We reached home five hours later, I was so eager to see my parents again, its been a week now but it felt like eternity.
"Mom I'm home." I yelled as Bel and I walked in.
"My baby is back," Mom said and she walked over to us and gave me a bear hug "how are you?"
"I'm fine mom." She checked me to make sure, dad came and joined us, he also gave me a hug.
"Welcome home." He said with a huge grin on his face.
"We've missed you so much."
"I've missed you both so much too."
"Come in." We all went and sat in the living room.
"Is this the cute little Belinda?"
"Yeah."
"How are you?" Mom asked sweetly, Bel kept quiet and leaned closer to me.
"She's shy."
"Okay, we'll get acquainted later, go freshen up, I'll set the table." Mom said.
"Okay." I got up with my things and walked to my room, Bel walked right by my side.
Unfortunately, all her clothes were gone, I should have kept them in my traveling bag but no I didn't, how stupid of me.
"I lost all your clothes dear," I got down to her size, "sorry." But that didn't seen to bother her.
"Who are those people?"
"They are my parents."
"Okay."
"Yeah, I want to go shower and change okay."
"Okay." I turned on the TV and changed the station to a cartoon for her to watch, she climbed the bed and watched TV.
I went to the bathroom and took a nice long hot bathe and changed to a knee length skirt and an off shoulder top and a flat sandals.
I called my boss and explained all that happened, leaving some vital part out, like the Canvas, Bel, cops and the tiger part. He said I'm to resume work the day after tomorrow which is my birthday, January eighteen, I won't have a huge party, maybe will just go out for dinner with my parents, Dinela, Alero and Bel.
"Come let's go eat." I told Bel, we walked to the dining room hand in hand.
"What is for lunch?"
"Yam porridge." Mom said and dished everyone's food.
"Bel? Will you eat?" She shook her head, she probably doesn't know how to.
"How about noodles wi—"
"Yes please." She answered before I even completed my sentence.
"Okay, I'll go make some noodles for you okay."
"Thank you."
I went to the kitchen, got out a small pot and a noodles, mom and dad joined me in the kitchen afterwards.
"Have you gone to check its gender now?"
"Yeah, its a baby girl." "O my word, congratulations' I squealed and we both jumped up and down.
"So when are we going baby shopping?" I was beyond happy, I was ecstatic, I quickly put the noodles in the small pot of water and added seasonings and other things, then turned back to mom.
"Unfailing next week, hopefully, anyways, how are we going to celebrate your birthday? Your twenty first birthday."
"I don't want anything grand, that'll give Dario a chance to cause problem for us again."
"You have a point there." Dad agreed with me.
"Maybe a dinner then or just you know..."
"Yeah, that's not we wanted to talk to you about." Dad said.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes, we wanted to talk about the little girl you brought home, we know and understand why you brought her home with you but...."
"But what?"
"You can't allow her to stay here."
"Why not? What's wrong with her staying here?" I was getting concerned and upset, 'why don't they want her to stay here?'
"You don't have legal rights over her."
"Then I'll adopt her, it's as simple as that." I checked on the noodles, I don't want it to burn.
"There are steps you need to take before you can adopt a kid, besides what are you going to tell them?"
"Her mom left her in my care before she died and I'd like to adopt her, simple."
"Axymah?"
"Dad, it's fine, you have nothing to worry about."
"Are you ready to be a mom?" Dad asked, I don't have an answer to his question, well maybe I do, 'No' but that won't stop me from mothering her.
"Honey, let her be," mom said and turned to me "so you and West are—"
"Not a couple no more, I don't want to have anything to do with him nor do I want to speak about him."
"I'm so sorry." Mom said with a sad expression.
"Its not your fault mom, it really isn't, maybe I'm just not destined for love."
"Baby." Mom said and gave me a hug I really needed at the moment, my stomach twisted, not in a good way and my heart clenched, I held back tears, I don't like to see mom hurt or sad, especially not because of me.
"Go eat your food okay, the noodles is almost done." The noodles was done and I poured it in a plate with a fork for her.
I went back to the dining table and placed the food in front of her.
"Thank you." She said and I gave her a kiss on her temple, mom and dad just stared at me, I sat back down and ate my food also.
We finished lunch and we all sat in the living room, talking and chit chatting.
I called Dinela and Alero here, I asked them to buy some barbie dolls on their way, I filled them in on all that happened but I didn't tell them the most important thing, my dream and the voices I heard back at the hotel and also my scars.
We were all here talking and chit chatting, Dinela was delighted about Bel and the idea of wanting to adopt her but like my parents Alero wants too kin with that idea.
"So...what is the important thing you left out?" Dinela asked.
"Bel go play with your doll in my room." I told her rubbing her head.
"Okay." She carried her dolls and skipped to my room.
"Okay, mom can you please call Mavery here."
"That will not be necessary." Mrs Mavery walked into the living room and took her seat.
"You need to stop doing that." Dinela said.
"Anyways, I'd like to tell you about the strange thing that is happening to me, and Mavery I hope you have answers to it."
