Altered

Chapter 2: Followed

I wake up the next morning feeling as if I had not slept at all. I remove the covers from my bed and laying underneath it is rock and mud. My mind flashes back to the dream I had the night before. The pressure I felt, the handsome man and his green light. I place my hand over my heart hoping the gesture will slow it down before I have a panic episode. My eyes flash to the sundial and I realize I have overslept for work. I quickly brush off as much mud as I can from my hands and get dressed. There is no time for a shower I am already late.

I rush down the road and on the pathway that leads to the library. My body is fighting my every step but I internally yell at it to keep moving and I am relieved when it still obeys. I enter the library a whole 2 hours late and Mr. Hester’s normally pale and see-through skin is beet red with anger. I am never late and he expects me to keep it that way.

“Mr. Hester sir I am so sorry I had a crazy night last night and I …” but before I can finish what I am saying, he misunderstands what I am about to say and cuts me off.

“I don’t need to hear about your wild personal life Amita I just need you here on time and not two hours late. Please do not let it happen again.” I close my mouth and nod my head in agreement.

“It will never happen again,” I say

“Good.” He replies “Did you finish the inventory in the spiritual section yesterday?” He asks me. I shake my head no and offer no other reply because I am still embarrassed and ashamed about my tardiness. I don’t like it when people are disappointed in me. I try so hard to get things done and not be a burden but my efforts seem to be useless most of the time.

I’m looking down at my shoes when Mr. Hester clears his throat to get my attention. I realize I had not answered his questions and stumble over my reply.

“Ye..um mm no. We had an influx of customers in the afternoon so I never got to finish it. I can have it finished today.”

“Yes thank you that would be lovely. I will also need you to run deliveries.” I turn to head to the spiritual section when Mr. Hester calls my name again.

“ Amita..” He says and I turn to face him.

“Yes, Mr. Hester,” I reply.

“Do not be late again, understood?” he says and I nod my head. I turn to leave once again letting out a breath of gratefulness that I did not get fired. I reach the spiritual section and get to work. I’m reading about the Great Mother and her love for our people when the pressure at the small of my back begins to build. At the same moment, the doors to the library open announcing a customer. I start making my way to the front of the building. My eyes are cast down and when I look up I see him. The man from last night. The man that touched me. I know it's him because I see the same green hue surrounding him only this time it's lighter not as bright but I see it nonetheless.

“…let me know if you need anything else.” I hear Mr. Hester say to him and he walks away to a different part of the library. I am rooted in my spot. My heart beats fast and my eyes begin to blur. My skin starts to heat up and I feel myself shaking.

“Amita are you alright? You’re as pale as a ghost.” I hear Mr. Hester say before my eyes blur completely and darkness swallows me whole once more.

“Amita, Amita can you hear me?” A voice says from above me. I nod my head and open my eyes a little at a time. Mr. Hester is leaning over me looking worried.

“What happen sir?” I ask

“You tell me child you are the one on the ground. Here if you can manage it stand up and sit in this chair.” He offers and I take it. He hands me a glass of water and once I have my whits about me he asks again.

“ What on earth is happening to you child?” he says

“Yesterday, while I was walking home from work I slipped and fell in the ditch on my way home. I got all dirty and bang my head pretty hard on a rock and ever since I’ve just not been myself. I am sorry Mr. Hester.” I say to him

Feeling a little ashamed that it happened at all I leave out everything else.

“Dear child no wonder you were late this morning. Get yourself home now and rest. Come back tomorrow if you feel up to it but go home for the rest of the day.

“I can’t do that who will help you? Besides I am feeling much better and all the deliveries need to go out. The work needs to be done.” I protest

“Shush now alright then. If you are feeling up to it” He says and I have to obey. My eyes search around the library looking for the man I saw but he is nowhere in my eyesight. I stand up and grab my things now feeling a little bit more normal and stable. I thank Mr. Hester for the help and leave through the back door of the library.

I walk at a snail's pace to the stable that holds my library bicycle for deliveries not seeing the need to rush but paying better attention to my surroundings when I see yet another carriage coming my way. My heart picks up its pace in urgency as my brain reminds me of yesterday's events with a carriage that looks like the one that is coming toward me. The carriage is tall almost a head and a half above me. The wheels that pull it are the width of double my body. No wonder I felt like animals trampled me. I stop walking finding it best to just stand to the side and let it go past but it does not pass me it slows down. Sweat dots my forehead as the carriage pulls forward but at a much slower pace. Like it’s taking its time to reach me.

