Claimed

“Mom, but I don’t want to take a bath. I’m too sleepy and I wanna go to bed.” I rubbed my eyes while my mom, towel in hand, walked me to the bathroom. “But I don’t wanna.” I whined.

“Sweetie, don’t you want to be smelling like strawberries when you go to bed?” My mom asked when we enter the bathroom.

“But I’m going to sleep who is going to smell me?” I asked as I climbed on top of the toilet to sit down and watch my mom start the bath. Her ruby red fingernails touching the water to see if it was warm enough for me before pouring in my favorite bubbles.

“Mr. Snuffles will, and he likes strawberries, right?” She asked and I looked down the hallway to my room. I held my rubber duck close and hopped off the toilet seat to watch the pink bubbles rise in the tub. “Now will you wash up for me and Mr. Snuffles?” I smelled the strawberries and smiled at my mom. “Good, I’ll be back soon so don’t doddle in there.” Then she kissed my forehead and walked out slightly closing the door behind her. I dropped my duck in the tub and watched it bob up and down like it was nodding at me that the water was good. I slipped out of my play clothes and folded them up before placing them on of the toilet lid like I was told. I cautiously stuck my finger in the water before sliding in letting the bubbles cover me.

“Mr. Duck,” I eyed my duck as it floated by me, “Why do you think mommy always makes me take baths at night instead of in the morning?”
“Maybe she wants you to be clean when you go to bed,” I quickly picked up my duck and held him up.

“Mr. Duck you can talk!”

“It’s not the duck that’s talking,” a shimmer of glitter and blue and purple lights flew by the window making knocking sounds. I stood up in awe of the glittering lights only a few inches away, “I can see you,” I quickly went back into the water so the bubbles could cover me.

“Whose there?” I said from my bubbles.

The lights moved some more making my eyes follow it, “What I’d like to know is who you are. You smell nice.”

“I’m Olivia and I smell like strawberries.” The lights moved some more.

“Ahh,” the voice said, “I love strawberries. They’re my favorite thing to smell.”

“What about you?”

The lights seem to move like it was confused, “What about me?”

“Whats your name?” I asked it.

“Oh I’m Skylark, but my mum calls me Sky.”

“That’s a pretty name,” I said looking at the light that seemed to get brighter with its glow.

“Do you really think so?”

I giggle, “Yup,” I placed my hand on the side of the tub and felt something nick my hand, “Ouch.”

“What happened?” the voice asked.

I put my finger in my mouth as it started bleeding, “I cwat miswevle.”

“Did you hurt yourself,” I nodded, “Can you open the window? I can help you.” I climbed the tub and reached the lock of the window opening it. The light came in and turned a bright red, “You may want to get back in the tub.” It said and I did, but I kept I finger out. “Oh you cut it.” The blue light said as it came close to the wound, “I can make it better if you want.” I nodded as tears started to form at the corner of my eyes. “Remember if I make you better you have to promise me something.”

“Anything. I just want it to stop hurting.” I whined and then there was a bright blue light that made the room sparkle. My eyes wondered around the room when my mom threw the door open so hard it slammed against the sink and cracked it.

“Olivia!” she yelled when her eyes fell on me in the tub with the lights, “fata,” her eyes narrowed as they changed to a green color and her hair a fiery red , “Exuro,” the lights then stopped and the little light fell to the edge of the tub. “quis es? Quid hic agis?”
“ALAUDA filius reginae.” The voice said meekly.

I watched my mom as her face looked even madder, “Shit. Quid faciant Olivia?”

“sanavit, promisit.”

My mom then looked at me and I tried to hide in the tub, “tantum est puella. quid tibi cum ea?” she said.

The light flew up a bit, “cum venerit hora ego desidero.”

“Si non esse de illo mundo!” the the light flew against the wall as the wall caved in. “Olivia!” my mom quickly pulled me out of the tub and grabbed a towel. “Quickly we need to leave.”

“But, but, Mr. Snuffles,” I said in her arms as we passed my room.

She then ran back to my room and quickly grabbed my teddy bear that sat on my bed, “Here now.” She ran down the stairs and out the door when we suddenly fell onto the ground, “Quick run to the car Olivia!” I quickly got up and ran to the car with Mr. Snuffles in my arms when I heard my mom scream. I turned around and saw a shadow man holding her up by her neck, “Burn reginae apud inferos spuria!” then the man went on fire as she ran to the car unlocking it and climbing inside with me before we sped away from the house. I stared at her as her hair started to change back to her brunette color, but her eyes stayed that glow-y bright green, “In nomine Gente. Salva nos inter pauca potens et videntes Sacra.” A shimmer then appeared around the car in colors of blue and silver as she sped the car up.

“Mommy, mommy, you going to hit the car!” she still didn’t slow down and I screamed as loud as I could until I finally realized we were driving through the cars like ghosts. ”Mommy” I said slowly watching the cars we pass not move at all as we went by them.

“Olivia, I think it’s time you know what our history is.”