Valley Of Glamorgan (25 page)

The room was silent and despite my best
efforts I couldn’t hear anything. The smell of cigarettes still
lingered heavily in the air, making it hard for me to breathe
although it seemed to have thinned out a little since we had first
arrived. Perhaps this meant I had been left alone. Taking a chance
I called out. “Hello?” There was no answer but that didn’t
necessarily mean much as they could still be in the room, standing
around watching me. I still hadn’t figured out why my eyesight
hadn’t returned. It was hell. What I really needed was to have it
back just long enough to get out of here, but no matter how hard I
begged and pleaded it wouldn’t return. Just as I decided to stand
up the door burst opened and just as quickly it closed, was
followed by the sound of two loud footsteps walking towards me.

“Well, Well, Well,” I heard a small female
voice say. “She doesn’t look so valuable to me,” and she laughed; a
harsh laugh. Having stopped just in front of me she leaned over and
suddenly grabbed me by my hair demanding that I stand up.

Struggling to get up I hoped she would let
go of my hair, but instead she kicked my feet from underneath me,
causing me to fall flat on my butt and making me cry out in pain as
my back hit the wall behind me. Just as I was going to curl up she
grabbed me by my hair again, laughing again but, instead of yelling
out and telling me to stand, she just kept tugging harder and
harder until I had stood up on my own.

“It should have been me you know?” she
snarled at me; as if I was supposed to know what she was talking
about. Pulling me closer to her face all I could smell was an
overbearing musky perfume that took my breath away. Shoving me back
into the wall she placed her elbow to my throat, making it harder
for me to breathe and causing me to cough and gasp for air as her
elbow dug deeper into my throat.

I was very relieved when I heard a loud and
commanding voice behind her yell, “Damn it Kat, let her go!” And
she did just that; punching me in the stomach and making me fall to
the floor hard. Fearful of saying anything, I knew I wouldn’t take
much more of the abuse before I did something stupid, and making
her hit me again. Thankfully I heard her footsteps disappear as she
made her way back towards the door. Hopefully she was leaving,
although this time I didn’t hear the door open so I wondered if she
was still in the room. Clenching my fists by my sides I suddenly
realized how much I hated being helpless and decided that if I ever
got the chance I would kick her ass! To pass the time I kept
thinking about Declan’s smiling face and bright eyes. If anything
could pull me from this darkness it was him. I was sorry we hadn’t
left things that good between us but despite that I still cared for
him; he was still the shining light in all my darkness.

I’m not sure how much time has passed but it
seems as if it has just crept by. Trying to keep level headed and
calm I keep pressing my head and body against the cool wooden
planks of the wall. But the longer time passed the more terrified I
had become. I miss my family and I hope and pray I will see them
again; and soon. The house had grown quiet and I have a feeling I
was alone, yet I have no clue how long it’s been. They must have
someone guarding the door as they don’t seem the type of people, or
whatever they are, to just let me walk right out of the door.
Perhaps there’s a chance that they might just underestimate me due
to the fact I was blind. If nothing else I have to hold on to that
little glimmer of hope, or I will just give in to the despair that
is filling every single inch of my body; making me feel sick to my
stomach. Ever since I lost my sight I have begun to feel as if I am
on a roller coaster ride of emotions. One moment I feel as if I
could take on the world, then I feel so defeated that I just want
to lie down and stop breathing.

Realizing how drastic those two extremes
appear is my strange way of coping with not being able to see.
Finally, hoping I was alone, I decided to try and feel my way
around the room? Carefully I pushed myself up from the floor but as
I stood I felt a little woozy. Placing my arms straight out in
front of me I began listening for any indication that there was
someone, or something else, in this room other than myself.
Carefully I moved around, bumping into a table and chairs and then
some sort of sofa or easy-chair and knowing instinctively that I
wasn’t locked in some sort of bedroom or basement. Slowly I made my
way to the wall; then dragging my fingertips across the wood I felt
for a window; my breath catching in my throat when my hand reached
the cool glass pane. I wasn’t sure if I could possibly crawl out of
it but it did help to confirm my suspicions that I was in a living
room, which meant with a few more steps I might find a door.

