Twenty-Seven

"Close your eyes." Alice instructed, before I felt a warm hand gently placed on my forehead.

Before long, a scene popped up in my head, depicting a village; countless huts made of straws and wooden planks. The giggles and laughter of children were as clear as the blue sky that hung overhead. The innocence that they possessed as they ran about, chasing the clouds as the wind blew in their hair, brought a smile to my lips.

"What you see are from my memories."

I was all alone, yet, I could still hear Alice's voice. It was bizarre and slightly creepy; like a backstory that movies often displayed. Except that I could feel everything, the soft grass pressing against the soles of my feet to the sun that warmed my skin. In truth, I could not believe that this was happening. My mind was unable to catch up to the idea of what seemed to me as a living fantasy.

"This is where I live, Ava. This is my people, the tribe that I was born into." She added, while I continued strolling through the village, following the stream that seemed to sparkle under the sun. "Each of us possess different gifts. It isn't like the things you see in the movies. We just possessed a little more talent than normal humans. They were nothing of the flashy sort."

And there, I saw a few others in a field, their lips moving as they watered the ground. Before long, what was sown was seen sprouting from the soil. Though it did not grow to be a giant tree, it was still a fascinating sight to behold.

Meanwhile, there were others, men that appeared to have the strength of ten, packed into a slender body.

"This is absurd, Alice." I proclaimed while opening my eyes, finding this a little too far-fetched. "Gifts? Powers? What next? Wizards and goblins? Or maybe even trolls?"

"I know that this is a little hard to believe. But just give me a little more time." She pleaded. "It will all make sense."

I huffed in defeat. Nonetheless, I doubt that knowing the existence of little magic would hurt me. Afterall, I was indeed transported back in time.

"Fine." I replied, before closing my eyes once more as I felt her palm return to my temple.

"Before I continue, there is something that you should know about this tribe, Ava. Apart possessing these gifts, my people are also blessed to have a long life. No, we are not elves or some mythical creatures. We are very much human. We bleed and die if we are hurt or killed. The only difference was our heart. It is what sustains us, enabling us to live millenniums on end. But that alone was our downfall."

Just as I thought that this story was getting way out of hand, the scene shifted. In came soldiers, dressed in their heavy armour, spears and swords, storming through the village. Torching every house as they marched by.

The screams and shrieks of women and children howled through the night air as the village men went out in nothing but garments, to fight against metal; a battle that was bound to be lost.

As if it could not get more horrifying, the sword that was passed through a man was dragged upwards and along his chest.

I clenched my fists against my top as I heard the chilling wail and cry for help. A help that could not be answered.

As I witness the soldier stare coldly at the man who was about to meet his end, he bent down and inserted his hand through the sternum, eliciting an even sharper and piercing cry of the man that was soon silenced after the soldier had gruesomely ripped the organ out of the man's chest.

There was no remorse nor any sign of guilt from that soldier, except the blood of the innocent that he had tainted upon himself.

The same was conducted to what was left of the villagers. All the woman and children met the same fate, until there was nothing left but bodies that strewn the once green and beautiful grass, a bloodbath.

"Savages..." I breathed, holding a hand over my mouth. There was nothing in this world apart from permanent amnesia that could erase what I saw.

"One by one, I saw my friends fall by the sword, my parents and little brother; their hearts were ripped out in sheer cruelty while I hid. Yes, they were savages, while I...I was a coward. And there is not a day that goes by without regretting that I ran away."

I saw Alice, a young teenager, sprinting through the dark woods until her clothes were torn, feet bloodied and bruised. And only until daybreak did her legs finally give out as she tumbled to the forest ground.

"And that was when I met you."

As I stood by young Alice, a woman was seen approaching.

I stared at her just as if I was staring at myself in the mirror. The only difference was our clothes. Hers were filled with patches of cloth sown to cover the holes. Judging by her appearance I reckon that she...no, I was very poor indeed.

My thoughts were cut off as Alice reached for a knife in her pocket, one that was a little rusty and old.

"Get away from me!"

Yet the venom that could be heard from Alice did not stop her at all. My mirror held her hands up in defeat before placing the bag that was slung over her shoulder, onto the grass.

"You're hurt. Please, let me help you."

As soon as she approached Alice, the knife that she held cut through her skin, my skin. I could feel the stinging pain from the injury, but when I looked down on my arm, there was no blood.

By now, the fierce look that young Alice had was replaced with guilt as she saw the woman before her wincing in pain.

