[Legacy of a Martyr #2] Liberation from the Masquerades (A Key Keepers novel)

Episode 77

I did not feel good today, and I didn't like it. I was so tired, and I didn't know why. If I had any dreams last night, I couldn't remember them. My head hurt.

I didn't know why that happened either. It wasn't time for the thing that turned my pants red if I wasn't careful to happen yet. Why else would I have one? I was pretty sure I should have gotten enough sleep last night.

Anyway, Recah made me pancakes that tasted like cake for breakfast. She had brought me into the kitchen when Duke and Marshall went with Alain, so he could go scouting. They were so good. I was glad she convinced me to eat.

After I was done, she went into my room with me. And I was glad she did since I didn't want to bug Tiana. She seemed like she really wanted to spend time with her little brother.

Recah shut my blinds. "Want me to leave you to sleep, or would you rather I stay with you until you fall asleep?"

I grabbed her. "Stay."

I really did want her to stay. Marshall and Duke always took turns staying with me when I didn't feel good. I always liked that.

Once she put the blanket over me, I was asleep, though. I hadn't realized I was that tired.

That said, I was glad I didn't have any dreams while I was asleep. I didn't them. I didn't want to see that strange girl again, and it was the only reason I think of for why I woke up tired today.

I went into the kitchen after I woke up. I was hungry, so I wanted to eat.

Recah was in there with her typewriter. The kitchen seemed to be her favorite place to use it. She didn't use it in her room all that much as far as I could tell.

"Hey, sweetie." She looked up from her writing to look at me. "Did you have a nice nap?"

I nodded. "I don't feel as yucky as I did when we were having our meeting this morning. My head still hurts, though..."

"Oh? Are you starting yet?"

"I don't think it's time yet. My pants are still dry."

She got up. "Is there anything specific you want for lunch?"

I shook my head. "I just wanna eat right now."

She pulled a can out of the cabinet. I was pretty sure it was a can of soup. That would be good since I didn't know how hungry I really was.

Once she had the soup on the stove, Recah came over to me. She rubbed the back of my neck. "I know you said your head was hurting, but is this helping?"

I waited a minute before answering. I wasn't sure at first.

"Yeah... How did you know to do this?"

"I don't really understand the why behind it." Her cheeks went red. "But my aunts used to do this when I told them I had a headache."

Huh... I wondered why that was...

"Did it get worse when you came back out into the light?"

"No."

She checked on the soup. "Then you should take a warm shower once we get some food in you."

Yeah... That sounded nice. I was definitely going to do that.

Anyway, it seemed like the soup was done in no time. I was super happy about that. I practically sucked it down in an instant.

"Wow, sweetie." Recah took the bowl away when I finished it. "Did you want more?"

"I'm okay now."

I saw something out of the corner of my eye. At first, I wasn't sure what it was. If it was a person, they weren't warm or cold. They didn't feel like anything.

It finally hit me! She looked like the girl I saw in my dream! She was the one I showed Hannah!

"Who are you?" I was looking at straight at her.

"Who is who, sweetie?" a different girl asked.

The girl wouldn't stop looking into my eyes. "Come find me, Briana."

I felt like I might have been shaking. I shouted, "How the heck am I supposed to find you?"

"What's the matter, sweetie?" the different girl asked. Someone put their arms around me. "What are you supposed to find?"

"All you have to do is follow me right now."

I felt hot. "If it's that easy, why did you disappear on me before?"

The different girl shouted, "Tiana!"

My powers wouldn't tell me who they were, but someone new ran into the room. "Recah! What's the matter?"

"I have no idea what's going on with Lie right now!" the different girl said.

"Lie," the new person said. "You can hear my voice right now, can't you?"

I pushed against whoever put their arms around me. "Let go of me. Let go. of me. Let go of me!"

"Sweetie," the different girl said, "I can't let you hurt yourself. You need to calm down before I can let you go. I promise I don't want to hurt you, okay?"

I glared at the girl. "Why are you making this happen?"

"I'm not making anything happen. I haven't done anything. I've only made a humble request of you."

"Humble request, my foot!"

"Natalie, honey." The new person was talking now. "I know you can hear me. I need you to listen to my voice, okay?"

Who did they think they were? Nobody ever called me Natalie. I was Lie. I was Lie and nobody else.

Things were shaking around me.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I really I don't want to do this to you," the new person claimed. "Sometimes, you play; sometimes, you work. Sometimes, you eat; sometimes you drink. Sometimes, you take a bath; right now, it's time to nap."

I had no idea what the new person was doing to me. Was I really supposed to believe they didn't want to do it? They probably just wanted to hurt me.

I fought it, but the weird thing won in the end...

***

Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?

Shino out!