The Whispers of The Sprite (The Whispers series #1) (2 page)

My room is light and spacious and the furniture is almost at the stage where only a touch could break it apart, but that doesn't bother me. This is my new home. It’s a typical student house with a fair-sized kitchen, small living room and a tiny garden in the back. I had an idea what my new life would be like and I had always wanted to live somewhere by the sea. It is strange, but I love the smell of the sea in the air and the fact that I can get to the beach within minutes is very appealing.

I light a few candles to kill the musty smell in the room. It feels bizarre being away from my mother and knowing that I can do whatever I want. My suitcases need unpacking, but just when I am about to start unzipping one, I hear noises coming from the hall. I leave my luggage and rush downstairs.

‘
I think I packed too many clothes,’ says a girl in a high-pitched tone trying to get through the door with the extra-large suitcases. She is talking to herself. I stare at her from upstairs, not sure how to react. I hesitate, wondering if I should help her.

 
‘
Hey,’ I shout. My voice sounds unnatural but I walk downstairs, smiling. She notices me and looks relieved.

‘
Oh thanks, I’m glad that someone is here! I’m Amy,’ she introduces herself, beaming.

‘
My name is Ania,’ I say, helping her with her heavy belongings. She glances at me for a few seconds,
analysing
my red hair. I didn't expect anyone to be here so early; I thought that everyone was going to start arriving tomorrow.

When we manage to get her suitcase to the living room, surprisingly there’s more noise in the corridor. The doors are wide open and a boy walks in. He has short, spiky, chocolate hair and narrow eyes, dressed casually in jeans and jumper.

‘
Hello,’ he says. ‘My name is Carl.’

‘
Oh … hi, I just arrived. I’m Amy,’ chuckles Amy. She is blushing, gazing at him intensely underneath her long eyelashes.
 
She is much shorter than me. Her light blonde curls clash with her intense red lipstick. She is pretty, but her heavy makeup makes her look older. The foundation is a few shades too dark. Carl runs his hand through his short hair and smiles, looking curiously at me.

‘
My name is Ania,’ I barge in, wondering if we should move to the living room. I know that sooner or later they will start asking about my accent. Moreover, I should get used to the fact that I am the tallest. ‘I am originally from Russia and I moved here a few years ago.’

This isn’t quite true, because I moved to London with Mum
suddenly and unexpectedly. Mum received a job offer in one of London’s hospitals and a few days later we were on the plane. I am still trying to find out why Mum decided to move to England so suddenly, but it remains a mystery. Our life in Russia wasn't bad at all, but one cold winter day when I came back from school all my bags were packed and Mum announced that we were leaving the country. I was sixteen when I had to leave all my friends behind and the place where I was born, without any explanation. I refused to leave and demanded to know why, but Mum wouldn't tell me anything. Her decision was final and it didn’t matter how much I screamed that I didn’t want to move.

‘
Russia!’ roars Amy and her eyes widen. ‘That’s exciting. I never knew anyone from Russia.’

‘
Well, me neither. I am sure it will be fun living together,’ chuckles Carl, staring at Amy who still seems bewildered.

‘
So, where are you from?’ I ask her.

‘
Not far from Swansea, it’s a small village called
Pontyclun
.’

I nod, although I have no idea where
Pontyclun
is. During a moment of awkward silence,
 
Amy takes an opportunity to reapply her makeup.
 
After a few minutes of intense searching through her large suitcase, she takes out a small bag and starts powdering her nose.

‘
Well, I am from Birmingham and this is my second time in Wales,’ Carl states, shifting his weight to the side. ‘I came a few weeks ago to see if I like this place and decided to stay.’

‘
I just wanted to get away from London.’

‘
I love shopping in London; there are so many bargains there. Me and my sister always take a cheap coach and we come back to
tonnes
of designer clothes,’ declares Amy.

I exchange looks with Carl who looks confused. Finally he says,
‘
Okay, cool. I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay here with our cases. I’m going upstairs to check out my room.’

‘
Good idea,’ I say.

Before we leave, we help Amy with her luggage while she opens up her room. All the rooms are similar in size, although Amy got the biggest bedroom. She starts clapping when she walks through it looking very excited.

I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone today. The term doesn’t start until next week and most of the students will be arriving in the next few days. My life is taking a new turn and I am convinced that I will make the most of my time in Swansea.
    

2

‘
This room is fantastic. I was going to come here and look at it beforehand, but then I changed my mind and just went ahead and reserved it,’ she says while I leave her suitcase on the floor.
‘You know, I couldn’t wait to start living on my own. The parties will be amazing. My friend used to study here and she used to party five days a week!’

