I’m in hell…a special kind of hell. The ‘Ground Hogs Day’ meets ‘The Titanic’ kind of hell where my sorrows are on repeat more than a Beyonce song on the radio. The Arch Angel Michael gave her that voice. Focus Aria…REALLY?
No matter how many times this moment plays out in my head, the pain doesn’t seem to subside. I’m forced to my knees before the Magistrate, I’m charged with murder, and I have one chance at freedom. If I can get to my father and tell him what happened he’d believe me and find a way to get me out of this.
As my last hope, I ask to see my parents. They’re brought down to my holding cell and while my mom embraces me with tears in her eyes, my father can’t even bring himself to look at me. This is when it began.
“Dad, I’m in serious trouble and I need your help.”
“My help? Aria, you killed Myra.” He looks at me with disgust.
“No, I didn’t, dad I swear!”
This is where the bells come in. My father struck me so hard in the face I heard bells in my ears for weeks. “Stop this! Stop lying to everyone and admit what you did! YOU KILLED MYRA, not anyone else, YOU! Now you stop lying to us right now! They’re going to put you to death Aria!”
I keep trying to get him to listen but he won’t. He’s convinced I killed Myra. They all are. When I won’t admit to killing her he loses it and starts to choke me, cutting off my airway. It takes my mom a few minutes to pry his hands off of me, and by that time, I’m turning blue.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done to us? You’ve ruined us and disgraced our family name!”
“But dad-”
“No, shut up and listen to me! I want you to hear me and hear me good! YOU ARE NO LONGER MY DAUGHTER! YOU’RE NOTHING TO ME!”
For months his words echoed in my mind. He made good on his word too. Not once did he ever try to visit me or write me a letter. I confessed to the crime to commute my sentence to life. Normally I would have fought to the death for my honor, but a part of me died the day my father turned his back on me. That day I learned a hard truth. Sometimes…even those blessed enough to have a family can find themselves alone. And I did…for YEARS.
Occasionally my mind would drift to Thien. I’d wonder what he was doing and what he thought of me. He wasn’t allowed to visit me either. I’d remember how much I wanted to kiss him, but we were both so shy then that neither of us could get up the nerve to make a move.
Then there’s Noah. There’s good in him, but I’m worried his father will rob him of it. When he was cast out of Petrem, it was one of the saddest days of my life. We were playing near the wall of stone when we heard our father’s arguing.
“He’s growing darker by the day Mal! Hell…they both tested well above the level of darkness for beings of Petrem!” My dad shouted. “He’s corrupting her and I won’t let it happen!”
“Noah is a good kid Marcum. You’ve got this all wrong! He wouldn’t do anything to hurt Aria! He loves her!” Mal shouted back.
“He’s ten! He doesn’t know what love is!”
“He knows more than you think.”
“Well let me tell you what I know.” My father took on a sinister tone. “If she so much as tests positive for an excessive of amount darkness…even an OUNCE…I’ll make sure you and your whole family live out the rest of your lives in purgatory!”
“Are you threatening me?” Mal asks.
“I don’t make threats. I make promises.”
Less than six months later that’s exactly what happened. First my father got rid of Mal, then Gavin, and then Noah and his mother Fatima came next. I never saw Noah again.
“Aria, can you hear me?” Someone’s voice calls out in the distance.
“Dad?”
“Baby I’m so sorry.” He sobs. “I didn’t know. You tried to tell me…but I wouldn’t listen. I’m so sorry.”
Thick fog surrounds me. I can’t see anything but I can hear voices. “Dad?”
“I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean what I said. You’re not a monster and I know you didn’t kill Myra. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you, but please…come back to me.”
My father starts crying and I feel warm tears on my face, but how? I touch my face and when I pull my hand away my fingertips have tears on them. Everything around me comes into focus and I realize my father is standing over me, sobbing.
“She’s awake!” My mom shouts, rushing to my bedside.
What the hell is going on and why is my dad crying? He NEVER cries. I sit up and realize Noah and Thien are here too.
“Dad? Dad what’s wrong?” I ask.
He’s sobbing so uncontrollably, that he can’t stop. He wraps his arms around me and holds onto me like I’m dying of cancer. I’m still not sure what’s happening or why there’s a strange old woman in my room, but I gently stroke my dads hair and tell him everything will be okay. Whatever happened, he’s an emotional wreck. He hasn’t been this nice to me since I went to the Fortress.
It takes my mom ten minutes to pry him loose and she has the medic take him to their room. “What’s going on?” I ask.
“You don’t remember?” Thien asks.
“One minute I’m in my room taking a bath and the next I’m waking up to the King of Bliss, crying his eyes out.” I shrug. I climb out of bed and Sy comes running up to hug me.
“I’m glad you’re back.” Her voice sounds sad.
“I haven’t gone anywhere chicken little. Lucas, stop telling her scary stories before bed.” I eyeball him.
“Sure thing.” He smiles and comes over to give me a hug.
“What’s with everyone? Why is everyone hugging me and acting like I’m dying?”
I look to Thien and Noah who exchange awkward glances. No ones saying anything. Shaking my head, I go back into the bathroom to put more Pom on my lips and that’s when I notice it. A patch of my hair approximately two inches in diameter at the top of my hair, starting from my hairline had turned completely white. WTF!?
I slowly walk back into my bedroom, realizing I missed something, and sit down on the edge of my bed. “Start from the top and DON’T leave anything out.” I tell them.
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