Promises Beyond The Veil O f Light ( PT 9 )

Picture is by pixabay free images.

A Story In 48 Parts.

 

Part Nine

 

 

 

 

Sammy stood at the side of Willowmina's bed with a tray of sandwiches and milk. “Mina...Mina! Wake up.”

 

Willowmina opened her eyes wondering for a moment where she was. Suddenly remembering and turning over she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and stretched. “How long have I been asleep?” Mina murmured, pushing herself up to sitting. Shivering she slipped the hood of her coat back away from her head, feeling dozy from dreaming.

 

“Only a couple of hours,” replied Sammy, placing the tray down on the bed.

 

“Thanks,” whispered Mina, glad that at least she'd not have to go downstairs. “Where's the bathroom? I need to pee.” She said it like it was a demand, but the girl was desperate.

 

Sammy smiled and pulled Mina up off the bed. “Come on I'll show you.” Mina took off her coat and slung it on the bed as she was dragged across the room and out the door.

 

Taking Mina by the hand, Sammy crept across the landing and downstairs to the next floor. The bathroom was the first door they came to on the first landing. Mina entered turning on the light.

 

“See you back upstairs,” uttered Sammy making a quick escape back up to their room.

 

Inside there was a white toilet and sink, with a shower over a bath that looked inviting. Mina would have loved to take a shower at that moment, but knew it was the wrong time even if she'd never had a shower in a proper bath before. All they'd had at the cabin was a tin one which hung on the wall when it wasn't being used. It was a case of heating water from the well over the fire. All this modern stuff was a far cry from anything she was used too.

 

After using the toilet Mina gazed at her reflection in the mirror, her long hair was now a tangled mess and needed washing which was the last thing she wanted to think about at that moment. Mina smoothed her fingers across her cheeks, her eyes were red and expressionless, there wasn't a single sparkle left in them.

 

Looking around again Mina noticed the yellow floral curtains hanging from the bathroom window with wild flowers on which reminded Mina of the forest with it's blue bells, daisies, buttercups and dandelions, little reminders of home.

 

Washing her hands, she came out of the bathroom and gazed at all the doors along the first landing, wondering which one belonged to Jason, she knew to stay away from that bedroom, her sanity depended on it.

 

Sammy stood at the top of the stairs waving Mina up. “Come on, I want to show you my wardrobe. If you want to borrow any of my clothes, you're welcome.” Sammy ran back in all excited.

 

Although they were the same size, Willowmina didn't think she'd the same choice in clothing as Sammy, judging by her appearance of a floral dress that revealed her flat chest. Mina was more for tracksuits and black leggings with Dr Martins, being pretty didn't even register in Mina's world.

 

Climbing the stairs there was a sudden explosion of sound coming from one of the bedrooms. It sounded like the whole house was quaking. “What on earth is that?” Declared Mina with mouth open and nearly jumping out of her skin, as she rushed back into the bedroom.

 

“Oh! Don't worry, that's just Jason listening to his heavy metal music. He always plays just before sleeping.”

 

Willowmina would have been doing her homework before sleeping and didn't know how she'd manage with all the noise. It sounded like a war zone to her.

 

“Doesn't it annoy Rose and Peter being so loud?” Questioned Mina.

 

“Nah! They just let Jason get on with it, he only plays for about half an hour before sleep.”

 

Mina felt stifled by everything. What with the noise and Sammy wanting to show her clothes she had no interest in. Downstairs was no better with children screaming, it was more than she could take.

 

Mina plonked herself back down on the bed feeling like she just wanted to runaway, but with nowhere to go it was an impossible thought. She wasn't even listening as Sammy produced a wardrobe of flowery dresses and asked if she wanted to wear any of them.

 

“Well!” Said Sammy. “What do you think, is there anything here that takes your fancy?” The girl stood to the side of the wardrobe door, hands out holding a very short flimsy dress, looking as if she were a matador ready for a charging bull.

 

The lion, witch and the wardrobe jumped into Mina's mind for some strange reason and she wanted to burst out laughing, but couldn't be bothered to explain herself, so just declared that she was too tired to try on any clothes and began eating the sandwiches.

 

“Are you going to unpack your stuff?” Inquired Sammy staring down at the bags.

