Chapter 1

Chapter

1

Meeting

Jael

 It's the end

of spring now and the constant showers have started to calm down. Puddles could

be seen throughout the train tracks along with the smell of rain still

lingering. It's busy today at the train station as all of the graduates and their

families wait for the next train to arrive. The loudness seems to have drowned

itself out as words were being spoken by everyone, but nothing made sense. At

the very front of the waiting line are me and my boyfriend waiting. He was

holding my hand in his, until suddenly, I was pushed forward. A weightless

sensation washed over me as I went towards the tracks.

 Hi, my name

is Lindsey Martin and I think I just got pushed onto the tracks of an oncoming

train. When they say that your life flashes before your eyes they aren't

kidding. I watched the images flash before as I plummeted to the ground. It

showed my time growing up on the farm with my family.

 As a

kid I always wanted to find ways to lessen the load on my parents and be an

example for my little brother. So, I studied hard anytime I could and with

every free time I had between that I would take apart then put back together

all our farm equipment. I remember the time when I first tried to take apart

the family tractor and somehow, I put everything in backwards, dad had a field trip

with that one. Eventually I got the hang of it and over time I even got good at

making new inventions for the farm as well. One of the ones I made even got me a

full ride scholarship to an engineering college.

 There

I could learn how to fix and build different types of farming machines so I could

give my parents money for them to finally rest and retire with my little brother.

 While I was in college, I fell

in love with a man named Jesse. He is the most charismatic, kind, and is the

funniest person I've ever met. Even though he was the most sought-after guy on

campus he decided to go out with me, a farm girl who is awkward around guys,

mostly due to never going out with anybody in high school since I wanted a full

ride scholarship and all.

 As

I mentioned, he was really sought after, so when he asked me out a lot of girls

got jealous and started to spread rumors about me being a slut around campus.

It got so bad that I even received a couple death threats, but I just shrugged

them off since I had a larger goal in mind.

 Why should I let their words

hurt me when they aren't true?

 Thankfully,

Jesse didn't believe the rumors either. He knew me too well at that point to

believe any of them. We've been together for a few years now and even have our

own place together. It's small but it's ours to call home. So many nights we

spent cooking together and dancing to music in our little apartment.

 Jesse

and I just graduated with honors, and we were going to take the train to my parents'

farm. We planned on going to scout out places where we could build our own

house on the property eventually. Jesse doesn't know this, but I noticed the

engagement ring in his drawer as I was doing laundry. He must have planned to

ask for permission from my parents before he proposed.

 I'm so excited to get married to Jesse. He

supports me in all my endeavors and even agreed to help my parents with the farm.

Even though he grew up in the city he tells me all the time how excited he is

to be going out there together. Well, I should say 'was' excited since now I'm

going to die.

 I started to spin around and what I saw was Jesse

reaching out to grab onto me as I continued to fall. My eyes began to drift towards

the person who pushed me, I was in disbelief. The one who pushed me, and

essentially killed me, was none other than my best friend that I grew up with

since we were kids. I remember we did everything together. We studied together,

the same classes, we worked on machines, and we even went to the same college. So,

I don't understand why she killed me. Her face is contorted in anger as her

hands were still stretched out towards me.

 "He

was supposed to be mine! How could he marry an ugly girl like you?!" She

yelled/screamed as she landed on her knees.

*thud*

 I landed

on the tracks and hit my head on one side as my leg got stuck on the other. My vision

became blurred, and a searing pain rushed around in my head.

 Jesse

lunged off the platform after me as he tried to get me back up from the tracks.

He kept tugging at my leg with all his might trying to break me free as I laid

on the tracks in a daze. He was yelling something at me, but I couldn't hear

him. His voice was being drowned out by the blaring horn coming from the train.

Jesse looked to his left as tears streamed down his face. He looked back at me

as my vision started to correct itself. As a light started to envelop us Jesse

wrapped his arms around me and spoke directly in my ear, his voice trembling as

he did so.

"I love you to the moon and back, Lindsey." he said,

holding me in his arms.

"Always and forev..." I started to reply but then, the

very next second, everything went white and then pitch black.

"We died before he could hear me say I love you back." I

said as I started to sob in this vast void of emptiness.

I curled up into a ball as I continued to cry at the

thought of losing the one, I loved the most in the world. That was until I

heard a little girl screaming in pain.

"HELP ME! PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP ME!" the little girl cried

out.

I opened my eyes and stood straight while wiping my tears

away. I looked around for the little girl who was still screaming out in pain.

I started to run closer to where the sound was coming from in the vast

emptiness. Her screams pulled at my heart as I could hear the fear and pain in

her voice.

"SOMEONE STOP HER! SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME!" She screamed

out as her voice trembled.

"WHERE ARE YOU?! I'LL COME SAVE YOU SO JUST TELL ME WHERE

YOU ARE?!" I yelled out to her to find her location.

Her screams stopped and the silence became deafening. I

looked around in a panic as I could only imagine the worst. That was until a

light appeared before me. The silhouette was that of a small cute little girl

who came up to my stomach.

"Are you the little girl who was screaming for help?" I

asked as I bent my knees and lowered myself at her level so that we could be faced

to face.

