by Ivy Rose
Why did I let the girls talk me into having a drink? Well, it was more like three drinks, actually. Now I had to pay the price by facing Adrian Hunter’s arrogant grin on Monday. Everything I’d told him I wouldn’t do, I had done. I’d showed him that I thought about him quite a lot, too much, and I just knew he wouldn’t let the opportunity slip away to make me pay for that mistake.
“Let’s go for a walk, or into town before we have to hit the road,” Jasmine suggested, as we crashed down on the big lounges in the living room.
“No, I can’t move yet.” Mia sighed and closed her eyes.
“What about a movie instead?” Lexi suggested and yawned.
“Do you know what? Why don’t you and Mia stay here; Jasmine and I will go into town for a little while. Would that be okay with everyone?” I asked.
“Sure. Can you bring me some roasted almonds?”
“Of course. Jasmine?” I looked at her.
“What are we waiting for?” She bounced off the couch with a grin. “Car keys, please?”
“On the kitchen table. Don’t forget the roasted almonds,” Lexi called after us.
“We won’t. Don’t worry,” I called back and followed Jasmine out the door.
“I’m glad you wanted to come. I was getting bored,” Jasmine said as we drove into Lovika Creek again.
“Yeah, me too.”
As much as I wanted to hang with Jasmine, I’d also suggested our little trip into town for a different reason. I desperately wanted to see if I could find that old lady from the markets again. Unfortunately, the town that had been brimming with life the day before was eerily quiet when we got there this time.
“Wow, this is quieter than Angel Falls on a Sunday. I didn’t think that was possible.” Jasmine chuckled and closed the car door.
I nodded. “It’s very quiet. Should we have a little walk around? Maybe we could find a café and get a hot chocolate or something?” I suggested, feeling slightly disappointment. My chances of meeting the lady again seemed close to non-existent, as I observed the lifeless town ahead of me.
We started to walk towards the town square where the markets had been yesterday. Everything was closed, and we were about to give up and drive back to the house, when Jasmine spotted a café with a sign up outside. We walked over and felt the doorhandle. It was open. As soon as we stepped inside, the smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns welcomed us, and my mouth started watering straight away.
“I know what I’m having.” I inhaled the delicious smell. “I could live on cinnamon buns – honestly.”
Jasmine laughed. “I bet you could. Well, the apple pie with vanilla custard is to die for as well.”
We walked up to the register and ordered before finding a table in the back by a window. The cosy little café had tea candles on all the tables, and the furniture looked like it’d been taken from an old Italian country house. They even had the white and red check tablecloth on every table, and there was a black and white old photo of the Leaning Tower of Pisa on the wall.
“Have you been here before?” I asked and sat down across the table from Jasmine.
“Yep, many times. Not recently though, it’s been a while. Do you know what? This is really nice for a change. We always hang as a group.”
“It is,” I agreed. “Have the three of you always been friends?”
“Yes, we’ve known each other since preschool. It’s a small town. There aren’t that many choices when it comes to friendship. I’m lucky I have Lexi and Mia, and now you of course.” She smiled. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Well, did you leave any good friends behind in Paris?”
“Actually no. I’m a little bit of a loner, I guess. I mean, I knew people, but I haven’t really had that special group of friends throughout my life, you know? This is all very new to me.”
“How come?” Jasmine asked.
“Well, we moved around a lot. Paris was just another city we came to live in. I never really made the effort there, come to think of it. I found it harder, because I was a little bit older. In Vancouver I had a few friends I used to study with and stuff.”
“Hold on, you lived in Vancouver?”
“I did.”
I told Jasmine how Mum and I had moved around, living in a few different places around the globe.
“And now you’re here, living in the country town of Angel Falls. It must be so boring for you.”
I laughed. “No. It’s not boring. Just…different. But believe it or not, I actually really like it here. It’s growing on me.”
“Must be the company.” Jasmine chuckled.
“It actually is the company. It’s nice to have friends to hang out with and to be able to do things like this with. I’ve never had a weekend away with friends before.”
“You’re kidding?”
“No, it’s the truth! Anyway, let’s talk about something else besides me. What about you?”
“What do you want to know?”
“What’s your story?”
“Well, I’m a born and bred country girl. We live on a farm that my dad runs, Mum is a preschool teacher. I have an older brother, but he moved away a couple of years ago for university.”
“Is that where you are heading off to as well?”
“Actually, no.”
“Really? You want to stay in Angel Falls? I mean, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that, but I assumed from how you girls talked, that you were all heading off next year to study.”
“Yeah, they are definitely leaving, but I actually like my life here. I love horses, and I spend a lot of time in the stable. For me it’s hard to understand why so many are so desperate to leave. I couldn’t think of a better place to grow up. Besides, I already know what I want to do.
“And what is that?”
“I’m going to be a teacher. I can study a lot of it online from here and go into campus only when it’s necessary. It will include some travelling from time to time, but I don’t mind. At least I can stay at home for most of my education.”
“That’s awesome, Jasmine. I really envy you.”
“Why on earth would you envy me?”
