Status: Read me!
The Princess
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter 16
Sarasi
What the heck is his problem? How did he know about my ‘bracelet tattoo’ or what it means? Then I recalled something that he said. ‘Do you know about the mark on the back of your head?’ What mark?
I hurried to the bathroom to what he was talking about. There was no one in there. I took out my small portable mirror and held it up. I could see the back of my head in the bathroom mirror through my portable one. I moved my hair aside. I could see the unmistakable mark of a Cleanser where he said he saw a mark. How’d he see it? Oh, yeah. He saw it when Petraeus moved my hair.
It was a small lightning bolt, a white one. But Cleanser marks are on the hand. Then I noticed that the mark was ‘fading’ away. I rubbed my hand against it. There was white on my hand. It wasn’t real! I started rubbing the ‘paint’ off. After it was gone, I put the mirror down and washed my hands. Then, I picked up the mirror and looked at what remained.
I almost dropped the mirror. There was a birthmark, a crown-shaped one, exactly like the one in the history book. I got out the pad of paper and wrote:
-Birthmark on back of head
-exactly like history book
-Princess? Not?
-Only question is Niya
Then the bell rang. I jumped. My next class is upstairs. I realized that I was on the first floor on the other side of the building. I ran out. I barely made it to class.
After school, I went to my locker. As I was getting my books out, Aster came up to me. Apparently, he had been watching me for a while.
“You’re mark’s gone.” he commented.
“It was fake.” I told him.
“Was it covering up a birthmark? A crown-shaped one?” How does he know this? Ah. Probably when i leaned over my and my hair moved to show it. At least I got rid of the Cleanser mark.
“Apparently. What’s it to you?” he didn’t have an answer for that, so I left.
On the way home, as I was passing the market, three men approached me.
“Hey girlie. Heard that you like the Cleansers.” One of them smiled. He was missing teeth. I didn’t answer.
“Hey missy! Listen when he’s talking to you!” this one had a greasy ponytail. I still didn’t answer.
“You deaf or something?” this guy had a black cap on.
“She’s not deaf. Tim heard her say, ‘May the Cleansers live forever!’ Remember?” Greasy ponytail said.
“I know. But that doesn’t mean she can’t hear.” Black cap shot back.
“Stop fighting, you two idiots! Tim said that Simon found her. And found that old man who was a traitor.” Missing teeth said. So, they want me to join the Cleansers. No Way! That’s when I noticed the marks on the back of both of their hands. One hand had the mark of a Cleanser (a white lightning bolt), the other, the mark that showed they were in a gang.
“You see the marks, eh girlie?” Missing teeth noticed me looking.
“We’re asking if you want to join.” Black cap said.
“Well, do you?” Greasy ponytail asked eagerly.
In response, I took off running toward home. ‘Niya will help me.’ I thought.
“What the heck?” yelled Greasy ponytail.
“Get back here!” Black cap yelled.
“You idiots! Follow her!” Missing teeth yelled at them. And the chase begins. I led them through the winding streets, sometimes even through houses. I tried to lose them, but I failed. I ended up leading them right to my home. Which sucks for them.
I ran inside. Niya was sleeping near my bed.
“Niya! These guys followed me! Help!” I yelled. She woke up and stood in the doorway.
“Hey, where’d you go girlie? Uhhh...” Missing teeth stopped when he saw Niya.
“What is it boss?” Black cap asked. He was behind Greasy ponytail.
“Uhhh.... There’s a beast in the doorway. I’m gettin’ out of here!” Greasy ponytail pushed past Black cap and rushed out.
“G-Get out! Or I’ll sic my cat on you!” I yelled at them.
“What’s it gonna do, scratch me?” Missing teeth laughed.
Niya launched herself at him.
“Ahhh!” Black cap fled. Niya landed on top of Missing teeth. She didn’t have her claws out. She started kneading her paws on his chest.
“Owwww!” he yelled. She was barely doing anything!
“She doesn’t even have her claws out, you big baby!” I yelled at him.
“Yahh! Let me go! If you didn’t have this beast, then you wouldn’t be so cocky!” he yelled.
“Okay, Niya. I think he has learned his lesson.” I told her. She got off him and he ran off.
I sat down. I started talking to Niya.
“Niya. I would be the missing princess if you talked. I have the birthmark, this bracelet tattoo, and my house is in the history book!” I looked her straight in the eyes and asked her, “Do you talk?” Niya just stared at me. I sighed.
