From Another World ~ Samo

~ Chapter 19 ~

"You're dead!?"

"What world are you living in to believe anyone could survive a gunshot to the head?" The woman chuckled, though she was slightly concerned. "Everyone here is dead."

"Every-" Sana took a deep breath, hoping to calm herself a little. "How many are there here? Last time I came, I counted hundreds..."

"Including me, there are nine hundred and ninety-nine." The lady smiled.

"Okay...Okay, so...Um, are you a mother?" 

"Oh, goodness no! I never married." That in itself told Sana that the woman was old fashioned. "It's just some of the girls here see me as a mother-figure. Oh, speaking of which-" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Sandra! Alondra!"

"Yeah, Ma?" Two simultaneous voices sounded through the darkness. They sounded young.

"You're out of timeout!" The woman smiled when they heard the two celebrating. 

"Thanks Ma!"

"What were they in timeout for?" Sana asked.

"They 'sparred' outside of their fighting area."

Sana decided it would be best to not question that any further. 

"But how are you here if you aren't dead? That doesn't make sense..."

"Unless you're...reliving memories..." Sana jumped at the sudden input, though the woman didn't flinch. They turned around to see a woman. Sana noted that she seemed to struggle with her speech.

She wore a dark blue slit dress reaching to below her feet, the corset translucent aside from flowers decorating the chest area, and the lady was draped in magical looking ribbons. Her arms and legs were a very pale grey.

Over her naturally curled hair sat a traditional witch's hat, which had a veil too dark to see her face attached to it. She held an oak staff, some kind of spherical golden gem resting above it and hovering slightly in the air.

"Sister...The only way this can be possible is if she is reliving memories..." Her voice was layered with many different tones. The main one Sana could hear was high pitched, but there were others, some higher and some lower. She turned to Sana. "What did you see before you... arrived, Child?"

Sana hated witches. She recognised that outfit, the sort of outfit witches from the olden days would wear. She also hated the nickname 'child', so that definitely wasn't a good combination.

"Why are you wearing that veil?" Sana asked, her tone rude and condescending. The witch laughed, though it sounded fake.

"That is...unrelated. To answer your rather stupid question, I'm afraid my...face may scare you." The witch replied, and Sana rolled her eyes. "Now. Would you answer my question, or...will you continue to act stuck up...and superior?"

It was weird. Despite her sharp words, Sana didn't sense any malice. But then again, she didn't really sense anything from the witch. The woman had been silent, but she was eyeing the witch nervously.

"Samara, please..." She muttered, but the witch waved her hand as a gesture for her to stop.

"No, Sister..." Samara said. "I need an answer, and this girl is...being stubborn. If I had such emotions...I would be 'losing my temper'."

That explained why Sana couldn't sense negative energy. It was simply because Samara didn't feel anything. She was just a shell. To be honest, it repulsed the girl even more. She wholeheartedly believed that witches were disgusting, inhumane creatures, and this fuelled her negative beliefs even more.