Lola.
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Mystic narrowed her ocean blue eyes onto the larger woman, much like a wolf would lock onto an elk. She was good at steadying people like they were a book, she wanted to see every movement of her hands, every twitch of her brow, every slight movement of her mouth. Whatever she did, Mystic was ready to read, and if this woman seemed like a liar, or was not trustworthy in any way. Then she would wake, a still recovering, Amber up, and they would run again. She glanced passed this woman’s shoulder towards the slightly ajar door. “Amber could easily get out of here, if she is okay, she took way too much damage than planned.” She thought to herself before focusing her vision back on Destiny. “I am waiting!” She said in an annoyed tone. “Tell me what your relationship with our tormentor is!”
This woman took a deep breath. “Well to be frank, our relationship is one of former friends. I nearly killed her seven years ago, after she took someone very important from my life.” As she said those words, her cheerful face softened just a bit at that. “I blame myself for what happened, but she was the one that…” She trailed off for a moment and immediately Mystic picked up on the fact that she held so much regret trapped inside of her. Mystic felt guilt run up her spine as she regretted asking that question of her. “Anyway…” she said, cheering back up a bit. “Jessica Eden is my enemy, and she made the mistake of bringing Lola to me. I won’t ask you to trust me, Mystic, but I ask that you give me a chance.”
Mystic’s eyes widened a bit at that as she scooted backwards towards the end of the bed. “How do you know my name or even who I am?” She said, now questioning if her ability to read people had somehow gotten messed up. Maybe she had fooled her, and actually was a close friend of Jessica, perhaps this was a trap.
The woman reached onto the floor, and picked up a binder that Mystic recognized. “Jessica, gave me this copy of the notes she had taken on all of you. She assumed that it would come in handy with the offer she gave me.”
“And what was that offer?”
“She wanted me to raise Lola, wanted to see how she would react to having a stable home, with the hopes that once she was okay that I would give her back.” The woman explained, shaking her head a bit just at the mention of the plan. “I refused her offer, and made sure that she is never gonna come back to harm you.”
Mystic couldn’t help but laugh at that. “You should know that, that monster is not gonna let my Lola go. She is probably just playing you for a fool.” The cheerful demeanor she held faded away as she glared up at the woman again. “You are probably playing me for one as well.”
“I don’t think that you are so easily fooled, especially since you can read people like a book.” Destiny set the binder down, and looked at Mystic with calm eyes. “I think you can tell I am not playing you for a fool. And I know that Jessica may try to come back but is she is smart she will not try that, not with me at least.”
“And what makes you so important that she wouldn’t dare to challenge you?”
Instead of answering her question, Destiny asked her one instead. “What do you know of the island of Tarun?”
“It is located in the Bermuda Triangle.” Mystic began, wondering where this was going. “It is a safe haven for Jepei users, founded around 1500 ad. They stay neutral in the world's affairs, and thanks to the amount of jepei users that live there and the nature energy they produce. The island has an abundance of gold, silver, copper and diamonds, as well as the rare material known as netrix, crystals. They are recognized as a nation by most of the countries of the world, with only North Korea, Russia, China, a few African nations, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, and a few others not recognizing them as a nation. They are a rich nation, and protected by a council of five warriors each in charge of different aspects of the island.
Destiny seemed impressed with her knowledge of that island. “Well what are the three highest titles one can have on that island?”
“Master, Grandmaster, and a member of the council.”
Destiny nodded her head at that and pulled out a passport. “Well then you should know that I am considered a Master on that island, my title holds rank over jepei users. Jessica never got that title, claimed she didn’t want it, so if she tries anything foolish against me, I have the power to bring her justice. She escaped me once but she will not escape me again.”
“How can I trust that you really are a master?” Upon asking that, Destiny placed the passport on the covers in front of her. Mystic hesitantly crawled forward, and snatched up the passport and opened it. There was a lot of information on this card. She was recognized as a Master in combat by Tarun’s island, she was american citizen as of 1997. She was even a member in the United State Military military, Corporal rank. She was born on January 5th, 1997, 6’3 in height and weighed around 210 pounds. Mystic read this information very carefully putting it to memory. “When were you born?” She asked suddenly, trying to catch this woman off guard.
“January 5th, 1977, specifically born at 12:05 in the morning.”
“How tall are you?”
“Last time I checked 6’3, maybe 6’2 and a half.”
“WHen did you become an American citizen.”
“January 5, 1997.”
Mystic tossed the passport back to her, but unfortunately it only went a few inches, causing her face to blush from embarrassment. She wasn’t the strongest of the litter. The woman held back a chuckle at that before reaching across the bed and grabbed it. “Are you finished questioning me?”
Mystic shook her head and asked the most important of all of her questions today. “Why are you doing this?” She asked, fixing the woman with a slight glare, not as firm as before but just questioning. “Why did you slam Jessica Eden into a wall? Why are you taking Lola in? Why do any of this?””
The woman went quiet, and although she remained in eye contact with Mystic. Her gaze lowered down briefly, her eyes sunken and sadden, but most importantly to Mystic, she could see rage start to stretch throughout her veins like poison. She took a deep breath to steady herself. “I am doing this because, for a long time I was used and manipulated by that woman, to help her get what she calls, her prize. What she plans to do with this so-called prize, I am not sure? However, what I do know is that she has been a terrible person for longer than I knew, and because of me in my foolishness. I helped her do a few terrible things. Because of me, she took someone more important than my own life from me. I have been blessed with a second chance, a second chance to hopefully raise a little one properly. To give her a better life than I had growing up, and mine was pretty good, a second chance to give love and affection. A second chance to be a guiding hand in this not so guided world. I wasn’t going to do this if I was honest, but once I learned that Jessica was involved, I knew I had to do this. If I could replace Lola's trauma, her pain, her fears, with love, affection, and kindness-” She let out a joyful laugh and looked at Mystic with warm golden eyes, almost like that of the sun. “That is the greatest thing I could imagine. I threw Jessica into a wall because she kept talking, and the more she talked, the more upset I got.”
