Days normally passed by after the departure of your favourite group and you were still hanging out with the other kids in the forest nonetheless. Something felt missing but you were gradually getting over the fact that you would no longer be able to see those four every time you visited the clearing.
And for a while, it seemed that you were back on track with your life.
Until that particular day.
"Are you going to the cafeteria soon?" your classmate called you, peeking her head into the empty classroom to see if you were still writing on your notebook.
"Just a moment! I'm almost done! Just go ahead without me first!" you replied while vigorously copying the notes from the board to your notebook.
"Okay, I'm saving you a seat. But be quick though, they have scones today!"
"No way!"
"I'm telling you,"
"Okay okay, I'm one page away, just go ahead first. You're actually making me anxious," you threw a quick judging look at your classmate jokingly, before glancing back at the blackboard.
"I'd better see you there in less than five," you shook your head and rolled your eyes at her remarks. Her voice gradually diminishing as she walked away and left you alone in the classroom. You continued to write the last few sentences while mentally reiterating the content in your mind to understand them.
And just as you were done and about to close your notebook, someone approached your desk.
"E-Egret," you heard a male voice. You looked up to see it was the campus prince, Christensen. He coughed to his fist while looking away before proceeding to call you again with your given name.
"Yeah, I hear you. What is it?" You went back to focus on tidying your writing instruments, silently hoping he would not stall you long enough for you to miss today's scones.
"You k-know. It's almost the ball, um so I was wondering-"
"There you are, Fred!" Another voice suddenly boomed from outside the classroom. You might be exaggerating about that, but knowing who that voice belonged to, you were slightly worried for Christensen.
Oh well, it's time for scones.
"Sorry, I have to get hurried to the cafeteria because I have a friend waiting for me and I don't want to keep them for too long," and I don't want to miss today's scones
You hurriedly say as you walked away from Christensen. You hoped that your voice was not muffled by the loud clacking of footsteps that were approaching your desk.
"Hello dear cousin," you mentally sighed as you felt her linking her arm with yours. You knew that the possibility of slipping away from Hanna in this situation was almost non-existent, but you tried nonetheless using some tips given by your mother.
"Hello, Hanna! I see you're looking for Christensen here. I'll be off for lunch so please don't let me hold you up," you sweetly replied her greetings, as you gently removed her arm and held her hands in yours for a moment.
"Have a good day, the two of you," you politely curtsied, glancing at the two of them before taking off. You tried not to overdo with the smile, unlike Hanna did to you. You clearly knew that you had probably irked her with your attempt to remove yourself from the situation that you had never wanted in the first place (she obviously tried her best not to show it in front of her crush). But unbeknownst to you, you had indirectly charmed the male in the room.
However, that didn't matter. That would never matter.
"Ms Egret," you were stopped at your tracks at the call of your name, once again. This time, by your homeroom teacher. You were quite surprised with the state she presented herself, panting and looking worried.
And somehow, you suddenly found yourself in a carriage, on your way back home. Your mind was still overwhelmed by the news from your homeroom teacher. You couldn't recollect what happened afterwards but you suddenly felt tired. It was as if your mind had not been able to register the fact that you were breathing.
"Young Lady,"
Gillian, one of the few housemaids, greeted you at the entrance seemingly waiting for you to arrive. You stepped down from the carriage hesitantly and as your hued orbs met the worried round brown ones, you feared what was about to unfold next.
And your body did it again, your mind blanked and suddenly you found yourself in the hallway to the master's chamber. You couldn't help but grab Gillian's hand tightly, you wanted to grit your teeth, you wanted to pull your hair. But that depressive thought was cut short as the sound of coughing broke the silence in the hallway. Knowing that it was coming from neither of you, you broke into a run with Gillian on tow to your parents' room.
Gillian was the one to open the oak door, and inside was your mother on her knees beside her bed, coughing
with a pair of golden wings sprouted from her back
"Mother,"
Or seemingly those, because they vividly sparkled into nothingness, as if they were just a mere optical illusion.
At your voice, your mother tried to stand up and welcome you but having no power left, her legs flailed at her weight. You caught her just in time. You knew your mother had always been weak but the thought of almost losing her made you break down right there and then. Not being able to support her anymore, both of you dropped to your knees on the floor.
"Ms. Egret, I am sorry to inform you this, but we just received a call from your manor that your mother had passed—"
"Witch," you heard Gillian mumble in the back. Her voice was soft but was loud enough in the tension-filled room. You were perplexed at her remark, not sure if you had heard it correctly—witch? Was she insulting your mother?
"Dear, are you alright?" You heard your father barged into the room, bullets of sweats on his forehead.
"Yeah, I am okay..," your mother said in between of her coughs. You let her lean on you for support, as your father strode towards the two of you to carry your mother's frail body to the bed.
"I just lost consciousness," she added, looking past through me and father. As if she was trying to convince someone else.
"I will ask the family doctor to check on you again, and... Mrs Rosewood, I have something to ask you, will you come to my study?"
"A-ah, yes, My Lord," you saw the maid ducked her head and retreated out of the room.
"And you stay here to look after your mother until the doctor arrives, okay?" Your father finally said to you as he wiped your tears. You had not realised that tears were staining your face until he did so.
You nodded at his instructions before he pecked on your mother's forehead and left the room, most likely to his study to talk with Gillian on something.
To say that you were perplexed was an understatement; one moment you were told that your mother was dead, then you found your mother was still alive and wel—she was unwell. Still, it made you wonder, had the people in the manor checked with the family doctor before calling your school and your father?
"Dear, can you place the receiver back to its place?" Your mother called out to you in her now hoarse voice, surprising you out of your thoughts.
"O-oh?" You looked around to find the said telephone and you saw it on the bedside next to the bed. And like your mother insinuated, the receiver had been off the hook.
"Were you on a call?" You unconsciously muttered. It felt as if the trauma was gradually subsiding and all your rational thoughts were returning to you.
"I was calling your father," your mother replied, having heard your question even though your voice had been soft. You did not expect her to answer, fully knowing that she was not really in the condition to. But what does she mean by that? Does it mean that the manor did not call for your father at all?
"Now now, you see I was just a little... anaemic, you can stop worrying about what happened," your mother quickly added as she realised your forlorn expression. She held her hands out for you to take, and you took those delicate limbs and sat on the bed, laying your head on her lap in the process.
You just wanted to forget what had happened that day. Yeah, you would do as your mother said—stop thinking about it, stop thinking about-
"Witch,"
You had thought that was the last time you would hear that word.