Prologue
NOTE: The name with a heart beside it depicts that it’s that person’s POV.
NOTE: The POV changes from one person to another within a chapter, only to show what various characters think about the situation from their own perspectives.
Aria♡
you sure that there really is this something abnormal thing, like a force, that is actually pulling you to the car over there right now?” Melina asked, following me cautiously.
“Yes. I don’t know what it is, but I can feel something- a force like you said- pulling me towards that silver car. It feels as though some invisible person or something is pulling me.” I said, walking slowly.
“The last time this something pulled you,” Malaika began. “We found Snowy very badly injured, near the banyan tree.”
I stopped walking. So did Melina and Malaika.
These two were my closest friends. We lived in a house under the care of a kind woman- Bennitee Francus- whom we called Benny. Who had left us under her care, when and why they did that, who our real parents were and where we belonged to- we didn’t know any of this. This house wasn’t an orphanage, because it was just us three with her daughter, Elsie Francus and little son- Hadley Francus and herself. Her husband passed away many years back.
We went to school everyday with Elsie and our close friend and neighbour, Bailey Leverenz.
Coming to this ‘force’ that was pulling me right now, this wasn’t the first time and I knew that it wouldn’t be the last. It happened three times till now and my heart hadn’t yet got accustomed to the tension I faced, everytime it pulled me somewhere. It felt like some invisible being (like a ghost maybe, I don’t know) was pulling me to some location.
The first time I felt it, I was eleven years old. I remember, we three used to play with a cat every evening, until one day. While searching for it, I felt this strange urge to go to the demolished house at the end of our street. I followed the track along with Malaika and Melina.
And we found it there, it’s leg eaten by a dog. But we were glad that at least, it was alive.
The second time when I was fourteen years, I found the bird that used to eat our leftover food everyday, bleeding in our balcony. Its beak was broken.
The third time, when I was fifteen years, our pet street dog- Snowy, was found brutally injured under the banyan tree a few kilometers from our house and if it hadn’t been for this unknown force of mine, we would’ve never known what happened to him.
Now I am seventeen. Seventeen years and eleven months to be accurate, with my birthday coming in a week. Malaika is nineteen and a half and Melina is seventeen and a half.
“I’m... kind of scared.” I swallowed.
“But you’ll never be able to escape from this pulling thing until you find out what it is. So, we have to follow what your instinct is asking you to do now!” Malaika said and Melina nodded in agreement.
“And moreover, that mysterious pull had always led you to a living being in trouble and distress.” Melina added.
“O-kay... ”
I resumed my walk and as we neared a huge silver car, I felt my legs automatically move towards it with great speed. At that point, I knew that whatever/whoever this force was leading me to is somewhere near.
Stay strong Aria, you can do this!
“Slow down!” Melina said, running behind me.
“But it’s getting stronger! I can’t stop!” I said, as my body trembled.
I stopped walking abruptly, in front of the car and took slow steps towards where I was being pulled by this strong sense of gravity. It led me to the right door of the backseat.
With my heart beat rising like the crashing waves, I clicked the handle and tried to open the door. I was dreaded to even think of what I would find. But I couldn’t open it as it was locked from inside. So, I peeped in.
On seeing her inside, I began to scream.
“Naoira! O my God, Naoira is stuck inside!”I tried to open the door very hard, by pulling it’s handle insistently. But it didn’t even creak.
“Aria, What happened!? What is- ” Melina pushed me aside a bit and gasped on seeing what was in the car.
Malaika went to the other side and peeped in.
Naoira Hamel- our six year old neighbour, was trying very hard to breathe but she wasn’t able to. There was no ventilation in the car and blood oozed out from her nostrils as she gasped for air and her life. She was crying bitterly and banging the window glass from inside, speaking out something that we couldn’t hear. Her face was pale and hopeless.
"Oh my f****** gosh! We have to rescue her somehow or she’ll die!”Malaika rushed to our side.
I looked around for anything that was strong enough to break the window and luckily found a pile of huge logs of wood, under an almond tree that was right beside the car.
I lifted one huge log and positioned it accordingly in my hands. Before Malaika and Melina realised what I was doing, I hit the glass with great force.
Again, it didn’t even creak.
