I am Clara

I Probably Won't Die

Hasty footsteps echoing down the tree tunnel, I heaved a breath of relief. I didn't even care that we'd be in trouble. They could scream all they wanted once the metal was extracted from my skin. Eyes darting to meet my hero, instead an elderly woman burst through the entrance. She was not what I envisioned as the ideal savior. She was old, very old; bones protruding and skin sagging so much with age that she looked as though she ought to have been 6 six feet under many years ago. Gaze fierce, black eyes holding an unnatural darkness, she shouted something in Indonesian. She was very short, probably just barely reached my shoulders, and her body was so frail that one would fear she might blow away in the wind. But despite her petite features, she was intimidating looking, even more so than my mother. I shuddered under her intense gaze, almost forgetting about the choking metal.

      Metal letting go as soon as she spoke, it returned to its original shaped crystal ball. It had listened to her... It let go when a certain word was spoken? As if it had a conscience, and knew when it was being spoken to? Yep. I wanted out of here. I was cultured out.

      Hands coming to my throat in relief, I scrambled to my feet. More purple cloaked people came in running, dropping to their knees the moment they laid eyes on me. Along with the first woman, a young girl and three men were by her side. All, but the young girl, bowed as they had when I accidently rang the bells. They could not be bowing for me. They couldn't be that senseless. Right? The old woman's black eyes shone with surprise and delight, but the teenager next to her didn't share the sentiment. She appeared enraged. The angry looking brunette looked at the older woman in disbelief.

      "You can't actually think it's her," she criticized in a slight accent.

       The woman seemed quite convinced that I was in-fact the she they were speaking of.

        "You really think the Terpilih is the moron who set off the bells? Eudora wouldn't choose her; I am much more worthy," the girl argued.

       "I'm standing right here," I complained, momentarily ignoring whatever Terpilih meant.

       I may as well not have spoken, the girl completely ignored me. Her grandma, though, didn't and I really wish she would have.

      "We wait a long time for you," she announced, in an accent much more noticeable than her granddaughter's. Slowly she approached me, and I backed away, not wanting to be any closer that I needed to be.

     "She's not Indonesian. She's not even Asian," the granddaughter contended.

      "Actually, my grandmother was born in Cambodia...Not that I see why that would be relevant," I spoke for a reason that I knew not of.

      I had no point to prove. Surely, Mr. Barton would hear about the chaos, and come rushing to punish me, saving me from this mess.

       The girl laughed wryly. She was clearly not impressed by my remark. She turned towards her grandmother; cheeks tinted red in anger. I just barely spotted the contrast in color against her dark skin. "This is a joke. I am a full blood Asian woman, and your most valuable warrior. I can take on Eudora's power."

      Andrews and I shared a look of bewilderment, silently trying to formulate an escape plan. I took a few subtle steps his way. Maybe the two would start arguing, and we could flee. The old woman had finally taken her eyes off me, busy scolding her granddaughter.

      "You can't take her power, you'll die. She on the other hand most likely will not."

      I still had no clue what they were talking about, but I certainly didn't like the sounds of it. Most likely won't die as in there was a chance I would die? Forget that. I was going home. No dying for me today.