Three

 I walked slowly through the corridor, to my room. I felt total numbness in my spirit. There is nothing in this world I had done to deserve all this. 

“It's not my fault” I said to myself.l, consoling myself.

  I threw  my backpack on my bed and sat across the mirror. Remunerating on all that had happened in my life. Hot tears ran down my cheek. My own image on the mirror made me cry. The fact that there's also a ghost with the same face and the damn ghost had come into my life in one of its worst moment. I must find her. First , she has to tell me why she appeared in my room this morning and why she called me her sister.Then she'll have to take me to the place Arkishair is , wherever she is and the other questions I have for her, millions of them.

My throat longed for breath, my chest was tight as ever-- the pain I can't explain. I'm going to have an attack and there will be no one to help. I rolled off the chair and began to crawl towards my backpack ( I had my inhaler in it) . I got there in time. I took two puffs--nothing changed , then two more and more. I used it four consecutive times before I could breathe normally again. I felt relaxed somehow but sleepy. I needed to leave but if I'll leave then I must be strong. I reached for my phone and dialed Emiliar's number. There was no answer ( too frustrating ). I was about to give in to sleep, when I felt a palm on my shoulder. My heart skipped, I was dead scared. 

“Sex slave” was the first thing that came to my mind.

I moved my head slowly . Someone was squatting by my side, a man--not my father. He was wearing a robe, red and blue, like a...druid. Father never believed in druids, so how did he get in . I turned to stare more into his eye.

A ghost druid? I thought. Hot shivers ran through my spine. His eyes were green and green light reflected from it. The more I started into it the more energy I got. His smile urged me to continue to stare. He knelt by my side, his features were perfectly youthful. His facial features looked as though carved with finest detail.

 He might be extremely attractive but he's a ghost druid. I reminded myself.

After sometime, he stood up, green light evaded my room.

Gush! His magic is just too extreme. What the hell is going on in my world? I gasped.

“Katrienair! ” He pronounced my name with full emphasis on every syllable. No one ever called me by my real name, I'm Katty to everyone. And how the hell did he know my name?

“ Don't be scared” he said. “Not yet”

Was I scared? I thought I have hidden that so well. I just hope he doesn't  read thoughts too.

“Who are you?” I asked him.

He ignored my question.

“ You will leave, won't you? ”

“Yes”

He smiled. “ As strong-willed as her mother, fearless as her father” he was staring into the mirror.

“You know my parents?” I was gravely curious. What's happening in my world?

He nodded his head. “Yes, very well”

Right then, I wanted to scream and jump at him, ask him to start spilling out all he knew, but I just had to stay calm. He's a ghost or simply put, a stranger.

“Where are they? Why did they leave us? Where Arkishair? Is she truly dead?”

I've got reasons not to belief my father. Arkishair might not be dead yet. Like he said, he hates us with passion. Keeping Arkishair  might be his own way of getting rid of us. 

And I needed someone to tell me Arkishair was not dead yet. I wanted all these to end. I wanted to see my sister alive.

“Too many questions Katrienair ” the man said. “ The answer to every question lies in your hands Katrienair. And every decision you take determines your destiny. You are who you think you are. So tell me, will you leave now?”

I got confused--very confused. Is he trying to convince me to stay?

“Do you see things?” I asked.

He was silent. I knew he would not reply. This strange man has a strange way of avoiding my questions. But why do I feel like he knows everything?

“Should I stay?”I asked. “Will I live? Will I die if I leave?”

“ I cannot tell you things katrienair. Make your own decisions. ” he said. “ Remember it determines your destiny. ”

He stretched out his palm towards the mirror and the green light in the room converged into a green stone in his hand. His long finger nail slashed through the middle of the stone and sliced into two. He gave them to me. They were light but powerful. I felt its energy coarse through my vein. I felt my world change-- I felt powerful. Snow was flaking but I felt warm and calm. I felt alive.

“ That, your parents sent them to you and Arkishair. ” he said. “Arkishair is no more but...”

Oh, that hurts. She's truly dead and he knows my parents and I believe him. Arkishair is dead!

He continued. “ You  should not have the two stones katrienair, give one of the stones to a loved one for their protection. You have a long journey ahead of you . Give it to the person you want to live till you're back.”

That gave me another reason to ask him some more questions but I'll start with the more important ones.

“You know my parents. Where are they? Where would I go if I leave here? ”

He looked down at me with a smile that made my heart sink. He's not going to answer.

“Listen katrienair, you've got no time to waste. This right here is not about your parents or Arkishair, it's your life--your destiny. Act, all things will come afterwards.” Then he disappeared.

I knelt there shocked to my bones, realizing how hard my life was going to become. Leaving to nowhere. What the heck?!

Then something occurred to me, my dream, the girl who called me her sister. I should find her. She might live in that snowland -- out of this town. The White Empire, where aliens live. Can I ever get there? I just have to try. At least my miserable life will have a direction.

I ran out, jumped on my bicycle and headed towards Emiliar’s house. 

#

She sat on a concrete pavement on their garage, thinking I guess. She had her own problems too. She's always treated like an outcast in her own home. She's got magic and nobody would see her as normal person but a witch. I sat by her side and she hugged me like she has expected me to visit. I felt her hot tears soak my sweater. Of course, she has been crying.

“you should not be out Emiliar, the snow” I said.

She explained her ordeal--the story I expected. I gave her the stone and explained all that happened to her. She was sad I was leaving but she promised to be there for me always. I believed her though I knew that can't be possible ever again. I got back on my bicycle and began to ride. The snow can't stop me yet, it's not falling hard. I drove in and out of thick forests. Fearless even in places where I should. The little pocket knife Emiliar gave to me assured me of a good fight. I'll fight asthma or not.