering as it looked down upon them.

“I never knew something like this was here,” Brittany’s gaped as she looked at the surrounding beauty.

It seemed like they were transported into some kind of hidden land, filled with lights and allure. Winds whistled along with the brushing of grass and the moons brightness together with the fireflies glow around trees filled the whole place, scattering the shadow and showing the vastness of the place.

“And that tree,” she could not help but point at the one in the middle of the pond.

Standing within the middle of small little island was a large Narra tree, budding yellowish flowers as the moon shined on it. It’s branches seemed to form an arc, making a magnificent bush like form as some of it was almost touching a part of the ground and pond.

She noticed that the majority of the fireflies came from there as the tree seemed to somewhat glow with light as she looked at it a bit longer.

“Brit, c’mon! Let’s take a closer look!” Crystal calls out to her friend, who was seemed still in awe while looking around.

She noticed that there was a small pathway leading to the small little land on the middle of the pond, covered in spiky grass and adorned with cattail on the side, like a natural bridge.

Crystals jaw almost fell as she was suddenly surrounded by fireflies as the insects suddenly emerged from the tall grass as she began walking the footpath towards the tree. Her eyes twinkling at the sight of the luminous insects that seemed to fly around her.

“Hey Crys, wait up, I need to get my flashlight,” Brittany shouts as she began walking back to the car.

“Hurry up!” she laughs at her friend as she continued marching on the wet moist soil.

The earth seemed to squish like a sponge filled with water every time her weight would press on it.

She kept twirling and skipping as she moved forward enjoying how the small glowing insect seem to follow her around. It didn’t really matter if she was wearing a pink cocktail dress or that her heels were sometimes would sink on the soil. She continued her little dance until she reached halfway.

“You better be careful, I don’t want to go saving your ass again if you fall there!” Brittany’s voice echoed as her friend was already walking towards the pathway.

Flashlight on one hand and purse on the other, she was barely moving in place as she was also trying to lift her dress up, so that it she wouldn't get any mud on it.

“Go Brit, go!” Crystal cheers as her friend was really having a hard with her high heels.

“Oh, for christ sake!” Brittany curses as she started taking her shoes off. “Why do you even wan’t to go there, the whole place is slipper and wet and god knows what’s in the water!” she scolds though still trying to follow.

“Don’t worry, its shallow and perfectly fine!” Crystal can’t help but hop and turn from the surge of happiness that she was feeling at that moment, while traversing the pathway of glowing insects and shimmering water.

“If I fall, your paying for my dry cleaning!” Brittany hollers at her as she shivers from the feel of wet soil on her bare feet.

“Don’t worry, the ground’s solid,” She stomps at the ground as her friend was now having second thoughts, when her foot almost sunk on the mud.

“Crys, will you wait up for me!” Brittany calls out.

It was obvious that Crystal was already intoxicated and high from the effects of the alcohol, wandering away into the large tree, covered with light blinking critters.

“Brit, there’s more fireflies here!” She screams in delight as the tree twinkled even more when she waved her hand towards the tree.

She had finally reached the small circular land form in the middle of the pond, so the branches were already covering her a bit.

Her friend was stopped when a jingling sound suddenly came out from her purse. Walking back to the other part of the pond as she fished out her phone, she signals Crystal with a finger.

“Hold up, I need to take this,” Brittany shouts as she clicked on the device.

Crystal just waves back, so her friend quickly turned and focus her attention on her phone, she on the other hand sat between two large protruding roots of the Narra tree, as the alcohol was finally starting to take it’s effect on her.

“All right, I’m just going to wait for you over here, so I can admire the scenery,” She just says though Brittany back was already facing her.

Her friend immediately turned as the echo of her voice finally reached her, she covers her phone for a moment before shouting at her.

“Just stay there while I finish this!” she says.

She just gives the woman a good old wave of her hand to show that she was okay there. Leaning on the tree’s trunk while putting both her arms on the roots.

The place was truly mesmerizing as she sat there, like a princess. Tilting her head up to the sky, she notices that the moon was properly aligned within the an opening in the trees branches, causing a ray that bathe her in a warm and radiant glow.

While immersing herself in the still silence of the place alone, a gush of wind suddenly passes by her. It gave her a soothing sensation, for some reason the effects of the alcohol on her was erased. Clearing her mind and thought once more.

Once again she was sober and so the pain and regret she wanted to forget slowly creeped in once again.

Looking into the pond she see’s the scenery’s reflection, she squinted as it dawned on her that the form of the whole place, merged together with the reflection, kind of resembled that of a woman with wings.

The two hills forming wings, the mountain on the middle together with the tree formed a body like figure, as the shadow of the branches and leaves resembled curly flowing hair, making the moon look like some king of halo on top of it.

