Awakening (Children of Angels) (2 page)

For a long time, Mia did not dream. There was only blankness in her mind, and she was aware of it on some level. For a while she was content to have the blankness, no distractions to keep her mind busy, just rest. But soon enough the blank expanse reminded her of the starless night sky in the dream place, and even in her unconscious state, her mind drifted to the memories of the tower, and of her mother crying “let her in”. And then Mia broke into a dream. She was simply lying on her bed, waking up from sleep. For a moment she thought it was reality, but then a voice spoke from the corner of her room, and something about it’s melodious nature told her it was not coming from a real person. Nobody spoke like that in the real world.

“
There are things you should know. Things you must understand - or you cannot hope to survive.” A soft voice whispered from the darkened corner

“
What things?
”
Mia asked hesitantly, in equally hushed tones.

“
Some things you already know, deep inside you - you just didn
’
t
want
to know them. Other things, I can explain.
”
The figure stepped out of the darkness, and Mia knew she should be afraid. Afraid that a stranger was in her bedroom, although the doors and windows were locked. Afraid that this stranger knew more of her than she did herself. And yet as the beautiful figure stepped into the light, Mia felt a sudden peace descend upon her, and any traces of fear slipped away. She
knew
this woman, although that made no sense. Mia shook herself, reminding herself it was only a dream - it didn
’
t have to make any sense.

“
I
…
have we met?
”
she asked shakily, still taken aback by the familiarity of the serene smiling face looking back at her.

“
You could say that
”
the stranger replied with a soft laugh
“
Not in these forms - but we know each other very well. I knew your real mother
”
she added gently.

Mia unfolded her legs, and leaned forward eagerly towards the somehow familiar stranger.

“
My mother? You knew my birth mother?
”

“
Very well
”
replied the stranger, her beautiful face tinged with sadness,
“
w
e were the very best of friends
…
.until
…”

“
Until
…
until she died?
”
Mia asked, her heart pounding in her ears at the prospect of hearing the answer. She wasn't sure which would be the 'right' reply, or if she even wanted to know at all.

She had never known her mother, all she knew of her beginnings was that she had been adopted as a tiny baby, having been found abandoned on the steps of a church in the pouring rain, one dark and stormy (and somewhat cliché, she had always thought) night fifteen years ago. It sounded more like a story than real life, but it was how her life had begun. She sometimes wondered who her parents were, whether they were alive, why they didn’t want her. Why they left her with no clues as to who she really was - she reasoned that this was the explanation for her dreams about her “mother”, although why they had started happening out of the blue remained a mystery. From the sadness on this stranger’s face, it seemed she had at least one answer. But then, the stranger spoke, and the answer was not what Mia expected.

“
No, she did not die.
”

The stranger stared intently into Mia’s questioning eyes, willing her to understand, without her having to speak the painful words of the things that her mother had done. But how could this child know? Things were not as the stranger had expected to find them. The child she found knew nothing of who or what she was. Knew nothing of destiny and fate. Knew nothing of what she had to do. She did not like to be the one to tell her, but especially did not want to be the one to tell this Mia of all her mother had done. Her best friend, how could she not have seen it coming? To this day, the stranger was haunted by the memories of the events that unfolded all that time ago.

Mia waited impatiently, staring intently at the familiar stranger lost in thought.

“…
.so she didn
’
t die?
”
she prompted, and the stranger seemed to return to the present. Her eyes met Mia
’
s once more, and Mia could see sadness in them.

“
No, your mother did not die - she is still alive to this day.
”

There was a strange sensation in Mia’s stomach. From time to time, growing up, she had wondered about her mother. Her adoptive parents could tell her nothing, other than that they loved her like she was their own flesh and blood, and whatever the reason her birth mother gave her up must have been a good one. Her adoptive parents were the kind of people to see the good in everyone, and would never speak a word (or even hear one spoken) against the woman who had abandoned her child to it’s fate on a cold stormy night.

Mia had always imagined her mother to have died, she could see no other reason why she would not have made contact in these fifteen years. Perhaps that was because of the way she was raised - to see the best in people. The thought that her mother was alive and out there and had never tried to find her filled her with both a sadness and a happiness. Happiness for the fact there was now some hope she may someday meet the woman that gave birth to her and find out who she truly was, where she came from. And a deep almost overwhelming sadness, the likes of which can only come from knowing that you are unloved - but there was worse to come.

