Chapter 2 New Land Market

My house is far from the city and it needs a long drive before I arrive at the noisy market of the small town of New land. So, I normally go out for groceries twice a month. I'm into web development and am a freelancer. I work from home using my laptop and the internet. No need to wake up early and rush to the office. Above all, no need to mingle with other people. I see this as an advantage.

I skillfully park my car in the left wing of the roofed parking space of the market. This space is quite impressively wide for such a small town. I shut the engine off and get out of the car. I walk around the market seeing familiar friendly faces and nod at the old man who smiled at me while walking in opposite direction. I head towards a narrow path where rows of meat shops are located.

"Good morning Ms. Brown!" A cheerful voice of a white, middle-aged woman greets me as I enter their small meat shop. She is fat and seems to bounce every time she moves.

"Good morning Mrs. Amanda," My adorably red, kissable lips curve into a civil but sweet smile.

"What's for today Ms. Brown?" Amanda asks me still on her usual cheerful aura.

"I need 5 kg of chicken, 2 kg of pork and beef."

The butcher starts chopping the meat. I am feeling a little discomfort with the sound of the knife slamming into the meat and chopping board. I shift my focus to the sound of the crowd outside. I can hear the conversation of the people all around the market, the sound of the vehicles, even the simple scratching of the head. I can hear everything. I watch Amanda while she places the meat in a large plastic bag. She scans the bar code and shows me the bill after. I pick some cash from my wallet and hand it to her.

"Ms. Brown, here's your meat. Thank you and please come again."

"I would always come back, Mrs. Amanda. See you next time."

I smile and wink at her as I take hold of the plastic bag. I make a quick pace towards the sliding glass door. My feet know where to go next. I stop at the sidewalk vendor and start to take a look at the red tomatoes and other spices.

"Give me 2 kg each of these," I point to the condiments and vegetables.

"Anything else Ms.?" The young vendor asks as he neatly places the goods in a plastic bag.

"That's all be fine," I answer and smile at him.

This young man is not familiar to me. As far as I can remember, the owner of this store is an elderly couple. Maybe he is a grandchild of the couple. I simply glance at his palm to gather some information about him. My guess is right.

"Here are your goods. Thank you and come again!"

My next and probably the last destination for today is in the small grocery store of Mr. Hunter. A man of his fifties and one of my kind. Yes, he's no human too. I presume he is also here to escape from our chaotic world. I don't know the real reason why he is here, though. I put some oatmeal and biscuits and other essential stuff into my shopping cart.

"I think these are all I need," I talk to myself before making my way to Mr. Hunter in the cashier.

"How're days been going on, Lady Amara?" He speaks to me using his telepathy. Yes, we have this sort of mental link.

"Everything's going well, Hunter," I answer in a flat tone as I slowly take the items out of the cart and place them on the counter. I don't want him calling me that name. That name sounds like a curse to me. So, I intentionally shut our extrasensory connection.

"I heard some more of our kind is coming here." He whispers not wanting to be heard by the other customers.

"How did you know?" I ask looking straight into his green eyes.

"My nephew just arrived last night. He said he was with fifteen others and more had been here before them." He says in a worried tone.

"That's making me hate going back there even more." I lazily utter while placing the last item on my cart into the counter.

"This is quite alarming." He's serious while his hands keep on scanning the items and placing them on a brown grocery bag.

"There's nothing we can do about that Hunter."

I press my lips and give him a sorry look. Hunter stops for a moment and gives me a stern look. He shakes his head in a disgusted manner.

"I can't believe you are telling me that. You are Lady Amara, Guardian of Lights..."

"Stop that Hunter," I warn him.

I don't want to argue with him. I hate arguments. I hate hearing that name. A moment of silence envelope us. He hands me the groceries and I pay the bill. I carry the grocery bag and head my way out of the store without bidding goodbye. He calls me making me stop by the door with my hand on the handle, ready to open.

"Ms. Brown!"

I did not turn my head. My lips are still pressed tightly showing my serious looks as ever.

"You can't hide forever." He says using our mind link.

I hear him utter a deep sighed and turn his back on me. His swift strides show that he is furious. I continue with my pace going outside the store. There's no way I will go back to the Ehtrehto Edis, the world that I abandoned. It's a world far from what a human mind could imagine. It is in the other dimension and is composed of four main empires; the Ignis Hella, Aqua Edis, Terra Hella, and Aero Edis. A once wonderful, sparkling, and brightly lit up the place until the Aquans showed their greed.

I've been in this human world for almost ten years. I was only thirteen then, when I managed to escape from the Aquan general, Thud. They killed my family and chased after me. My young mind couldn't understand why they would go after me. I was just a petty girl and a daughter of fruit vendors. Our world resembles a human world, only that our royal leaders possess extraordinary powers. I tilt my head to the side trying to forget my thoughts. I don't want to remember that horrible night when I discovered my true nature. Most of all, I don't want to be reminded of the stinking smell of blood.

I put the groceries and meat in the trunk and reach for the driver's seat. I start the engine and drive away from the busy market. Considering the length of time that I've stayed in this place, I have already built a sense of familiarity with everything on my way home. The different kinds and sizes of trees standing alongside the road, the thick bushes beneath it, the chirping of the birds on treetops, and the silence are no longer new to my senses. I turn left to an unpaved road going home. I live somewhere in the middle of woods, with no neighbors. After twenty kilometers of ride, my car pulls over in front of the old wooden fence. Some of the wood has already fallen to the ground.

I carry my baggage in both hands and start heading towards the house. I put everything on the table and wash my hands before going to my bedroom to change clothes. Afterward, I head back to the kitchen. I start washing the meat and place them on the refrigerator. I did the same to the vegetables and spices. Lastly, I expertly put the grocery items in my dinky pantry. I don't have a plan of cooking for my lunch. I'll just heat my leftovers from last night's dinner.

This is how simple my life is here in the human world. I am living my life alone. Free.