Set Fire to The Rain -- Completed

Chapter 21

     But as she studied the woman closer, there was something about her eyes that drew Bethany’s full attention; something eerily familiar.  She had seen those eyes somewhere before.  The aqua marine blue color was odd within itself and to see it on someone other than Hope….well that was down right strange.

     “Who are you?” Bethany asked curiously; her throat sore and voice hoarse from her earlier screams.  She tried to sit up straighter so that she could get a better look at the woman.  Instead, she fell back against the wall and ended up cursing herself because she still felt incredibly weak and intrepid. 

     “I’m Amari,” she replied and seeing the young girl struggle, she grabbed a pillow off of her bed and crossed the room, kneeling by her side.  “Here,” she said while helping Bethany sit up some so that she could slip the pillow behind her back.  She eased her back slowly and nodded after seeing the young girl comfortably settled on the pillow.  She sat down beside of her and wrapped her hands around her knees.  Tilting her head to the side, she asked, “And who are you?”  

     Bethany’s head still ached and she would kill to have two Tylenol's right about now.   "Bethany," she said breathlessly, massaging the ache in her temples.  The woman had seemed nice enough and in this place she could use a friend. 

     Besides learning about apocalyptical powers, she was still having a hard time fathoming the fact that Joey was a ruthless ass and that her best friend since grade school was something extraordinary. 

     Bethany sort of felt like she was one of those book characters and that she had fallen into a rabbit hole of sorts, landing on her head in a place that was anything but the envisioned Wonderland of Alice's adventures. 

     "Don't worry," Amari said patting the young girl's knee.  She was already working out a plan in her head; mapping out an formidable escape.  If it wasn't for this damn collar around her neck, escaping wouldn't  be a problem in  the first place, but such as it is, she would be forced to use her wit to outsmart the soldiers.  "Rest little one," she insisted, "For tonight will surely try your strength."

     Bethany rubbed at her eyes and wanted to protest but she could already feel her the weight of her body bearing down her.  She looked into those familiar eyes once more and for a fleeting moment, she tried to put two and two together-  Hope....this woman.....they both are obviously similar in nature.   Could it be?  Could this woman be Hope's birth mother?

     And as quick as that theory entered her mind, she negated the possibility.  There was just no way.  It was too easy, to convenient to possibly be the truth.  It has to be some sort of trait that runs in their kind overall.

     Bethany let her eyes close and subconsciously drifted off to sleep.  A deep sleep that left her with images of those aqua marine eyes set on a different face.....Hope's face.  She saw her...and then she saw Joey advancing on her with malicious intent written in his every move.  She opened up her mouth to warn her but not a single sound came out.  She was frozen in her place as her greatest fear unraveled right in front of her very eyes- and there wasn't a damn thing that she could do about it.

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