“Because you know what you want to do and what makes you happy, and I don’t. I have no idea. All I know is that I like Angel Falls and I’m glad that we moved back.”
Jasmine put her hand on mine. “And it’s good to have you here, Aurora.”
“Excuse me ladies, two hot chocolates, one apple pie and some cinnamon buns.”
“Oh, I only ordered one,” I replied as she put the hot chocolate in front of me.
“The extras are on the house.” The young waitress smiled and bowed her head slightly.
“Wow, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled again and left us to devour our treats.
“That looked so funny. It looked like she bowed for us.” Jasmine giggled, picked up a spoon and shovelled a piece of apple pie in her mouth.
“I know.” I watched as the girl went behind the counter where another woman was standing. The woman’s eyes landed on me and she gave me a genuine smile. I smiled back. People were really friendly here.
“Want some?” Jasmine asked.
I tore my eyes off the people behind the counter. “Huh?”
“Do you want to try some apple pie?”
“Sure, why not?” I smiled and shifted my focus back to Jasmine.
Almost two hours later, we’d had enough of apple pie and cinnamon buns.
“God, I have to unbutton my pants.” I laughed and stood up from the table.
“That makes two of us.” Jasmine sighed with a satisfied grin and pushed her chair in. “Ready to go?”
I nodded. Jasmine led the way, and just as I passed the counter, the woman standing next to the girl who served us called out in a low voice.
“I thought my grandmother had gone a bit delusional when she told us she’d met you, but it’s nice to see that wasn’t the case
.” She smiled.
I stopped, my heart suddenly racing. Was she talking about the old lady I had met yesterday?
“Jasmine, I’m going to buy something to bring home for Mum,” I called after her, before turning back to the woman again.
“Okay, I’ll wait outside,” she called back and continued walking towards the door.
“Sorry, what do you mean?” I said with a shaky voice as soon as Jasmine had walked outside.
“You see, Mum, you can’t just say things like that,” the young girl said to the woman. She rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Mum never makes much sense.”
“Don’t worry, I know the feeling.” I smiled politely before I turned my gaze towards her mum again.
“Have we met before?” I asked.
“No, but I believe you ran into my grandmother at the markets yesterday.”
I stared at her. “She’s your grandmother?”
“She is.”
“And my great-grandmother, but don’t worry,” the young girl said. “She just told us, and we won’t say a word. We actually didn’t believe her to start with.”
“You know who I am?” I asked.
“Yes, of course we do. But, don’t worry. We won’t tell a soul until it’s official that you’ve actually returned.”
“Returned?” I asked. “Sorry, I’m confused…”
Just then, Jasmine came back inside. “Aurora, sorry to interrupt, but have you decided what you want to buy? I think we need to get going. Lexi called. The girls are ready to hit the road.” She walked up to the counter. “Just buy some more cinnamon buns.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I just…”
The woman picked up a paper bag and put some cinnamon buns in it. “There you go.”
I pulled my wallet out from the back pocket of my jeans and gave the woman my card. “Thank you. You have a nice little place here. What’s your name?”
“Lucinda, and this is my daughter Phoebe.”
“I’m Aurora, and this is my friend Jasmine.”
“Nice to meet you both.” Lucinda smiled.
“You have the best apple pie in the world here,” Jasmine said.
“Thank you. It’s actually my grandmother’s old recipe,” Lucinda replied and slid me a quick look.
“Well, we need to get going,” I said reluctantly. I didn’t want to leave; I wanted to stay and talk to Lucinda and Phoebe. I knew they had answers that I was so desperately seeking.
Lucinda handed me the bag with the cinnamon buns. “Have a good trip back to Angel Falls. Be safe.”
As we walked out, it occurred to me that I never mentioned I was from Angel Falls. I turned around and saw Phoebe wave, then point to the paper bag in my hand. I waved back and opened it. On top of the cinnamon buns was a note with a phone number. I smiled and grabbed the note and put it in my pocket. This morning had definitely turned out surprisingly for the better.
Chapter 16
We arrived back in Angel Falls way later than anticipated on Sunday night. I quickly thanked the girls and hurried up the stairs to my house. I was so tired and couldn’t wait to jump into my own bed. I craved some time to myself again. I knew after this weekend that despite having friends who I absolutely adored, I still needed my space to be with my own thoughts. The battery on my phone had gone flat hours ago, and I hadn’t been able to call my mum. I really needed to memorise her number so I could call from someone else’s phone if mine wasn’t working for some reason.
“Mum, I’m home,” I yelled as I opened the door and dropped my bag on the floor, closing the door behind me.
“In here,” she called back.
I found her in the living room, watching TV. “Hey.”
She reached for the control as she stood up, turned the volume down and swung around with a smile to greet me. “Aurora, how—” She paused mid-sentence, watching me with big eyes. “Aurora?”
“Yes, Mum. What’s wrong?”
She took a step closer, watching me intently.
“Mum, you’re scaring me,” I said nervously and tucked my hair behind my ear.
She shook her head and closed the distance between us, grabbing my hand.