Taking a deep breath I stumbled my way
around the room until I finally reached the door. Slowly I felt for
a lock and discovering a chain of some sorts I flicked it out of
place. Despite knowing there was the possibility of someone waiting
on the other side of the door I still had to take a chance. Sweat
beaded my brow as I placed my hand on the door-knob. ‘This is the
moment of truth,’ I told myself as I slowly turned the knob.
Carefully opening the door I was surprised to be met by a quick and
forceful breeze. Taking one step at a time I carefully dragged my
feet in order to feel for anything that I could possibly trip over.
As I progressed the scent of freshly cut grass and pine needles
sailed through the air around me but it was a welcoming aroma;
especially after breathing in the nasty stale scent of cigarette
smoke. Shuffling my feet further and further across the porch I
carefully started to make my way down a small flight of wobbly
stairs; or maybe it was just my legs that were wobbly. Whichever it
was I knew I had to try and get away from the house as quickly as I
could.

Having no clue as to where I was going to go
or how I was going to survive in the thick pine forest that
surrounded me, I froze mid-step. How could I have possibly known
what I was surrounded by? I hadn’t seen anything other than
darkness for days! Putting the thoughts out of my mind I knew there
wasn’t time for me to contemplate anything further as I heard a car
driving up what sounded like a gravel road, recognizing the sound
of rocks as they pounded against the aluminum body of the
vehicle.

Sprinting forward I made my way into the
woods. It was as if I was being directed to go deeper and deeper
into the trees. As I ran I could feel the twigs and branches
breaking beneath the weight of my feet but I continued running.
Somehow I didn’t run into anything or fall over, which seemed
bizarre as I had barely been able to make my way to my own bathroom
back at the castle without falling flat on my face. It was then I
realized that something was calling out to me. I didn’t care what
it was, for in that moment I knew I just had to get away as fast as
I could.

Chapter
15

My captors would have discovered I was
missing by now and would probably be out tracking me. I wasn’t sure
what they were capable of seeing as how they had teleported me and
brought my father back from the dead. The sudden image of his
grinning face as he had stabbed the blade into me flooded my vision
causing tears to run down my cheeks. I had definitely seen
something that day. But as gruesome and brutal as that memory was
it was still beautiful because at last I was able to see something
other than the darkness.

Abruptly I came to a stop, trying to catch
my breath. My chest was burning from the cool air and my feet hurt
as I wasn’t wearing shoes. Then I heard foot steps behind me and
turning slowly I had a strange feeling. Somehow, I knew it was
someone I shouldn’t be frightened of.

“Please don’t be afraid,” I heard a male
voice whisper. “I won’t hurt you,” he reassured me.

I don’t know why but I felt I should trust
him. As he approached the sound of leaves and twigs crunching
beneath his feet echoed through the quietness of the woods. Gently
I felt him place a hand on my shoulder and I felt familiar warmth
spread through my body.

“You can’t see,” he stated more than
questioned and I sensed his pity, the same feeling everyone else
felt for me, which I hated. Being blind was not something I loved,
but the worst part was the sympathy everyone smothered me with.

Trying to look in his direction, I said,
“You led me here!” Not sure how I could know that it was this man,
standing here in the middle of nowhere, who had called me into the
forest.

“I did,” he stated simply.

“Why?” I asked, “Not that I don’t appreciate
it but I just need to understand how you did it?”

“It was my spirit animal that led you. It
spoke to something deep within you; therefore I cannot take all the
credit. Plus, it was your animal spirit that followed mine,” the
man replied.

