eyes, frowning.
“I’ll get you out of here.”
“I’ll get you out of here.”
Out of here. The only thing I longed to do since I’d stepped foot in this very room, two days ago.
Out of here. The only thing I’d never wanted more in my whole life than I wanted it.
Out of here. The only thing I never thought I’d want so much, and yet, when I saw a hope of it coming true, I’d feel so much worry and…fear.
It was really confusing. I knew with every cell in my body that I wanted to leave the kingdom, that I wanted that ‘Out of here.’ That I needed to go back home. I knew it in my heart. I knew it in my mind, in my soul. But when Janna spoke the words, fear crept into my heart, and for a split second, I thought that it wasn’t actually something I wanted to do.
“Uh-…what?”
“I’ll get you out of here, Marie,” Janna whispered again.
“What do you mean ‘get me out of here’? You mean I can leave? To my country?” My eyes were wide open and my throat was tightly closed.
“Yes. That’s what you want, right?”
“Uh…” What’s wrong with you, Marie Grace? You should be screaming in joy! “I mean…uh, yes, of course. But your broth-”
“I know what he must’ve said, but just forget it, okay? I can’t stand the fact that you’re staying here against your will, on top of everything else that has happened to you. Because of me, that is. I’ll get you out of here and you’ll forget all of this in no time, like a bad dream, I promise,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
“But-”
“There is no but, Marie, let me help. Please, let me fix my mistake, please. I want to fix this.”
What. Is. Wrong with you? A voice in my head screamed at me. I really didn’t know what was wrong with me. The way I was acting, all hesitant and scared, it wasn’t me. I knew I should be jumping up and down in delight. I was finally getting my wish. I was going to get out of this hellhole, with the help of someone who knew the place very well. I wouldn’t need to search for anything or run without any clue as to where I was going like I had planned to do. I should be grateful. I should pray and thank God for answering my prayers. Why the hesitation? Why?
Suddenly, doubt filled my heart. What if this was all a game? What if Janna was testing me, just to learn my intentions and then go tell her brother? What if this was her way of getting back at me for causing all of this trouble between her and her husband?
But, no. It couldn’t be. She wouldn’t do that. She didn’t look like the kind of person who would do that. Just look at her: she was broken and hurt. She was begging me to let her help. She was regretful and only wanted to ‘fix her mistake’ as she put it. She couldn’t be that mean. Or, at all.
I shrugged the thought away from my mind. It was crazy. I was being really paranoid. I should be thankful. Thankful, not doubtful and suspicious.
“Uh...how?”
Janna was just opening her mouth to speak, but before she could do so, we heard a knock on the door.
I just stared at the door then looked at Janna when she didn’t say anything. She pointed with a side nod of her head towards the door, motioning for me to say something to let the person–whom I assumed to be Mona–in, reminding me that it was my place.
My place?
Where the heck did that come from?
“Come in,” I called.
Like I’d assumed, Mona came in, her face now no longer covered. In her hand was something golden that looked like the World Cup, only without the ball, and there was smoke coming out of it.
She looked surprised when she saw Janna but she didn’t say anything, only nodded her head once in greeting or acknowledgment which Janna returned with nod of her own.
Mona then came toward me with the World Cup thing and held it near my face. My eyes widened in fright and I jerked myself back and away from it, shielding my face with my arm–which earned me confused looks from both Mona and Janna.
“What are you doing?” I asked in terror. I couldn’t believe that Mona wanted to burn me with that thing.
“Uh, what do you think,