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“Patient’s vitals appear to be in good condition.” A calm, feminine voice pierces through my chaotic mind causing me to wince attempting to curl into myself despite the hand preventing me from doing so.
Eyes remaining glued shut, I open my mouth to speak, but the words get caught in the thorns nipping and clawing the walls of my throat. And when a sharp pain in my arm breaks through my hazy mind, I squeal and whimper finally being able to fold myself into a fetal position when she removes her hand.
I hear the sound of her footsteps echoing through the space as she loudly moves, shuts, and opens various appliances. Faintly, the sound of a tap running can be heard and the footsteps come closer as she finally stops next to me. She attempts a gentle touch of the forehead, but I suck in a pained gasp when such a tender touch feels no different than what one would imagine glass to feel like when it shatters.
She pushes on though, retracting her hand and deciding on a hands-off approach. Something touches my lips and I automatically wince, expecting it to harm me as everything else has. But whatever lies in that cup is comparable to heaven at this point. I gulp it down as if it was my life essence and it sure feels like it is. Whatever previous haze had clouded my mind dissipates instantly and I uncurl myself from my former fetal position. Bringing my hand to my head, I reach an apprehensive finger towards myself and softly brought it down, releasing a huff of relief as I peel my eyes open.
“Wh-” I clear my throat, ridding myself of the roughness and scratchiness that came from God knows where. “Where am I?”
“You are at the clinic.” The woman, who I now see is some kind of nurse, states so matter of factly that I feel a slight heat rise to my cheeks.
“I know, but where? And how did I end up here?” She offers a gentle, sympathetic smile as if she’s about to say something I wouldn’t like to hear.
“That is what we have been trying to figure out. You were quite lucky. A kindhearted samaritan found you passed out in the woods nearby and brought you here.” The woman gauged my reaction before clasping my hand between hers and giving them a slight squeeze. “I’m afraid we do not know anything else about you.”
“Found me in the woods…” I try ruminating on her words, but nothing comes to mind.
What happened to me?
“The person who found you also brought along the things you had on your person. Would you like them? Perhaps the items will help jog your memory?”
“Yes, please. I’d like that.” As the woman left to go retrieve my things, I couldn’t help thinking about not only what she told me, but how she told you was as well. Her language was so formal, that I would be in the middle of a giggling fit if I weren’t in such a disconcerting situation.
“Um-” I was so entrapped in my thoughts that I didn’t register the nurse standing on the side of the bed, my belongings in her possession. “Sorry, that took a minute, but here are your things.”
“Oh, thank you…” Sifting through my stuff, nothing was jogging any particular memory. Huffing out a desponded sigh, I pick up my cell, praying to some unknown deity there would be a hint in there somewhere. However, I didn’t get a chance to search it when the nurse jumped up from her spot as if she were burned and let out an incredulous, horrified noise the moment I turned it on.
“Wh-What witchcraft is this?!” I stared at her in my own form of disbelief, mouth agape and begging my lips and throat to form some words. “I see now!” She backed away from me, running into and knocking numerous things off the counters. “You are a witch! You were sent here by them to terrorize us!”
“No! Wha- That’s not-”
“I will not hear your lies!” Suddenly, she turns and runs frantically out of the clinic, shouting at the top of her lungs in hysterics that there’s a witch among them. I stay in my unbelieving stupor for only a moment before following her steps, the other people in the clinic frighteningly jumping out of my way.
The woman’s hysterical cries of warning could be heard from outside the clinic and, presumably, down the street as well and when I pushed through the front doors meeting with the chill wind, I could’ve broken into my own hysteric cries as well.
I couldn’t say where I was supposed to be nor why I was here, but what I could tell was this is not where I was supposed to be.
This scene was straight out of a medieval period piece. I shouldn’t be here. My place was in a modern city with lights lining the streets, perfectly manicured greenery, and pristine streets. These dimly lit buildings and sky that blanketed the town in a greyscale created an unfamiliar scene that unnerved my core.
