A knock came on the door that led to the outside from this room. Beatrice opened the door, and a guy walked in. He was the same guy from before who took Sage out to somewhere for punishment. I think his name is Fin and he is the one Beatrice sent to my village. I took a step in their direction a little, excited and worried. I'm excited to hear the good news and worried about the bad news. He glanced my way and nodded at me as a sign of respect.
"I went to her village, and her father is fine, some baker. I think his name was ..." He tried to remember his name.
"Mr Tumbler," I spoke up.
"Yes, that man helped him on time, and the wound wasn't that deep, so it wasn't serious, and he is on his way to recovery. A boy named Billy is staying with him to take care of him, " he told me, and I exhaled the breath, which I didn't know I was holding. Thank God!
"Thank you so much, I will never forget your goodwill," I said gratefully. He smiled a little at me but then glanced at Beatrice.
"A moment please," he said and went outside.
"I will be back," she said with a smiled patting my cheek kindly as I looked happy for the first time in days.
As she went out, I looked around the place and opened different shelfs to see different herbs as their names were written on the jars. When I reached the last shelf that was in the corner, it had a small lock on it, which was weird because all the other shelves were open. Curiosity took me towards it, and to my luck, the lock was opened, and I opened the shelf. There were beautiful blue colored flowers kept in the jar. It was dark blue, a beautiful shade of blue. I felt so attracted toward it and held the jar in my hands.
I opened its lid and picked the flowers in my hand, and sniffed it. Its smell was not like the way it looked. It has pungent odor, making me gag. I threw it inside the jar and closed the lid, putting it in its place. As I closed the shelf door, the room door opened from the inside. I immediately turned around. It was Beatrice and Achilles. Thank God they didn't see me opening that jar or else Beatrice will think I am prying off.
"Let's go." he looked at me and said in his usual stoic face. I huffed.
"I think I am better off here," I said as I avoided looking at him.
"Now," his voice boomed, and I flinched a little at it.
"Jesus, fine," I said, so I'm done with him and his temper.
I hugged Beatrice and whispered, "Thank you in her ear so that only she can hear." She smiled at me as I smiled back at her.
"I will see you tomorrow," I said to her, and she nodded.
"Take care of her," she warned her son, who just went out.
"This boy!" Her mother complained lightly.
I followed him out and I saw him standing a few steps away from the cottage waiting for me as I was out he starts walking and I walked behind him which annoys me so I ran a little to get ahead of him and smirked at my little victory. I am not weaker than him, I am equal to him. I told myself. He sighed deeply, not liking my action.
"You are something else," he said, and I glared at him.
I felt an itching sensation on my arms, and I started scratching. It started from my hand and then towards my whole arm. I rubbed a little at my clothed arm. I also felt a little itching on my face on my cheeks.
"Are you all right?" He asked me from behind, and I only hummed in response. When I saw his home in my vision, I jogged towards it and ran upstairs towards my room.
Now, the itching was spread to my back and my neck. It was so intense that I wanted to claw my skin off. I think I have bitten by an insect or may be ants. I went towards the bathroom and took a cold shower, which gave me a little relief, and I sighed in relief. I wore the new white night dresses that Beatrice left for me along with a few more clothes. I wore it, and it reached a little below my knees.
I felt so tired so I went to bed and got under the sheets. As I closed my eyes, I was out like a light. Later on that night, i woke up to my body drenched in sweat and burning sensation in my whole body. It was like my whole body was on fire. I groaned in uncomfort. My throat was dry like a sand paper. I am thirsty, I tried to sit up, but my body wasn't complying. I felt like my limbs were paralyzed. I wanted to scream, but only low moans of pain left my mouth.
I tried calling for help, but my voice was so low that I am afraid that it's barely audible to anyone. With much difficulty, I was able to lift my left hand and reached towards the jug of water that was kept on the side of the bed on a small table. My hands were shivering, which made the jug fall loudly on the ground, and my hand also fell on my side. I groaned in pain once again, trying to speak up but couldn't. I felt so helpless and so weak at that moment.
Am I going to die? Is this how we feel when we are close to dying? I was busy in my miserable thoughts when I heard the door open and there stood Achilles in his glory. He eyes me with a little worry and concern, and as his eyes fall on my face, they widen a little. He skipped towards me and held his palm out on my forehead. His hand felt so cold against my skin that I sighed in relief for a moment.
"You are burning up? Are you in pain?" He asked as his face was etched with worry. I tried to speak up, but only small whimpers came out of my mouth. His face was alert by now when he realized I couldn't talk properly.
"Shit," he said and picked me up in his arms and ran downstairs. I don't know where he was taking me, but I was relishing in his cold touch. I can only hear his heavy breaths as he was running with me in his arms.
"What did you do to yourself?" He growled in anger. I don't know either! I wanted to scoff at his accusation, but I don't have the energy to do so, I felt so drained.
"Mmmhhhmm." I tried to say something, but it came out like this.
"Mother," he shouted loudly when we reached her cottage.
"Mother, open the door," he yelled loudly, his voice so loud and full of panic. Is he scared for me? No way.
"What happened to her?" Beatrice gasped when she saw me.
"I don't know she is burning up, and she can't move her limbs either," he stated as he laid me down on the small bed in the clinic.
"Oh God, what happened, my child?" She asked me to check my temperature. I tried to shake my head, telling her I didn't know.
"Your face," she said, and I felt a little insecure. What happened to my face.
"It seems like it's some sort of allergy, did you eat something or may be touch something" she asked me and I tried to think of anything that might be the cause of my current state and then a thought struck me, that blue flower. I looked at Beatrice and then at the corner where that flower was, and she gasped when she understood.
"Oh God, why did you touch it. There was reason that it was in a locked shelf. " she scolded me a little, but there was hidden worry behind her face.
"What are you talking about?" Achilles asked from behind.
"She touched that blue lethal flower," she told him and scurried to another shelf she took out some other dry leaves from different jars and started making some medicine.
"Why do you stick your nose everywhere?" Now it was his turn to scold me. I was just curious, okay? I didn't know it was allergic.
"It's a good thing that Mother had a cure for it," he gritted, but I also saw some relief in his eyes.
After a few minutes, Beatrice came with a bowl and spoon with some sort of yellow green liquid in it, and I winced at its appearance.
"It doesn't taste good, but it will help you," she told me.
"Help her to sit up," she ordered Achilles, and he sat beside me, helping me sit up. I leaned towards him unconsciously, I couldn't even sit properly.
"Open your mouth, child," she instructed, and I tried to open my mouth, which seemed to be a very difficult task, but nonetheless, I did.
"Swallow it" she said as she poured some liquid in my mouth and let me tell you it was nasty, I haven't tasted something so bad in my life not even my father's burnt steak. I tried to move my head away when she tried to feed me the second spoon.
"Drink it, don't be stubborn." he scolded me, and I wanted to push him away from me, but again, I was paralysed.
"Child, come on, just a few more, please," she cooed softly, and I couldn't help but comply with her motherly soft voice.
"Good girl," she patted my cheeks once it was finished.
"Lay her down now , her fever will come down in the morning" Beatrice said and Achilles sighed beside me as he laid me down, he moved to put the sheet on me but I glared at him to stop him and he stopped in his moment. Here I am burning up, and he is covering me more.
"Close your eyes and try to sleep," Beatrice said, and I instantly closed my eyes, trying hard to sleep through this uncomfort . At some point, I succumbed to a deep sleep