Malaika ran to me with another log and helped me. Naoira’s body was motionless by now and I sensed a sick feeling inside of me.
Melina♡
I felt my stomach twist.
As Malaika and Aria tried their level best to break the glass, I felt my nerves twist as well. I stepped back, as I felt nauseated.
The picture of Naoira’s crying face with blood flowing out of her nostrils, lingered in my mind.
I felt dizzy as well.
What is happening to you?! No, you can’t just give up like this Mel!
Amongst the three of us, Malaika was the strongest in situations like these and next came Aria, who wasn’t very strong, but better than me.
Darkness surrounded me as I kept saying stay strong, don’t be a coward to myself.
Stay strong Melina! Don’t be a coward!
I repeated that line many times until I finally defeated the blackness around me. I thought about all the wonderful things that I had in my life and all the things that I dreamt to see and do in future. I didn’t want my weakness- blood, to ruin all of it.
After a few minutes, I was coming back to my normal self again.
Yess! I can do this!
It was only after this, that my heart beats slowed down.
But my knees were still shivering. Blood. Blood was my weakness. Whenever I saw blood, this happened to me. Even during a blood test or as a witness to an accident, this happened to me.
You can do it Melina!
Wearily, I picked up a relatively smaller log and nearly joined them, when Aria placed her palm in front of my face.
“No Mel! You’re already weak! Don’t strain yourself and... be strong.” She gave me a weak smile despite of the tension in her eyes.
I smiled back. She knew me very well.
Aria and Malaika are the best.
"Melina! What’s happening?” I heard Hadley’s tiny voice, beside me.
“Hadley!? Why and how are you here?! Anyway, go and get Naoira’s mom and some more people in our area for help! Fast!” He nodded immediately galloped away towards our street.
Malaika♡
After six to seven futile and weak attempts, together, we both mustered all the strength we had.
“I’ll join you guys.” Melina said. I wasn’t sure but Aria nodded.
So, the three of us together, gave our strongest blow and finally, the glass creaked a bit, giving us hope.
“One more time!”Aria yelled.
Again we did it and the window broke completely.
Yessss!
Aria kicked the door very hard and it broke completely.
I bent in immediately and took Naoira into my hands.
“Naoira! Get up, Naoira!”I shook her entirely in my arms and Aria rubbed her legs.
“Melina? Are you alright?” Aria asked Mel (short for Melina). I admired Aria for caring about Mel, even at this time. We both knew how Mel felt with blood-related things around her, but it quite didn’t strike my mind now due to this turmoil, as it did to Aria.
“Yes, I am! Thank you Aria.” Melina smiled, rubbing Naoira’s hands.
“Naoira!”Her Mother- Mrs. Sofia Hamel, came running with a bewildered expression, along with her own brother and maid. A few others along with Benny, were behind her.
Mrs. Hamel took her daughter into her hands from mine and cried bitterly.
“O my God, she’s bleeding! Someone please call the ambulance! Please!” She hugged her daughter tight, screaming for the ambulance.
“Mrs. Hamel, I already did.” Mel said.
This was what I was always proud of in Mel. In situations like these, I was strong. But she was quick.
“Sofia, please... The ambulance will be here soon... ” Benny began to rub Naoira’s chest.
Aria went to Mrs. Hamel and instructed to the people around,“Please allow the sunlight to fall on her! Don’t crowd around her! And I need some water!” she took a water bottle from one of them in the crowd and put some water in Naoira’s mouth.
Simultaneously, she gently pressed the place where Naoira’s little heart lay.
Naoira coughed a bit in her unconscious state and the relief that we saw on her Mom’s face on seeing her daughter alive, I can never explain in words.
Indeed I am strong and Mel is quick. But Aria is smart.
The sharp noise of siren made echoed through our street grabbing everyone’s attention, indicating the arrival of the ambulance.
As we hurrued to the ambulance along with the helpers, I wondered about a lot of things, looking at a sweating Aria.
Aria has a power for sure... The power of finding her loved ones when they’re in distress or, something like that. She has felt this weird gravity in the past and we still do not know what it is.
But... how is she able to do it? How did she get that... weird power? It doesn’t seem like sixth sense, because this is influencing her physically every time.
Whatever it is, I hope it doesn’t put Aria in danger...