I stand firm not wanting to further injure myself. The carriage is about 2 feet away from me when it stops and does not move. Neither do I. After a heartbeat of a second, I take one step forward then another until I am walking to the carriage of my own volition it seems. It seems that is what the carriage was waiting for as it slowly starts to pull forward as well. I am now parallel to the carriage and I look up. The man from last night, the glowing green man. The man that touched me and made me feel wet and warm with a women’s arousal between my legs is sitting in the carriage.

We stare at each other as I am rooted in the spot with fear. A small smile plays on his lips as if he knows what I am thinking. Suddenly he faces forward and the carriage rides away. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and run to the stable.

For the next few weeks, I feel as though I am being followed and watched which I have realized may be true. The man from the carriage made it clear he wants something from me I just don’t know what. Everywhere I go in town I either feel eyes on me or I see that strange man’s green light in the corner of my eyes. I never look around or follow the light. I pretend I see and feel nothing because what is the other alternative, confront him? I could never do that..could I?

I get back home and the thought of confronting him sounds more and more appealing. I could find out what he wants and then give it to him and then he will leave me alone. I resigned to confront him the next time I see and go to bed.

The next morning I am at work when I see the flash of green again. I look up at the entrance and there he is again here in the library. Remembering the conversation I had to myself last night I get out a piece of paper and quill for a note.

“Meet me outside my window tonight. I know you know where it is.” I write down. I want to keep it simple and to the point. I know you are following and now I am ready to know why. I leave the safety of the front desk and grab all my misplaced courage that seems to come out of nowhere and walk over to the man. I walk past him and I do not stop but drop the paper at his feet and quickly make my way back behind the counter.

I watch the man as he bends down to pick up my note. He lifts his head and looks up at me for the first time since the carriage. He looks back down at the paper and unfolds it to read. He looks back up at me with striking eyes and nods his head once before leaving the library. I once again let out a breath I had not to realize I was holding. What does this me? I think to myself.

Is he interested in me in a romantic way and this is his form of courtship? If it is, following a girl around town for weeks and not saying a word is not the way to go with me. But it's not like I have a lot of suitors, to begin with, and the man is handsome with his dark hair and blue eyes. He is tall, really tall which explains his tall carriage. He is at least three heads higher than my own with the build of a warrior as if he spent his whole life getting ready for a battle he knew was coming.

My heart starts picking up its pace like it always does when I start to overthink things and I force myself to calm down. I decided to focus on my work and worry about the man tonight when I can give this situation my full attention without causing attention to myself.

I gather up the manuscripts from the counter and head to the back of the library to the storage area and go about my work for the day.

I arrive home late after a particularly grueling day at the library. I read so many manuscripts and inventoried them so I could put them back in their rightful places. The process its self is not hard but it is tedious and takes quite some time.

Momma and Poppa must have already gone to bed tired from an early and long day on the farm. I make my way to my room, close the door and plop on my bed. As soon as my bottom hits my mattress pressure builds at the base of my spine again and outside my window is a faint green glow. The man…he's here. I walk to my window and confirm my suspicions when I see the most handsome man I have ever seen looking back up at me. Our eyes meet and neither of us moves for seconds.

Taking a deep breath I turn around and go out the back door and around the house to my bedroom window. When I turn the corner I see him standing directly under my window and I stop a distance away. I still don’t know what this man wants from me or even if he is a friend or foe.

I guess I will start there.

“Are you a friend or foe?” I ask, and he lets out a chuckle loud enough for me to hear.

“Friend, I have always been a friend.” He answers and his voice sends a shiver down my spine and between my legs. I don’t understand my body's reactions to him.

“What do you mean always?” I ask and he tilts his head.

“I have watched you all your life Amita.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I know your name because I know you. I am the reason you are here in Anahata. I secured you a family when we had to flee the crown city-state of Sahasrara.”

“Flee Sahasrara?” I ask trying not to sound as confused as I feel.

“Amita there is so much you don’t know about yourself and I can't possibly explain it all to you tonight but I will tell you this… You are not worthless, I know you have been searching for your purpose in this life and I am here to tell you you have one. You are the long-lost princess of all the kingdom and I have watched over you all your life.”

“That can’t be.” That is all I can get out of my mouth as my head begins to swim. I sway on my feet and in an instant, the man has caught me in his arms. I look up at him and ask the one question that seems to be the most important to me right now.

“What is your name?”

“Adbay princess, my name is Adbay and I serve you.” I slowly start to back away into the house no longer interested in what this man has to say. I close the door and lock it and I nearly jump out of my skin when I turn around and find my mother in the shadows watching me.

