DEATH'S HEART

Chapter 20 (Radish Fiction Version)

Cat squinted her eyes as she peered over the rim of her coffee cup. She had the cup against her lips for over five minutes, barely taking a sip of the warm liquid. Her eyebrows furrowed in deep contemplation while she stared at Asha from across table. She seemed lost in the book she was reading. For some reason, Cat had a feeling that she wasn't reading. Asha's purple eyes told her that her was elsewhere. She noticed Asha's lips move very slightly to almost form a smile. Cat wondered what may have amused her.

It has been exactly one week since she was released from her five-day confinement. Asha wasted no time to return to work and school. Cat felt sorry for Uncle Nigel. He was close to breaking down, trying to convince her to rest for a few more days. If it was the money she was worried about, he was more than happy to cover her expenses. If she was behind with her assignments, for sure her lecturers would be understanding enough to give her an extension. Cat was there when Uncle Nigel was pleading with her. The man practically had to raise his voice at her. He was fuming. Despite the intensity of his anger, his niece remained calm the whole time. Was Asha always like this? Had she always been this composed even when faced with aggravating situations? If she were Asha that day, maybe she would have thrown a tantrum already and told her uncle where to go. It even came to a point where Nigel insisted for her to pack up her bags because he was taking her back to Sydney. No ifs and no buts! Of course, she said 'no' with a steady voice. With one very simple word uttered with a shade that was almost soporific, yet stern enough for Nigel to raise his hand in defeat. That easy? How the hell did she manage to do that? She shook her head, still bewildered how one word from her ended that verbal war. Was she so spoiled that she could get her way, or did Nigel not have any backbone at all?

So Asha chose to stay. Cat had mixed emotions about her decision. Part of her was delighted that she was staying, and another part of her wished that she had left. If she was gone, she would miss her, but that meant she didn't have to fight for Lark.

She put her cup down on the table, her eyes stayed on Asha's face. If dying for a moment meant to come back with a face that can literally launch a thousand ships, Cat wished she'd die right now.

"What are you thinking?" Asha asked without lifting her eyes from the pages of her book.

Cat stiffened. Asha must have noticed her staring at her so intently. She shook her head. "Nothing much. J-Just amazed how quickly that gash on your forehead has healed. It's like it never split." she said instead. There was no way Cat was going to admit what was in her head. But hang on! Her head jerked back at a realisation. Come to think of it, it's weird for her wounds to have suddenly down so significantly within a short period of time. She remembered the blood that trickled over her face. Her face was badly swollen up from the impact, then within a couple of days, the swelling went down. Looking at the wound, it might not even leave a scar. Strange!

Asha put her hand over her forehead, lightly running a finger across the area where the skin had split when she was thrown against a car. She could still feel the slight scabbing that formed. She just shrugged. "Modern medicine, hey?" She pulled the hem of her white hood forward, letting the cloth cover as much of her forehead as possible, casting a shadow over eyes.

Cat smiled in amusement at Asha's effort to cover her face as if she was protecting herself from the cold. It wasn't the cold that she was covering herself from though; she was shielding herself from the mesmerized stares, from the unsolicited attention, from everyone else. What the hell was wrong with her? If she had the same gift as Asha did, she would love to bathe in the admiration and attention! I don't get it! she thought in frustration. "Why do you do that?" she blurted out. Well, she wasn't really complaining. Asha could wear a paper bag over her face for all she cared! But it doesn't make any sense!