Chương 14: Town Legend
Kiera's POV(Continued)
Sarah was quite tall for a girl. She was at least 5’6 which put her six feet over me. She was not only tall but had the shape of a model, all legs and a very curvaceous body. She was blonde and blue eyed, ticking off each box for a heroine in every stereotypical high school teen movie there was. I just hoped she wasn't as vain and mean as them.
I clasped her hand gratefully. “Nice to meet you Sarah. I'm Kiera. Kiera Ba….Brooke.”
My new surname was going to take some getting used to. I don't know how mother had done it, but she had convinced someone at the records office that not only had we been victims of a house fire, we had no families whatsoever seeing as she was a single woman raised in the orphanage and my dad was dead.
We got new names, papers and everything. It was like Frank never existed. Now, if only the emotional scars he'd caused my mum could heal, the world would be great. And also if I didn't have to go to school anymore.
She frowned quizzically “Brooke? Any relation to Nana Brooke?”
She looked me over, this time more carefully, a wariness enveloping her stance that hadn't been there before.
“No? I don't know who that is.”
Though, I was pretty certain I'd heard the name before.
“She was a real famous baker around here. But in truth, she was revered because she was a really powerful witch. One of the most powerful to have ever existed.” She explained, her stare still oddly intense.
“Okay?” I replied, shrinking back a millimeter.
“Legends have it that the town is still standing because of her.”
“Really?” I couldn't help asking, getting sucked into her tale against my will.
“Yes. Over a hundred years ago, our beloved town was invaded by demons. They possessed people and those they didn't possess, they killed and tortured. It was thanks to Nana Brooke's bravery that we were saved. She and some other witches cast a spell that banished them into the underworld. But the spell, like all powerful magic, required a sacrifice. Nana Brooke had to sacrifice herself for the town's sake. Now her soul guards the door between our world and theirs.” She concluded regally.
“What? Is she still trapped there?” I asked, horrified. I'd be horrified if her tale was true that is.
“Oh no. She's dead, dead. Like for real kind of dead. It's her soul that can't move on to the afterlife.”” She hastened to assure me.
“Oh.” I deflated. “It was a nice tale though.”
“You don't believe me?” She raised a brow at me quizzically.
“No, it's not that. I just don't really believe in magic and anything, you know, supernatural.” In this, I was the same with Frank.
Infact, the only reason we went to church was because some of his co-workers and the captain were christians. I'm certain mum believes in the existence of God though. It's not that I don't believe in the existence of a higher power, it's just been something abstract for me, you know like a white noise in the background. It's there, but easily overlooked as well.
“You don't believe magic exists?” She asked skeptically.
“Not unless I'm watching a Disney movie.” I replied succinctly.
If this was going to ruin our budding friendship, then it was best to set her straight. Magic was nothing but fantasy. A make believe world created by someone desperately wishing to escape their life, nothing more.
Strangely, her stance relaxed and her smile became genuine once more. Why did I get the feeling the tale she had told me was a test of some sort? Was she expecting me to jump on the wagon and start declaring my worship of the occult or something?
“Why did you tell me the tale of Nana Brooke?”
“No reason in particular. It's just an old town legend that we all grew up listening to. I figured since you don’t visit home much, you might not have heard of her.”
“Wait, how did you know that I’ve never been to Llanwrtyd?” Was there something on my face that gave me away?
“You just have that look about you. Besides, I was born and raised here and I've never met anyone with the last name Brooke.”
“Really? How is that possible? How many people live in the entire town?”
“Actually, I don't think I've ever bothered to keep count. A little over nine hundred, I think.”
Huh, that was a little higher than I expected to be honest. “But wait, if so many people live here, why is there no hotel in town?”
“But there's a hotel. Gracie's.”
“That's a BnB! It’s not qualified to be called anything else.” I declared with a sniff and she laughed heartily.
“So which of your parents is from Llanwrtyd?” she asked after her laughter had died down.
“None of my parents are from Llanwrtyd.”
“Are you certain about that?” She asked in a slightly affronted voice.
“Yes, I’m sure. I should know better than you, right? And why do you want to know?” I turned the questions on her, feeling peed off by her persistence.
She smiled congenially. “It's just that outsiders very rarely settle here, that’s why I figured you had to be one of us.”
“Why do people not settle here? Too remote?” Too deep into the middle of nowhere? Too heavy on the crazy?
“Something like that.” She replied, still smiling. I had the feeling she smiled a lot.
A bell chimed from somewhere and Sarah glanced up unconsciously. She turned to me and took my class schedule from me. I think everyone here was handsy.
“You've got social science, same as me! C’mon, I'll walk you to class.”
Oh thank goodness! I'd been afraid to even imagine how I would even begin to find my class in this stupid maze. Does this mean she is my friend? I hope she is my friend. Every high school movie I’ve ever watched told me that the first girl I met on the first day of school that was nice to me was my best friend whom I told everything to.
Sarah clasped my hands in hers and dragged me down the hall behind several other students.
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