“I’m really sorry I…I. Tanya…you know…I”, I stuttered profusely, I did not know what to say, only but a month earlier I was hanging out with her, shopping, cinemas, sleep-overs, but now we had this distance, which although I wanted to, I could not fill.
“Hey I know I’m not a good kisser like Max and not half as good-looking, but hey girl I miss ya”.
“I know, I know, OK what do you say we go for some ice-cream now and catch up? It’s on me!” I locked my arms into hers and gave a little tug.
“Are you not meeting Max?”
“Max who? No girl I’ll ring him and let him know”.
There it was my last meeting with Tanya, we talked and talked I told her about Max and she told me about her long days without me. She was truly a drama queen. We had already had three mango and kiwi sundaes, between us and were starting on the fourth. I had just realized how much I really had missed sitting, talking and laughing with Tanya, why had I never canceled on Max before?
“Are you listening to me? Alisha, Alisha snap out of it?” Tanya was clicking her fingers in my face.
I finally blinked and smiled, “Tanya I love ya gal”
“Back at ya sweetie, anyway before you went in to you little day-dream I was telling you, why don’t we have a sleep-over today, it’ll be like old times, I bought that Brad Pitt flick, so we can just hang out what do you s…” Tanya stopped in mid-sentence her smile fading as she looked up and then at my puzzling face.
“Sounds good…what’s wrong? Tanya you…”
“Hey babes, is this seat taken?” Max said as he slid into the seat beside me, taking my hand. “Hi Tanya, long time no see”
“Hey…Hey Max” Tanya was always wary and almost frightened of Max, she gave a quick fake smile to him and then looked at me almost in defeat.
“So what you girls been talking about? Not too much about me, I hope, anyway Aisha?” He turned to me, and instantly I was under the casts of his eyes, I wished I could hold him forever.
“Hmm? Yeh?” I gulped, why did I always turn into a puddle of nerves whenever he looked at me? Why? And why was he here? I had told him I was spending the evening with Tanya, he had been disappointed but said he would live for a few hours without me!
“Ok so you both wondering why I’m here, right? Alisha if you have forgotten I had something planned for you today in celebration of our one month anniversary, so I have come to kidnap you!” I looked at Max and then at Tanya, she was obviously gutted and tried to hide it as best as she could, although some tears had formed she blinked them away.
“That’s so sweet, Alisha, you have to go, don’t worry we can do this some other time, and Max you have to stop taking her away from me” Although Tanya was half joking, her last comment was said with a bit of hurt.
“I’m really sorry Tanya, I totally forgot, I promise we’ll get together soon, I’ll call you!” I winked at her as Max took my hand and we got up to leave.
It was only after we walked out of the ice-cream parlor, I realised it was supposed to be me treating, and I had left her with the bill. I wave guilt passed me until I realised where we were walking towards.
“Where….where…where are we going?” I stammered as I saw the Trangriester Tower looming on front of me.
“To your destiny honey, you’ll see”, I held on to Max as tight as ever, not understanding what he meant, and felt alone and scared as the hairs on my neck stood up at the sight of the dark crooked tower.
As we reached the big wooden door, I felt my hear skip a beat, what could be pleasant about this place? And what was this surprise? I knew if Tanya were here she would have took my hand and ran back to the safety of the lightened street of the town.
The door creaked open just like in the movies when some stupid kids enter a haunted house. I screamed, startled, I saw a pale but very pretty girl with long straight blonde hair and big blue eyes staring right back at me. It only took a moment to realize it was my reflection in the mirror.
“Max, Max where are you?” I shouted as I noticed that the warmth of his presence had left and I was standing alone in the landing of the tower.
Almost as if in response, the big door slammed shut eliminating any light from outside except for the small circle windows near the stairs. I pulled the door again and again it was locked. I was beginning to wish I were with Tanya watching the Brad Pitt movie, where was Max.
“Elizabeth…Elizabeth…Elizabeth” a coarse almost silent whisper was coming from upstairs, it sounded like Max, but why would he be whispering and who was Elizabeth?
I walked up the stairs, which also creaked with every step I took.
“R…Ra…Max this is not funny, come on lets get out of here”. I was going to kill him for this; this was just not my idea of a joke.
Then out of nowhere a figure emerged in front of me. It was Max, yet his eyes were not the beautiful green that one would loose themselves in, but were almost a bloody red.
“Elizabeth it’s the 13th of August…. the day you left me, do you remember? You stole my life; you took everything and left me dying in this tower. You are a heartless witch you must die, my soul needs to rest…you must die” Max had an old knife which he directed right back at me. This must be a dream. What was happening?
“I…I…Max…. I’m not Elizabeth what is wrong with you? It’s me…what are you talking about?”
“STOP LYING” Max shrieked, “Your blonde hair and blue eyes, I remember Elizabeth I remember…” and then suddenly I felt a surge of pain in my chest where he had stabbed me again and again and then he stopped.
“You’re not Elizabeth, I’m sorry…I have to find Elizabeth” then he walked away, my blue contacts had fallen out in the rush of the struggle, and now cold and scared I lay in the pool of my own blood dying, for what, I did not know.
How could I have trusted him, confused and scared I lay there, I reached out to someone, but it was no one…No one!
By Hanifa Malam 13416