I smile, trying to catch my breath. Her luggage is very heavy, probably filled with
tonnes
of clothes and makeup. I wipe the sweat off my forehead looking around her room.

‘
I read that Swansea University has excellent social life,’ I point out.

‘
I know, right?’ she beams. ‘My parents run a pub in the village, so at my house it’s always busy.
 
They always ask me to help them out during the busy nights so I am glad that I am here now. Plus my sister just got married; she wants to get pregnant soon so my mother will have a lot on her hands.’

‘
Right,’ I say, because I don’t know what else to say, but she continues talking.

‘
The girl that studied here, she said that Wine Street has the best clubs ...’

She carries on talking, but I kind of switch off and think about Mum for a second, wondering if she will continue calling me every hour just to check if I am all right. I usually turn off my phone when I am out; she gets mad but I normally handle it when I get home. In certain situations, she learnt that she didn’t need to be so overprotective, but it's impossible to change her character. My teenage years were tough, as Mum never allowed to me go out to
socialise
with friends. She is focused on her work and on bringing me up right with her orthodox values. Her social life is non-existent and I am the most important person in her life. She abandoned men after my father left; I asked her to go out with friends from work but she never seems interested. She created a routine and didn’t want to change it. My move from London will allow her to acknowledge that there is more to life than the household and me. I hope she will start
socialising
and changing her routine because she won't need to control me anymore and she won’t have to worry about me all the time.
 

‘
... I especially like Latino music. You know that I used to go to Salsa Lessons? But then I had to stop because of school. What about you? What music do you like?’

After several seconds I realise that she’s gone quiet, so I stop day-dreaming and look at her.
‘
Sorry, what did you say?’

‘
I was talking about music. What’s your
favourite
?’ she asks, checking her reflection in the mirror.

I am so glad that she didn’t notice that I wasn’t listening.
‘
I don’t have a
favourite
genre. I don’t listen to music that much.’

‘
Well, I like a bit of everything: rock, punk and pop but ...’

‘
So ladies, as it's our first day in Swansea,’ says Carl standing in the doorway, cutting her off, ‘I think we should leave the unpacking and go and explore. I am starving.’
 

I smile, thinking that he came at the right time.

‘
I think that’s great,’ I reply quickly. ‘I am quite hungry too, actually.’

‘
Fab
!’ confirms Amy. ‘Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready.’

It turns out that Amy needs at least half an hour to get ready before she emerges from upstairs. We leave the house shortly after debating the choice of food. The university is only seven minutes away so we quickly reach the centre and relax in one of the many Chinese restaurants. I hope in this first outing that I will get to know my new housemates a bit better.

‘
I am going to study law,’ announces Carl after we order the meal. ‘My father is a solicitor you see, and he wants me to become one.’

‘
I chose American studies. One of my friends mentioned that I would be able to go to the States for a year,’ interrupts Amy, stroking her blond curls.

My jaw drops. ‘
American studies? That’s exactly what I decided to study,’ I say, now feeling apprehensive about my choice.
 
I didn’t expect to have Amy as my class partner.

‘
That’s amazing!’ she giggles and starts bouncing up and down in her chair. Carl can’t help but roll his eyes and I just give her a faint smile.

‘
So you only chose this course because you could spend a year in the U.S.?’ asks Carl, still looking fairly amused.

‘
Yes, I’d love to stay in Hollywood and meet all those famous actors,’ she continues.

The rest of the conversation moves to slightly safer ground, when we start discussing traditional Russian food. Amy can’t help but talk about her ambitions of partying as often as possible.
Studying the same subject as her worries me slightly because Amy’s personality is already overwhelming, but I vow to stay open-minded. We just have different priorities.

After the Chinese, Carl and Amy decide to go back home, but I can’t miss out on a walk along the coastline. I assure them that I will be absolutely fine on my own. This is the perfect opportunity for me to explore the beach; it’s great that I can just go out here as often as I like.

The light warms a quiet city and is consumed by the looming arrival of darkness. I say goodbye to Amy and Carl and walk with them until I get to the beach.
The noise of the sea nearby calms me down; the cool breeze caresses my skin. I should be here in the daytime to admire the view, but the sound of waves splashing against the shore makes me want to forget about the world around me.

