The Granet [ON HOLD]

Chapter 8: The Granet

I open my eyes and it's all black. Dark.

I blink for a few seconds and luckily I see two spots of light gradually appearing as two massive fireballs zooming towards me.

The next thing I know is that two men, more like guardsmen, hold me by my arms so that I stand upright on my numb legs. Oh yes, of course, it was the flashlights of these watchguards emitting light, searching for something precious, or maybe.......searching for me.

"Get off me!", I exclaim, as they tighten their grip on my feeble arms close to breaking my bones. I feel a strong freezing sensation as they hold my hands; they're simply cold. "I said leave me, where am I?". They swore not to say a word. They look as if they are bored and expect me to react like this.

"Can you guys tell me who are you and what is this place?", I ask a bit politely, wincing under their firm grip on my arms. My skin burns at the place where they hold me, they're unbelievably cold.

"If you guys are planning to abduct me, it's just the wrong thing to do, I'm not the right person....I.."

I continue to blabber till they find themselves in an annoyed position, and finally one of them just bothers to speak. "Nick, do something to shut her", he growls, making me shudder at his intense voice.

And in less than a few seconds, I'm not able to speak because they've wrapped my mouth with a sturdy grey adhesive tape. My lips feel sealed and it makes me worse off than before. Huh.

"Now you definitely feel like you're not abducted, right little girly?", one of them just says in a mocking tone while the other one snickers.

"I pity the one who would try to nobble her, she's a nightmare", the 'Nick' guy scoffs as he throws a glance at me, as if I resemble a squished slimy snail.

I struggle as they hold me tighter when we approach a massive gate, with alluring convoluted carvings on it. The gate seemed to captivate anyone's mind due to its beautiful intricate art. Before they attempt to push open the huge gate doors, they uncover my mouth in a swift movement and I'm allowed to pantingly inhale.

When they loosen their grip on me, in an effort to push open the doors, I plan to run, run back to somewhere distant from them......to Adiel, mum and dad. But as the doors are swivelled open, my plan is left unimplemented.

_______________

Loud roars of crowds strikes my ears and as I turn back, I'm greeted by a group of thousands of people. They all seem to stand on a lower platform, cheering something unfamiliar to contemplate. But after a few more rounds of utterances, I recognise it's my very own name they are asserting. The numerous tiny people clasp posters, greeting me with a message- 'Welcome to The Granet'. It occurs to me that the name 'granet' sounds familiar but I let go the thought as I currently face the zestful people of a place unknown.

Though I'm free from the guards' harsh clutch, I don't run. Not that I'm short of energy, just I will not know where to go. As the gate behind my back closes with a terrific thud, I get a bit more tensed than unusual.
I'm trapped. With people I not know.

"Tia-ara Perks-bin, Tia-ra Perks-bin, Tia-ara......"

"Oh, well well well, here we have another newbie....", a red headed woman interrupts, silencing the vivacious cheers from the now vigilant crowd. The red headed woman walks towards me with much disgrace, as the skin tight white dress hugs her thighs, restricting her movements. She grasps my shoulders and gives me the least solacing hug, making me frown.

"Oh my my, you're so tiny and......slouchy", she sneers at my stature and pats my head giving me a fake crooked smile.

Tiny?

"Ms Tiara Perksbin, you have any words to share?", she shoves the mic right in front, as numerous eyeballs stare at my length. Any words to share after being dragged by two able bodied Herculean men, and being introduced to more than thousands of people by the judgemental eyes of the flaw-seeking red woman. Phew.

"Sorry to say, but I don't think those 4 and a half inches heels you're wearing, gives you the right to call me tiny, and that red doesn't suit you much, maybe you must try a wig of a different colour", I say it as loud and clear. It's hard to believe I said it, myself, my own self, who would never exit the school stage without frequent stuttering and shuffling as symptom of stage fear. Which I realised I had, until now.

The whole gathering remains in the silence you could hear a pin drop. But after a couple of seconds, I hear snorts of laughter and whispers from the crowd while the red headed woman starts straightening her hair ( or wig) as her lip gave a slight twitch. She must be having a fit inside.

"Okay, ha ha, maybe she's a bit...flustered...ha", she addresses the crowd, her red cheeks quite obtrusive under the thick coat of her heavy make-up. She abruptly waves her hand in an uncanny manner, which moreover looks like a 'modern communication system of the early man'. Following the action, two ladies scurry towards the platform where I stand and grab my arms in a swift motion. They are dressed in an oversized jumpsuit which looks unladylike and baggy over their skinny frames.

They take me down the platform and I sense the gaze of a thousand people at me. I keep my eyes fixed at the ground and watch my clumsy steps.

I want to run but I can't. There are enough ladies and gentlemen bracing themselves to catch me.

"So my fellow Granetanians, on the arrival of our entrants for the afresh start of the year, we congratulate the clan heads and Lady Edda for keeping up the historic traditions till the present day."

I have no idea what she speaks until I have my questions answered. I know just one thing that I am one of the 'entrants' she's mentioning.

After the round of applause, she continues to address the crowd-
"After the entrants will be introduced to the system, the place and the mysteries; we will soon have the inaugural ceremony and the entrants will be introduced", she concludes.

"Long live, Granetanians!", she shouts at the mic. And the crowd hails repeating the words- "Long live, Granetanians!", before they start departing and scrambling out in their paths.
                   "Come on, let's go", one of the ladies who'd got me here, grips my arm. She looks like she's in her early twenties and has a composed demeanour sculpted on her features. But I no longer care about my manners, no matter how much respect worthy, the person is. "Can you tell me what is this place?", I say jerking away from her firm clasp and she seems to release her clutch quite easily.

She simply smiles and replies,"You'll get to know soon, just come along". "No, I need to know, now", I order, getting a bit enraged at her tranquility.
"You need some water and you'll feel......"
"I need answers", I say, letting her to look at me as if I am a lost little 5 year old.
"Okay", she paused a bit, "It's a fairyland".
"What?"
"Just think it as a complex fairytale and you'll enjoy every bit", she gives me an assuring smile. "Wha-what do you mean?", I ask her not able to digest her belief-in-fairies-and-princess reply, which is just the different side of her. Why is everyone and everything so complicated here?

"Just come with me", she simply walks ahead and I follow her, my mind interlocked with unanswered questions. Just need to search for the key to those.
As I follow her in small steps, she halts before me and pushes open the age old door, situated at some distance. I enter the room, which has a high ceiling engraved with patterns of stick figures in action. It looks beautiful though the figures are just bodies without any flesh. It takes me long to notice that there are a few people seated in an orderly manner, and have their eyes on me like a hungry predator.

I am about to take a seat when someone calls out my name from behind. I turn back to face the similar pitch black eyes and the messy blonde hair of a man I'd been seeking for all this time.

"Samson?"

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What the hell is Samson doing in here?
Figure this out yourself until the next chapter.....

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