Chapter 2 Present day

Two years later...

"Ophelia, earth to Ophelia." I looked up and winced when I

saw the dishes that had stacked up behind my boss, Stella. "Sorry, Stella, I'll

get right to them. It won't happen again." She turned and left, muttering while

she went, about me being more hassle than worth.

I washed the dishes, taking some time to reflect on the last

two years. When Stella had taken me in and gave me a job and a roof over my

head.

After that day at my home, I've never been back. I've been

living under the radar, keeping my head down and out of any trouble.

All my lessons or tutors didn't prepare me for the real

world. They always thought me girls were second-class citizens. Speak when

spoken too. You're there to be seen, not heard.

Once, they even had a ball at home. But I was not to attend.

As I was to be pure before my sixteenth birthday. That involved no talking to

anyone, only those of which I was allowed.

I asked Monica once. What did that even mean, 'pure'. She

told me I was not to have anyone giving me any thoughts. Thoughts that would

stray me from my honoured path.

At that awful place, it was like it was frozen in time. At

first, I wondered, did they even know what was out here in the real world. But

of course, they knew they travelled it frequently enough.

I was the one who wasn't allowed to leave. Stuck living in a

decade that wasn't our modern-day society. Society I was still learning to

navigate.

After that day, I travelled for days. Keeping to the shadows

and stealing scraps of food, wherever I could. I was scared, alone and did not

know why everything was so different. But I knew I couldn't go back.

In what felt like forever. My feet aching and my body sore.

My stomach rumbled, and I came across the diner where I worked now.

I'd say I was a grand sight to Stella standing out there in

the rain. Soaked and dirty, the girl with violet hair. She called me that back

then.

She came out that day and took me in around the back. She

gave me dry clothes and food. She told me I'd tell her my story when I was

ready. But for as long as I wanted, I could stay here. I had to work for my

upkeep. I've been here since.

Did you know there was a thing called hair dye? I didn't

either. But apparently violet isn't a normal hair colour. I was asked once who

done my hair. It was safe to say I was confused and didn't know what the expected

reply was.

Luckily, Stella saved me the embarrassment, taking the

credit for my hair colour. She gave me the strangest look as she shooed me back

into the kitchen. That evening, she could actually take the credit for the

colour of my hair. She dyed it brown for me, just to blend in.

Mobiles, Wi-Fi, social media, strong-willed women with equal

rights, this world was astonishing to me.

After I got the hang of the phone that Stella bought for me

with my wages. I googled everything, trying to learn as much as I could to

blend into this world.

And then one day I googled my mark, the goddess, the

sacrifice, all of it and guess what! Nothing, I could find nothing. Everything

I'd been told,

nothing fit in with this world. It made little sense at all.

My dreams have changed since as well. Gone was my stranger

with the words "I'm sorry" left behind. Before the nightmares reclaimed my

nights.

They weren't the same as before. They were of the night I

escaped. Monica and Dave were there, but their faces kept slipping.

It was like I was seeing the monsters they were underneath.

The old man was there as well. But on his back, there were great black wings.

The invaders were there too. The one guy we ran into, he had

markings all over his face. But that wasn't right because he had been

completely covered that day! Right?

Occasionally, I'd hear a whisper in the nightmares to see

the truth. That's when their masks would slip, and I'd get a glimpse.

Sometimes I'd see the blue flames from my hands. Sometimes I'd

murder the man with my bare hands. The only thing that was consistent was the

gleaming sweat I always woke up covered in, and today was no different.

My shift in the kitchens of the diner was pretty much going

the same as usual.

After Stella left, I washed and dried all the dishes. I sat

back down to get lost once again in my mind. It didn't happen.

Moe, our grand chef in the diner. A big, jolly man, came in.

He told me I was to wait tables because Donna called in sick at the last

minute. At that moment the anxiety was real, I had never waited tables. I would

rather not talk to anyone or say the wrong thing. I liked the kitchens, getting

lost in my thoughts and washing the dishes. I enjoyed being alone.

I was to work the left side of the diner. To be fair, it was

going OK. I'd give the menus, call back, take the order. Then deliver the food

out to the table, clean up after they left, and repeat.

Near closing time, that changed. Nora was getting backed up

with orders, so I went to help. I should have stayed to my side and watched her

struggle.

I don't know what came over me, but being a goody two shoes

I went to help and oh boy did I help. I helped by tripping over my feet while

delivering food to a table. That Nora pointed me over to.

Honestly, it felt like slow motion. The tray was flying,

ready to collide with whoever occupied that table. Then it wasn't.

Someone had caught it. How was that even possible? How did they move that fast?

Why isn't the food all splattered all over the place?

Those were the questions I asked in my head because, in

reality. I was standing there with my mouth hanging opening (after I steadied

myself and avoided falling, that is).

"I think you lost this" he smirked while handing me back the

tray. But that voice, I knew that voice."work brain, work I thought.

Then I knew, I looked at him with his smug smirk and said.

"it's you, I know you". And I did, for this was the voice that had kept the

nightmares away for two years.