章 2: Rebirth

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't really expecting what I saw.

I was wearing a flimsy top and my arms and belly was fully exposed. My bottom wear barely covered my private part and my legs felt cold from the whipping wind.

I wore what looked like a sandal with criss-crossing straps. My toes showed painted nails with the brightest scarlet. The heels were elevated and if I were to be honest, I can't imagine how this could be comfortable to walk in.

Where am I?

Is this a new life I'm in?

Am I me or am I someone else?

I heard laughter ringing and I swerved my head to see girls that were the spitting image of the one's I had burned with in Shalem.

"Lizzie, you look like you saw a ghost! We asked you what are your plans for college, speak girl!" the blonde said. If I remember correctly, her name was Alice and she was the youngest to have died that night, age ten.

But, why does she look a bit older? And her clothes are different too.

My immediate surroundings were different from Shalem. Huge structures towered over the horizon and big birds that didn't flap their majestic wings glided in the clear blue skies above.

Was that white smoke coming out of the bird's backside?

"Elizabeth Jennings helloooooo!" another girl called my attention, waving her manicured long nails in front of my face. She had dark brown skin and her curls danced in the wind, stray locks covered the left side of her exotic, striking hazel eyes.

Sussanah Johnson, accused of witchcraft by the age of twenty-eight.

"Ummm…" I stalled. I wasn't exactly sure what to say. My mind was still groggy and clouded I can't barely distinguish my past life from this new one I am in.

Suddenly, memories of my 'current' life flashed in front of me.

Scenes of when I was a child, my parents walking down a beautiful lawn full of flowers. A handheld flat box with colorful people moving inside them.

Little children running around a room with a pine tree that had lights flashing in an irregular pattern. Fire kept their little toes warm.

In this lifetime, it seemed that we were well enough to actually eat three times a day. I even had an extravagant 'debut party' with colorful balloons and a sparkling dress to match.

Handsome young lads danced with me and my father, his face was not the same. This father didn't work his bones dry tilling the land of someone else. He was a business man with employees on their toes at his every call.

I 'remembered' the life I lived in this time.

It seems like I have been reincarnated into what looked like the twenty-first century. My friends, coincidentally, were the girls who burned with me back in Shalem hundreds of years ago.

Alice Wardwell, Sussanah Johnson, Rebecca Carter.

Those were their names back when the people of Shalem condemned us for the sin of being the 'abnormal'.

But in this reality, they were Alicia 'Ali' Smith, Suzanne 'Suzy' Miller, and Rebecca 'Becky' Jennings (my sister); and we lived pretty normal lives.

"Am I in Shalem? Where are we?" I asked no one in particular.

I wasn't sure if this is the same world I lived in or if this was some alternate universe, but I felt giddy. My heart raced and I was torn with the feeling of happiness and regret.

Our life ended so early, and these girls didn't look like they remembered. Was this fate's convoluted plan? What happened after the fire?

"Bruv, pull up the truck. It seems like Lizzie is having one of her episodes again." A guy yelled to the driver. He was vaguely familiar and his voice was a husky, low-toned manly voice.

He was squatting at the back of the truck with the rest of the girls, his right arm swung around Becky in a slightly possessive manner. I felt the metal machine that we were riding swerved suddenly and pulled over the side of a wide cemented road and I lurched at the sudden stop.

I wasn't prepared for the sudden change in velocity.

When father and I used to travel, the fanciest transportation we could afford was a cart that father himself would pull. Horses were pretty expensive and we didn't have the luxury to buy one. The fastest ride I ever experienced was that when William would take me on a horseback ride in the forest.

But even that didn't compare to this contraption's speed. My mouth tasted bitter and my immediate surroundings revolved around me like a spinning top Cory used to play.

Voices were calling out to me and I heard something slam shut.

Footsteps crunched what sounded like cobblestones and I felt the vehicle go down and back up as two men climbed in to see how I was doing.

The sun beat down on my bare skin incessantly and the winds were the only thing that soothed the arid climate. My eyes fluttered in a series of perpetual close and open and I saw circles of white and green flash at the back of my lids.

"Elizabeth, are you ok?" I heard someone ask me as huge strong hands cupped my face. It felt like he was so close because his breath moved my baby hairs the tiniest bit. He smelled like pine trees and he reminded me of the forest that I used to play in.

I opened my eyes and I did a double-take.

"William." I blurted, my voice shaking from the shock of seeing the familiar contours of his well chiseled jawline. His hair all ruffled yet handsomely arranged that way. His eyes were still the most beautiful shade of purple that sparkled in the morning sun.

"Elizabeth, do you need anything?" he knitted his brows, deciding maybe what to do and asked. His lips moved and I longed to touch their softness with mine. But I resisted the urge to do so.

I will never forget.

William betrayed me.

He broke my heart and I vowed that William Bernards will pay.

"Dude she called you what? I think the heat made her delirious. Maybe we should just let Lizzie ride shotgun this time." Another guy suggested. I trailed my eyes to where the voice came from. It was someone with a huge frame, muscles etched on his tight shirt that read, 'Lovely Tainted Roses'.

"I'll carry her to the front. You ok with that Lizzie? Or can you stand up and walk?" the buff guy asked me as I continued my dazed situation.

He was so big and kind of scary but his voice was gentle and caring.

"I-I think I can walk." I said feebly.

"Oh, good then. You insisted to ride at the back with the girls but we haven't even gone one mile and you already turned like this." The muscled guy tutted.

"You will ride at the front with me until our next stop. You can rest and sleep while we are on the road." Will said.

I didn't understand why but I remembered my last memories of Shalem and Will, and prospect of riding with the man who betrayed me and left me to burn at the stake didn't sound appealing to me at all.

I reached out to clutch Will's shirt and I hissed vehemently,

"Traitor."