“
She
’
s alive?
…
do you know where? Have you seen her? Do you know why she gave me up?
”
the words tumbled from Mia
’
s mouth with barely a breath in between, and she stared at the stranger, hungry for her reply.

“
I do not know where your mother is. We are no longer friends
”
the stranger replied sadly.

“
Why not?
”

“
Because of what she did, those fifteen years ago.
”
The stranger sighed heavily.

“
What did she do?
”
whispered Mia, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“
She betrayed us all. She betrayed you - she meant for them to kill you.
”

CHAPTER THREE

M
ia stared back in silence, thinking she had surely misunderstood or misheard. Her mother had meant for “them” to
kill her
? Who were they? Why would her own mother want her dead? Who had she betrayed? Why? The questions tumbled through her mind, but she was unable to form them into words. She didn’t have to, it seemed - the stranger’s face told her that she understood perfectly.

“
I can explain to you what I know, but since I am forbidden from
speaking
of it, I will have to tell you a different way.
”
She crossed the room and sat on the bed beside Mia, taking her limp hand gently in her own.

“
How can you tell me, then, without words?
”
Mia asked dully, her mind still reeling. To be unwanted by your mother is pain enough - to know that she wanted you dead is worse. That she sought to have you
murdered
was a pain almost unimaginable, and quite unbearable. This was one nightmare in particular that Mia would prefer ended quickly - and from her visits to the tower, she had learned that the quickest way to get through these dreams was to play them out.

“
I can show you. But you have to trust me.
”

Mia nodded, without looking back at the stranger sitting next to her. She was vaguely aware that the stranger was holding her hand, and wondered when it had happened. The
stranger had said she would “show” her things
. She turned to ask the stranger what she meant by that, but the stranger was no longer sitting beside her on the bed, or holding her hand.

With shock, she realized that she was no longer sitting on her bed either. She was standing in an unfamiliar street, in front of an unassuming row of houses. She looked around in confusion, much like she had the first time her dreams had swept her off to the tower. Then she heard a rapping sound, and looked up sharply. It was the stranger, in one of the houses, beckoning to her through the window. Confused, she wondered how she would get into a complete stranger's house. Even in a dream, it didn’t seem likely she could just walk in unnoticed. And then the stranger in the window was gone.

“
Take my hand, Mia
”
said a now-familiar voice from behind her. She whirled around to see the stranger standing there, a silhouette in the light from the streetlamp. The stranger smiled, and held out her hand for Mia to take
“
we must be quiet though - be sure not to disturb anything, or they will certainly notice we are there
”

As Mia took the stranger’s hand, she found herself inside a house. There had been no transition, not even a blurring, they were simply
there
. She looked questioningly at the stranger who had brought her here, who smiled back reassuringly.

“I imagine it’s quite odd, the first time.” Mia heard the stranger's voice clearly, but the smiling lips weren’t moving. As Mia opened her mouth to ask “what just happened?” the stranger’s voice came again, urgently “
Shh
!! Don’t speak! They’ll know we’re here!”

Who on earth she was talking about, Mia had no idea, there were only the two of them there, and then the strangers voice came again: “
T
hem” and she lifted her arm to point. The lights were on in the room, and there were indeed people there. The scene had changed again, in less than a blink of an eye.

There were four figures in the room, a woman on the floor, another kneeling beside her, a man standing next to them and a third woman standing in the corner, watching on. Mia looked up at her stranger, who raised a finger to her lips and shook her head and did not speak. Instead, she simply pointed at the scene again.

“
It
’
s a girl
”
the kneeling woman announced matter-of-factly, as she reached for a towel and began to rub something. The woman on the floor flopped back, exhausted, and the man beside her smiled. All the while, the third woman simply watched from the corner.

“
We
’
ve done it!
”
cried the man
“
They said it was impossible - but we
’
ve done it!
”

He took a bundle from the kneeling woman, and smiled down at it.

“Hello my daughter,” he cooed gently. The woman lying on the floor sat up now, and watched him intently “you’re a very special little girl, you know. The very first of a kind. You will lead us to victory my sweet little Angel”
he continued

The stranger in the corner smiled now, and stepped forward.

“
She is healthy, then?
”
she asked
“
Not like the others? She will live?
”