“Why am I asking you? Animals don’t talk. I’m going to bed.” I told her.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Niya sighed. ‘Your time will come to know your true nature young one.’ she thought. Then she backtracked. ‘Actually, she’ll find out sooner than I thought. Two days until her birthday. What will happen? Oh, her magic will make itself known.’
⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜
It’s the next day. I went through the first five classes without any problems from Aster. When I got to Astral Training class, I noticed that Aster wasn’t there. Apparently, so did his friends.
“Where’s Aster?” Petraeus asked Jayson.
“I don’t know. Hey, Sam.” Jayson said.
“Yes?” Sam asked. He is one of Aster’s friends. Not close, mind you.
“Go ask her,” he pointed at me, “if she knows where Aster is.” Jayson instructed him.
“Okay.” he walked over to me.
“What?” I asked.
“Uhhh....” he looked back and saw Petraeus motioning him to continue. He gulped and said, “Do you know where Aster is?”
“No.” I told him. He ‘scurried’ back to Jayson and Petraeus. You can easily tell that he is very nervous around girls.
“She said she doesn’t know where he is.” Sam relayed my answer to them with extra words added.
“He’s probably in the office again.” Petraeus told Jayson.
“Most likely.” Jayson agreed.
“Why?” asked Sam.
“Aster is never late to class unless he’s ‘visiting’ the principal or our ‘lovely’ secretary.” Petraeus explained with a straight face.
“Uhh..” Sam said, not getting the joke.
“Uh, Sam? That was a joke. No one ‘visits’ the principal and our secretary is as ugly as an elephants butt. No offense to the elephant.” Jayson explained, succeeding to keep the laughter out of his voice, but failing to keep it out of his eyes. Sam’s eyes widened.
“Uhhh...” Sam trailed off.
“You’re supposed to laugh.” Petraeus said.
“Oh.” Then it dawned on him exactly what Jayson had said. He busted out laughing. So did Petraeus and Jayson.
“That........ was........... the slowest........ reaction.......... that I ever...... saw!” Petraeus exclaimed between bursts of laughter. Jayson could only nod in agreement.
‘Boys.’ I thought, shaking my head.
Sarasi
What the heck is his problem? How did he know about my ‘bracelet tattoo’ or what it means? Then I recalled something that he said. ‘Do you know about the mark on the back of your head?’ What mark?
I hurried to the bathroom to what he was talking about. There was no one in there. I took out my small portable mirror and held it up. I could see the back of my head in the bathroom mirror through my portable one. I moved my hair aside. I could see the unmistakable mark of a Cleanser where he said he saw a mark. How’d he see it? Oh, yeah. He saw it when Petraeus moved my hair.
It was a small lightning bolt, a white one. But Cleanser marks are on the hand. Then I noticed that the mark was ‘fading’ away. I rubbed my hand against it. There was white on my hand. It wasn’t real! I started rubbing the ‘paint’ off. After it was gone, I put the mirror down and washed my hands. Then, I picked up the mirror and looked at what remained.
I almost dropped the mirror. There was a birthmark, a crown-shaped one, exactly like the one in the history book. I got out the pad of paper and wrote:
-Birthmark on back of head
-exactly like history book
-Princess? Not?
-Only question is Niya
Then the bell rang. I jumped. My next class is upstairs. I realized that I was on the first floor on the other side of the building. I ran out. I barely made it to class.
After school, I went to my locker. As I was getting my books out, Aster came up to me. Apparently, he had been watching me for a while.
“You’re mark’s gone.” he commented.
“It was fake.” I told him.
“Was it covering up a birthmark? A crown-shaped one?” How does he know this? Ah. Probably when i leaned over my and my hair moved to show it. At least I got rid of the Cleanser mark.
“Apparently. What’s it to you?” he didn’t have an answer for that, so I left.
On the way home, as I was passing the market, three men approached me.
“Hey girlie. Heard that you like the Cleansers.” One of them smiled. He was missing teeth. I didn’t answer.
“Hey missy! Listen when he’s talking to you!” this one had a greasy ponytail. I still didn’t answer.
“You deaf or something?” this guy had a black cap on.
“She’s not deaf. Tim heard her say, ‘May the Cleansers live forever!’ Remember?” Greasy ponytail said.
“I know. But that doesn’t mean she can’t hear.” Black cap shot back.
