Oaths of Grecia

NO. 27

Cia was in a big shopping centre. She was picking up presents. In one day is Mr. Perxon's birthday and in four days Jin's and Mace's. Mr. Perxon will be fifty and twins twenty five. When Cia thought about that, it gave her creeps. Mr. Perxon had first child before he was twenty.

Cia walked into one store. Shopping in Germany was fun. At least she could talk in foreign language, it was a real fun for her.

"So, what do I know about them? Mr. Perxon is having a huge business, he's wearing suit all the time. So maybe a tie? Or a tiepin? That will go.
Next. Jin likes medicine and math, but wouldn't that be boring? Wow, that is going to be soo hard...
And Mace. He loves music, so how about a plectrum? No, he probably has plenty of those." Cia was talking to herself this whole time.

In the end she bought a silver tiepin, guitar, which was highly recommended by salesman and a leather bag.

When she arrived to hotel, she went stright to the chambermaid and asked her, if she could put those things to their rooms on exact date. Unfortunately she didn't understand english, so Cia had to talk in german. "Könen Sie dieser Geschenk in das Zimmer 108 morgen Vormittag geben? Mein Vater hat Geburtstag." (Could you take this present to room 108 tomorow mid-afternoon? My father has birthday.) The chambermaid nodded. Alright, that will be enough, she'll take care about the rest later.

Cia made sure other two presents were properly hidden and headed downstairs. Boys were in the pool, but Cia didn't want to go. It was not that she didn't want to, more that she couldn't. She had scars, even from getting shot, she couldn't let them see those.
So she just sat there, watched them having fun. "Hey Cia! Take your swimsuit and come join us!" yelled Niles. "I need someone to challenge in swimming! I have already beated everybody!" Cia smiled.
"I'd rather stay here!" she yelled back.

Cia didn't even get to do something, when someone grabbed her from behind, lifted her and ran to the pool with her. "Leyton!" she yelled and pretended as if she's drowning him. Then they were challenging her. She lost against Niles, but won against the others. Then Octavius came with an idea to stop who will stay under the water the longest. They went one by one.

Octavius first - he didn't even least two minutes. Keane and Leyton were the same. Raven and Niles had over two minutes and Mace with Jin over three. Jin was slightly better. And then it was Cia's turn. She took a deep breath and went under water.

OF12 was in her room. I was dark, when a weird sound waked her up. She slipped her feet down to the ground, just to realise, the floor was under the water. Her senses went from 0 to 100 in a second, what else, since she was sixteen already. Another test. OF12 got to the door quickly, of course it was locked.

It was dark! How was she supposed to get out, when it was so damn dark! And then she remembered. They got them a flashligh. OF12 found a table really fast and hitted herself. But she found it. It was decomposed, so she had to put it together quickly. The water raised to her knees already.

OF12 lighted, just to see her room under water, well it was never her room to begin with. OF12 looked around. Where was the water coming from? There was a quick red light flashing and suddenly water was flowing from the ceiling too. OF12 was trapped in room quickly filling with water. The door were locked from outside with electric locker. That was it! She needed to make a short circuit. But how? She had almost nothing and was in the water.

In the end she got out. She was trapped in there for long. Stayed under water for five minutes without breathing. That was the test that killed one of them. Only OF12 was remaining after that.

"Is she alright?" asked Keane. "She is there for four minutes already."
"Give her one more and then we'll take her out," said Raven, watching carefully. But she was still moving. 

Cia was under the water, how long was it? Her lungs were already on fire and she wanted to go out badly, especially after that memory. But she held it. She pushed herself behind her limits, like she always did.

She got out when she felt like passing out. Quickly breathed out, then in. Just like they thought her, so she won't pass out. Her brothers were staring at her. "What?" she asked confusedly.
"You were there for almost six minutes." Cia nodded, as if it was normal. It was, at least for her.

The next day, Mr. Perxon came to the breakfast, wearing a tiepin Cia gave him. It looked good. "Happy birthday dad!" Boys wished him and gave him presents.
"Happy birthday," said Cia and smiled. Mr. Perxon smiled at her, but her brothers watched her with contemptuousness. They had no idea she actually bought him a present.

After breakfast, Cia decided to go to the gym, when she overheard Octavius talking to Keane and Niles. "I can't believe she's so ungrateful and rude! Father took her in, she's living in a luxury and she doesn't even bother to give him a present for his birthday!"
"I agree, I thought we're getting closer and she does something like that!" said Niles. Cia felt hurt. But she will not let something like that affect her.

Cia walked out and passed them. She never celebrated birthday, yet, she bought a present for them. She never received one, nor gave one. And yet, she spent whole afternoon picking those up. She didn't really blame them, they didn't know she actually gave him something...

That day, no one actually talked with her. Mr. Perxon was working and boys seemed to be upset that she didn't prepare present for their father. So she walked out of the hotel on her own.

Cia was walking for a while, when the rain started. Cia loved storms, so she wasn't rushing back, even though it was beginning of April and it was still quite cold. But she won't get ill that easily.

Cia came back to her room, didn't even get to change, when someone knocked on her door. It was Mr. Perxon. "Hey kiddo, can I come in?" Cia wavered for a second, but let him in. "Why are you soaked?" he asked.
"I went for a walk and got caught in rain. I'll just change." She took some dry clothes and went to the bathroom.

"I came to thank you for the gift. You shouldn't spend money on me, but I'm grateful for it. It's beautiful."
"You're welcome," Cia smiled. "Sorry I just left it in your room. I never celebrated any birthdays, so I don't really know how those things are going." It wasn't really true. Cia celebrated four birthdays, but she barely remembered those, she just felt awkward.

"You have never celebrated birthday?" he asked clearly shocked.
"No. And I don't even want to." Being born was not something to celebrate for her. Not since her mother was killed.
"Why not?" Cia stared at him. She didn't want to tell him, did she?
"Life was hard back then. Why would I celebrate something, what made me so tired?" Why did it feel so natural to tell him?

He glared at her, sadness in his eyes. He knew she had hard times in past, but didn't know what exactly happened to her. Maybe one day she'll open up.

The day they were supposed to leave came. The eight day. No one really talked to her these three days. She asked chambermaid to put those presents to Jin's and Mace's rooms. But even though they got those, no one still apologised to her.

She was sitting in plane, her headphones on, drifting to her dreams.

"Wow Mace you got a guitar? From who?" Asked Octavius. Mace shaked his head, he didn't know.
"I have no idea. But it's really good guitar. Maybe some fan?"
"How do you explain the bag I got then?" asked Jin.
"Boys, who could possibly give that to you? It wasn't me, neither one of your brothers. Who's remaining then?" said their father. Everyone turned to sleeping Cia.

"But she didn't give anything to you. Why would she buy a present for us?" Mace asked his father.
"And who told you, she didn't give me anything?" he said, seemed to be slightly mad. He took out the tiepin and showed it to his sons. "She left it in my room. Just like your presents." Boys looked at each other, feeling guilty. They didn't treat her very nice these three days. They almost didn't talk to her. It felt horrible.

Mr. Perxon thought about telling them about Cia never celebrating birthdays, but he didn't. She will probably tell them herself one day.