"We are listening." Mom said
"So this was the first time it happened."
Flashback.
I was in a foreign place, I looked around and saw I was in a long hallway, it was dark and cold, I was scared and I had goosebumps all over, the place reeked of fear and iron, I just stared into the darkness, the only source of light is a really small window which has two iron bars, the window is really high up and I'm sure the light coming into the hallway is from the moon.
I kept looking around it was eerily quiet, I could hear the sound of water droplets from the roof, I took a step from where I was, I was confused because the last I remember Is that I was in my room, now I'm here, my brain is not giving me any information, I don't know what to do so I just kept moving, I heard footsteps behind me, the hairs on my neck stood, I sharply turned around expecting to see someone behind me but I saw nothing, I turned back around and kept walking slowly, I saw shadowy figures on the wall, I couldn't make out what it was because it was so dark, at this point I don't even know if I want to find out what they are.
I just kept walking and to my right I saw a cage, it was dark, I couldn't see what was in it, all I knew was, from eerily quiet the hallway went to loud, screechy, echoey.
I heard wailing and screeches coming from all directions, it was loud. My heart was racing, adrenaline pumped through my veins, blood rushed to my ears, the sound was disturbing, it irritated my ears, it didn't stop.
I grabbed my head and fell to my knees, my head was hurting and my skin was burning like I was surrounded by fire but there was no fire, it was cold in the hallway but I was burning, the sound was in my brain, I felt like cutting my ears from my head, I was sweating profusely, before I knew it, I also started screaming, I screamed so loud my lungs were burning, my throat hurt, I couldn't keep on screaming do I stopped but the wailing and loud screeches didn't, instead they became louder. From all the wailing and screeches and screams I saw shadowy figures from the corner of my eyes and I heard footsteps from behind me.
I stood up slowly, my hand still on my ears, tears rolled freely down my cheeks, mucous dripped down my nose, I stood up and I was naked, the screams and wailing were louder than ever, I was standing naked, I don't even know where I am anymore, slowly I turned around to see the source of the footsteps, all I saw was a huge hairy thing, large, long razor sharp teeth that I'm sure could chew through anything, large black paws, seven inches long and sharp nails that could cut through the thickest metals and lastly bloody red eyes with golden specks staring down at me and its drool fell on my clothes, in less than ten seconds I felt like my head was forced under water, letting me drown, I felt a needle prick me.
Immediately I jolted awake, I looked around, I was still in my room, what happened? What sort of a dream is that, if only you know how I felt when the needle pricked me, multiply the feeling of being pricked by a needle a hundred folds and toss in a five hundred voltage electricity, mix it up the outcome was how I felt when the needle pricked me.
Thank God it was just a dream but why do I feel like I was electrocuted, my whole bed was drenched, my dress was wet and sticky, like a dog's drool was poured on me, my door flew open as I was trying to comprehend what just happened, the dream I just had. I looked at who was at my door and I saw dad and mom.
"Honey, are you okay? We heard you screaming from three blocks away, and the neighbours couldn't even care to check on you, how shameful, anyways are you alright? Why did you scream?" Dad asked looking at me like I had a bed nest on my head and mom looked like she was trying to catch her breathe.
"I didn't scream, why would I scream?" I asked confused.
Mom looked at me after catching her breathe and she looked shocked.
"My baby what happened to you? And your bed? Why do you smell so bad?" Mom bombarded me with questions.
"What are you talking about?" I was really confused and I had no idea what they were talking about.
"Your hair is smoking, smoke is coming out of your hair!! Did you touch electricity, were you electrocuted? Was that why you screamed?" Mom asked.
"What are you talking about? I just took a nap and I just woke up."
"You mean you woke up like this?" Mom asked astonished.
End of flashback.
"This happened again but in a whole different way, a lot scarier, and in the dream someone or something was asking me for the map of seleria, and also I heard a voice back at the hotel I lodged in......"
"Axymah?!!" A voice called out to me.
"Who is that? Show yourself!!"
"Relax, you look crazy." I looked around confused, I was the only one in the room, so where is the voice coming from?
"Are you..... Are you in my head?"
"What would I want to do in that dark alley of sorrow and heartbreak?"
"Then where are you? Show yourself!!!" I yelled loudly.
"I'd rather not, I want something from you."
"Who are you?"
"I want the map of Seleria."
"Show yourself!!!!!", I am going crazy I know it, "get out of my head."
"I'm not in your head freak!!!! Just give me the map of Seleria and I won't bother you anymore."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Liar, I'll be back!!!!"
"Hello!!!! Hello!!" I screamed. Silence followed after that, the voice was gone. What does it want from me? Why me?!!! The map of Seleria. What's that? Where is Seleria? What country is that??!!!!!
End of flashback.
"I don't understand all these, I'm so confused, and the worst part is whatever happens to me in my dream happens to me in real life."
"How is that possible?" Dinela and my mom asked in unison.
"That's what I'd like to know also, Mavery?" I said, she took in a deep breathe before answering my question.