The Red Swan (On Hold)

Chapter 9

Greetings everyone! A few things that you need to know before reading this chapter. 

1- Anyone who read the other chapters last week and before must check out my "Author's note." again. I have added some more things that might provide to be useful in understanding this story.

2- I have edited chapter 4 and 5 again this week. So anyone who read them last Friday (27th June 2014) should just brush over it. I havent changed much except the courses that Claire and Olivia took. 

3- I dedicate this book to SarahBensonBooks. She is a very good author. You must go and check out her book, "Born of Shadow".

4- Thank you for your co-operation. Hope you enjoy reading. :) Please vote and comment.

Claire had to get up early in the morning for school. Her head was throbbing painfully making her vision blurry. That didn't however bother her; she was already lying awake in the dark, 4 a.m in the morning. The only light that was present was from outside the streets. She was exhausted from the prayer's rituals. It had lasted for an hour before she could not handle it anymore and had passed out for the thousandth time. 

Claire didn't even remember the last time that she had not fainted during the prayer. The heat from the candles had caused her skin to burn like the fire of hell. All that she remembered after she woke up was lying stiff underneath her blankets on this old bed of hers. The bed that had always welcomed her like an old friend when she cried on it, or slept for hours during the summer trying to avoid her family and most importantly, given her a place to rest when she was in her most vulnerable conditions.

She stared up at the ceiling as creepy shadows danced on top. They all seemed like large jelly shapes wobbling on the roof in a rhythmic pattern. A silent breeze blew into her room from the open window, brushing over her cheeks. The coolness reminded her of that voice again. The voice that she had called out to as her mother. Uncomfortable thoughts were running in her mind that didn't let her sleep. She had tried to call out to the voice again, but all that she could hear was the howling of stray dogs on the streets outside. 

Her consciousness mocked at her while all the same challenging her to stand up to her mom once and for all and clear out all the questions that she had been burried in. 

"Ask her why she never talked about dad."  Her consciousness had whispered to her.

"But what if she---" Claire had replied back to herself.

"---if only your "what ifs" were yours. If only you had used these two words for yourself instead. What if you never really found out about your father? What if all you knew about him was that imaginary portrait that you drew everytime. What if this woman that you live with isn't your mother?"

"That's absurd. She is---. There's...there's no reason she is not. It doesn't matter now. My dad is gone forever and he wont be back."

"Claire, think about it. Look at yourself in the mirror. You're so different than your mother and sister. Maybe your dad is alive and maybe....maybe your mother too." 

*silence inside her mind* 

"You cannot avoid me. I speak the truth and you cannot hide from the truth for long." her inner self spoke again. 

"Go away. You don't make sense. Truth is already known. You are just the fiction part of my brain." She tried to shut her mind and get some sleep. Her consciousness stopped irritating her but didn't leave. Claire curled up in her warm blankets and closed her eyes, the last of her thoughts being averted to Derek.