She cocked the gun, put it to her head.
Marjorie pulled the trigger.
Past: Annie’s Mind Games
“J enna, you’ve been doing much better. Very soon you won’t need me anymore,” Annie said.
“But I can’t stop talking to you! You’re the only one that understands me!” Jenna said.
Annie looked sympathetic.
“I’ll tell you what, make sure to keep in touch with your friend, Brooke. She seems like a good support system,” Annie said with a smile.
“Now, let’s go ahead and do our last hypnosis treatment today. I think after today, we should take a break from hypnosis, at least for a while.”
“Sure,” Jenna agreed, closing her eyes and sitting up straight.
“Okay, release all of your negative energy and focus on your favorite place in the whole world.”
Jenna relaxed.
“Imagine you are with Inanna. She wants to rectify your friendship. She wants to know why things are the way they are. Now you are asleep.”
Jenna collapsed to the floor.
“You are going to cut her out of your life for good. It’s for the best. No matter what conflicting feelings you have, you will not be friends with Ina any longer. You will not stop loving Keith, because although that’s confusing for you, it will keep you away from Ina. Now, wake!” she commanded in Jenna’s ear.
Jenna woke up groggily, and Ria helped her up.
“What happened?”
“Oh, nothing. You fell asleep during hypnosis and lost your balance, that’s all. Want some water?”
“Sure,” Jenna said holding her head and sitting down to recollect her thoughts.
“I think that should be the last hypnosis for you.” Annie said with a smile.
Present: Valerie Visits
T he doorbell rang. It was a quarter past ten at night, so it was an odd time for someone to visit.
Marjorie stared at the gun and her face went white. She let out a sob, and opened the gun chamber. The bullet was stuck. Somehow, she had managed to mess up even her own suicide attempt, or maybe it was fate? She was relieved and angry all at the same time.
Marjorie quickly shoved the gun back into the safe, wiped her tears, and walked to a small wall mirror to fix her disheveled hair.
Ding dong. Ding Dong.
Whoever was at the door was eager.
She didn’t even look through the peephole; Marjorie just opened the door.
“Can I help you?” she asked the woman, who was standing in the rain with a rainbow umbrella.
“Are you Marjorie Preston?”
“Yes ma’am.” She hoped it wasn’t more bad news.
“I’m Valerie Garcia, Keith Merritt’s defense attorney.”
Marjorie hesitated.
“I know these normally aren’t business hours, but I've been working on the case and I was hoping you could answer some questions for me.”
Any other time, Marjorie wouldn’t let some stranger into her home. Tonight, she was a different Marjorie. She opened the door wide, inviting the woman in.
“Excuse the mess. It’s been…you know…”
The house looked like the beginning of a hoarding hobby. Tissues, old dishes, and dirty cups with molded drinks sprinkled the living room. It was nothing like Marjorie to be this careless. She had lost all interest in life itself.
“I’m sorry to hear about your daughter, Ms. Preston.”
Marjorie shook her head, removing the thought of Ina possibly lying dead somewhere. She swallowed back the tears.
“Please, have a seat.” Marjorie showed her to the living area. “Would you like something to drink? Coffee, tea?”
“A glass of water, if you don’t mind,” Valerie answered.
As Marjorie went to the kitchen, Valerie stood up to look around the living room. She noticed a family picture of Marjorie, Liam, and Ina on the wall. It must have been at least five years old, featuring two proud parents of an unsmiling teenage girl.
Marjorie came back into the living room.
“Here…tea and water. I had already made a pot. Helps me sleep better.”
It crossed Marjorie’s mind, that if that bullet had gone off, the pot of tea would have been useless. Maybe even destiny had a funny way of working out the logistics of brewing a pot of tea right before a failed attempted suicide.
“Lovely family photo,” Valerie noted.
“Thank you.” Marjorie smiled, as she took a sip of her tea. “Ina hated pictures. This was one of the few I could convince her of. It was a Groupon.” The memory made her smile.
Valerie just smiled back sympathetically. Valerie knew she hadn’t gone there for small talk, but she could tell Marjorie was a nice woman. From the looks of it all, it was clear Marjorie had lost everything in her life, including her hope. She looked borderline insane. Talking about the picture made Marjorie seem more relaxed though.
“Ms. Preston…”
“Please, call me Marjorie…” she interrupted.
“Marjorie, my name is Valerie Garcia. I’m a public defense attorney, and I was assigned Keith’s case.” She showed her identification card to Marjorie.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Marjorie nodded, then looked down at the floor, and took another sip of her tea. “So, what exactly can I help you with?”
“Do you mind if I take some notes?” Valerie asked.
“Sure.”
“Do you have any reason to believe that Keith would hurt your daughter, or that he…” Although Valerie was a very experienced and professional lawyer, she was always cautious when questioning families. She knew trust was the best way to get the most thorough answers. “…that he could’ve murdered her?”
Marjorie smiled, because she knew Keith could be many things, but a murderer was not one of them.
“No, Keith would never hurt anyone. Especially Inanna.” She paused, remembering how much she knew Keith had loved Ina, and how much she wished Ina loved him the same. She knew she had pushed their relationship, and it wasn’t until the end that she had realized how unhappy her daughter truly was.
