Dreamscape [3]

▪ Twelve

The house was quiet, the windows open, letting the cold air of October in. Car horns and yelling were heard from outside, and faint voices were heard coming from a basketball court in a distance where a few children played. Everyone was moving in the city's rhythm, but in this house with the small backyard and the white fence everything seemed to be still, except from a young woman in the kitchen who was swaying in front of the oven as she made a salad, her hair pulled up in a messy bun, an apron tied around her waist as she hummed.

Her face for once was void of any make-up but even that way, she was beautiful, with her olive skin - decorated by two tattoos, one of a knife on the inside of her left arm and one of a mermaid on her right shoulderblade that couldn't be seen completely as she was wearing a shirt - her numerous earrings on her ears and the one hanging discreetly from the middle of her nose. She wasn't necessarily what most would consider beautiful, as her earrings and tattoos made too much of a statement. But in that kitchen, as simple as any person, while she swayed to her own melody and hummed, it would have been easy for someone to think that.

That was the sight Branka saw that early afternoon as she left the guest room, the smell of food luring her in. She stayed there to watch her for a second, smiling at the way her host seemed to be at peace with herself before she cleared her throat and ruined the serene atmosphere.

She whirled around, her dark green eyes wide, lips parted in surprise, shoulders rising but she composed herself and let out a small breath, sending her a tiny smile as she realised there was no reason she should be afraid. "I didn't hear you coming. I was lost in my own world, I'm afraid."

"No need to apologise," she smiled back at her as she took a step forward, her eyes falling on the salad she had been making. "What did you cook, Olympia?"

"Fish."

"It doesn't smell too bad," she mumbled as she moved forward and headed to a cupboard, taking out two plates. "Let me help you set the table?"

"I take it you've finished with the suit?"

"Not quite," she shook her head, "I've finished with the mask and part of the suit. The mask's what I need at this point though and I'll take it to Chris so he'll do his magic and your friend Jessica will be able to communicate with you."

"She isn't my friend."

"Yet," Branka briefly smirked her way as she held a plate for Olympia to put some fish on it. "I spoke to her for a while yesterday after you left with Aili, you know. She doesn't seem too bad."

"So you say."

"Did you even give her a chance to properly introduce herself?"

"The first time I met her she seemed decent. The second, she disobeyed Qara's request. The third time, she faked her own kidnapping to get in touch with us. Am I supposed to really spend my time and energy on her?"

"Now you're just being dramatic," she mumbled as she took her seat around the table and Olympia slowly did the same.

"Am I, really?"

"Yes. You didn't give her a chance to show you what kind of a person she is and at this point, she thinks you hate her."

Disinterested, Olympia swallowed her bite of food. "That's a bit extreme for now but she caught the general idea."

"I believe you and Jessica are going to get along really well once you get to know each other."

She barely glanced at her. "I don't want to get to know her."

"Come on, trust me on this." She reached forward and grabbed her hand and slowly, Olympia dragged her eyes away from her food. "My gift might have nothing to do with emotions but I've been living with a master of emotions for a year and a half or so, I've learnt a few things about them."