My heart beat loudly in my ears. I had never
heard of such a thing, besides I hadn’t even had my animal ritual
nor chosen my animal. “That is impossible,” I told him, “I haven’t
even had my animal ceremony yet! It is supposed to be in a couple
of weeks but then I was kidnapped by my murderous father.” I tried
to stop my rambling, quickly apologizing as I had no clue as to why
I was telling him any of this. “Who are you?” I asked, not
believing that I hadn’t asked him up until now; it seemed like the
most basic question and I had asked everything but that.

“My name is Salvador. I live just a few
miles from here. I heard, or more felt, something pulling me to the
woods and that is when I met you. I realized what had happened when
I felt the transformation and was led to you by my animal” he
explained.

“Thank you,” was all I could say as I still
had no clue as to how any of this could have happened but it had;
but I was sure as hell happy that it had. I knew I would have been
dead if he hadn’t helped me. “I need to get back to the palace,” I
blurted out, feeling guilt creep into my core. Not once had I
thought about my home or family, who were probably scared to death
and looking for me.

“Wait, are you the missing Princess,” he
asked; his casual demeanor changing in an instance and causing him
to start speaking more formal and polite.

“You have heard of me?” I asked, shocked by
his question. I had heard that there were Pacu living in the
mountains surrounding the palace but I had never thought I would
meet one of them. When I had asked my father why they didn’t live
within the village he just told me that some people prefer not to
conform to normal society, but liked to live in the old manner they
were used to. Perhaps this Salvador was one of them. Is he was then
I felt blessed that it was him who had found me and not my
captors.

“I have a cabin about a mile up the creek.
We will stay there tonight then I will take you back to the palace
in the morning. It is a six hour hike down the mountain and I am
afraid it is near impossible in the dark. Besides with your
condition we will need more time to get you down there,” Salvador
stated, matter of factually.

“You don’t have a car then?” I asked,
surprised to hear that he really did live the old fashioned
way.

“No,” he replied simply, before taking my
hand in his large rough one and leading me along a small gravel
path.

By the time we reached his cabin I was tired
and just happy to sit and relax in a warm safe place. Sitting in
the chair that Sal, which is what I have decided to call him, I
felt grateful when he handed me a warm blanket and a steaming hot
bowl of soup. Not sure what kind it was I didn’t care as the warm
broth slipped down my welcoming throat making me thankful as I
couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten anything but it must
have been a while because I was starving. Gladly I drank two more
bowls of the nourishing food before sitting back and feeling
comfortably relaxed in front of the crackling fire with the smell
of burning oak filling the cabin which wasn’t an over bearing
smell; it was nice.

“So why do you live all the way out here?” I
knew it was rude to ask but I couldn’t help myself.

“It’s just a personal choice. My animal and
I feel more at home surrounded by the forest,” he replied; no
animosity sounding in his voice by the question.

“Don’t you think it’s strange that my animal
called to yours? I have heard of people meeting and their animals
connecting but we both know that hasn’t happened in a long time,”
and I let out an awkward giggle, feeling uncomfortable by having
brought the subject up.

“I don’t know,” he said, “Maybe it was
because we sensed you were in trouble and needed help.” It was a
logical explanation yet it still felt as if there was something he
wasn’t telling me.

Despite that I felt I could have sat by the
welcoming warmth of the fire and talked to him all night. There was
so much I wanted to ask him as I hadn’t been this intrigued by
someone since, well, since I had met Declan. ‘Stop it,’ I thought,
‘I can’t let my mind wander; it is too painful to think of him
right now.’

Disappointment flooded into me when Sal
brought another blanket then led me to a small couch saying, “It’s
not much, and I apologize for that Princess, but it will only be
until the morning.” For some reason I hated the way he had said
princess; there seemed to be such condescension in his voice.
Shortly afterwards Sal left the room abruptly and I had the feeling
that I wouldn’t see him again until morning. Lying haphazardly
across the small couch I was surprised at how quickly I fell
asleep.

It was the first night I dreamt but, only
the second time I dreamed something other than evil darkness. I
also knew I would never admit to anyone what it had been about as I
would be too embarrassed to do so.