Prince Sam [Under Reconstruction]

.15. - Pain, Aggrivation, and Secrets.

Miranda

I had awoken hours earlier than I should have, especially for only having slept a couple hours. Kalyer and his family had kept me up most of the night questioning me and enjoying my presence. I had to be quite honest, for them to be enjoying my presence had thoroughly shocked me. They not only hated me, but they didn't trust me when I first arrived and now they can't even seem to look away from me. Kalyer, although, seemed different around me. He acted as if I were different. I had just assumed I had smelled bad, but I knew Kalyer better than myself. Something was definitely up.

My feet carried me to the changing area since it was almost time for everyone to get up, and that's when I noticed my hoodie crumbled up in the corner under some hay. I quickly picked it up and dusted it off. Missing Earth became more prominent as the days on Vandana grew longer. My hand pressed the sweatshirt to my nose and I engulfed a scent I never would've thought to smell. It stunk of a mixture of rotten eggs, blood, salmon, and raw sewage. The smell was vibrant and very strong. It could tear up your eyes before you could say help.

The hoodie was flung down quickly as I backed away from it trying not to gag. "God, what happened to my hoodie?" My eyebrows raised sharply as I wiped my nose. "That thing reeks!" As I coughed I noticed Kalyer walking down the stairs. He eyed me curiously. I shook my head to respond, there was no way I was going to explain myself.

"You're up early," Kal whispered in between his stretches. Shrugging was all I could do. It was all I wanted to do. "Come on. We better give you more of your mist." Ugh, the one thing I dreaded. I just wanted to be myself. Without all this added stuff. No tattoo. No fake swirly mist stuff. No dress. Just me in my regular attire.

I sat down at the table and let Kalyer apply my fake mist with a brush he made from hay. "Ow," I yelled loudly! "That really hurts," I screeched in a thick accent. Kalyer stood back from me and stared at me for a couple seconds as I rubbed it off quickly. "Kalyer are you sure you grabbed the right stuff? That's never ha-"

"Miranda. . .you already have your mist paint on. Why didn't you tell me? We're wasting stuff that's not easy to come by!" Kalyer looked strangely agitated. I stood up abruptly, not believing I had them on already. There weren't any mirrors so I had to improvise. Pans. I rummaged through the kitchen so I could find the one pan I knew they had that would show my reflection. "Mir, what are you doing?" I found the pan af the very back of a cabinet, so I reached out and grabbed it.

I stood up and put the pan up to my face once I found it. Twisting my head from side to side I noticed that my mist was already on my face, just like Kal had said. Only, there was something wrong. The mist wasn't green, it was red, something I hadn't seen anyone wear before. "Kal, what's wrong with my mist? Why is it red and not green?"

He just shrugged his shoulders, turning around to walk away. "I don't know but I bet Sam has the answers for you," he remarked as he headed back for the stairs. I squinted my eyes and I whipped my head around to eye Kalyer.

"What's gotten into you, Kal? You're being such a jerk! And you've been acting like this since I came back." He stopped and looked up at the ceiling, running his hands over his hair and stopped when they reached the back of his neck. Kalyer didn't say anything which gave me permission to rant freely. "I'm right here! I'm alive! So what's gotten into you? Huh? Is it the fact I didn't come back? Well, here I am! Right here in front of your face!" Still, he said nothing. This boy truly must like aggravating me. "You know, when I woke up the first thing that was on my mind was you. You of all people, Kal! Sam told me t-"

"Oh, there it is." Kalyer whipped back around and stomped over to me, getting in my face. He was enraged, you could tell by his silver eyes that he was flashing at me. "There's his stupid name slipping between your teeth." I furrowed my eyebrows and crossed my arms, showing him I wasn't scared of his little beastly threat anymore. "Ever since you've gotten here it's been all about Sam. Sam this! Sam that! Don't you think I want to do things? Just you and me!? Without him being brought up in a conversation!" I shook my head, twisting it away from his gaze. "I mean, come on, Miranda. You know me better than anyone. Shouldn't you be picking up on this by now? Or has Sam got your mind poisoned to think about him too much?"

I noticed my hands around Kalyer's neck but before I could stop myself, my fingers tightened. His eyes widened and he gasped for air. "Without him, I wouldn't even be here! He looked after me all that time. If he wouldn't have sent me back to Earth, then I wouldn't be here right now! So get on your knees and praise him!" My voice was deeper than it had ever been before, like something took over me, using it's voice to push through. I threw him to the ground and stomped out of the house. I could feel my eyes still burning. It was late enough for people to be awake but early enough for people to still be in their home. Guess I would've been the first one out today. And I wouldn't have even minded.

Several minutes later I arrived at the Palace ready to work. Service Nel was there to greet me. I bowed politely before entering. "Good morning, Service Nel."

He nodded his head once, "Morning." I continued walked until I was near a big entrance with an open door. Peering in, I noticed it was a library. Why didn't I know this was here? I totally would've dived in!

So I spent the next hour, at least, walking through the room until someone stopped me with a cough. "Who are you?" The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. "Who are you! I won't ask again." I turned around slowly to see a man standing there with a stern look on his face. He looked like he could've been a Service, but I couldn't be certain in this dark place. "Who allowed you in here?"

"I allowed myself in. The doors were open." He raised one of his eyebrows like he didn't believe me. "I figured it needed cleaning."

He held out his hand. "No. This place has its own Keeper. Come. Quickly." I quickly followed him out. As I passed a little light, I heard him gasp. "You're the one who went through the changing process. How are you still alive? Your body rejected the process. . ." I quickened my pace slightly and kept my gaze away from him. "You should be dead!" Yeah, I know. I should have died long ago, I thought to myself.

I turned around quickly and hit his chest. He wrapped his arms around me to keep me from falling. "Well, I appreciate you thinking I should have died, but maybe you have the wrong girl?" He stared into my eyes for what seemed like forever. "Please I must be going." Still, he held me tightly, his grip not loosening up. Please, let me go! You're hurting me, I screamed in my mind. The man seemed shocked and let me go abruptly. I turned around and ran away from him, I didn't care where just somewhere where he wasn't.