I got home, and just like last time when I had stood up to Prof. Bulock, nobody said a word to me until I had eaten and freshened up. It was a bit comforting in its predictability.
I could feel the weight of their gazes, though, as I moved from one hut to the other, heavy with unspoken questions and concerns.
My thoughts too remained a tangled mess as I tried to make sense of what had happened earlier. I was as confused as them. I had questions just like them.
Like who exactly was I? Why did I have a voice in my head? How had I expended such power? It was magic, and then something else.
The voice in my head had accentuated that theory. But what could it be? A wolf? A Jaguar? What exactly?
My mind reverted back to the strange dreams that had been popping up since I had been thrown into the holding cell by Adam’s father.
The dreams have depicted me hungering for blood. Which species of supernatural had that?
Research Maya, research. I couldn’t talk to Laura and her family about the dream yet. They might become scared of me. I would be scared of myself if I drank the blood of others for survival.
No, I will keep it to myself, the same way I will keep the book in my school bag a secret. And then, the dream of the beast.
I sighed. Could the dream have had anything to do with what had happened today? Am I a beast? I laughed at myself, turning off the shower. I really had an active imagination.
Once I had eaten and changed into more comfortable clothes, I made my way to the living room where my family was waiting. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation. Peter, Laura, and Diana were all seated on the couch, their eyes fixed on me as I entered.
Peter was the first to speak. “We saw the live broadcast. Diana had shown it to us.” He said, his voice steady but filled with an underlying tension. “We saw your… outburst of power.” His eyes searched mine, seeking answers to questions I wasn’t sure I could answer.
Laura, always the more direct of the two, leaned forward. “How is that even possible, Maya? You have never used magic, until last night. How did you do it? Where did the power come from? How could you have such control?” There was a mixture of awe and fear in her voice.
Diana though was a bit bland. She was not staring at me like I was some surprise god incarnate or something along the lines. She was looking at me like I had done something unspectacular. I had no time to ruminate on that, not when in the face of the expectant gazes of her parents.
I took a deep breath finally, trying to gather my thoughts. “I don’t know,” I admitted, feeling a flush of embarrassment. “It just happened. One moment, I was feeling overwhelmed by everything going on around me, and then… something inside me snapped. I felt this surge of energy, and before I knew it, I was doing things I didn’t know I could do.”
They listened intently as I recounted the events of the day, including the strange voice in my head. “It was like someone else was guiding me,” I explained. “This voice, it told me what to do, or rather it merged into my soul, and sort of controlled my movements. I wasn’t really the one who had pushed Chyra. It was the voice. I don’t know what it is, but it felt familiar and at the same time strange, like a lost old friend would feel like.”
There was silence.
Diana, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. “Do you think it could be connected to the memories that you have no iota of? Maybe some clue could be there. What about your dreams? Have you been having any dreams lately? I heard that forgotten memories can sometimes come up as dreams.”
Her eyes were wide with curiosity. “Do you think you need to remember something?”
I furrowed my eyebrows in deep thought, my eyes twitching in an SOS pattern, but Diana gave no indication that she knew what I was doing.
I sighed, and leaned back in the chair. Diana knew that I had my memories, so what was she doing? Making small talks?
What was that about dreams? Did she think I had kept some memories away from her? But I had told her everything. She didn’t trust me?
“My dreams have been null, I mean blank.” I answered. “Or perhaps I just don’t remember anything once I wake up.” A lie of course. I still remembered the dream I had just this morning. The dream about the beast. I just didn’t think they needed to know it.
So, I shrugged, feeling the weight of their expectations pressing down on me. “I don’t really understand it myself. It’s all so confusing. One moment, I was just me, and the next, I was someone… more.” I expertly returned the question to today’s incident and the outburst of power that I needed explanation to.
Maybe Laura could examine me again.
Peter and Laura exchanged a worried glance.
“We need to figure this out,” Peter said. “If you have this kind of power, we need to understand where it comes from and how to control it. We can’t afford any more surprises.”
I nodded, feeling the truth of his words. “I agree. I don’t want to hurt anyone or lose control again. But I don’t know where to start.”
Just as Laura was about to respond, there was a sudden knock on the door. We all turned, the unexpected sound slicing through the tension in the room. Peter stood up, his expression wary. “Who could that be at this hour?”
He walked over to the door and opened it cautiously.
Standing there, framed by the dim light of the porch, was a figure that made my heart skip a beat. It was the Queen, her presence imposing and regal even in the simplicity of our small home.
Her gaze swept over all of us, finally resting on me. “May I come in?” She asked, her voice calm but carrying the weight of authority.