One Night

Chapter Twenty Nine

Alara

I stumble along, uncertain of which direction I am going. I try to reach out, to use any of my senses to give me clues.

But I can't see anything with the blindfold on. All I smell is the scent of roses from whatever was rubbed on me.

I can hear the gentle sound of water flowing, as well as footsteps. Not just mine and the lady's. Several. Some heavier, some more in a hurry. But none of them speak, like they are all busy with something very important and consuming.

I was considering fighting this woman who bathed and blindfolded me, but considering there are other people around it might get me into trouble.

I'm not sure about the rules of fighting, but I'm quite sure being able to see would be a good start.

The woman's hand stays on my wrist as she guides me. Her skin is incredibly soft. I wonder if she scrubs herself as aggressively and she scrubbed me.

"How much longer?" I ask.

This is horrible. There's no chance she'll understand me, and even if she did I'd have no idea how to understand her response.

A door clicks open and then she is guiding me to a stop and removing my blindfold. I get a glance outside, before she closes the door, and I can't believe what I see.

So much greenery—impossible. This makes no sense. The houses are different too. Tall, white and strangely shaped.

She explains something to me in her language, gesturing to the room. From what I can understand from her gestures, she is saying that this bed and room is mine and that I need to stay here.

But then again, she could be saying that I must not touch that bed or I'll be killed. I wouldn't know.

It is a simple room, compared to the palaces. But after having slept on a mat for my entire life, it is perfect.

The bed sits, curtained by thin white veils on all four sides. It looks delicate and welcoming. The rest of the room is empty aside from a sofa and a door leading to what must be a bathroom.

The woman says something to me, her voice tranquil and calming. A small smile lifts the corners of her mouth. Then, she turns to leave and I quickly grab her arm.

She begins to turn back to me but, before I can overthink it, I throw her to the ground. She falls quickly, especially compared to the guards and giant men I have had to fight before. She tries to get up and I panic—I don't want to hurt her.

Instead of causing harm to her, I pull the door open and run.

It is an overwhelming sight. It sucks the breath out of my lungs. There's . . . No sky. No clouds, no sun. Nothing. It's like a cave, and where the sky would be is a strange but incredibly beautiful silver layer that seems to move and reflect light, like a silk blanket.

The buildings are like nothing I have ever seen before. They are tall and white and strangely shaped. They are what I would imagine a child would create if given clay and told to build houses. Completely off balance and morphed.

I want to get in closer, to see the strange detailings of the walls or to see what might be inside, but I don't stop running.

The feeling of running—my heart racing in my chest and the tightening of my throat—reminds me of the days when I would steal.

I've lived every day wondering I would survive to the next. I always thought that at some point that feeling would end—that I would make it out of cycle and stop having to run for my life. That I would get enough to make my mom smile again, and to buy a nice bed and some good food for us.

But I am still running, and the stakes must be way higher now. I don't know what the rules of the land are like here. They could do much more than kill me.

That keeps me putting one foot in front of the other, as I brush past many people who wear the same white outfits as in Diyar.

Am I still in Diyar? But what about the boat and being pushed into the ocean? I know what I saw. I was sinking, and I saw that same blue light that is in the hallways here. The same blue light that was, in fact, bottled up in lanterns in Diyar.

What is going on?

I want to scream and cry but none of that would help. There has to be someone that has answers. Anyone who can speak the same language as me or gesture to me or in any way at all explain to me where I am.

And for the first time in my life I wish for my old life back. I wish for the simple struggle of surviving one day at a time. Of coming home and seeing my mom sleep on the couch.

I really, really miss my mama.

I wonder if she would know what to do in this situation. If she'd have any advice to me. But for as long as I remember, she has been closed off—even when showing love.

People that I run past stare at me. The land seems huge and endless, but full of life and nature. Everywhere there is lush plants and greenery and fountains of water. 

Every road and pathway is paved with black stone, but to seperate the road from the walking passage are small streams of constantly flowing water. That must mean that the city is built on a slope.

If I keep running up, in the opposite direction to the flow of the water, I'll find something significant. Something that may give me answers as to where I am.

I cross one of the roads, my legs starting to burn with the pain of the run.

A loud sounds comes from my right and I turn just in time to see a strange contraption heading towards me.

It's not a horse or carriage or anything that could possibly exist. It is similar to a bicycle but thicker and with large wheels at the bottom that spin, creating a blue light inside them.

The contraption makes another loud sound and I jump out of the way, but it still knocks against me, causing me to fly forcefully against the ground.

A searing pain shoots through me, followed by the crashing sound of the contraption against the ground.

I guess running across a road is not a good idea.

~~*~~

I was feeling super lost in terms of what I want to do with my life. I started reading a book called the art of not giving a f— and it spoke so accurately about how media and technology is giving us an unbelievably high standard for our lives.

To have a great love and career and happiness. It creates such pressure. It's not possible. This is what is creating so much mental issues for the coming generations.

I am just really glad to have my books and Wattpad and you, my readers. It gives me direction. It gives me so much happiness to always be able to write. <3

I hope you find your happiness too, whatever that might be.

T w i t t e r : xPineappleGirlx
I n s t a g r a m : laylaawrites
Y o u t u b e : xThePineappleGirlx

Lots of love and jelly tots - xThePineappleGirlx