"Eventually, because of the guilt, I let you help me. And that was one of the best decisions I had ever made. Although I was aware about how poor you were, you'd still took me in and treated me like a little sister, hiding and protecting me from the same men that destroyed my family. Just as I was yours, you became my only family."

Reopening my eyes, I peered over to Alice who had a sad smile hanging on her lips.

"There is something about my gift, Ava." She continued before taking a short pause that prompting me to stare puzzlingly at her. "When I touch someone, the memories that they have accumulated in their life will appear like a story in my head. And the longer I touch them, the more I can look into their memories. And I discovered something about you; something far darker than anything I have ever seen; a curse that has been plaguing you since born."

Her serious tone set me off as I was in partial disbelief that I was cursed. I didn't believe in anything that was superstitious nor black magic of any sorts. But her words sent goosebumps popping all over my skin.

"You have to understand this. It is not a routine of mine to go touching others and using the gift I have, but for you. I made it an exception."

Again, I was thrusted back into Alice's memories. A scene where I slept soundly while young Alice, had her hand wrapped in mine.

A memory within a memory was what it was. A vision of a baby, who was held snuggly in the arms of a man and a woman who was on the other hand, carrying a bloodied cloth.

Is that my father?

"That baby is you, and the man, is your father. The woman was the one who placed this curse on you. It was only then when I realised that she too, belonged to our village. Turns out, your father was having an affair with her. But he shunned from his responsibilities and denied any acknowledgement of their relationship as soon as she became pregnant."

"YOU KILLED MY CHILD! YOU KILLED MY CHILD!"

Was what she said, over and over again.

Taking a closer look at what she held in her arms, forced me to suppress all urge to retch.

Her blaring wails intensified further as she clutched the dead infant in her arms; a body that was torn to pieces. It seemed as though the baby was chewed and clawed by a wild animal, leaving no recognition.

It was inhumane. Everything in this life seemed like a nightmare.

"And that was when it happened." Alice continued, as I studied the scene before me.

"Just like me, your daughter will live a life of false comfort, to suffer the betrayal of her lover. Through many lifetimes, she will relive the same torment without any relief. Never will she get the taste of true happiness but only the comfort of constant pain and suffering. And just like how I was to you, she will never be able to stop herself from falling. Unless..."

I stared at the woman. Her hair unkempt and in disarray, the clothes on her chest soaked with her child's blood as she clutched the dripping cloth that was enfolding her baby, or what was left of it.

"Unless he chooses her, willingly; to sacrifice all that he has for her. Then, will her cycle break. But even so..."

The evil cackle shook me to my bones, chasing away the warmth as the air around thickened; making it hard to breathe.

"I wonder if she will ever remember him again. Afterall, it will be like a new life. And it will either be a hit or a miss."

The scene shifted once more to the moments I spent with Alice in a small wooden and run-down hut. From the looks of our faces and dressing, though we were poor, there was absolute certainty that we were happy.

"Even after knowing the truth, I thought that it was all a joke. I was young and naïve, I thought that maybe the curse was just all tomfoolery. Well... that was until you met him. Noam, was his name back then. You fell for him, Av, and you fell hard."

It was him again. Nicholas, Nathan, or in this case Noam; looking as handsome as he was. The same features that attracted me from the first moment I laid eyes on him.

"Noam."

Was what he greeted.

"Adrienne."

His intense gaze stared down on the small figure as I saw the past me breathing heavily at the sight of his beauty.

And the exchange of our names marked the start of that relationship as it quickly progressed into something more.

"Back then, he was poor farmer. And like us, he was barely scrapping by. But that didn't stop the two of you from loving each other. There were times when I would get up in the middle of the night to find you gone. It was only when I followed you that I realised that you were in the arms of your lover as he whispered sweet nothings to you while you laid with him."

I couldn't help but blush at that scene as I saw us lay under the covers. His arms tightly wound around mine with my head pressed against his chest.

"I love you, Noam."

I saw myself press my lips against his as a smile soon surfaced from him.

"Your relationship made me want to feel what it's like to love another. But, it wasn't until later when he revealed his true intentions. Me."

"Run, Alice! Don't look back!"

And there it was once again, soldiers that came breaking through the front door as I pushed young Alice out through the back; leaving the house in a great wreckage.

"You helped me escape while you remained behind. But because you were innocent, they had to come up with a charge. So, to use you to get to me, they cooked up stories about how you were colluding with a witch and tampering with dark magic. It was then when I realised that in exchange for money and land, he sold us out. Day and night, you were publicly tortured. The humiliation you had to suffer because of me was unbearable. But that was all in preparation for what was to come."

