Hiraeth

Chapter 23

Audra Farley.

There were some things in my life that just didn't add up.

I found it a mystery myself. Some parts of my life were blurred, there were memories I just couldn't get myself to remember and faces I knew but couldn't identify. I've said words I didn't know the meaning of, in a language I'd never heard before.There were few things people didn't understand about me, not even my mother.

My life started from when I was fifteen, I couldn't remember anything before then. Birthdays, Christmases, parties, new years, I couldn't remember a thing about them. Occasionally, I would try to but the best I'd seen were blurry images or voices I didn't recognize. It was something I kept to myself. My mother, who was the closest to me, didn't know and I didn't mention a word about it.

Everything that I happened in my life took place in just two years. I remember the day I woke up in a small room with no idea where or who I was. My mind was empty and my heart void of emotions. I didn't understand what was going on or why I was where I was. That was the beginning of my life. From that point, the house became my home and the woman became my mother. No one explained how I got there or why I didn't remember my past.

Although, I wasn't the most popular kid and once in a while, I got picked on but I would consider high school the best part of my life. It was a pity I didn't enjoy every time I spent there. I guess they were right when they said you wouldn't understand the value of something till you lose it. If I knew what would happen after those few weeks of peace, I would've held on to those moments.

The voices came, whispers in my ears in a language I didn't understand. Dreams followed, I would see myself in the midst of creatures, ones I'd never seen before, and like a warrior in a battle, I would fight till it feels like I'd lost every bit of energy in my body. I would wake up with sweat on my skin and tears rolling out of my eyes. Just like I kept my past a secret, I tried to keep it a secret. I didn't want anyone to think I was insane, neither did I want to get locked up in a mental asylum. I was scared of what would happen if I mentioned a word about it so I kept my mouth shut. I continued to ignore them but as days passed, the voices got louder and the dreams, I would wake up screaming or crying out.That was the moment things went down. I would feel the urge to leave the school to somewhere I had no idea about. It didn't matter how hard I tried, there was always this feeling inside.

To find home.

Samara Shaw

It was a few minutes from twelve.

The stars twinkled in the dark sky as I sat by my bed, staring at the hands of the clock. It was almost time and like never before, my patience was running out. Everything in me was fighting the urge to get up and leave the room. The walk downstairs would take nothing less than thirty minutes and could be more, considering how dark it would be. I didn't think of how scary it would be to sneak out the dorm till that moment. The last time I walked through those passageways, I saw Astra and the stranger I thought died fifty years ago. Although, I knew Astra didn't actually didn't die, it wasn't possible that she was in the walls of the school. Besides, what I saw that evening was a younger version of the woman I saw in the picture. It means it was taken after Astra left Thorne.

With the picture of Astra in my hand, I placed my feet on the cold wood and heard a loud creak beneath me. Fearing the noise would wake Lucy, I stayed that way for a few seconds and was relieved her snores were still as loud as before. If she woke up and saw me leaving, surely Vince would know about it and things might not end up the way it did between them earlier that day. I wouldn't like to be the reason why the feud between the brothers would grow worse or why someone gets injured.

My steps to the door were slow and careful. I twisted the knob and opened it gently and like that, closed it behind me. The passageway was cold and empty, even worse than I expected it to look. The candlelights were dim, I could barely see the floor but my curiosity was greater than the fear so I courageously started my journey outside. I'd never taken such a step in my life, I was risking my sanity for the truth.