Her Heroes

Chapter Twenty

The room was silent but the boys were all sending cursory glances my way. 

"Nadia." My eyes stayed glued to my plate. "Nadia, I'm talking to you." And I'm done listening to you. Shoving my seat back, I got up and left the room. 

"Let her go mon cheri. She needs the space." I heard more shuffling as I walked from the room. There were some things that I needed to figure out, and I needed to figure them out alone.

***

The rock soared across the river. I threw another one, watching as it skipped. 

"Can I sit here?" Shrugging my shoulders I heard him sit down. I saw his hand reach and grab a rock before it was sinking ten feet from us. "You shouldn't give him such a hard time, he just wants what's best for you." How could he know what my brother wanted for me? Nodding my head along I stared into the water. "Nadia, I'm serious. This is new to all of us, and you did assault a girl." 

My hair spun as I whirled on Gabriel. If he wanted to be on their side, fine. Just don't come back to me to try and persuade me to turn my back on myself. His hand grasped at my wrist but I swatted it away. He couldn't try to fix what he had said; it couldn't be taken back now.

"Wait! Please, just hear me out!" I had done enough of hearing other people out; it was all I could do. Stomping away from him I tried to hide the tears that had graced my cheeks. He was right, it was new to us all, but at least they knew who I was before.

Raking through my head to remember anything of them, more tears left my eyes. It hurt too much. I was young when I was taken but there was no memory of anything about them in my mind, not that I would know anyways, my last memory was of the car crash.

I was standing outside of my bedroom before I had even realized it. Sleep. Sleep never did me any harm, not here at least.

***

Firey red hair flew down the hall. The child, a small girl, was flapping her arms as she ran. She was a bird, the rarest of all. She was his bird.

"Little girl, I'm going to find you!" His voice rang out and the girl struggled to stifle her giggles. Hands reached in and grabbed her from behind. The girl's feet kicked as she shrieked at the intrusion. "I told you I would always find you!" He tickled her tummy before taking her tiny hand in his huge one. "Come birdy, we have work to do."

"Yes, Papa!" The girl skipped alongside the burly man. The halls where they walked were dark, adorned by simple pieces of art and pictures without faces. 

Together the pair entered another room. This one was different than the hall. A single, blinding light lit the room. Deep splotches of dark colors speckled the floor.

"You know what to do little girl." He handed the girl something but she just stared at her hands. Their backs were turned. "Do it, little girl, do it now." 

"I... I can't Papa, I'm so sorry..." the girl turned her face to her father's before a hand was flying across her cheek. She held it in her hand as tears stung her eyes. 

"Birdy, you know I don't like to hurt you, it just hurts me when you don't listen." She nodded her head. "Come along birdy, we'll try again later." He scooped her into his arms and the pair exited through the door again.

His gaze shifted from the girl in his arms to my eyes, even though I wasn't in the dream. 

"It won't be long now birdy; soon you'll be home." He smiled, showing sharp teeth.

***

The room was light in color as I opened my eyes. The dream had seemed too real and I was happy to be awake again.