ALASKA
DACIANA
“I’m making plans to run away from here Daciana.”
Daciana looked up at her sister Ruby, who was furiously swinging her sword in thin air, practicing how to fight of invisible beings and the act made her laugh, but not before she brought her thoughts back to what her sister had said.
“You want to leave? Leave me here?” Daciana asked, and Ruby said nothing as silence descended.
Daciana eyes dimmed as she watched her energetic and ever vibrant sister, do what she knew how to do best, and a hand on her belly she felt a little bit of sorrow, and maybe a pang of jealousy too.
Ruby had always been the better one.
She was the most clever of the two of them, the most powerful witch and sorceress, and intelligent too.
She was even more beautiful, Daciana thought a smile stretching on her lips as she admired her sister from afar while she sat on a rock, her eyes sometimes flickering to the rushing stream nearby.
Ruby’s beauty was enchanting…
With pure emerald green eyes that shone just like her name, brown blond long hair, a pert nose stop her face and the fairest of skins, her sister could easily pass of as a goddess.
Ruby was a pure breed witch just like her, but still more powerful and Daciana knew aunt Helene hated her more because she was the rumored witch of the seven seas scrolls of Alaska, one of the powerful title ever.
Daciana had no idea if her sister knew about this, as she had overheard her aunty talking about it with her daughters, but then if she had then it was even better, and supposedly what gave her more morale to stand up to Helene’s harsh treatments.
Ruby was fearless enough, and most times stood up to their wicked aunt, who was making life a living hell for them.
At 19 years of age, Daciana’s childhood was really abashed and filled with so many insecurities.
Not that she wasn’t beautiful herself, but always in tatters and not bothering too much about herself, Daciana had easily allowed her fears overcrowd her.
She wasn’t good enough, or beautiful enough, powerful enough, or even strong enough.
She was just a weakling, with no talent and skill whatsoever and all her life Daciana knew that she would always be behind Ruby.
Ruby was 21, but still yet better than her.
Shrugging her shoulders, picking up stones and throwing them into the river, Dacian thought back to previous memories, her mind wandering off to the past.
She had no idea of their parents, and the only thing she knew was that they died mysteriously on their way back from visiting a neighboring town.
The words of Helene resonated in her ears, as she thought of them, and her mind wandered back to the cold nights, and harsh days when their aunt would shout and curse at her for killing her parents.
Aunt Helene would say and quote, ‘You are a cursed child. You’re the cause of your parents death. I know what my brother Micheal did before he had you, with that wicked witch of your mother, and what you could do was to kill them…’
It was not a new thing that Helene hated their mother, and if the hatred she had for their mother was what was fuelling her bitterness, then she was doing a good job in showing it out.
She would continue talking, all the while kicking and beating Daciana who couldn’t do a thing while her children who were just like her watched – safe for her last daughter though, and cousin Diana –
Diana was the opposite of her mother, and sisters Bianca and Princess.
The lovely teenager who was just 18 years old, was the only friend and companion Daciana had apart from her sister.
A tear streamed down her face, as she rubbed at her sore arms, and skin.
Her backs were filled with welts, from Helene’s harsh whipping and sore wounds from grinding her body all over the floor.
Some days ago, Helene had done the most brutal of things to her.
Ruby had been away on an errand and after she had forgotten to make dinner, Helene had taken the hot coals she had made for cooking in a spoon, and had smashed it down her back.
She could never forget the excruciating pain that had torn through her, and the chaos that followed when Ruby had come back that night and…
A sword swung in front of her face, startling Daciana out of her trance, and she blinked surreptitiously.
“What the?” She asked, laughing softly, as she turned to face her sister who had a smirk on her face.
“What were you thinking off?” Ruby asked, dimming her eyes suspiciously, and then she added, “Don’t tell me you were crying again.” Ruby said with a sigh.
Dacian sniffled, her shoulders dropping defeatedly, as she wiped away another stray tear that was rolling down her eyes.
“Oh Daci…” She heard her sister say, and the sword dropping on the floor in a resounding clang, Daciana felt herself being pulled into Ruby’s arms as her sister stroked her back gently, careful about the wounds and she sobbed harder.
“All would be well Daciana. That’s why I want us to leave. We are of age, we don’t need to keep bearing the brunts of that witch’s hatred. We have to…”
Daciana cut her off, and removing herself from Ruby’s somewhat tight embrace she cleaned her eyes, and then facing her sister squarely she said, “Where would we go to? Have you forgotten that we literally have no one.”
“But we have each other…” Ruby cut in but Daciana still wasn’t buying the idea, “There’s no where to go Ruby can’t you see it. She has threatened to kill us if we try escaping and you know she can do it. No one cares about us in this place, they scorn us, abuse us as bad blooded witches, and they would turn a blind eye if aunt Helene went ahead and…”
“Oh spare me that trash Daci! I can’t keep staying just because I’m afraid of the unknown. I’m tired of this treatments, I’m tired of that woman’s bad aura sucking up my energy and draining me too. I’m tired of the things she put us through, ever since we started to live with her and the only reasonable thing to do here is to escape.” Ruby paused, cleared her throat, and continued, “I’ve made up my mind Daciana, and nothing not even you can stop me.”
“I asked a question before, do you want to leave me here?” Daciana asked slowly, already becoming scared about the possibility of Ruby leaving her here.
“I don’t know. It’s up to you to come or not. Besides there’s no guarantee that we’re leaving Alaska, put that in mind in case you’re afraid. I just want to leave this place.” Ruby said, in reply to her question and Daciana sighed yet again albeit loudly this time around, as she began to think again.
She just couldn’t imagine it if Ruby left without her.
Her life would change from worse to worst, and if eventually Ruby’s plan came to fruition, Dacian knew that their aunt would double her treatment.
But still yet, it was so risky.
She had never been farther than anywhere except the shack of a house they lived in, the market and this forest where they both normally sneaked out to enjoy themselves before going back home.
Daciana didn’t know what the outside world look like, but she had heard many stories from Diana, that there were cities, countries and even so many things modern and different from this place they lived in.
Diana had brought pictures too on papers, and magazines she had gotten from friends, and as usual they would both fantasize about the surreal buildings, and most times she personally would wonder what and how it would be like to leave Alaska.
Not just leave Alaska, but this place they were in.
It was something she wished about so much, and Daciana even dreamed about it too.
Oh, how she wished to be free, but she just couldn’t.
As she wished to be there, so also were the reigning doubts that the world outside might be much more worse than this place she called home.
Sighing she stared at Ruby, who was no longer holding her, and had moved farther standing at the bank of the stream.
“I’ll think about it Ruby!” She shouted, still seated on the rock, and toying with her hair as she added, “But I still have my doubts you know. We might get killed and…”
“That’s honestly none of my business Daciana. If you want to come, and embark on this journey with me then that’s fine. If you don’t want to, then that’s fine too. You have a life, and I have mine too.”
The words were harsh, and also Ruby was annoyed.
Yes, she could feel it.
Her sister was pissed, and even when she had no idea what had made her angry all of a sudden, Daciana knew that there were some atom of truth in what she had said.
They had different lives to live, and Ruby wouldn’t force her to do anything.
Standing up, and dusting herself Daciana walked towards her sister, and pulled her into a back hug, wrapping her arms around her from behind, and a cheeky smile up on her face she said, “I’ll go with you. Out of this slum, this torture hound, and to search for a better life for the both of us. I’ll go with you.”