“Is that her?!” A voice brimming with alarmed anger disrupted your jumbled thoughts. Townspeople began pouring out from everywhere: sticking their heads out from their open windows and peeking around the corners of the buildings to catch a glimpse of the witch. Their harsh whispers came from every which way further scrambling my thoughts until the only thing I could think to do was run.
And so I did.
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When I awoke, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of stiffness in my body despite having to make my bed in a flower patch in the woods. Luckily, once I was out of sight from the medieval mob, they seemed to lose interest in pursuing me. At least for now. However, I assumed it’d be best for me to not try my luck there anymore, but that just created another problem. I still had no idea where I was and didn’t know if there was a town close by and I couldn’t exactly go venturing out into the unknown.
So when I finally stood, combing my fingers through my hair to rid myself of leaves and branches, I did the only thing I could think of. There were a few shops on the very outskirts of the town, and perhaps word hadn’t gotten around yet and someone would be willing to help me.
But as I walked into the tattered courtyard, it was as if the buildings had been abandoned. Though I knew that wasn’t the case. If I proved to be a true threat, the girl cowering and whimpering behind a barrel would be screwed before she knew it. And while I smirked at the idea of running up and scarring her for life, I shook the idea off, opting to slowly tiptoe over and peer over the top of the barrel. Her whimpers came to a sudden halt as her wide eyes turned up to look at me, widening further than I thought humanly possible. However, before she could let out what, no doubt would’ve been a horror movie-level scream, I reached out and clamped my hand over her mouth.
“Shh! I swear I’m not a witch, okay!” She trembled so much you swore the ends of her chestnut hair were trembling too. “Please believe me. I’m so hungry and I refuse to die from starvation! That’s so lame. I’d eat this barrel before I let that happen!” The brunette girl’s trembling died down and her face took on a look of confusion and, if you saw correctly, a brief sweep of amusement. She reached her hand up to your wrist and you took the signal to mean you could remove your hand. When you did she sighed in relief an awkward smile painting her features before she spoke in a sweet voice.
“I am sorry. It is just that everyone said-” She cut herself off deciding that I already knew what everyone had been saying about me. “Nevermind that. My name is Kiki.” Unsurely, she extended her hand towards me and I gently shook it, not wanting to frighten her any further.
“I’m…” I knew it was suspicious, but something in me pleaded to not give my real name. “
Kimora
. My name is Kimora.” If Kiki thought the pause was suspicious, she didn’t indicate it.
“Well,
Kimora
, there is a bakery right over there if you would like to eat.” She nodded to the place before taking hold of my wrist once again and leading me the way. I felt the eyes of the people who had come out of hiding, but I didn’t bother to look back.
When Kiki reached the door, a melodic chime sang, meant to signal a new customer. The bright faces of the bakery workers dropped in an almost comedic way when their eyes landed on me. They would’ve probably ran out in hysterics, much like that nurse, had Kiki not held up her hands and asked them to calm down.
“Kiki, what is the meaning of this?” A woman with short, flawlessly done hair walks out from the back of the bakery, sporting an air of authority that immediately made Kiki’s presence shrink.
“This is Kimora." When Anna continued her stern glare, she continued. "Listen, I am sure she is not a witch!” Everyone in the room, including me, is taken aback by Kiki’s declaration, but my heart somewhat warms at her faith in me. “She could not be, she is…” She takes a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking again “She is too nice to be a witch!”
I gawk at her for an extended time, before chancing a glance at the deadly quiet workers, faces mirroring mine in their uncertainty. Yet Kiki stood firm in her belief in me looking ready to argue with anyone who said otherwise.
“Kiki…” The silence is broken by the sophisticated woman from before deeply sighing in resignation.
“I believe her!” A girl with waist-length black hair pipes up from the back, chipper in tone.
“You are not helpi-”
“I do as well!” The woman is interrupted when a boy with uniquely silverish-brown hair throws his two cents into the mix.
“You all know nothing of her!”
“That is irrelevant. Still, I just know it to not be true!” My throat burned as I held back the tears that threatened to spill.
It’s been a long few hours.
“Stop! Everyone, please be silent while I try to make sense of this.” She leans her elbow on the counter, chin in her hand as she contemplates the best possible resolution. “We can not keep her.”
