You can't run forever

Chapter 23 - Not every fairy tale is perfect.

When I woke up, it may have been close to 4am in the morning. I glanced up at the fuchsia and light pink interlocking in the sky. Bright stripes of orange streaked through the fading stars. I had never seen something so beautiful yet so natural in my entire life. "You're up early" said Camabella, yawning, hands over her mouth. "But it's never too early for a gypsy, we travel anywhere at anytime of the day or night" she gave me a smirk. " But your not one of us". I began to come up with a excuse in my head, but Camabella put a soothing hand on my shoulder. "You don't need to explain, I already know" she smiled considerately. "Plus, I could tell you weren't going to tell me the truth anytime soon and I have no desire to hear lies, you may tell me when you are ready". "Thank you" I said surprising myself. She had just made my anguish leave me, there and then. Camabella leaned forward to whisper in my ear "there will be a time where you can return my favour, but do not fret, if your soul cannot do it in this life, the task will be done in another". I gulped uncomfortably, " I don't really do debts, maybe I can repay your in money or gold or something" I said awkwardly, even though I already knew what she was going to say next. "I need no finery, child, nothing you can give me, will be payment enough to what I am going to do for you" Camabella said, amused, with a mysterious glint in her eyes. I gulped again. If this woman was what I thought she was.. she became more dangerous by the minute. " Ah.. a fortune teller, tell me what you have to offer" I said confidently. " Nothing, but a story" said Camabella " do you wish to hear it, my queen?". Before I said anything, I scanned the crowd for anyone who showed signs of movement. Satisfied, I turned back to Camabella. "Yes please" I replied in my best regal voice. The gypsy fortune teller just smiled, as if I had confirmed her worst fears. "Listen well, for it is a long one".

"Once upon a quiet village there was a boy. He was the strongest and most feared warrior in the region. But he lacked something. He had no compassion and no ability to love or to be loved. People respected him, but he had a hard time winning the favour of the young ladies. All feared he was born to be a monster as ancient witch had cursed him. One day a young, mysterious woman came into town. She was beautiful, in a bold and fearless way. The villagers did not trust her, because of her looks, the fact that she was a outsider, and that she might bewitch all the young men in the village. Unfortunately the beautiful woman was given many marriage proposals which she turned down quickly. The fact was, she only had her eyes set on one man in the village. Who was the fearless warrior. The fearless warrior told her to go away, and that his heart would never be won. Eventually he was forced to admit that it wasn't true and he and the mysterious got married in a small church. Unfortunately, the curse had come true and the woman knew as soon as she left the village it would be broken. But she knew once she left, she would never fully be allowed in the village or in the man's heart ever again. 10 years later she finally left with her three sons. She spent two years living with the gypsies until she finally decided to send her oldest son who was 12 back to the village to have a good life. She stood outside the village gates, took him by the shoulders and said" Son, if you still love me, come back to get your brothers, ok?". The boy gave her a kiss and promised to come back. The woman waited 10 more years. No one came for her. She finally accepted that her son had either forgotten her or was too ashamed to accept her as his own mother. She didn't send her other sons to the village fearing they would leave her as well, instead leaving the choice to them. They were not as brave as her first son and never went anywhere near that village. Eventually they got sick of her old ways and left to lead new lives much to the disappointment of the mother, only recently has the eldest son reached out to his mother. He wants her to come to the village she was banned from to tell the fortune of his eldest son, and whether he will become a despicable beast like his grandfather" Camabella looked down at her hands, losing all the grace I had seen in her till now. Then what?" I asked in a patient tone, putting my hands on hers. She sighed but didn't remove her hands. " A mother always looks out for her children, no matter how they treat her, or how they think of her, A mother's whole life is her children" Camabella felt brave enough to catch my gaze again " so of course, I'm going to see them, I'm looking forward to seeing if my grandson resembles me at all" she gave a small chuckle "of course the boy is barely five, but he has anger management problems, that's why his parents are frightened". She gave me a grim smile " destiny is unavoidable, it is unchangeable, controlled by fate only, you will always end up where you are meant to be, that was my mistake, trying to change my future". she closed her eyes for a moment and I wondered if I was supposed to go back to sleep now, but Camabella's eyes snapped open at the last possible moment. "Now leave me be, I have some fortune telling to do before the others wake up, I promise I won't do anything to disturb your sleep as long as your not frightened by the scary old lady doing magic behind you" she joked pulling a crystal ball out of her shoulder bag. She had obviously sensed my discomfort earlier on. I let myself fall asleep again, Since I was already sleepy.