Heart of Darkness

“Mama, where are we going?”

Angelica was afraid as her mother walked her through the empty woods.

“We are going to meet your mother’s friend. She is a nice lady,” her mother smiled.

The tall trees stood tall and crowded covering the sky with their leaves and casting a shadow over them. Angelica got a bad feeling. She didn’t like wherever they were going but her mother insisted they had to go there.

When they came out of the woods they found a cave. Angelica halted and pulled at her mother’s arm. “No mama, please. I don’t want to go in there.”

Her mother knelt down and stroked her arms. “I know it’s frightening my dear, but I am here with you. Your mother won’t let anything happen to you.”

Her mother gave her a hug and then led her into the dark cave. Angelica was afraid as she couldn’t see anything. Her other senses were heightened instead, listening to any threat. She heard the faint sound of humming and as she tried to listen suddenly something moved in the darkness. Angelica squealed and went to hide behind her mother while she heard the flexing of wings in the dark.

“It is just a bat,” her mother assured. “Come,” she took her hand and led her further in. Angelica felt cold, even though it was a hot summer day. But this cold was different. It reached deep into her bones and she shivered.

Suddenly the cave lit up and the darkness was gone. Many candles burned around them and a cloaked woman stood with them in the middle of all the lights and the bats hanging from the cave’s ceiling. Her long gray hair was a contrast to the black cloak she wore and her dark eyes looked directly at her. Angelica felt as though the old woman could see through her, see what was going on in her mind and what she was feeling.

The old woman narrowed her eyes then turned to her mother. “I see you have come,” she spoke, her voice cutting through the air with its sharpness.

Her mother tightened the hold on her hand, “yes, I have made up my mind.”

“Good,” the woman said moving around the table that was placed between them.

Angelica’s heart pounded hard in her chest as the old lady came closer and closer until she stood right in front of them. She crouched so her face came to the same level as Angelica and then studied her with those frightening black eyes.

“You are beauty,” she said then she held out her hand. Angelica was afraid and looked up at her mother. Her mother gave her a nod.

Carefully, Angelica placed her hand in the woman’s hand. The old lady’s long slender fingers wrapped around her hand and she closed her eyes. When she opened them again a smile curved her lips. “You are indeed the prophetess,” she said.

“Can you help her?” Her mother asked worriedly.

The old lady studied Angelica thoughtfully. “I can, but there is a price.”

“As long as you can help her I will pay as much as you want.”

The old lady chuckled. “I am not speaking of money,” she said standing up and looking at her mother. “I will need to use magic and that has a price that either you or your daughter will have to pay.”

Her mother frowned. “What is the price?” she wondered.

The old Lady turned around and went to the table.”Come here,” she ordered.

Her mother took led her hesitantly to the old lady.

“I want her to lie down here,” the old woman said.

Angelica looked at her mother frightened and her mother smiled at her. “Don’t be afraid. I am here,” she said and then carried her up and sat her on the table.

Angelica did as her mother told her and lay down. Her mother kept holding her hand as the old woman loomed over her. She placed one hand on her forehead.

“There is one thing I can do,” the woman said after a while of silence.

Her mother listened carefully.

“I can take away her prophetic abilities.”

Her mother sighed in relief. “You can do that?”

“Yes.”

The relief on her mother’s face disappeared and she became serious. “And what is the price?”

“Well, when I take her abilities I need to place them somewhere else. Somewhere that will hold these abilities equally well as your daughter. The price will be someone who shares the same blood.”

“You can give them to me,” her mother said.

“It won’t work,” the woman said. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

“Why not?”

“That I can’t tell you. I just know it won’t.”

“Then you can’t help her?”

“I can,” the woman looked at her mother’s belly. “It’s a boy.” She said.

Her mother touched her stomach. “It is?”

The woman nodded.

“You don’t mean you will…”

“Yes. That is what I mean.”

“But… he is not born yet.”

“He doesn’t have to be. The prophetic mind is already given before birth so it will work perfectly.”

Her mother shook her head looking sad. “What is the point of saving one child and putting the other one in danger?”

“Prophets are women. If your son keeps his secret well, no one will suspect him. He will be safer with the abilities than your daughter. There is no completely safe way.”

Her mother was thoughtful for a moment. “Will this harm my son?”

The woman smiled. “No. Your son will be born strong and healthy.”

Her mother took a deep breath and then nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

“You made a good decision,” the woman told her. “Now this will be painful for your daughter while I do it but I will erase it from her mind later.”

Her mother looked at her apologetically. “No, mama. I don’t want to do this.” Angelica cried.

“I am so sorry, my dear. But everything will be alright,” her mother stroked her hair as tears filled her eyes.

Everything after that was blurry and Angelica wasn’t sure what was happening. All she could see was her mother crying as she held her down and Angelica screamed in pain that shot through her head. She kept crying begging her mother to stop and her mother kept apologizing through her own cries.

And then it stopped, the pain stopped and Angelica opened her eyes slowly. She stared at the white ceiling as tears streamed down her face.

“Mother,” she whispered.

She wanted to go back to her dream, even if it was painful just to see her mother once again. To feel her touch, hear her voice, and feel the warmth of her hug. She had been able to smell her. The sweet scent of baked bread since she found her mother baking every morning.

Angelica sat up, finding herself in another home than the one she grew up in than the one that held her mother’s memories and carried her scent. Her chest tightened as a strong longing took over her and she buried her face in her hands and cried.

As she cried, she remembered more things from the past. All the nightmares she had been suffering when she was little and all the times her mother slept with her to keep her company at night.

She was the prophetess. The one with the blessing and the curse. The one who was saved from it and her brother had to suffer for it. He had to carry her burden. Angelica cried even more. Her chest felt heavy, her cries choked her and she felt lost and lonely.

“Oh William,” she was sorry. For all the time she had seen him struggling without parents by his side. With only a young sister who didn’t know much, who was still grieving the loss of her mother, who felt lonely without the support of her father. What could she do to ease his pain?

She lay down again, not wanting to get out of bed today. She was not one to escape the pain but today she really wanted to. Closing her eyes she tried to go back to sleep.

When she woke up again, her head throbbed in pain. Angelica groaned as she got out of bed. She felt a different kind of tiredness. One that was just simply not wanting to do anything. She just wanted the day to pass so she could sleep again. Waking up meant existing and having all those feelings that came with it.

After washing up and getting dressed, she went to sit outside. Not because she wanted to enjoy the weather today. She was not in the mood to enjoy anything. She felt a strange emptiness in her chest. Frightening and a little comforting.

Speaking of frightening, she didn’t react much when she felt the danger signals this time. Her eyes just traveled straight to the gate where she found Constantine waiting.

He was wasting his time coming here. She didn’t have what he wanted.. The old woman took away everything that could expose her as a prophetess.