The Harvest of Souls

CHAPTER 9

ASTURIAN ISLAND

08.01.8462 - 2:05 AM

Lélia was repeating that nightmare. She, who had become a strong and controlling woman, found herself at the mercy of her nightmares. That particular one had haunted her for over thirty years: a nightmare that was nothing more than a memory of a terrible night that she had lived in that same Manor in her old bedroom.

It was a specific day, almost three decades ago. The day had been busy for Lélia, who had joined CriSPe for just a few years. She spent the day organizing a massive event at the Asturian Manor for several agents and Chief Representatives. In her dream, Lélia remembered receiving and accompanying several Chief Representatives throughout the day and ensuring adequate meetings. The dream was very vivid. She could even feel a heaviness in her belly and the back pain. A few sympathetic representatives' faces flash through her dream when suddenly everything changed, and Lélia found herself lying on the four-poster bed in one of the rooms on the fourth floor of the Manor. The room had three open windows, letting in the moonlight. She looked worriedly around the room; something was not right. The two existing mirrors, the one on the dressing table and a large mirror hanging on the wall, were completely covered with sheets. Lélia made sure that no part of any of the mirrors was uncovered, and then the searing pain returned to afflict her. She screamed and put her hands to her stomach. A tall, black-skinned woman in a blue turban entered the room hurriedly.

"Lélia, my dear! How are you?" She asked in a docile voice but without disguising particular concern.

"Anna, my friend. I fell down the stairs... ah" Lélia screamed again, putting her hands to her stomach once more. "Ah, I don't know if everything is fine with Joaquim, my water just broke ...."

"Shii, calm down. Everything will be fine, trust me," Anna ran her hand over Lélia's forehead, wiping away the sweat. "Van and Richard followed Oswaldo's idea and already covered all the mirrors, correct?"

"Yes, ahhh, they covered. Oswaldo himself is here in the Manor and covered them," Lélia replied while Anna placed her hand on Lélia's belly.

The woman smiles at her:

"I'm feeling Joaquim; he's fine. Everything will be fine, I guarantee it."

Sleeping, Lélia writhed on the bed. She could perfectly feel all the childbirth pains, which lasted for several more minutes in the dream.

"Lélia, he's coming," said Anna.

Lélia was spread-eagled, lying on the bed, and screaming. She took another deep breath for strength, but she was too tired to make it. She continued to breathe with her eyes closed. Her head already turned to the left side; she felt like she was going to faint.

"Lélia, you need to push; he is almost here," said Anna; this time, her tone was imposing.

Lélia took another breath and then began to push, she opened her eyes, and her heart froze. It was like she had died in that instant. Her whole body went cold in a second, and the distance between one heartbeat and the next felt like an eternity. Lélia watched a small light coming out of the half-open drawer of her bedside table, the moonlight reflecting through a hand mirror kept on her bedside table.

"No!!" Lélia contracted her entire body, but it was too late. Anna was taking the baby out, and as soon as Anna lifted the baby, a silvery light strongly illuminated the entire room.

Lélia woke up stunned; the nightmare/memory was over. The bed was soaked with sweat. She sat up, resting her back against the suede headboard, trying to calm herself, breathing slowly when suddenly she heard the doors in the hallway slamming loudly. Instinctively Lélia drew her eyes to the lock on her bedroom door, casting a spell that made it lock automatically.