As I looked at her, I could see tears and snot streaming

down her face as she was crying. I took my sleeve and wiped her cheeks and nose

to wipe everything off. She stopped crying and sniffled as she tried to gain

composure.

"I just wanted to help my parents." she said as she

continued to sniffle.

"It's alright I'll help you find your parents. First,

let's calm down so that way they won't be worried, alright?" I said as I hugged

the little girl.

She returned the embrace, in which doing so exposed her

back to me. It was something that shook me to my very core as I looked at what

could only be described as horrific. Her back was whipped so badly that her

skin and flesh were loosely hanging on to her as bone was exposed to the open

air.

I stretched out my arms to the girl I was hugging and

asked her "Who did this to you?"

She started to tremble as the memories started to flood

in. She went back to hug me as if she was trying to hide from whatever monster

did this to her. She began to sob again in my chest as she continued to visibly

shake. I patted her head and comforted her as she let out all her cries.

"It was the queen." she said after she had calmed down.

"The queen did this to you? Who is this queen?" I asked,

getting angry over the fact that someone could treat a little girl so

ruthlessly.

"The queen is my mistress that I serve. She used to be so

kind to me, her maid, and gave me more money to

help my parents, but then one day she said that I needed to be disciplined and

she started to- to..." she began to cry again as she remembered her trauma.

"You did nothing wrong, okay? She is just an evil person

who doesn't deserve a girl as perfect as you, alright?" I said as I patted her

back.

I sat her in my lap as we went back and forth talking

about our pasts together. Apparently, we have a lot of the same goals even

though we are years apart in age. She aspires to take care of her parents who

aren't able to work due to the royal family's tyranny, just like how I want to

help my parents with the farm as they get older. We went to talk about my love

life with Jesse and how silly I was when I first met him, which made her

giggle. Her smile was so heartwarming that it felt like my soul was being cleansed. 

"What's your name sweetie?" I asked her curious to know

my new little friends' name.

She smiled as she answered "Jael, and yours?"

"Lindsey, it is very nice to meet you Jael." I smiled at

her while I looked down and she returned to an even brighter one.

She turned around in my lap and gave me a hug as tightly

as she could. It feels warm and refreshing, but also familiar. Like I have

known her my entire life. She then got up and stretched out her hand towards

me. I followed her movements and then grabbed her hand in suit.

"It's time for you to wake up now." Jael said to me as

she led me through the dark void.

"I'm sorry to say this Jael, but I'm pretty sure I died

back on my earth. I won't be able to wake up." I responded to her.

"No silly, I mean wake up as Jael." she said as she

giggled.

It was then that it all clicked, Jael is me. When I got

hit by the train with Jesse, I was sent to another world and lost all my

memories of my past life. Everything that Jael just said to me flooded my brain

and sent a sharp pain through my body causing me to fall on one knee. When I

looked back up, I was at eye level with Jael as she started to pat my head.

"It was nice to meet the past me. You are so kind and

pretty that it makes me excited to be you." she said as she smiled endearingly.

She turned around as a light appeared behind her. She

nodded her head and then looked at me again. Her smile radiated as she let go

of my hand.

"It's time for you to go now. I know you will be able to

help mom and dad. Can you tell Aunt Jeane that it's ok and that I forgive her?"

she said as she started to disappear before me.

"No, don't go. I can't lose you like I lost Jesse." I

cried out as I ran towards Jael.

"It's going to be ok Lindsey, after all, I'm you." she

said as she vanished before me.

I'm alone again.

As the thought entered my head a voice called out to me.

"Jael!" a woman cried out.

Hello?

"She's starting to wake up!" she said calling over everyone

else.

My eyelids felt heavy as I tried to open them. A

huge surge of pain shot through my back causing me to suck in air. Noticing

this the woman who was sitting next to me called over for a healer.

"Margarette, get the potion

for pain. She seems to still be in a lot of pain." said the woman who was

sitting next to me.

 Once

I was able to open my eyes I looked over and saw a beautiful woman sitting next

to me. She had emerald, green hair that flowed brilliantly over her shoulders,

and blue eyes that shimmered like the oceans I saw in the tropics. She was the

most beautiful woman I ever saw in my life. In my past world she would have

easily been a model or a celebrity.

"Jael are you awake?" she asked with tears resting in her

eyes.

It was then that a sharp pain went through my head

causing me to wince as I began to remember.

"Momma?" I called out to the beautiful woman. That's right,

this is my mom from my second life.

The floodgates broke open instantly as tears ran down her

cheeks, my mother cried while she started to profusely apologize, "I'm sorry

Jael, I wasn't able to protect you."

As she was sobbing, I remembered the other Jael's wish.

"It's ok." I said as I tugged on her sleeve.

She stopped crying as she looked at me, her eyes wide

open as she was at a loss for words. As mom was staring at me dad came over to

check on me. He has vibrant red hair with streaks of white going through it

showing his age. His face is clean shaved with a scar resting on the left side

of his chin. His eyes are amber brown and seem to have golden flakes scattered

throughout them.

