Just In Time

Chapter Eight

"She has to be the heir." Her mother said,"She might even be the original one."

"Lia enough!" It was her father who spoke and although he shared no features or personality traits with his wife except for their love for each other, this non negotiable tone of voice was one of the only things they had in common.

"We are taking her to Renelea." He said calmer this time,"She will recognise her for who she is, a Valdis, her bloodline will prove it."

What were they talking about?

"Don't expect too much out of Renelea." Her aunt warned,"She's obsessed with finding the first. She can't tell you anything useful apart from her mindless bloodthirsty for power."

The first?

"She's still queen." Her father insisted.

"Being queen on Earth is a feeble position compared to the royalty that walks among us."

Aubrey took the courage to take a few more steps so that she could peer into the living room so that she could understand the bizzare coversation that was currently taking place.

Her aunt and her father were standing opposite eachother while her mother who was standing next to the window had gone still.

She was staring out of the window her face pale and her eyes wide.

She turned back to her husband and sister her face suddenly calm and composed.

"We'll go with Aubrielle today to meet Renelea." She said,"But I need a moment."

Without anything else she started to walk towards where Aubrey was hiding. Aubrey quickly took a turn and ran up the stairs.

Her mother surprisingly didn't follow her upstairs but when Aubrey glanced outside her window she saw her mother's brown hair disappearing under the canopy of the forest trees at the edge of the backyard.

What was happening?

Her dad knocked on her door "Aubrey sweetie, it's time to go."

Aubrey opened her door wondering if she should confront them about their conversation. But then again the last thing she needed was for her to break down about the fact that her parents were calling her a monster because she knew that the more angry or upset she got, the crazier she became.

So she promptly followed her dad to the car and took her place in the backseat. She had carefully put on her earphones so that she didn't have to bare the awkward silence in the car.

In a few minutes her mother too entered the car her face pale but in a mask of cool composure.

She turned to her husband,"Sweetie can you get a water bottle, please?"

If the request was strange her dad didn't show it but instead nodded and exited the car.

And if Aubrey's music had actually been switched on she would have missed what her mother said.

"What do you have that they don't? "

Her mother hadn't moved and was still facing in front looking outside in a rigid position.

And yet she had spoken those words loud and clear definitely directed towards Aubrey.

Before Aubrey could even think of questioning it her father had returned with the water bottle handing it over to her mom.

Her mom without even taking a sip set it into the cup holder.

What the-

Aubrey would have probably exploded with a billion questions if that's when a loud shrill noise didn't pierce through the air.

RING! RING!

No way! Aubrey's eyes widened as she realised it was the old phone in the phone booth.

"Dad the phone it's ringing!" She said excitedly,"It's so old how can it-"

Her dad through a puzzled look her way,"What's ringing?"

RING! RING!

She stared at her father wordlessly. She knew that look it easy the kind of look her parents gave her when she was saying something crazy.

"Oh. Nothing." Aubrey bit her lip,"My cellphone was ringing."

RING! RING!

Her dad threw one last look her way before turning the ignition on.

RING! RING!

The gesture was so small Aubrey might have missed it but her mother flinched slightly before angling her head towards the phone booth.

RING! RING!

She heard it too.

But they were already out of the driveway inching their way through the steep mountainous road.

The car was awfully silent when her mother finally broke it,"David you know I love you right?"

Her father gave her a startled look but managed to smile,"Of course I do."

Her mother then turned towards her. Her eyes were filled with some emotion she didn't recognise a mix between pain, pride and unsurity.

"No matter what you are, you will not let them choose for you. You are still my daughter and you are still a Valdis."

And that's when it happened.

The car swung to the right as if someone had taken a giant baseball bat and hit the car with it.

At the moment it swung she saw why her father had jerked the steering wheel.

A girl stood on the road her black hair whipping behind her in the wind. She was tall and pale and wore a midnight black gown that flowed being her.

She was beautiful.
She was terrifying.

Her eyes glowed a bright blue matching with her sapphire necklace which lay on her neck and they were dilled with this kind of melancholy sadness.

And for the nano second they held eye contact thirteen year old Aubrey old have sworn that she knew this girl, that she should know this girl and finally got it before the car dove right of the cliff face.

______

Aubrey woke up with a start taking in a deep breath. She had dreamt about that day many times but never had seen that girl in the dream.

But that girl, while thirteen year old Aubrey only got a sense of deja vu looking at her seventeen year old Aubrey knew exactly who she was.

The girl on the road, the reason her parents had died that night, was no one other than her.