21st Century Goddess

Chapter 51: Descendant of Arabella

Zypher's POV

"You think?"

"U-uhmm. Yes?"

Takang sagot ni Nate sa babaeng nasa harap namin. She laughed out loud. Hindi kami makapagsalita sa reaksyon niya. Para kaming naestatwa sa kinatatayuan namin. She really looks like Arabella. I've seen her on pictures, textbooks and books in school.

"Ok, sorry." She stifled a laugh while trying to speak. She tried to calm herself and looks at our direction only to burst out laughing again. We don't know how to react about this. We're all frozen in place while she's trying to calm herself. Even Diego is not moving beside my feet. The six of us just stared at her for a couple of minutes.

"Ok. Ok. Here it is. I'm calm and composed. Hoo." She breathed in and out trying to calm herself. She smiled at us, flashing her complete set of white teeth. Her smile is so genuine. Amused.

"I just find you entertaining." She said and got her hood out of her head. She stepped in just enough to let us see her face clearly in the light. She's wearing a red cloak on top of a blue green dress and a pair of gray doll shoes. She looks like a person from old England. With her curly brown hair and blemish skin. She somehow reminds me of my mom, but she also looks oddly familiar.

"Are you Arabella?" Ed asked. She again chuckled. "I get that like, all the time." She smiled again. She walked towards the table's direction. Her back is turned towards us. And I notice that her curly hair falls directly just below her waist. She faced us, her smile wavers a little when she saw me. Why?

"I am Ariella Warthock. Arabella was my great grandmother's sister. It's just that I have most of her features. You know? Having the recessive DNA and such. Not getting neither my mom nor my dad's features. But it's okay, it's so fun being my great grandma's duplicate." She then giggled.

Hindi parin kami makapagsalita at nakatingin lang kami sa kaniya. Walang nagsalita sa amin ng ilang minuto habang siya naman ay nakatitig lang din sa amin habang nakangiti parin. I wonder if she ever gets tired of smilling.

Her gaze was on me and she stared at me for so long that I think she was already able to look directly into my soul. She studies me with knowing eyes and I notice a glimmer in it. She took a quick glance at Diego and her grin widen.

"Sooo? Why are you guys here?" Masiglang tanong niya.

Nagkatinginan kaming anim. Tila nawala sa pag-iisip namin kung bakit kami nandito. It's just that, she's kinda creepy. It's creepy to look at her face. Like looking at Arabella from a different time. And her presence is so strong. I wonder why I wasn't able to feel her.

"Well, we are here because we're sent for a mission." Sagot ni Matt.

"Oh. So?" She raised both her brows as if coaxing us to continue. "And we're here because our mission includes about finding the stone." Pagpapatuloy ni Nate. "What stone?" Ariella asked innocently. Steph pinched Ed and the latter looked at us with a 'Can-we-trust-her' look. Tiningnan ko naman si Ariella at nakitang nakakunot noo. Makaraan ang ilang minuto ng hindi parin sumasagot ang kahit sino sa amin ay tila nawalan siya ng pasensya. "I should have done something from the very first step you took inside if I was someone from the other side. Cut the bull! I am a descendant of Arabella. Which means I could be trusted. Which means I'm with your side. So stop making me feel bad. And I'm asking you this because I might be helpful. So, answer me." She ranted. With an irritated and serious look in her face. Ok. She just changed her mood 360 degrees. She looked intimidating a while, but now she just flipped.

"U-uhmm. You know that stone, the stone your great grandmother's sister made. The Arabella's stone." Ed stammered. I feel him. She's so intimidating and at the same time creepy and approachable. Her smile came back and went so wide. It makes her look a lot more... creepier.