“I’m sorry, Aurora. It’s just, I can see it. Something has happened.”
“What are you talking about? Nothing has happened. I’m fine.”
“Yes, something has definitely happened. You’ve connected to your light.”
Alarm bells were ringing everywhere, and I pulled my hand away as my heart started to beat rapidly. It was the same thing the old woman had told me at the markets.
“Not you too,” I whispered, feeling like a mutant, the way people were treating me lately.
“What do you mean? Who else told you this, Aurora?” She looked at me terrified; I was really starting to freak out.
“You need to tell me,” she demanded with an emotion I seldom saw from her. It was pure fear in her voice.
“Mum, you’re scaring me. It was just this old woman at the market. She said something about the equinox and light bearers… I don’t know, I didn’t understand any of it. But don’t worry, she was harmless and then I actually met her granddaughter and great granddaughter. I even got their number—”
“Aurora. You need to tell me exactly what happened this weekend,” Mum interrupted me.
“I told you.”
“No, something else must have happened. Anything out of the ordinary?”
Mum took hold of my hand again and steered us towards the couch. I hesitated. Waking up a sleeping plant, which I also happen to suddenly know by name, I guess would qualify as out of the ordinary? But it was so surreal. I wasn’t sure what had happened, or if it had ever actually happened at all.
“Aurora. You can tell me anything, and I mean anything. Nothing will sound crazy to me; do you understand what I’m saying?”
I swallowed and met her eyes. I thought of Lucinda and her daughter Phoebe, and what the old lady had said to me at the markets. Not to mention, remembering my grandmother having the same gift, unless it was some crazy dream. Maybe Mum had some secrets of her own that she wanted to share? I took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. There was only one way to find out.
“You will think I’ve gone crazy when you hear this, and maybe I have—”
Mum shook her head. “No, Aurora. Nothing will sound crazy, trust me. Please, tell me everything.”
I told her about the morning in the forest and how I had awakened the Calypso orchid with my bare hands, and somehow knowing its name. Then I told her about the market and the old woman who had been so excited to see me, then I told her about Lucinda and Phoebe at the café we had visited.
“What’s your verdict? Am I losing it, or what?” I tried with a fake laugh, but mostly, I just felt embarrassed. It sounded so ridiculous saying it out loud. I mean, I was talking about bringing things to life, after all. Like I was some kind of supernatural freak. I chewed frantically on my lip, while I waited for her to deliver a final verdict.
“Aurora, I’m sorry, I…” Mum sighed and looked away, like she needed a minute to collect herself. “I should have told you earlier. I just… I wanted to shield you as long as possible from all of this. It was never my intention to put you in danger.”
I felt the room spin. This wasn’t what I expected her to say at all, but in another way, I wasn’t that surprised either. Lucinda and Phoebe had kind of confirmed things for me. I took a deep breath.
“Mum, what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about who you are. What you are.”
And there was that word again, what. I was really starting to hate that word.
“Okay, keep going…”
“There is so much you don’t know about the world around you, and that is partly my fault. I knew that one day I’d need to have this conversation with you, but I just kept putting it off. You see, there was a reason we moved back here. You’re turning eighteen soon, and things are about to change. I wanted to stop it. Or at least, delay it.�
��
“Hold on, Mum, you’re losing me. Can you explain everything from the beginning?”
Mum squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She nodded. “Yes, I need to call Mr and Mrs Peters.”
“Okay. But what do they have to do with all this?”
Mum looked at me. “Everything, Aurora. They helped me with the protection spell.”
“Wait, what? A protection spell?” Once again, I felt the room spinning out of control. Luckily, I was sitting down, or I definitely would have fainted. Here I was with my mum, talking about spells and mysterious lights. It wasn’t exactly what I pictured on my return from my weekend away. Mum got up from the couch.
“I’ll make us some tea. Don’t worry, honey. We will sort this out.”
She left me in the living room, and I leaned back into the couch cushions, studying my hands. Just a day ago, I saw my own hands glow and perform magic, giving life to something that had been asleep. The whole experience was more like a vivid dream, just like the memory of my grandmother showing me her gift in the garden when I was little. It was all so surreal and kind of amazing, but I had a sinking feeling that reality was about to pay me a visit. A reality that was far from the one I knew.
I heard the doorbell and shortly after, mumbling voices in the foyer. I turned around just in time to see Mr and Mrs Peters enter the living room, followed by Mum.
“Aurora.” Mrs Peters sat down next to me. She turned to Mum. “I can definitely see that she’s been in contact with the light.” I felt like a caged animal at the zoo, the way they were all looking at me.
“Me too,” Mr Peters said and gave me a reassuring smile. He must have seen how uncomfortable I felt under their stares, because he added quickly, “It’s nothing to fear, but we need to tell you what it means.”
“Mum?” I looked at her with pleading eyes. “Please, just tell me what is going on.” She sat down next to me and took my hand. “There’s so much I haven’t told you, Aurora. I guess I wanted to give you more time. You know, to have a normal life. Away from all the responsibilities that comes with…” she gestured around us “…this.”