"Please! Take care of him!"

As the sound of excruciating screams reached my ears, so did the scent of burning flesh permeated my nostrils.

It took me a moment to realise that the one on the stake, was me. As if the fire seared my very skin, I found myself wincing in my pain as I encircled my arms around my body. It was pure horror; unimaginable.

"Even to the point of death, you were still caring for that traitor. As for the why? I do not know, only that you loved him more than life itself. Then, it became clear to me that the curse was indeed, very real."

"A few years later, I stumbled across Noam again. And unlike before, he was dressed in finely tailored clothes. I wanted to kill him, but what he said prevented me from doing so."

"With all my heart, I loved her. I didn't think that they would do this to her! They broke their promise! All I ever wanted was to give her a comfortable life when it was all over. But now...now I'm stuck with all this useless wealth. I miss her...I miss her so much..."

Noam crouched to the floor as I saw Alice drop her knife, with all intent to kill, vanish. He was hurting.

The once handsome and lean figure he possessed was now reduced to nothing but swallowed grief. A young man who now looked older than what his age described him to be.

In truth, it pained me to see him suffering. He looked like he was trapped in a pit, with no way of getting out. Perhaps it was already in the past or maybe it was my love for him, but I felt no hate towards him; what I longed to do was to reach and pull him out of this cave, and then, hopefully, everything will be alright. But of course, that was just a wishful thinking.

"After that account, I went on my way. And for many years, I was in search of you. The funny thing about living a long life is that time seems to dull. As time went by, the people that were tracking me down finally yielded. Eventually, I became a wanderer. I lied and stole to survive. My identity was always changing whenever I'm in a new region. I was lonely." Alice added, prompting the vision to switch once more.

"And after what seemed like I don't know, hundreds of years? I met you again. Only this time, your name is called, Audrey."

A building stood in the middle of nowhere. The flowers were in full bloom and the birds were tweeting away. The sound of little feet thudded across the grass as little children pranced around the field of flowers. And there I saw me, placing the fabric on top of the clothing line before stretching it out.

"You were just twenty when you ran an orphanage. You were good with kids, and by the looks of it, they adored you as well. You have no idea how happy I was when I saw you. You looked the same, cheerful and absent from the pain of your past life. It was a new beginning for you, a fresh clean slate. Of course, now that I knew of your existence, I stayed by your side as a hired hand. And then, one fateful night, the thing that I feared the most, appeared."

"Oh my goodness, sir! Are you alright?"

The man that was lying face down on the grass groaned in pain while clutching his waist.

It wasn't until later when I, Audrey, came rushing out of the house.

Flipping the man over, I beheld a knife that was stuck in his abdomen, his clothes and hand damped in redness and his face, all sweaty; strands of hair blown and stuck across his forehead.

"W-What's your name, sir!"

Despite the night, I watched as her eyes glimmered and sparkled as she took in the features of that man. To her, perhaps, it was love at first sight.

"N-Nile..."

"After that night and the next few days, you nursed him back to health. And on the fourth day, he awoke. I tried to plead with you to send him away, I was afraid that he might hurt you again. But you of course, fell for him again. Just as you did in the past, you gave your heart to him. There was nothing I could do to prevent this and the thing that was to come."

"That day, I went to town to get a few supplies, and by the time I got back, the house was on fire. The children and you..."

"Where is he?!"

The groups of men that came in with their swords, rounded up every person from the orphanage. The scars on their faces sent some of the little ones crying and weeping in fear.

"I don't know!"

I heard myself cry, before blood was seen splattering all over the grass.

"That's one child down. It'd be best if you think carefully before you answer."

The burly looking individual that had a fresh wound slashed across his face, said.

"Please, don't hurt the children! I really don't know!"

The desperation in her voice left me shaking in fear, not just for the past me, but also for the children's life.

The sword slit another neck of an innocent child. And just like that, a childhood was robbed.

"Look woman. All you have to do is to just tell me where he is. There isn't anyone who will be able to get away scot-free after slashing my face. If you don't comply, you along with this orphanage will be wiped from the face of this earth, forever. Afterall, you are all just trash that nobody wants, nor will ever be remembered. Now, tell me, where is he?"

Tears were now falling from her eyes while she clutched the grass, eyeing at the children who had their necks pressed against the sword.

"When I came back, he was already gone. Please, I'm begging you...you can kill me, but just let the children go."

A sigh of exasperation signaled that the man was indeed, ticked off.

"Kill them all."