It's after 9pm when I cross the street and enter the sandy seaside, inhaling the air deep into my lungs. I take off my shoes and socks; the sensation isn’t unpleasant when my bare feet touch the cold sand. The temperature noticeably decreases so I decide to zip up my jacket. The cold air hits me so suddenly. I gasp as the saltiness of the sea air catches in my throat. It suddenly feels too thick and somehow intimidating. But the deafening sound of the waves against the shore soon relaxes me. The sea always makes me feel better, more peaceful. The beach is enclosed by gloom. The light from the streetlamps shines on the pathways, but the light doesn't reach the sand.

I think about my new life and my mother back in London. Everything is going as I imagined it. My close friend, Gosia, promised to visit me shortly and I am hoping to make a few more friends.
 
Gosia only recently started a PhD in Environmental Science. She still lives a very hectic life in London.

Shockingly my phone hasn’t rung; normally my mother would call me to check to see if I am all right. It's strange not to feel controlled by her. I walk towards the sea, the air is stimulating, yet I am enclosed by absolute darkness. For some reason everything seems to be bizarrely similar to that late night in London when I heard the noises on the street, but I quickly tune out those memories.
 
My feet reach the water and I shiver; the sea is freezing cold but I enjoy how free it makes me feel, as I don’t have to worry about anything else.

I start to feel unbearably cold. The thought of going home flashes through my mind, but my next step is regrettable. Suddenly I feel a rending pain in my right leg. I stop and search for my mobile as a source of light to find out what has just happened. I am in agony and then the screen of my phone indicates that there is broken glass embedded in my skin. A thick, dark red fluid covers the sand. I gasp, feeling surrounded by the electrifying, thick air as the pain shoots through me like a bullet.

I suddenly notice someone else standing close to me, which makes me jerk back. I lose my balance and fall on the ground, blinded by the darkness and pain. In a moment I reach for my phone, I grind my teeth together and point the light from my phone on the person standing in front of me. It’s a man, but I can't see his face clearly. My breathing changes, his closeness frightens me and my mind is screaming to get out of here but I can't move. Then he is right next to me and within a few seconds I am lying on the sand. I feel pain spreading all over my body, sand in my mouth and then more penetrating pain so suddenly that I pass out.

***

Someone is speaking to me; I hear voices and whispers around me but everything sounds faint, as though from a broken radio. The pain in my head keeps mounting. My lips part. I feel as though my body has gone through a series of gunshots. I move slightly, but my eyelids are heavy.

‘She’s moving.’

I tense my body, but every inch of my skin is on fire. I wished that someone would ease the pain. There are more voices around me but I don’t recognise them. I drift into dreams.

My eyes are dry as I blink myself awake. I turn my head around trying to get used to the illuminating bright light. My body is still sore, but the pain is more bearable than before. I am not in my own bed, as everything seems to be white. The smell is different as well.

Recognising
my mother, I realise that I can't recall what happened. For some bizarre reason I feel drained as if I have just run a marathon. I can’t feel the lower part of my body. The headache keeps mounting and my throat is dry.

It takes me a moment to understand that I must be in hospital. All at once, my memories rush back to me.
 
There are a few people in the room: a woman that just injected something into my left side; she must be a nurse. There is also an older bald man with a triangular face, narrow eyes and a long thin nose. I blink rapidly, trying to move my sore body, but my effort is worthless. Mum’s eyes are red and swollen. She isn't wearing any makeup and her hair is tangled.
 
Had she been she crying?

‘
How are you feeling, Ania?’ she asks, softly touching my hand.

‘
Not sure. Drained,’ I reply, feeling uneasy. ‘Some water, please.’

The nurse gives me a glass with a straw and smiles sympathetically. The atmosphere in the room is tense, something is wrong and I feel as if everyone around me is hesitant to speak. As if they are afraid to tell me what’s happened. Mum shoots furious glances at the doctor as she is hoping that he won’t say anything to me.

‘
What happened?’ I ask, looking around.
 
I try to make myself comfortable, but every movement worsens my pulsing headache. I wish that I could see the rest of my body but I am feeling dreadful.

‘
We will be back in a second, Miss
Petrova
,’ says the bald man who I assume is the doctor and he leaves the room with Mum and a nurse.

They completely disregarded my question and I suddenly want to punch someone. I hate when people treat me as though I’m not there. My memories go back as far as the late walk across the beach and I am sure that might have something to do with me being here. My mind is completely blank and I feel frustration shoot through me.
 
I close my eyes, feeling anger pressing against me. My mind is going through the worst possible scenarios.

The hospital room is small and next to me there are greeting cards that are probably from my housemates or Gosia. There is a carton of juice on the small table.
 
I turn my head towards the left side, trying to see the view from the window, but instead I realise that there is someone else standing there. It looks like I have more visitors than I expected, but the man by the window isn't looking at me.