OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST - LONG LISTED
Safety was never an option.
She has nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere safe to reside. No matter how far she runs or how quiet she hides, they always find her. She will never be free of her hunters. Theresa k...
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The pain in her arm is dull now, but her legs and chest ache with a familiar sting. She grits her teeth, breathing out harshly. Erasmus worked her until the sun set, refusing her of any food. It didn't phase her; she was lucky Arthur had made porridge. He didn't deny her of water though, which was gracious of him, apparently. When the Naturian children arrived for their training, he turned them away while she drank. A child told her she was lucky.
Yesterday, she didn't get to see Arthur or Meline again. Thankfully, she didn't see Laurie either. Even though Arthur promised to retrieve Leela, she didn't show up either. Though the disappointment sat like a rock in her stomach, it all seemed so little to her. A day without familiar faces is nothing.
Leela woke her up this morning, though, earlier than the day before. She pulled at Theresa until they ended up in the same stretch of grass, Erasmus drinking from the same cup. He made them both train until the children arrived, then he let her rest. Erasmus isn't happy with her, though, screaming Tesseera almost every second. She liked the name, but she didn't like how he used it. Theresa is yet to gain control of her curse; he says her emotions have control instead. And one that is controlled by their emotions is weak.
Again, it's no matter. Because today, he teaches all the Aburu and Amara how to summon their ravi. She'll finally see her deer again.
"Are you excited?" Leela asks, thumping onto the ground beside her.
The shade offers respite. Despite all that she's used to, Theresa isn't accustomed to heat the way she is too cold. She tries to find the words, but they escape her.
Leela grins. "We really gotta get you talking more. I feel like you'll be really feisty once you start getting the hang of it. Excited means... means wanting something to happen, but you're also happy about it."
"Excited..."
"Yeah. Excited for summoning your ravi," Leela finally finishes. "We'll be able to see if your ravi is actually deer this time, instead of just going off what you say. I mean, from what I've seen and what I've heard Erasmus scream, your curse reacts like your emotions. It is your emotional reaction. Maybe you just like deer that much that you've never wanted to destroy them?"
Theresa nods, blinking slowly. She could be right. But... she could be wrong, too.
"Tesseera, Leela." Erasmus calls them, cutting through their rest like a blade to the bone.
Leela gets to her feet, rolling her eyes with a smile. She extends a hand. "By the way, I like Tesseera way more than Thesa."
She returns the smile, grabbing and squeezing Leela's hand.
"Get over here," Erasmus barks. Both girls quickly make their way across the grass, lining up with the children that stand before him in two straight rows. The old Naturian crosses his arms over his chest, eyeing them as they take their place. But he doesn't look at them for long. "Ravi are the animals connected to our souls, chosen by our gracious, life-giving Mother Creo. Does anyone know what their ravi is?"