The only thing that could be heard next was silence; the weeping and wailing brought to a halt.

"There was nothing left. The only memories that I could see by touching you, was the few minutes before you died. And that man...that prick, left and ran away."

"Body by body, I buried you and the children in front of the orphanage that was burnt to the ground. It wasn't after a few months later that I saw him again. In front of your tombstone, he placed a stalk of flower on your grave."

"These were her favourite."

He croaked, with his head bowed down.

"You are a coward."

Alice seethed, trying her best to suppress the temptation of lunging over and killing him.

"Yes. I am a coward. And for that, I will suffer in guilt for the rest of my life knowing that I will never find someone like her again."

The vision ended with him placing his lips against the tombstone as he bade his lover farewell.

To think that this was the end of the vision, I was bombarded with another, feeling spent and drained from the bombardment of information.

"This isn't the end, Ava. There was another account, one that took place in the 1700s. Though I can't remember which war was it, you were in fact, the daughter of a high-ranking officer. And I, was your handmaiden. It was lucky that I saw you in a market, or else, I would have gone on my way."

"This time, I was adamant about not letting you meet him. But then again, fate works in mysterious ways."

The clatter of utensils and chatter filled the glasshouse; a tea party was underway.

"Adina!"

I saw an older man wrap his arms around me as I did the same around his waist.

The white streaks on his head and loving look that was held in his eyes told me that he was someone important to me.

"Father!"

I heard her exclaim, beaming in happiness as her father scooped her up and spun her around.

"There is someone I'd like you to meet. Niven."

As soon as the older man stepped aside, a lean and tall figure, dressed smartly in a soldier's uniform with his hair neatly combed back, came into view.

Just like before, the first meeting, that undeniable attraction pulled two individuals together; lovers that were destined for tragedy.

The two strolled through the garden on a midsummer night, with the crescent moon hanging in the sky, it's glow accentuating the features of their other half while they exchanged words that were coated with honey.

"I am yours forever, Adina."

He gazed lovingly at her before tilting her chin to meld both lips together.

It was picture-perfect.

"That was the last time you ever saw him before news broke that he was captured by the enemy. For days, you mourned for him, denying any food or water. Unlike before, the light in your eyes died out. Even till death, you wanted nothing but to be with him."

"I failed my mission. I was not able to stop the both of you from meeting each other. I thought that with his death, you would be free. How wrong was I..."

The soldiers came marching through the gates of the mansion, gunshots reverberated through the air, sending the poor butlers and maids scurrying about the garden; having the bullets pierce through their backs.

Blood splashed throughout the manor as they broke into the house. And before long, the remaining staffs in the kitchen, including 'father' and 'I', were captured as we knelt in the foyer; at the mercy of the enemies.

"Any last words?"

The soldier mocked, pushing the pistol against my temple while looking towards my dad who looked defeated with his head hung low, knowing that this was the end.

"How did you know we were here?"

"How?"

The man gestured towards his soldiers. Stepping forth was someone that drew great disappointment from within as he was seen changed out of his usual outfit; now neatly dressed in the enemy's uniform, standing tall and proud beside his commander.

"Yes. He was a spy, and a really good one." Alice added.

"How could you! I trusted you! I TRUSTED YOU!"

I heard my past self scream; heartbroken and betrayed, trembling with the mix of fear and anger. Yet, the man stared down at her. Though cold, his eyes held a tinge of sadness and guilt.

"We had a deal. The girl goes free."

Niven said stoically, as he looked over to his commander. The temporary look of relief on her face was washed away, enabling terror to engulf her.

"Plans changed."

BANG!

The head hit the floor with a loud thud, and soon, blood pooled and soaked the tiles. Niven gazed in shock at his lover; once beautiful, alive and free, but now, reduced to nothing but a corpse, absent from the heat that he once craved.

"No! You bastard!"

BANG!

My father's protests were silenced as he fell to the ground. The only comfort from this past of mine was that despite death, I was not alone. It did feel sick to possess a thinking like this, after all, dozens of lives were lost.

I was mentally drained. My past lives ended tragically, each one 'orchestrated' by him. Yet, no matter the time nor the names that he undertook, the feelings I possessed for him remains.

Yes, there were moments when anger would fill me but, even now, my heart was absent from any hate.

Perhaps it was because despite the things that he did to me, there was still a place that I held in his heart.

"This is a lot to take in." I sighed, panting a little from everything that came in torrents, waves that crashed and tested my limits.

"I know." Alice responded. "And...I hope that you'll forgive me."

"For what?"

"For being the one to betray you."