As she began contemplating she could not help but smile as the wholeness of the form in front seemed to be facing her. Like the shadow of some fairy god mother.

Another gush of wind touched her cheeks, the rustling of the wind made some leaves and flowers fall down on her, covering her in a confetti of sort.

All of a sudden several of her memories came flooding in her mind, starting from the time that he met Clyde, to the point wherein she defended him to her parents, to the part where they decided to live together up until when he proposed to her.

Just looking back caused an ached within her heart and soul. A tear escaped her eye as she began to whimper from the twisting knot on her chest.

She made a quick glance to look at her friend, seeing that she was still busy over the phone, probably over some important busy again.

She realized it was going to take more time for her friend to come and join her. Leaving her with a few more moments in solitude.

The cool breeze of the night, along with the sweet calming tunes of crickets and rustling water and grass, made her feel relax.

Her eyelids suddenly felt heavy as the pull of slumber started taking effect on her, there was something within the tree that made her so calm and sleepy.

It was like the sound and hum of the wind seemed to lull her while the moon light dance within the ripple of the water.

She tried so much to fend it off, until she suddenly felt so light headed, within minutes it was as if her body began floating on mid air, all the while huge orb of light began engulfing her surroundings.

The shine was like that of several stars, making it seem like it was already mid morning. Though she knew something was wrong she did not feel any fear or panic, as the warmness of the air and stillness of the water remained around her.

“Hello.” An echo like mix of three different voice greeted her.

Turning her gaze around she was quite sure she was still in the same place, as she felt the roughness of the tree root and the hardness of it’s trunk behind her, giving her a sense of security.

“Who’s there?” She asks trying to find where the voice came from.

A chorus of giggle swirled all around her. “Just someone,” it answered still with that same mix of voice.

“Where are you?” She began looking up and down, left and right, but the bright ray’s of the floating orb around her seemed to make her sight blurry.

“I’m in front of you,” the voices started to laugh again.

“Where?” She squints trying to see if there was anyone there.

But the only thing in there was the more vivid view of the mountain and it’s water reflection that seemed to sway now.

“In.front.of.you.” The voice said once more in a calm, lulling kind of tone.

“The mountain?” she states seeing as it was the only thing there.

“Is it important?” The voice let out a chuckle.

It was only then that she notices the figure in front of her seem to really move, as shadow of the tree which look like hair began dancing to the wind, along with the wing like formation that seem to now flap while the wholeness of the figure seem to be sitting just in front of her.

“I think I fell asleep. I must be dreaming,” She laughed out loud, remembering that she got drunk and was probably snoozing now after sitting on the tree.

“Maybe you are, maybe you aren’t,” the voice explained.

“Okay,” she just shrugged it off, realizing that she might be having one of those vivid dreams due to the alcohol.

“So, why are you sad?” the voice asks.

“I’m not sad,” she bursts out.

Yet it felt like there was something pressing within her chest when she said those words.

“You are,” the voice echoed somewhat a bit closer, like the person talking was just beside her.

She turns to her sides, but there was still no one there. Thinking that her mind maybe playing tricks on her, she tries to answer back.

“Its just...Its just…” but the reality of it all came rushing down on her.

Like a river during a rainy monsoon, the emotions that filled her whole being making it hard for her to breath from the pain that was gushing inside her chest.

“Go on, it’s all right,” the voice hummed in a soft soothing tone.

“Why’d did this have to happen? Why did I have to fall in love with him, if only I didn’t give my all, if only I listened to mom and dad. I wouldn't be in this mess,” She wailed, wanting to let everything out.

She didn’t really care if it was a dream or not, all she cared was to just to shout all of her worries out of her system.

“Ah, I see. Your heart is full of guilt and regret,” the voice echoed once again.

“I wish I could take it all back, I wish I could at least get back at him for all the things that he did. I swear I’ll never make those same mistake again,” she cried out loud.

“Is that what you really want?” the voice was suddenly clear and singled out, it sounded like that of a soft spoken woman.

It was in that moment that Crystal was able to look straight into the figure in front of her. “If only it was possible,” she said with a half smile, tears running down her face.

“Yes, if only,” the voice now reverberate all over the place along with the sides of the figure in front of her jiggling to the sound. Like some audio frequency whenever a huge noice is heard.

Then everything turned pitch black as she suddenly felt so rested and warm, it was then that she realized she had awaken from her dream.

“Brit, Brittany! Where are you?” she calls out, feeling the soft bed that she was in.

She caught the scent of a very familiar sweet scent, making her eyes jolt open. Her sight quickly turned from left to right, up and down. Eyes wide opened she immediately get’s up realizing were she was.

“No, this is impossible!” she blurts out in disbelief.