Star Dazed

Chapter Twenty: A Chance

I swallow all this information, frightened and scared.

"About a month ago, Tianas received information about you. Somehow, he knew that Eltonians weren't dead, yet, and he believed that I was alive, too -- hidden but alive. To get me," She stops and chokes."He decided wanted to kill you since you're my daughter. I couldn't let that happen so I started to contact your dad."

"Dad...knew about you?"

"Yes," She nods.

"How?"

"I contacted him through letters, and asked him to ensure that a curfew is fixed on you. I couldn't risk losing you."

I wanted to feel her pain and sympathize her. And, yet, again, I deceive my thoughts."How do Aayan and Fadiya fit in here?"

She bites her lips."Aayan is an Eltonian. I knew sending him over to your school will be safe for you. Fadiya has been in this pact for three years now."

I get up."Can't I go home?"

She presses her lips in a tight line."No!"

"I....need some air!"

"But, I'm not done yet!"

"I know. There are still some pieces missing. And, I don't care at the moment.......I need to get away from you!!"

With such a rude remark, I stalk out of the room. Leaning against the wall, I conquer my thoughts in a reliable form.

1) My supposedly dead mother isn't at all dead. She's alive.

2) I'm stuck in a place called Elton which I'm pretty sure isn't mentioned in any History or Social Studies or Geography books.

3) I've no idea how to enter or exit this hellhole.

4) Some psycho villain named Tianas is out to kill me for being her daughter.

I shake my head. What am I thinking? I sure don't believe in all these fibbers. This is a joke. This isn't real. This whole place doesn't exist at all.

I need to get away from this place. In one way or another. I've to. I don't know how but I'll find a way.

****************

For the next few minutes, I just stand pace around the corridor. That woman still hasn't come out of the infirmary yet, and I had no idea to go where.

I stop thinking when I spot a staircase leading downstairs. Without contemplating the consequences, I flee down the stairs.

Once again, I'm in a corridor. But this one is dimly lit. Curiously, I raise my hand, and smoother it around the wall. A shocking gasp escapes. The walls are cool, and neatly painted. The paint is pale-white. I was expecting the walks to radiate heat since it's underground, instead they pull off a cold feeling.

On both sides of the wall, there are three doors. All closed. My sneakers make thud kind of noise which echoes down the entire hallway. I try the first door on my right. Locked. The second is jammed, too.

I've no hope on the third door. However, it surprises me. I wrap my palm around the knob, and twist it. It creaks slightly, and I push the door, getting in.

What I see is beautiful Art room. The turpentine and poster paints smell nuzzle its way in my nose. On the wall across from me, are floor-to-ceiling windows, permitting the remaining specks of sunlight into the room. At the back of the room, a row of long shelves line. They contain papers, charts and paints.

In the middle, stands a girl on the carpeted rug. A platter in her hand and her chart stick to a painting board. She's wearing an oversized white T-shirt which is splashed with different colours.