 

Mina just couldn't be bothered, “I'll unpack tomorrow when I'm not so tired. Right now I just want to sleep.” Taking out the pajamas her mum got her, she placed the bags under her bed and was about to put them on, but then decided she couldn't be bothered, so placed them back in the carrier and went to bed fully dressed.

 

Sammy felt deflated with the lack of interest, leaving Mina to her sleep. “I'm going downstairs, I'll see you tomorrow.”

 

Mina didn't answer or even flinch, she was soon breathing deeply and dreaming of being anywhere other than in this house that became quieter as the evening wore on. Downstairs Peter was finishing the washing up while his wife was having a little me time before retiring.

 

Jason lay on his bed in silence hands resting behind his head, gazing up at the Art-ex ceiling, tracing patterns with his eyes. He was angry about Mina's arrival, she'd put him off his heavy metal music he was playing.

 

That girl pisses me off! He thought to himself. Why'd she have to come here? There must be loads of other foster homes that could take her in. He heard the usual creak on the stairs and knew those footsteps well. It was Sammy on her way up. He waited for the knock and smiled when there was a rat a tat tat.

 

“Jason, you awake?” She whispered. The boy didn't answer. “Jason, can I come in?” Still he didn't respond. After a pause, he heard her tut, tut and sidle up to the attic.

 

Jason turned over and enveloped himself in the quilt, not bothering to get undressed either, he was tired and had more important things on his mind, like how he was going to get rid of the witch girl. He believed in magic and was wary of Mina. He'd heard of and seen films of witches putting spells on people, making voodoo dolls where they stick pins in them. It sent shivers through the boy at the thought. As far as he was concerned the girl was trouble with a capitol T. Closing his eyes the boy soon nodded off.

 

***

 

Early before daylight next morning Mina awoke frightened and in a panic, struggling with the quilt she'd managed to wrap herself up so well, she resembled an embalmed mummy, even her face was covered. “Help!” She called out in alarm, waking her room mate.

 

Sammy stirred at the noise, dazed and wondered what was going on. Turning she saw Mina falling out of bed as she tried desperately to escape her duvet. The girl lay on the floor hair disheveled, reminding Sammy of a cave woman from a picture in a book she'd seen at the school library.

 

“What's up, did you have a nightmare?” Sammy whispered laughing.

 

Mina wasn't amused. “It's not funny, I thought I was dying, it was so dark and hot I couldn't breathe entombed in that awful quilt.”

 

“It's still funny,” exclaimed Sammy, now fully awake and sitting up wiping the sleep from her eyes. “Mum says you don't have to go to school today. I think she's planning on taking you to town to buy some new clothes...you are lucky.”

 

Willowmina on the other hand didn't think the same as she pushed herself up and came to standing. Mina sauntered off out the bedroom door without another word to Sammy, who flopped back down and turned on her side still sleepy.

 

Remembering the bathroom was on the next floor down, she crept passed Jason's door hoping not to disturb him. That's when she noticed the squeaky floor board and counted the steps down to discover which one to avoid on her escape.

 

Mina had decided she wouldn't be staying here, however nice the family were. She needed to find Evie this friend of her mum's and find out about her mother's will. If she couldn't go home, she'd decided that sleeping on a park bench would be better than spending every night with that awful quilt, in such a hot house. After all! She thought, I've slept in worse conditions than that. But now all Mina needed was the toilet.

 

The clock on the wall said 4.50 am, Mina was the only one up. After using the bathroom, she crept back up to the attic room being careful not to wake Sammy who had now fallen back to sleep. Picking up her backpack and coat, she never bothered about the two carrier bags, but just sauntered down to the kitchen still fully dressed. Checking out her surroundings and unlocking the kitchen door the girl stepped out into the back garden.

 

It was like a small child's park with four swings, slide, sandpit and a tree house with a climbing frame. There was also an old paddling pool that was punctured and full of leaves, looking like it had seen better days. On the other side of the garden was a small flower bed with some dead flowers flopping over into the mud and looking bedraggled. It was still dark and only the outside light lit up the garden enabling Mina to get a good look.

 

Walking inside, she took her brush from her backpack and began brushing her tasseled hair from her face, Mina went and got the kettle, then filled it with water from the tap. It felt strange not getting it from the well and putting the kettle onto the fire to heat up, but she'd been to Mia's house and knew there was a switch which showed red when it was on. There was so much Mina would have to learn if she was going to survive in this strange world. Everything was so much easier in the forest.

 

To be continued...