The Sleeping Girl

Chapter Three

I nod. That makes sense. Faeries can cast a glamour to appear human (although usually a gourgeous human), instead of very unhumanly frightening. Ember told me that without her glamour she looks enveloped in flames. 

"Anyways, I'm really good with a sword," she continues. "After a few well placed hits they usually remove their glamour, and then they just look so monstrous that it's no problem. And since iron highly toxic to them my sword makes it easy."

After a little while, I catch sight of the door where our car is (there are many doors, apparetly). We are almost at the exit when I suddenly cry out. I am overcome with a sharp, stinging pain in my abdomin. I gasp. My hands go to the spot of the pain, clutching. I have no idea what has all of a sudden hurt me, but it hurts more than any pain I've ever felt before. Fire torching my skin, wrenching deep inside.

And that's when I realize where my hands are. I've moved them to the spot I have memorized, the spot that has determined by destiny. Through my shirt, I can feel my mark blazing my palm.

"Keela?" asks Carmi, sounding anxious. "Are you alright?"

"I have to..." I take a step to the right. The pain gets worse. I take two steps to the left. The pain gets better for the tiniest fraction of a second before flaring up again.

Suddenly, I know. Ev must have been right. This is my destiny as much as the next Girl's. My job is not over until the next Girl slumbers, be it tomorrow or in a year. (Although to be honest if there isn't another girl for a year, she will likely never slumber as we are all doomed. But that's aside from the point.)

I extemporaneously take off sprinting to my left. I can hear Carmela calling after me, but I can only think of going away from the pain, the way I am being pulled. With each step the pain resides just enough to know that I am going the right way. I brush past legions of people, ignoring the shouts. Just as Tegan was, I am being called. Called to my destiny.

But unlike Tegan, I am not being called to society. I know for certain that headquarters is in the opposite direction. But that is not how I am going.

No, no, I am not being called toward society.

I am being called toward the next Sleeping Girl.

I feel a tug on my arm. I whirl around to see Carmela. "Where are you going?" she pants. I realize that I am not tired in the slightest despite the exertion.

"Ev was right," I admit, exhilarated. "Evania thought the Girl would be called towards me. Well, I suppose that's not exactly what is happening. I don't know. Perhaps she is at the moment. But I do know that I will find the next Sleeping Girl. I will." I point toward my midriff. "I am being called." As I speak, my mark is pulsing. Pain. I must find her. I am sure that she is in this mall. She has to be.

When Carmela gives me a puzzled look, I recall that she does now know the location of my mark. No one alive today does. I have not told anybody; everyone who knew was dead.

I yank up on the bottom of my shirt. To my astonishment, my mark is glowing. Tis normally bright gold, but not like this. The mark seems to be emitting light on its own. The vines and blossoms of the jasmine pattern appear almost in motion, twining around each other. Carmela eyes widen.

"Is that your mark?" she asks, her voice awed.

"Yes," I say. "It is. But it does not typically glow like this." I drop my shirt, covering the glow although I still feel the burn. "I believe I am being called. I feel the pain just as Tegan did before me." I can feel my eyes shining. "I believe that the next Girl is inside this mall and must find her! Here is our golden oppurtunity!"

Now Carmela's eyes are shining too. "Let's go," she exclaims. And then she's running alongside of me. I see people giving us strange glances, but I do not care. My feet are flying, hers half a step behind me.

And then I crash into something and go tumbling to the ground.

Two bags spill out around me. I peer up at Carmela, whose face looks irritated, and slightly nervous. Then I look up at what I crashed into again. Tis a who, not a what. Standing above me looking concerned is a tall blonde girl that's probably around our age.

"Hey Carmi," she says. "Where were you at school today?" Then to me, "are you okay?"

"This is Peyton," Carmela interrupts before I can answer. "She's one of my friends from school. So sorry for crashing into you, Pey. Okay we gotta go. Come on." She reaches down and grabs a bag, stuffing clothing into it. I can tell she is irked at meeting somebody from school with me. I'm not offended; I understand that I stand out as being from another time.

"What's the rush?" asks Peyton. "And who's this?"

Ignoring her for Carmela's sake, I sit up and press my hands to my abdomin. No heat. No fire. Nothing. I've lost the trail. The Sleeping Girl is gone.

I let out an oath under my breath. Carmela gives me a bizarre look; I'm guessing those words aren't common, or even known at all, anymore. But I couldn't help it. I've lost her. I don't know how I know, but I know with certainty that this girl that I've crashed into, Peyton, is not the Sleeping Girl. Shd isn't.

Yet my mark no longer burns.

"Are you guys okay?" Peyton repeats. "You seem kinda pissed, Carmi."

"We're in a huge rush," she says. An excuse, I can tell. "This is my friend Keela. She's visiting and I missed school to greet her. I was quote unquote sick. Today's Friday...I should be back on Monday. Would love to catch up another time but we really have. To. Go." I get the message. I hop up, gathering the rest of the garments and messily shove them into the bag.

"Oh alright," says Peyton. "Nice to meet you Keela. I love your hair by the way. Is it natural? We should totally catch up sometime. How long are you going to be here?"

"A while," Carmela interjects. "We're in a gigantic rush right now though, so another time. I'll text you." She grabs my arm and hurries off, not looking back. "Where to?" she asks, when we're a safe distance away.

"I do not know," I admit. "The burning... it stopped."

Carmela swears. Or that is what I presume she says, anyhow. "Alright then. We'll just go back to headquarters now, I guess. Don't worry. We'll find her."

I stare up at the ceiling. "For all of our sakes, Carmela, I hope you are correct."