when I saw the cup that held the pill I was supposed to take in it, but nope, I was not going to take it anymore. If Keeper gave it to me, it was probably not good. I left the pill in the cup and ate the rest of the food on the plate. I put the tray of food near the door when I was done and put the pill in the night stand next to my bed; I had no trash can. I rolled my eyes. What did he think I would do with a trash can, what was so bad about it that I couldn’t even have one in the room with me. I snorted. He probably thought I would try to break out with it—me, Trinity, and trash can, the crime fighting duo. I smiled and fell asleep on the bed in a prison, where I would most likely die of boredom.
“Bella?” I heard my name being called. “Bella, can you hear me?” came the voice of a boy. “Bella?” he said again, and I looked for his voice. It was calm and sounded like music.
“Hello?” I said. “Who is there, where am I?” I asked. I stood in a void of whiteness—nothingness.
“Oh! Bella, sorry, just a second,” he said again, and the scenery changed to a forest, with tall green trees and vines and all sorts of flowers and animals, then the scene changed again, and I was at the ocean. I gasped. I had never been to the ocean. I rubbed my bare feet in the sand and smiled at the sun on my skin. “Is this one fine for you?” he asked.
“This? The beach?” I looked around.
“Hum,” came his voice again.
“Yeah, I have never been here or to any beach, really,” I said and smiled at the sounds of the birds cawing. “Is this real?”
He laughed sadly. “No, this is a dream, it’s the only way I can talk to you.” He sighed. “But don’t worry, I am coming to find you, to free you.”
“How do you know where I am?” I asked him, “Where are you?”
“Your parents sent me to find you, and I can’t be in the dream I’m too far away,” he said, and his voice floated to me.
“Your voice is pretty, it’s like music.” I was not sure why I said that, but it was true. “What is your name?”
“Aiden,” he said, “and I think you have a beautiful voice as well.”
I flushed. “Thanks,” I said, then it hit me. He said my parents sent him. “Who…who are my parents?” I asked him, looking for answers.
“What?” Aiden asked.
“Who are they, you said they sent you to find me,” I said.
“Oh, Bella,” he said sadly. “Their names are Michael and Gabrella,” Aiden told me.
I felt my eyes start to get watery. “What are they?”
“Archangels,” he said nothing for a few seconds then said. “Bella, the dream is stopping, hold on! I’m coming for you, just hold on!” Aiden said, and then, he was gone.
He was gone, and the beach was gone. I was in the dang room again. It was my very own prison, and I didn’t know what to think anymore. I slid off the mattress and got on my knees, taking the blankets off the bed with me. They draped on the floor at my knees. I bowed my head and pulled the blankets close to my chest, and I cried. I cried for what felt like hours. The tears burned as they slid down my cheeks, and I hated that I was crying. Each tear that came, I cursed, but it was so hard not to cry when I felt so helpless and confused. All I wanted was to be given some reassurance, but every time I sought that out, all I got was more hurt, and those were the thoughts that lulled me to my sleep.
When I woke up, I was sore, and my eyes felt like they grew twice the size of the sockets. I stretched out on the floor then climbed back into my bed, and I stared up at the gold ceiling and remembered Aiden. He said he was coming for me, and he was sent by my parents, Michael and Gabrella, who are archangels. Then, I remembered the reason for the tears. I always avoided them if I could, but I just could not hold theses ones back. They came, and they were the kind you couldn’t breathe around, the kind that broke other’s hearts and shattered your own. I also prayed and said little things, hoping whoever heard them could deliver the words, but I doubted they could understand what I said; the words were silent or sobbed into prayer, and they were all the things I wish I could say to my parents like how much I miss them, even though I have never met them or how much I love them even though they haven’t given me a reason and that I didn’t blame them. I felt Trinity flick her tail around my sides, and in a way, she confronted me and made it seem like she was a person who cared for me and would hold me as I cried out my grief, but there really was no one.
The doorknob to my room rattled, and I quickly shot myself onto the floor and pretended I was asleep as it opened. “Bella,” Keepers voice said, “where did you go?” I closed my eyes. I shut them tight and faked sleep as best as I could.
Keeper moved around the room, and when he got to the side I was “asleep” on, he chuckled. “Little rascal,” he murmured and scooped me up in his arms and set me on the bed. “Causing trouble even in your sleep,” I heard the evil smile in his voice, and I kept my eyes closed. “Stay there, now, you better get all the rest you can, busy day today,” he said as if he were talking about the weather and not a human being held captive. I heard his feet shuffle and, then, the door close and lock behind him.
Damn, I deserve an Emmy for that. He didn’t even question it, he totally bought it! I opened my eyes and spotted a plate of food, waiting for me by the door. “I’m hungry,” I said to myself, and Trinity flicked her tail in agreement. I smiled and took the pill out of the cup and put it with the others and ate my breakfast.
The door opened, and of course, Keeper walked in. He had a smile on his face, and he looked pleased. “Are you ready?” he asked.
“For what?” I asked and pretended like I was thinking. “Oh, I know, no one cares!” I said as if I found out I got the top score on a test.
“Nope, you are wrong.” He grinned. “We have a field trip today.”
“What?” I said puzzled. “We are leaving?”
“No, it’s more of a trip for you, not me.” He smirked. “Because of course, I can leave whenever I want, you, on the other hand, have some guests.”
“Guests? I don’t know anyone.” I groaned and smacked my head. “Really, not in a socializing mood.”
“Too bad. You better behave today, you give me one no, and I can make your stay here much more interesting,” he said, and I saw a glint of black in his red eyes.
“Tutto quello che vuoi,” I murmured.
“What was that, don’t speak different with me.” He scolded me. “What did you say?”
“I said, whatever you want. You need me to translate that too?” I asked.
“Smart mouth you have there.” He said, “You better watch it.” He turned toward the door. “And put on something nice, your guests will be here shortly,” he said and left me in my room with the dumb door locked.
“Douche,” I murmured as I got up to get ready. I put on a black T-shirt and a white maxi skirt. I had no shoes, so I just left my feet bare and brushed out my hair. I sat down on the bed and waited for someone to come and get me for my guests. Who would try to visit me? I didn’t know anyone outside the coven, and the other witches are not allowed to be at the Keeper’s house.