Am I a stray animal?
“Anna I-” Kiki goes to interrupt, but the woman, whom I now know as Anna, holds her hand up to pause her words.
“I understand, I truly do, but it would not be safe to have her stay in the town with any of us. The people want her head, would you rather that?” Kiki and I simultaneously shake our heads, Kiki exhibiting a much more defeated look than me.
Her faith in me truly does spread warmth throughout my being. Though it’s a bit worrying, how easy she seems to trust.
“Well, now what? Willow, do you have any suggestions?” Willow bounces up like she was just unceremoniously awoken from a nap.
“Why would I have anything to suggest?
“I feel you always have something up your sleeve.” While I’m not sure what happened between the two, Kiki seems to be hiding a smirk behind her hands as Willow looks on in irritation.
“I believe I have a sufficient idea.” It was a simply stated, seemingly well-meaning addition to the conversation, but it was met with the groans of the women in the room.
“Minor.” Anna stated sternly in what seemed to be finality.
“You are not going to give me a chance to explain? What great friends.” Anna frowns at him for a period before yielding with a wave of her hand.
“Briar Castle.” Once again, the dumbfounded room went mute, everyone’s wide eyes burning a hole into his as if that’d make him tell them he was just joking. Still, I kept my mouth shut, nothing I said for myself could be of any help in this situation. “It is a good idea, is it not? She is on the run, right? Well, no one ever ventures up there, so it is the perfect place for a runaway! In addition, she could receive payment by helping the masters as a maid.”
The room remained silent, but fear bubbled up in my soul as the faces were painted in various forms of fear themselves. But Minor didn’t budge and persisted that it was a good idea and every rumor about the place was just that, silly rumors.
“Look at it this way: Kimora is not a witch. Who is to say any of the rumors about the masters of Briar are…” He trailed off, eyes shifting to me as if he only just remembered I was there. Swallowing that bubbling fear and stiffening my back, I finally decided to let my voice be heard.
“I’ll go.” Those dumfounded stares turn to me, Kiki swiftly taking my hand, eyes pleading me to reconsider. I couldn’t tell if it was her hand trembling or mine. Trying my best to ease the palpable anxiety permeating the bakery, I put on an easy smile and turned to Kiki. “Thank you, for having so much faith in me. I will never forget that, or you. But, I’m putting you and your friends in danger just by being here. And Minor’s right, I’m on the run, and going somewhere that normal people steer clear of is the best solution here.”
“I am…right? I am right! I knew this day would come!” The tense atmosphere is waved away if only a little at Minor’s triumphant outburst. Though Kiki still keeps a tight grip on my hand, barely-there tremors transfer from her hand to mine.
“I am not sure I can allow this. You could be in danger there.” Anna reaches her hand to gently touch my shoulder, concerned eyes peering into me.
“I’m not any safer down here than I am up there, am I? People down here for sure want me dead, but with the masters at Briar, it’s not one-hundred percent certain they’ll kill me, so what more do I have to lose? Besides, it’s only temporary until I get it together!” I tried to end on a positive note, seemingly working when Kiki’s grip loosened.
“Okay, fine! However, I am escorting you up there!” Her eyes said ‘do not argue with me on this’ and so I didn’t, Minor throwing in that he was willing to be ‘the man of the journey’ since it was ungentlemanly to let two ladies venture on their own.
Everyone seemed to, reluctantly, agree on this arrangement, for the time being, Anna insisting that, for the night, I sleep on the small, run-down bed they kept in the back. Kiki, unwilling to leave my side in fear of someone finding me out, decided she was sleeping next to me. Despite the bed already being cramped, there was no objection on my end. We lay there, faces mere inches apart from each other, nothing but our uneven breathing and the calm sounds of nature could be heard.
“Are you sure you will be okay?” Kiki’s eyes watered and I pulled my arms from beneath the blanket to wipe her fallen tears with my sleeve. Pulling her head to my chest, I felt the wetness of more droplets seep through my shirt.
“I’ll be okay, Kiki. That’s a promise.”