“Stop fighting, you two idiots! Tim said that Simon found her. And found that old man who was a traitor.” Missing teeth said. So, they want me to join the Cleansers. No Way! That’s when I noticed the marks on the back of both of their hands. One hand had the mark of a Cleanser (a white lightning bolt), the other, the mark that showed they were in a gang.
“You see the marks, eh girlie?” Missing teeth noticed me looking.
“We’re asking if you want to join.” Black cap said.
“Well, do you?” Greasy ponytail asked eagerly.
In response, I took off running toward home. ‘Niya will help me.’ I thought.
“What the heck?” yelled Greasy ponytail.
“Get back here!” Black cap yelled.
“You idiots! Follow her!” Missing teeth yelled at them. And the chase begins. I led them through the winding streets, sometimes even through houses. I tried to lose them, but I failed. I ended up leading them right to my home. Which sucks for them.
I ran inside. Niya was sleeping near my bed.
“Niya! These guys followed me! Help!” I yelled. She woke up and stood in the doorway.
“Hey, where’d you go girlie? Uhhh...” Missing teeth stopped when he saw Niya.
“What is it boss?” Black cap asked. He was behind Greasy ponytail.
“Uhhh.... There’s a beast in the doorway. I’m gettin’ out of here!” Greasy ponytail pushed past Black cap and rushed out.
“G-Get out! Or I’ll sic my cat on you!” I yelled at them.
“What’s it gonna do, scratch me?” Missing teeth laughed.
Niya launched herself at him.
“Ahhh!” Black cap fled. Niya landed on top of Missing teeth. She didn’t have her claws out. She started kneading her paws on his chest.
“Owwww!” he yelled. She was barely doing anything!
“She doesn’t even have her claws out, you big baby!” I yelled at him.
“Yahh! Let me go! If you didn’t have this beast, then you wouldn’t be so cocky!” he yelled.
“Okay, Niya. I think he has learned his lesson.” I told her. She got off him and he ran off.
I sat down. I started talking to Niya.
“Niya. I would be the missing princess if you talked. I have the birthmark, this bracelet tattoo, and my house is in the history book!” I looked her straight in the eyes and asked her, “Do you talk?” Niya just stared at me. I sighed.
“Why am I asking you? Animals don’t talk. I’m going to bed.” I told her.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Niya sighed. ‘Your time will come to know your true nature young one.’ she thought. Then she backtracked. ‘Actually, she’ll find out sooner than I thought. Two days until her birthday. What will happen? Oh, her magic will make itself known.’
⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜
It’s the next day. I went through the first five classes without any problems from Aster. When I got to Astral Training class, I noticed that Aster wasn’t there. Apparently, so did his friends.
“Where’s Aster?” Petraeus asked Jayson.
“I don’t know. Hey, Sam.” Jayson said.
“Yes?” Sam asked. He is one of Aster’s friends. Not close, mind you.
“Go ask her,” he pointed at me, “if she knows where Aster is.” Jayson instructed him.
“Okay.” he walked over to me.
“What?” I asked.
“Uhhh....” he looked back and saw Petraeus motioning him to continue. He gulped and said, “Do you know where Aster is?”
“No.” I told him. He ‘scurried’ back to Jayson and Petraeus. You can easily tell that he is very nervous around girls.
“She said she doesn’t know where he is.” Sam relayed my answer to them with extra words added.
“He’s probably in the office again.” Petraeus told Jayson.
“Most likely.” Jayson agreed.
“Why?” asked Sam.
“Aster is never late to class unless he’s ‘visiting’ the principal or our ‘lovely’ secretary.” Petraeus explained with a straight face.
“Uhh..” Sam said, not getting the joke.
“Uh, Sam? That was a joke. No one ‘visits’ the principal and our secretary is as ugly as an elephants butt. No offense to the elephant.” Jayson explained, succeeding to keep the laughter out of his voice, but failing to keep it out of his eyes. Sam’s eyes widened.
“Uhhh...” Sam trailed off.
“You’re supposed to laugh.” Petraeus said.
“Oh.” Then it dawned on him exactly what Jayson had said. He busted out laughing. So did Petraeus and Jayson.
“That........ was........... the slowest........ reaction.......... that I ever...... saw!” Petraeus exclaimed between bursts of laughter. Jayson could only nod in agreement.
‘Boys.’ I thought, shaking my head.