As he got closer, I noticed that his eyes darted between

me and mom. Once he made it next to me, he knelt down and began to stroke my

hair. He smiled as he noticed that I'm awake and responsive. His smile is very

charming and warm. He looked at mom and noticed that her face was in shock as

she stared at me.

"Is everything okay, dear?" he asked, as he studied her

face.

She shook her head and blinked several times before

looking at him as she replied. "Sorry it just felt like Jael was somehow more

mature and different."

I looked at her in disbelief as she guessed completely

right since I now remember my past life. I tried to move closer to mom to

comfort her, but the pain was too intense for me to continue.

 Out of the corner

of my vision I saw Mrs. Margarette was approaching with a couple of bottles in

her arms. Once she was next to me, she instructed my dad to flip me on my side.

Once he did, she started to pour the potion on my back. As it poured down my

back the pain started to dissipate, and I could move without being stopped by

pain.

"How's that Jael? Are you able to move better?" Mrs.

Margarette asked as she started to put all of the bottles away. Once she was

done, she gave my back a thorough exam with a grimace on her face.

"The queen has gone too far," she touched my scars on my

back as she spoke which sent a shock through it "you're just a small child and

yet."

"This will be the end of it!" a familiar voice said from

the corner of the room.

Now that I was able to move my body I looked around in

search of where the voice came from. As I was in the center of the room, I

realized at once that I was actually on a table instead of a bed and that I was

really in the dining/kitchen area. The room was only slightly lit by candles

next to the table. The walls are all cobbled in a dark cold gray. The floors,

which are also stone, are covered in multiple red and yellow rugs that overlap

each other. As I turned my head, my attention was brought to a pile of dark

cloth next to the wall on the other side of the room. I focused my eyes on

them, but it was my nose that was assaulted by a strong smell of iron, causing

my stomach to turn. It was a pile of bloodied rags and chunks of flesh, my

blood, my flesh.

 I

think I'm gonna be sick.

 I put my hand to

my mouth to stop from throwing up, everyone around me started to fret and

searched for a bucket. The first one to have one at the ready was the same

person who was in the corner earlier. She handed me the bucket as my mom held

my hair back. I released what little substance remained out into the bucket

before me. I looked up after I was done and looked at the woman's face.

 She has jet black

hair that shines from the candlelight while being tied back tightly in a neat

bun and gray eyes that had a small tint of blue to them. Her exhaustion showed

as the dark circles and pale skin was more predominant than from what my

memories as Jael would suggest. Her sickly face looked rather sad as she looked

at me as she blames herself for my predicament. I grabbed

her hand and put on a calm smile in order to reassure her.

"It's okay Aunt Jeane, it's not your fault." I said to

her as she looked at me.

She started to tremble as tears welled up in her eyes and

her lips began to quiver. After only a moment she lost all her strength to hold

back the tears as they broke free and flowed down her cheeks. Her knees gave

way to either the weight of her emotions or due to the exhaustion of

overworking herself. She brought my hand to her forehead as she continued to

cry, and her voice shook as she tried to speak to me.

"I-I don't deserve... your forgiveness. I couldn't stop

her from finding you. I couldn't e-even stop her

from 'toying' with you. I don't deserve to be your aunt. Jael, please, never

forgive me." Aunt Jeane continued to cry as did the rest of the women in the

room.

I looked over to my father and he just stroked my hair

back as he looked at my face. His eyes watered as he held a bitter frown on his

face. I looked back to my aunt and took my other hand to stroke her hair like

my dad did for me. She looked up at me as the tears continued to run down her

face. I felt my eyes begin to burn up along with my chest. I felt a lump in my

throat as I choked out my next words to her. Tears formed in my eyes which

blurred my vision.

"It's alright Aunt Jeane, I-I'm s-safe n-n-now and..." I

couldn't say anything else as the lump in my throat entered my mouth causing me

to stumble on my words.

It felt like a dam broke free as the tears continued to

pour down my face. The memories of everything the queen did to me kept playing

on repeat. The sound of my flesh being ripped apart as she laughed. The smell

of blood flooding the air as I kept grasping for air. The feeling of being

defenseless as a small child up against an adult let alone the queen scared me

to no end.

"I-I don't blame Aunt Jeane, or momma, or daddy, or even

Mrs. Margarette. I know how much you all love me and try to protect me. I'm just

so scared. I don't want to see her again. I keep seeing her in my head as she whips

me and stomps on my head, I keep hearing her laugh over and over. I just wanted

to help mommy and daddy. I didn't do anything wrong, but she just kept hitting

me again and again." I shook uncontrollably as I confessed everything.

My words came out as if it was being ripped from my

stomach. I was scared and now that it was all over, and my memories returned of

also dying in my last life. All my strength left as I curled up in a ball out

of fear. Every adult around stood up and hugged me to comfort me as we all

cried out our emotions. This went on until my little body grew too exhausted

and I began to fall asleep. As I fought to keep my eyes open, I noticed my Aunt

Jeane carrying me to the bedroom in the back of our residence. She lay beside

me and stroked my back as I began to drift into sleep.

"I will never let another person hurt you ever again."

she whispered as I finally let the exhaustion take over me reassured that she

truly would protect me.