The Red Swan (On Hold)

Chapter 8

It wasn't hers anymore. Her secret was now shared with a boy she barely knew. What if he spilled the beans to everyone tommorow? Her mother would never let her go out of the house; not even high school. She would have to bear Chloe and her mother's severe punishment for breaking a promise. Claire turned pale at the unpleasant thoughts.

She didn't even get a chance to reply back. Derek had run away as if he was missing a train. Anger filled her at the thought of Derek's so-called friendly disguise. For a moment she had thought that he was different than the rest of the people. She had thought that perhaps the world outside was not that bad. But Derek had just left away almost like a thief who had stolen something very valuable.

Tommorow her secret would be out and her mother would ban her forever from this school. The only place she had ever thought of to be a place of refuge.  Shakily, she put her bag over her shoulder and started walking down the empty hall towards her waiting mother. 

~~~~

"Oh Claire, look at you. You look such a mess, whatever were you doing there?"  She slammed the car door as her mother stared at her from the front mirror. Just like her other daughter Chloe, she too was a brunette with large brown eyes. Her mother was literally an aged form of Chloe. Claire was very sure that if it weren't for her red skin, she would have resembled her dad whom she never really saw. Not even a picture was to be seen of their dad and she dared not ask anyone. 

"I just fell on the grass." Claire stared at the fading green stains on her collar. Her mother frowned at her. 

"I wonder." She whispered loud enough to be heard. An awkward silence surrounded them as they drove silently. 

Claire stared out of the window miserably as the orange glint of the afternoon rays warmed her face.

 ~~~~

Chloe was waiting outside the garage as her mother parked the car. "Hey mom, I've got everything reddie for the prayer." She jeered as she held a red candle in her hand.

If only Claire was allowed to complain about this prayer. They had to be kidding. No proper timings existed for it. Sometimes Claire suspected that it was at the time when her head hurt the most and she was not at all in the mood to praise the great Goddess. She'd rather draw a portrait of her dad. She had an imaginary image of his painted in her diary. 

Why did Claire have to praise a Goddess who had nothing to do with her life. People all around the world prayed to get comfort and be at peace when tortured or miserable. She didn't ever feel that relationship with that higher authority that they praised. Why didn't Goddess Zenaida ever listen to her pleas when she was a little girl. 

Every time when they prayed, she would ask the goddess to remove her skin disease, to bring back her dad, to make Chloe's attitude better towards her. All she felt however, was emptiness and a weakness that worsened her disease. Now the prayer held only one meaning for her and it was merely to not disappoint her mother. Infact, the less attention she paid to the whole process, the more comfortable she felt. 

"Hurry up Claire. We will be waiting for you in the common room. Change into your new prayer dress. Make sure you are clean." Her mother sang as she headed towards the dining room. Claire didn't even realise that she was inside her house. Quickly she headed upstairs towards her room as her headache worsened even more. 

~~~

"She's here finally. Your highness, why did you take so much time to get ready. And Goodness do you look terrible. Even a housemaid would look beautiful." Chloe smirked as Claire sat in the chair near the prayer table beside her.

She was wearing a loose black dress that reached uptil her ankles. Claire wondered if it was a blanket instead of a dress wrapped around her uncomfortably. It seemed more like a funeral dress than a prayer. Her sister too was wearing the same dress, while her mother wore a white long one.

"Chloe can you keep your big mouth shut and give me a hand?" Mother gave her a deathly stare. 

"Mother, Now I can't even compliment Claire? After all there are only a few days------"

Before Chloe could complete her statement, she was slapped hard on her face by her mother. Not only was their mother fuming red with anger but she had stopped arranging the candles on the large round table. 

"How dare you." She hissed at her. Chloe had turned paler than ever. She dared not speak a word now and started arranging candles with her mother. The large round table was covered with a large black cloth that had shimmery golden flower embroidery. On top of the embroidery, they placed the red candles, arranging them the way the flower was arranged on the cloth; A large seven petalled flower. 

Claire felt relieved at the sight of frightened Chloe but yet disappointed at the interruption. What days were she counting? All three of them held their hands as her mother started to chant loudly. The candles were glowing brightly in the form of a large flower set on fire that burned without harm.

"Goddess Zenaida, we are in debt to you. We can never repay you but accept this gift from us." 

Claire's head started to throb vigorously as her legs and hands began to shake. Her mother held her tightly from falling. Her body felt heavier as if a car had been placed on her head. Hot air blew around her ears and she felt the need to vomit. "Please let this end."  She whispered to herself.  

Her mother was still chanting louder than ever but all she could hear was a loud ringing sound in her ears that were on fire. She could feel as if a dragon had been blowing air into them. 

Claire never became used to these feelings inside her body although the prayer had been repeated more than a hundred times all her life. Ten minutes of dizziness, nausea, severe headache, burning skin and a constant ringing in her ears. It would all end after these ten minutes. The coolness would return, her hearing would be back to normal as she would hear Chloe mock at her weakness for the billionth time again and everything would be back to normal.  Everyone knew that these symptoms were the result of getting too near to fire. Her dermatologist had warned her about it.

Suddenly, her ears were cleared of the ringing. The headache still remained though and so did her weakness. She could see it in a blur that the candles were still glowing like bright yellow spots. They were still holding hands and chanting some prayers that sounded like mixed human voices. A faint light voice startled her as it spoke clearly inside her head, "Run away Claire, before its too late." The voice belonged to a woman. It was familiar, but still unrecognisable. 

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am. Look inside yourself."  The voice was beautifully melodious that soothed her pain. A coolness filled her from inside. She was at bliss. 

"I don't understand."  

But the voice was gone. Sadness filled her heart that confused her. She hadn't ever felt something like this before. It was as if she had lost a part of her. It spoke so comfortingly to her, like someone who cared genuinely. 

"Don't go away please."  Her heart ached.

"I never left and never will."  The voice spoke gently, as if trying to carress her brain inside.  Claire could sense in some way that the lady was smiling at her. 

"I love you Mom."  Claire's mind spoke without her consent. A part of her that believed in reality was shocked at the sudden outburst of these words.  This voice belonged to her mother? But she was right here holding her hand and praying with her. It wasn't even her mother's voice but yet she called this voice as her mother. 

"I love you too Claire." And then it disappeared leaving Claire in a daze and a sea of confusion. 

Thankyou sooo much for reading this far. Want to know what's going on? Something's fishy indeed. The voice popped out from nowhere. Where was it all her life? Why did she involuntarily called it her mother? What is happening!!!! Oh My God! What was it that Chloe was about to say? Will Derek spill her secret? It's time for Claire to Man up to her bullies, her mother and find out about her dad and herself. Keep up with the story. I promise it'll get interesting. Any suggestions, critiques, please let me know in the comments below. Also dont forget to vote and share it for others to read. <3 

Next Update: Next Friday.