Selina

2

The sun gleams in my eyes as I look up to see how far I have to make before I can collapse for a while. Ever since that day, I have made it my life's mission to go to every place Rosa had mentioned in those months after her release. What if I was mistaken, what if she is still alive, waiting for me to find her?

The Khol mountains are located on the outer boundaries of our village, Kholali. They are a long chain with the highest peaks covered in snow. Most people are afraid to venture to its southern borders that are near the Tooth village, whose black magicians are famous far and wide for their cannibalistic habits, but the northern hills are great picnic spots.

Despite everything, Polki Peak is an exception to the other peaks in the northern part of the range. Ever since fourteen children died there many years before I was born, people have considered Polki to be haunted. Except for one or two brave hearts who sometimes climb up here during mid summers to collect the Ghishu plant which has excellent healing properties, no one comes here.

Climbing up with all my might, I almost fall down, when a huge chunk of rock suddenly slips from the top and nearly knocks me out. Holding on with all my might and ignoring the sharp pain in my left hand from the injury caused by the rock, I continue climbing up with my teeth clenched.

Why in the world did Rosa want to come up here? Every time Rosa mentioned this place, there was a gleam in her eyes, she was almost her old self but whenever she would be about to tell me the reason for coming here, something would disturb us. Her reason, her story, her excitement all went along with her, leaving me all alone to explore and find the whys.

Finally, after a million years i.e. twenty minutes, I reach the top. Hoisting myself up with all the little energy left in my tiny body, I fall onto the soft grass with a thud. I roll onto my back once the impact wears out and sit up slowly to find myself staring at the most beautiful piece of land I have ever seen. My hand still hurts but once I gulp down the pain medicine in my bag, I feel fine in a minute.

There is a peace on this peak that I haven't felt since Rosa di- went missing. The breeze is gentle and cool, and the trees on the other side are gently swaying as if dancing to the tunes of the loving air. There are flowers of literally every colour in the fields and the grass is fresh and green like someone has pulled out all the weeds.

The whole place looks like a well-maintained garden similar to those I had once seen in the big bungalows in Sehar. Sehar, our capital, the place where are royals stayed, where Slice stayed. How would he react if he got to knew that Rose was tortured, that she had suffered like no one and now that she had-she had gone missing, no one had even bothered to search for her? I was afraid of calling him for I knew his anger would spare no one if I told him.

Trub was the only one who could control Slice. He was the brains of our group but now he lives in Tooth village and we can never contact him again. How great would it have been if we were never separated at twelve, if we could still be together, then Rosa would be here too, because where Rosa went Slice did too and he would never let anything happen to her, ever?

A tear slips from my eyes, then another and before I know I am sobbing. Every emotion that I had locked up, comes out as I realise how lonely I am without Rosa, how I have failed her as a friend. How can I ever face Slice again and Trub, that is if we ever meet again. I hate the system, if not for it, they all would be with me.

We are all born in Sehar, live there until we turn twelve, make friends, learn the fundamentals and then we are sent back home as if we are some emotionless monsters who wouldn't feel a pang in their hearts on being separated from our loved ones. I always considered myself lucky to have met Rosa, at least she was there with me when we had to come back. Slice was stuck in that brooding, rule-abiding castle, and Trub, he went back right before Tooth village was declared to be a forbidden place of the kingdom.

I often wonder what life would have been like before the Great Climatic Revenge when there were no such kingdoms, when there was technology and when there were no such pathetic rules.

Wiping away my tears hastily, I take deep breaths to calm the anxiety building in me and stand back up to survey the place.

There is no sign of life other than the plants. I had often thought there would be dacoits living here and they must be the ones scaring everyone away but now I am lost. What is it about this beautiful place that's scary?

I walk around, carefully sniffing the flowers and examining the soil until I reach the trees. They are tall and dense. Everything about the trees feels wrong and my gut tells me to run but I am Selina Stardrew and I am not a coward. Leaving the bright land, I start walking inside the canopy formed by the trees with my senses on high alert to be careful of the wild animals and reptiles that are often roaming around in forests. As I walk deeper into the jungle, the sunlight dims completely and it feels like a dark, moonless night.

As I turn around to go back into the lighted area, suddenly, my foot lands on a strange, pebbled surface and within a second I find myself hanging upside down from a branch. My scream gets stuck in my throat as something slides up my body and wraps around my throat.

I freeze. What did I land myself into? Goosebumps cover my hands and I feel dizzy with fear. Is this how I will die?

Suddenly the wind speeds up, sounding almost like a little child learning how to whistle.

'A power looms to take revenge, a voice to misguide the best, an army of soon-to-be-dead, a leader to guide her friends.'

Wait what was that? Did I hear it right or the wind did say something? No no no, how can the wind speak? The coil around my neck suddenly loosens and kind of helps to put me back to the ground.

As soon as my feet touch the floor of the mighty jungle, I run back towards the light, the strange words ringing in my ears. How is it possible, how can wind speak? I am surely growing crazy. The grief is finally turning me insane, yes that's what it is.

The sun is almost setting once I see the flowers again and I run to the side I think I came from to get down at once. Immediately setting up my ropes I start climbing down again and in less than half the time I took to climb up, I find myself at the foot of the hill, running back to my house.

I nearly forget to lower my pace until I hear the siren of the officials and it is only then that I walk casually to my house, unaware of the trouble that has stirred in my uninformed absence.

My mother sits there, her head in her hands while the neighbours try to calm her down while my father talks to an official about something. As soon as they see me, my mother walks up to me and hugs me tight.

What's wrong, why does she seem so relieved to see me? My father exchanges a few more words with the official before they leave along with the neighbours.

'What happened Ma? You have never been so nervous before of me returning late?' I ask, my voice laced with worry about things I don't know.

'A girl's body was found today. Her face was unrecognizable but she had a frame and hair like yours. You were missing and we couldn't help but assume the worst since no other girl we know has hair like yours in this village.' My mother says, her voice quivering and tears falling down her eyes. Papa also hugs me surprisingly before helping ma calm down.

As I settle in bed that night, I can't help but feel that I am being watched. The words I had heard ring in my head and for the first time in a while, I fall asleep.