CHAPTER TWO

I opened my eyes to see Dom and Ivy looking petrified. I sat up, calming my mind that was in a frenzy. The lullaby was the same as the one my mother sang to me when I was little. I got up.

"Where are you going?" Ivy asked me. I hushed her and followed the humming voice for I could still hear it. I followed the directions of the voice with Dom and Ivy hot at my heels. The humming stopped when I reached a fountain. A drawing of a lock was carved on the rim of the fountain. I took out my knife and traced on the sign on the rim of the fountain. The fountain opened, leading towards a passage and without thinking I ran inside with Dom, who instructed Ivy to keep a lookout. We came out to a massive hall that was darkened.

"Who's there ?" A known and frightened voice came.

"Mom is that you?" My voice echoed. I didn't know why, but I just said it.

"Clare, is that really you?" the voice replied now teary.

"Yes it is me" I moved my hands frantically in front of me because of the dark.

"Go away Clare, my daughter, go away" She called out. All of a sudden, the lights turned on and I squinted, adjusting my eyes. Dom was the one who did it. I looked up and saw my surroundings. It was a huge hall looking like a prison with cages in them. Some of the cages were filled while some were empty. I ran towards my mother's cage.

"You are my mother. Let's get out of here". I stabbed the lock with my dagger and it broke open.

"Let's go mom!" I pulled her but she backed off.

"No honey, you go, I can't" She teared down, shaking her head in dismay

"But mom" I protested looking here and there.

"Take her" she said to Dom but I wouldn't budge so he picked me up.

"STOP! PUT ME DOWN FOR GOD'S SAKE!" I screamed at him but he didn't listen. He entered the passage that led us back. We came out and the fountain closed itself.

"If Amy finds out this, we will also land there" Dom scolded me the minute he put me down. I was angry, scared and happy. "What the heck?" Ivy blurted out. She looked at our closeness and smirked.

"Sorry,did I?" She asked us innocently.

"No, you didn't" Dom gave her a pointed look.

"l can leave" Ivy insisted, still smirking. Dom stood up pulling me with him.

"Let me show you your room" Ivy replied smiling at us. Dom glared and bad mouthed her and asked me to follow him. I took Ivy's hand and pulled her after me. She giggled, but then stopped as she knew Dom would kill her for that. Dom escorted us through many floors and stopped at a door . "This one's for you. The one on on your left is mine and right is Ivy's and the front one is of Jeremy''

I opened the door to a bright and cozy room . Moonlight littered through the window.

"Whoa, beautiful" I commented.

The bed was made of a wood with velvet curtains hanging from the walls and a Chandler hanging down from the roof. The shelves were filled with books of different kinds. There was a desk with a laptop on it. A built in closet with clothes of different kinds. A dressing table and an attached bathroom.

"I hope you like it," Ivy said.

"l love it" l exclaimed twirling around.

"Goodnight" Ivy bade us goodnight and left the room.

"That was quite an adventure, Night" Dom said and smiled warmly at me.

"Night" I smiled back and he left the room. I found a night suit in the bathroom and a bathrobe . The whole room was equipped with all the essentials and even a refrigerator with food in it. Man, I could get used to this. I grabbed a tub of ice cream and dug inside. After the dessert, I washed my face and fell asleep almost immediately.

"Wake up" I woke up with a start and saw Ivy waking me up ."Breakfast is ready, hurry"

I changed into black jeans, a shirt and a leather jacket. Ivy led me to the dining room where I met Mr. and Mrs. Xander and said hello to Dom and Jeremy. Breakfast was scrambled eggs with sausages and bread. It was delicious.

"Somebody is mentally not present in the dining room "Ivy commented mockingly to Dom. She was right. He was daydreaming. He shot a death glare at Ivy and started eating. Mr. and Mrs. Xander smiled at their bickering, while Jeremy stared at his plate, his face void of any emotion. I wondered what was wrong with him.

'He might don't like me or probably he doesn't like me in his family.'

My thoughts strayed but I completed my breakfast and asked Ivy if there was a library.

"Sure let me show you the way" she replied and led me across a snaky corridor and we were there. It was like heaven. A vintage heaven with large shelves with different kinds of books. I skimmed through the mundane section where I found Tess of D'Urbervilles. I wanted to read this for years, but the book was reserved, so I started on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I was in the middle when I felt like someone was staring at me. I turned around to see Jeremy.

He had the book in his hands and was sniggering at me. I felt hurt and Ivy, who was looking at both of us, understood all the situation. She stood up but I stopped her and left for the training room. I found Dom there with two other girls.

"This is Clare James; Clare, This is Stelena David and this is Delena Josh". He introduced me to them. I don't know, but Delena was looking at me like I was from another planet.

"Ahem" somebody cleared his throat. It was Jeremy. "Delena will fight me and Clare you pair up with Dom, Stelena you wait" He ordered

"No , but I wanna train...." Delena protested.

"No more" Jeremy stopped her. She glared at me. I wanted to retort but Dom came in my way blocking the view from me and I knew why he did that, so I didn't protest. With that we took our places and it started. I was pretty good as I took karate classes but it also was in my blood, as Dom and Ivy said. I nearly defeated Dom but Delena pushed and I was about to land full faced but was caught by Dom.

Jeremy gave a stern look to Delena. "Your timings will be changed, meet me in the office". She scowled at Jeremy and me and cursed me under her breath and left. Jeremy stopped and looked at me and casually started "Clare I presume you think you are good while you're not . You are accidentally here and not one of us". I interrupted him, surprising him with my bitchy attitude.

"I know, I'm a sweetheart and a smartass; it's a real package deal" and left the room with a smirk  with him glaring at me.

"Clare, is everything okay?" Ivy asked me.

"Yup" I replied dully.

"Yeah and pigs fly" she replied sarcastically.

"If ya say so" I replied to her.

"What is that? oh,  call me when you are done" She left after she saw that I wanted to be alone. After I drew a painting, which is, by the way, my therapy, I put on my gear and left for lunch with my painting in one hand so I can give it to Katie. I had a lot of explanation to do to her. I left it with my backpack on the couch. Lunch was a quiet affair. When I came back Mr. Xander was looking at my drawing. "Clare dear, use your talents wisely and Jeremy meet me in the office" he added and instead of listening to my reply he gave my painting back, smiled and left. I took me things and left with Dom and Ivy along with me. We walked four blocks in silence and  stopped at Katie's.

"Oh my goodness it's you!" she exclaimed and I was also happy to see her. We hugged it out for like 5 minutes but it's worth it since I haven't seen her since a week. We went inside, shared a glass of orange juice and talked away, but a pang of sadness hit me that I am not normal anymore like her. "Hey where are you ?" Katie flipped me out of my day dream.

"Oh" I realized what was happening. Dom and Ivy were standing behind Katie. I stared at them with my eyes giving a why-are-you-here look.

"These are your friends that came to pick you up and stop daydreaming" Katie scolded me.

"Umm, Katie I have to be somewhere so I'll catch you up later on" I bid her goodbye and left with both of them.