“Sometimes love can turn to hate, and they had just recently broken up,” Valerie added.
“Yes, but Keith is not a murderer.”
“Did your daughter have any enemies?”
“No, my daughter was her own worst enemy.”
“Why do you say that? Do you think she planned her disappearance?”
“No, I’m not saying that.” She thought of the right words. “Ina was always worried about people. Even though she had few friends, she worried about hurting others. Always making decisions to please others instead of herself. She had this phobia – a phobia of being alone. She often felt like she was being watched by others.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened her eyes again. “I don’t know what happened to my daughter, Valerie. All I know is that Jenna, the girl who I used to think was Ina’s best friend, has been very unpredictable lately.”
“Unpredictable?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I have time,” Valerie reassured her.
For the next few hours, Marjorie divulged all that had happened in the past three years. Her fabricated divorce. Liam’s disappearance. Ina’s accidents and losing her memory. Jenna moving to California, and then showing up Christmas day to make a scene. The letter Jenna mailed Ina.
“Do you have that letter?” Valerie was onto something.
“No, Ina took it. Trust me, I’ve looked everywhere for it.”
“Thank you for your time, Marjorie. If you need anything, here’s my business card. And if you could please – keep this visit confidential.”
“Of course. And thank you – for listening. The investigators are so focused on Keith, that I think they’re missing a lot of pieces to this story.”
“Well, it’s my job to make sure I fill in the gaps. We wouldn’t want the wrong person paying for a crime they didn’t do,” Valerie said.
Marjorie walked Valerie out, and let out a sigh of relief. Maybe there was hope.
Past: The Boy
T oday, she almost got hit by a car while riding her bike. Why would she do that? She’s getting braver. Which is fine - I want her to be - but she needs to be more careful. I really worry about her.
I wonder if she saw me? Probably not. If I hadn’t been there, she could’ve been really hurt - or even...I don’t want to say it.
If something happened to her, I couldn’t live with myself.
Present: Ria is Pensive
R ia sat against a tree trunk, looking into the night sky. I hope I’m making the right decision, she thought to herself. She looked down at the rotting roots on the ground. It was evident the Core Disease was spreading through the vegetation quickly. It was only a matter of time before all the plants would be infected, which would ultimately determine Cova’s fate. She had no other choice.
“Ria, what are you doing out here?” asked an innocent young girl troll.
“Just thinking,” she said with a slight smile.
“About what?” she asked naively.
Ria sighed, and looked at the sun that was setting in the sky. “About a lot of things; how life hits you hard, how our planet is dying. How some people find love and others don’t.”
The girl looked curious but puzzled.
“Never mind,” Ria said, realizing the curious troll would not comprehend the gravity of her worries.
“Wanna play a game of marbles?” the troll girl asked sweetly.
Ria just smiled, admiring the girl’s innocence. It was rare to meet a troll with a pure heart, but it would only be a matter of time before the rest of the mob would brainwash her.
“Sure. Why not?” Ria smiled.
Ria played with the young troll, attempting to enjoy the moment. It was only a matter of time until she and the vicious army would burst into Euron’s walls. This could only mean one thing, victory or death.
For a moment, she remembered how close she and Zech used to be. The days when Zech and Salixz trusted her and looked to her for guidance. Ria missed those days.
But now it was too late.
It was far too dire of a situation to bother worrying about old friendships and hurts. Now it was time to survive. She knew the only way to cure Cova was through sacrifice. She was willing to sacrifice her own life if that’s what it took. Ria was determined to get to Nefertiti and bring her to Inanna, and that’s what she was going to do.
This was the only way to save Cova and its people. Nefertiti and Ina’s powers combined could create a cure for the Core Disease – at least this is what Meretseger had said before they began their mission to find Inanna. Even if it meant Zech and Salixz had to hate her. She silently hoped it could have gone differently, but they just didn’t listen.
Past: An Encounter Years Ago
I na was fifteen years old, and she had gone to stay the summer with Pipa. This year, Jenna was unable to accompany her. Ina sat on the wraparound porch, this time, not afraid of being alone. A sudden peace had overcome her this particular day, and the beauty of the landscape kept her outside. Pipa had dozed off on the couch inside, and the dog kept barking at the wooded area.
“Shhh, you’ll wake Pipa,” Ina said.
Polo kept barking.
“What is it, boy?” Ina felt uneasy for a brief moment, and she looked out into the conservation area.
Suddenly, Polo stopped barking and ran inside.
Ina looked out again and a heavy breeze began to blow her hair wildly. Standing up to get a better view, squinting in the sunlight and shading her eyes, she suddenly felt something drawing her to walk out towards the trees. She looked back to see if Pipa was still sleeping. She bit her lip and wondered if she should go with her instincts. It wasn’t usual that Ina felt brave, but something today gave her a courage she didn’t usually possess.
Inanna began to walk. Each step made her wonder if she was going crazy, or maybe she was finally outgrowing her fears. Then, she suddenly saw him. He was young boy about her age, all alone on the ranch.