Mystic stared at the woman in both wonder and confusion. She had read a lot of people, could tell a lot of stories from them, could see even the smallest hint of dishonesty scattered throughout the pages of there book. However, in this very moment she could not see anything in this woman, other than a need to spread love, a need to fix the wrongs of her past, and a need to keep Lola safe. She could also see guilt, guilt for a crime long ago. “What did she take from you?” Mystic said in a whispery voice.
“That I cannot tell you, Mystic.”
“Why?”
“Because, that is a story that I would like to keep in the past. I have made many mistakes, but there is one that I can never be forgiven for.” Destiny for the first time in the conversation fully looked away from Mystic’s dark blue eyes. “I am sorry.”
“Is she lying about that?” Mystic wondered to herself. “Until I know more about that, then I will keep her under my watch.” Mystic laid back on the bed, bringing her small head to rest on the comfy pillow. “That is all.” Mystic said out loud, before closing her eyes and allowing her consciousness to return to where it resided in Lola’s mind. There was a loud gasp of breath before, not blackness overtook her vision, but dark blue that covered her like a blanket. When she opened her eyes next, she found herself in a field of dark blue flowers, she sat up and hugged her knees close to her chest. She began to nibble on her thumb a bit as she began to think, think about everything that had happened.
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Lola’s eyes snapped open as she sat up, she took a large gulp of air. She frantically looked around the room. For a moment, she thought she was back in the terrible room, locked away from the entire world, yet as her vision began to focus she was back in the hospital. Relief spread over her like a much needed breeze on a hot day, she turned to left and found Ms. Myers was sitting across from her. She didn’t know who had just taken control of her body and mind from her, but she was not a fan of when it happened. Some of the others at least asked when they wanted to come out, but that number was only two. The woman reached out towards her and on instinct Lola branched herself for whatever painful action she was about to take against her. However, all she felt was something soft wipe against her brow. She opened one of her eyes and found this woman had a cloth in her hand and was wiping away the sweat that had formed there. “Are you okay?”
Lola slowly nodded her head a bit caught back at the soft gesture. “Y-Yes ma’am.” Lola waited patiently as the woman finished wiping her face, even letting a small giggle escape her lips as the cloth brushed over a ticklish spot. Once the woman had finished, she finally brought herself to ask. “What happens now?” The large woman tossed the cloth into a nearby trash bin, Lola couldn’t help but notice how her hand was shaking as she did. She coughed into her fist and took a deep breath to relax herself. “Is she as nervous as me?”
“To answer your question, young lady.” Ms. Myers began. “You have been discharged from the hospital as you seem to be in good health. A bit malnourished but in good health.”
“What does that mean?” Lola asked, never hearing that word before.
“It means your body doesn’t hasn’t been eating the proper food for you to get the proper energy you need.” Destiny explained in a simple way. “You are also a bit underweight, and there is some damage to your body that my doctor would like to take another look at in a few days or so. However, as of now you are free to leave, and you will be coming back to my house with me.”
“Your house?” The woman nodded at that. “I am gonna have a home?” The woman nodded again, a slight smile starting to spread across her face. Lola sat there staring at her in pure disbelief, the idea of having a home was one that Lola never thought would cross her path in the ten years she had been alive. “What does that make you, and me?”
The woman’s smile dropped a bit as she seemed to think. “Well as of right now, you are under my protection from Jessica Eden. If she comes anywhere near you, or tries to take you away. I will protect you to the best of my ability under the laws of Tarun’s island. As for under American laws, I have already filled out paperwork, and just need to mail them to the court. I would be what is called your foster-mother for the foreseeable future.”
As the word mother filled her eyes. Lola’s eyes seemed to brighten up, she had no idea if she had ever had a mother, let alone a foster mother. What she did know from stories that one of her sisters would tell her. Was that a mother who was a very good person, and would take care of their daughter forever and ever. However the word foster was something that was throwing Lola off. “What does foster mean?”
“Foster is another word for bringing up or raising someone.” Ms. Myers explained. “In your case, I would be your foster mother or I am raising someone who isn’t my biological or adoptive daughter… yet.” She added on at the end.
“Ok,” Lola said with a slight nod of her head. All of this talking and whomever had taken control of her body, was starting to hit Lola as a wave exhaustion began to spread over her. Her eyes felt a bit heavier and she laid back in bed, she loved the feeling of this comfy pillow coming into contact against her head. She reached out to pull the covers back up but she was too weak to do so. Instead this woman took the blanket and pulled it up to Lola’s chin. “T-Thank you, Ms. Myers.”
“No problem, Lola.” She said sitting down in front of her. “Get some more rest if you need it, and when you wake up next we will get you to an even safer place.” The woman reached out towards her but then stopped and pulled her hand back.
“Okay,” Lola said, allowing her eyes to closepopular, and as she began to drift off to sleep. For the first time in a very long time. She drifted off into a peaceful sleep, not filled with fear or worry of what could happen tomorrow, but with hope of what else was gonna happen today.
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