“Momma you scared me half to death,” I tell her but she remains silent and still.

“Momma, are you alright?” I try again this time it seems to shake her from her frozen trance.

“Whom was that man Amita?” She asks me with a strange look on her face.

“Momma I don’t know that's why I came back inside. He was telling me this nonsense about the life before and that's when I retreated. Let us get you back to bed.” I place my hand on her shoulder and turn her around to face the way of her bedroom and give her a tiny push to start before I make my way back to my room. I walk back to the window and look down and the man is nowhere to be seen. I take a deep breath and let it out. It does nothing to calm my nerves. I get in bed and lay my head down on the pillow and pray to the great Mother that slumber will find me quickly.

Two days later

“Amita deliveries need to go out now.” Mr. Hester calls from his office in the back of the library. Sometimes I think he just does not care the library is supposed to be quiet. I round the corner of my desk and lock my office door before I go to the supply closet that has all the bags and books for deliveries. I hate this closet. It never smells like books but of rot and aloneness. I feel it every time I open the door. It sends a chill down my spine every single time. I walk inside far enough to grab the two bags that need to go out and quickly retreat.

God, I am such a coward. I’m even scared of a room in the one place in this world I feel like myself. What does that say about me? I’ll tell you what it says its says I am a waste of space. If I could just find my purpose all this suffering would be over. That's not true though is it. There is another way I can end my suffering. I stop walking noticing where my mind is trying to go. I need to stop it now before it gets out of hand. I lift my head and start to focus. What do I need to be doing right now? Deliveries, yes I need to make deliveries.

I walk outside the back of the library and stop dead in my tracks again when I see the same black carriage, It has been following me just like its owner. I decide that the man means me no hard he is just maybe crazy. I get my bicycle out of the stable and load up the two deliveries I must make. I climb on top and raise my head and take a deep breath before I set off in the direction of one of the most feared men in town. Out of all the deliveries I make I hate this one the most. Simply because Mr. Brute is a brute of a man.

He is rough, jagged and he has a mean essence around him. The only good I see from him is that he likes to read. That's the thing about Vipin and his people, they value knowledge over everything because knowledge is power. Control the knowledge of your people and you control the people. That's why he keeps the libraries open to keep the poison flowing.

I ride my bike over the creek that used to hold such vibrate colors. Oh, Anahata your beauty was stolen from you just as our lives were stolen from us. I fix my mind upon my task as I’ll need it with this customer. Mr. Brute does not care for the Vin people. He thinks of us as more of a sport to pass his time or to get the things he feels are time-consuming done. I pull up his walkway and knock on his door all the while aware the black carriage has followed me here.

I knock on the door and one of Vipin’s fire users with red hair and black freckles opens it. He sees that I am Vin and a smirk appears on his face as if a nice little treat just walked into his life. Fear floods me instantly as I realize he plans to play with me.

“Good day to you sir, I am here to deliver books to Mr. Brute. Is he here?” I ask the fire user and his response is to stare at me. I am not quite sure I know what he is waiting for when movement flashes behind him and Mr. Brute comes from out of the hallway. He is a very tall man with a stocky shape. His fingers remind me of sausages and he always smells of meat. He nudges the fire user out of the way and looks me up and down before he raises his hand the books lift out of my pack and into the air. It is like a slap in my face that he uses magic in front of me like this. Magic is forbidden to my people but permitted for them not like we have access to our magic anyway. Without a queen to balance us we have no magic.

The books float in the air and I try my very best not to show my anger. Magic is not a toy it should be respected and cared for. Vipin never understood this, he only understands what he wants, he understands power.

“These are not the books I have on standby Amita. I thought you were better at your job than this. Maybe I should put in a transfer since the work seems to be too difficult for you. Perhaps you would be suited better within my household.” He says to me as he looks me up and down and I have to force the bile that is threatening to rise my throat back down.

“The books you picked up sir are the wrong ones,” I tell him trying to hold back my laughter.

“Those books are for a different client. These books on my left are your books Mr. Brute.” He looks to the books on my left and his face turns red with anger. I can tell he is about to give me the lashing of my life when a gust of wind flies and hits him straight in the head. Before I can get myself into any more trouble I quickly gather the books in the air and lay the correct books by his feet and bid him a good day. I am out of there, back on my bike and riding away before Mr. Brute has even picked up the books at his feet.

I have no idea who could have cast that wind. I have no magic and Mr. Brute knows that but what one of Vipin’s people would stick their neck out to help me?