Ina was taken back, not by fear or the fact that his eyes pierced hers, but because her heart fluttered wildly in her chest. She swallowed nervously. Eyebrows raised, trying to figure out what to say, she stood a few yards away with no words.
“Hi,” she finally spoke.
The boy said something in Covian; he looked confused, trying to find the right words.
“Are you lost?” she asked, wondering if he could even understand her.
The boy slowly came closer. Finally, face to face with Ina, the boy put both palms up in a frozen gesture. Ina giggled a bit, making the boy feel embarrassed. He quickly turned around and began walking into the wilderness.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Wait!” she yelled as she caught his hand.
As soon as she touched him, it was as if electricity pulsated between the both of them, making her pull away for a moment. She stood bewildered as he just looked deep into her eyes.
“Do you speak English?” she asked.
A touch was all he needed. A touch to quickly feel her energy, to understand the words that were coming out of her mouth. In an instant, the English words began to form in his mouth.
“Ye – yes,” he said bewildered.
“Zech!” a voice called out in the distance.
“I have to go,” he said abruptly.
“But – wait! You just got here…” Ina remarked.
Zech began to run and Ina ran after him. She was bewildered by his speed and sudden agility.
“Wait!” she hollered after him.
Suddenly, they both stopped in their tracks. Right before them stood Ria.
“Zech,” Ria said sternly.
Ria began speaking in Covian, as if she were scolding Zech. Zech touched her, and suddenly she began speaking in English.
“What?” Ria touched her lips.
“It’s their language, I just needed to touch her to know it. It’s amazing!” Zech said with a smile.
“Zech, what are you doing?” Ria asked angrily. “We could get killed out here!”
“Wait, I know you,” Ina declared.
“You know her?” Zech asked.
“No, she doesn’t…”
“Wait, yeah, at recess? Clearwater Elementary, remember? The teachers would always give you a hard time for showing up. I always felt that was so unfair. Were you homeschooled or something?” Ina was rambling.
“What? You’ve been to Clearwater?” asked Zech suspiciously.
“No, you have me mistaken for someone else,” Ria snapped quickly. “C’mon Zech, let’s go.”
“Wait, where are you going? You guys can come in if you’d like?” Ina suggested.
“No,” Ria said quickly.
“Ria, you’re being a bit harsh.” Zech countered.
“I’m not. We shouldn’t be here, you know that,” Ria fired back.
“Well, if you ever wanna stop by, I’m here all summer,” Ina said with a smile.
“That won’t be happening,” Ria said as her eyes glowed green to erase Ina’s memory.
Ria grabbed Zech by the hand and they bolted back to the orb. Inanna stood up, not remembering how she got out to the field alone. Her paranoia came back, as she ran back to the house and locked the door behind her.
Present: Ria’s Nightmare
R ia laid on the familiar cot in the troll cave, wishing the smell didn’t bring back so many awful memories of her childhood. Finally, she dozed off and began dreaming.
“Ria! Ria!” yelled Febus.
Ria was almost ten years old, as she hid inside the kitchen cupboard.
“Leave her alone, Febus, she’s just a child.”
“Shut up, you old fool!” he said as he slapped his wife, Shakrah across the face, knocking her to the floor.
Shakrah remained on the ground, fearing for her life as she did every time Febus lashed out at her.
“You’re going to pay for this, R
ia! I know you hid the gem!” he yelled.
Ria knew that what she did was wrong, but she knew the gem didn’t belong to Febus. One day, Ria found a letter with the jewel in a small box that was carefully hidden in Febus’ quarters. Ria would never dare enter the room by her own accord, but he had called for her that evening, and she had just found it there. Ria knew that when Febus gave an order, there was no use in giving a rebuttal.
Febus had made her rub his feet for hours, making her small hands sore and cramped. Then, he tossed her a rag and water pail for her to scrub the hard floors of his wing. Refusing anyone else to clean his room – he said Ria owed him for his family taking her in. When he finally fell asleep that night, she noticed the box shimmering in the dim light. Inside the box was a rare, red stone. The gem looked valuable, and Ria suddenly sensed it did not belong to Febus. Her intuition was strong, and after several nights of fighting her gut, she snuck into the room and took the precious stone. She then went into the dark forest and buried the box for no one to find.
“Ria!” Febus yelled louder.
The other trolls knew what was coming, and so did Ria.
“I can smell you,” he taunted.
“Please, Febus!” yelled Shakrah.
“Gotcha!” he hollered, as he swung open the cabinet.
Ria let out a scream, and Febus grabbed her by the hair, dragging her out of the cupboard. Shakrah begged and pleaded, tugging at Febus’ arms. Unable to stop him, she resigned. He was massive and unstoppable. Ria was whipped over ten times on her dainty hands. The leather straps with crushed shells and metal, tearing at her flesh. This was her punishment for taking the box and stone. That day, her pain grew into anger, and not a tear fell from her eyes.
“I can’t wait to be done with you on your tenth birthday! You will be married and gone!” Febus grumbled when he was done.
Ria’s flesh was raw and torn for weeks. Each night Shakrah would clean Ria’s hands, rub them with ointment, and wrap them in medicinal leaves and cloth.
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