Nightwalker

Twenty Six

Riordan

January 18th, 2016
I find myself ensnared by what I perceive as a curse. Once convinced of the purity of my intentions, The Mark now casts doubt upon my character.
Despite my earnest desire to embody love and maternal virtues, destiny seems to carve its path regardless. Were it not for Faye, the revelation that I am fated to perish beneath the status of a heroine would have eluded me.
Dying as anything other than a heroine was my vehement wish. I no longer believe I have a choice.

"Can you turn the music down?" Thor asks Soren who's at the passengers seat, reading a book of his own.

To my surprise, Thor ended up getting to mine with Soren and Martie in the car, at least 60 miles from where Soren actually lived.

I was too tired to ask them what that was about, so I continued to reread the passage from my mother's diary.

Martie cuddles close to me in the backseat. "Find anything interesting?"

I close my mother's journal and let out a forceful breath.

"The translation might be off, but I think she was in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

Thor examines me through the rear view mirror. He's been acting odd the whole ride and I can't stand him staring at me from the drivers seat.

"I wish I knew. Her newer entries get more vague as I read on. It's like she knew someone was going to read her entries, despite her already writing them in Gaelic."

"Maybe someone was watching her." Martie suggests and I shake my head.

That couldn't be it. Why would anyone need to watch my mother?

"She had a loving husband and two children. I think if she didn't write the way she did, one of you might've gone through her things and discovered she was something more than mundane."

Soren had a point. If I were a clairvoyant mother with no one to talk to, I'd need a safe space to express that without fear of being judged.

"Right."

"How much longer?"

"Martie, if you ask me that again, I'll pull over and let you drive the rest of the way."

"God, no!" I cover her mouth.

She bites the inside of my palm and I retract my hand like a burnt toddler.

"Marv's just up the bend there." Soren points up the road and Thor switches lanes.

There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Martie broke it.

"Doesn't reading in the car make you both dizzy?" I glance at Soren. He was reading a golden encrusted incantation book with blue felt corners.

"I personally have to read so I use the right geasan on Danny's brother later tonight—"

Thor hits the brakes with no mercy, taking us all off guard.

"DUDE!? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Martie yells.

"Oh sorry. Reflexes."