Tired

Nicole's pov~

There was whispering, low hushed sounds coming echoed in my ears, making my head throb. I jolted awake with a start, my eyes felt heavy. I recalled the events of the previous day and let out a deep sigh.

How had everything gone so wrong?

The information I needed, I could not get it. All I got was confusion. Paying a visit to the village head made no difference as I was not closer to finding out why the festival of a goddess was a thing, or why the creature attacked only the women.

"Do you think there is only one monster in that cave?"

My mind went back to the village chiefs words but somehow, that caused an even greater headache. I needed a walk, fresh air. I got off the bed and made my way for the door. The scenery was unfamiliar but through the layout and the design of the place, I was still in the village chief's residence.

The muffled sounds were still present, still making my head throb. I went to the direction of the sound and saw my dad with the village chief, engaged in a discussion that made both their faces weary.

They both stopped exchanging words, as if they noticed my presence. They turned to me as I stood by the door, worry was evident on my dad's face. And as for the village chief, he still had the creepily calm look he always kept on.

"When did you get here?" The question was directed at my dad. Last thing I remembered, my head was throbbing as the village chief dumped unbelievable information on me. I was not still sure I believed everything he had said and shown me but still I was not sure he had the powers to manipulate the orb.

Where even did he get that orb?

"Last night," my dad hurried to my side, "how do you feel, dear? Are you fine?"

"I'm fine." I said and caught the village chief staring at me and I got the chills, "Were you one who carried me to the bed?"

"Yes, dear. I met you on the floor at the entrance of a room, all alone." He replied.

That bastard had left me in the hallway to the cruel, bitter, night cold. It was at least better than what I had thought would happen.

"Why are you here?"

"I was worried."

My head throbbed, the persistent aching made it harder to think well. I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and get some rest, some shut eye but I had a lot of unanswered questions. Questions that kept my mind running every second.

"How did you meet mom?"

I saw the village chief's eyes lit up the moment I asked my dad that question and I could not help but feel like I was falling right into his carefully laid out trap.

My dad blinked, he was caught off guard by my sudden question. For a moment, he just stared at me as if unsure as to whether I actually asked the question or not, as if he was trying to figure out where the question had come from.

"She was my neighbor," he finally said. "But why the sudden interest? I seem to recall you always get grossed out whenever I try to tell you about it." His eyes shifted from mine to the village chief's.

"Do you know how her parents died? You never told me that."

He paused to think about it, a look of pure confusion crossed his face as if he truly did not know the answer. I really did not want to believe the village chief but after some thought, the traditions and beliefs and stories of the entire island struck me as bizarre. It was unsettling that not one person had ever questioned the traditions of our land. If there was truly no life beyond the island, where were the chosen women meant to go? What were they meant to do? How could literal four year olds fulfil the goddess's cause? What had disturbed me even more was that I had only begun to question these customs after hearing the village head's words.

"I… I do not know. I do not remember."he confessed, his mouth trembling. "How do I not know that? Why did I never think of it? I never asked her? Why? Wh…."

"Dad." I placed my hands on his shoulders, he was clearly overthinking. "It's fine. You do not remember and that is fine."

I turned my gaze to the village chief who was still smiling calmly. "So, according to what you told me, you first met my mom on the shore of the island while you were out with my dad, right?"

His smile widened.

"What?" My dad asked, obviously lost to my words.

"That is correct." The village chief nodded, that darned smile never leaving his face.

"And, according to you, everything you told me yesterday are part of your repressed memories, right?"

"That is correct."

"So what are you trying to say?"

"That I was brought back to life for some reason and afterwards, I made a deal with your mom, or something like that."

I raised an eyebrow, "why do you think you made a deal with her?"

"Because she visited me when her people started looking for her, shortly before she was 'chosen'."

"What are the two of you talkin about?" My dad asked, his face confused and worried at the same time. I was not sure if I wanted him to doubt my mom, especially since he loved her so much and her disappearance had a huge toll on him.

"Dad," I turned to him, maintaining eye contact, "I want you to be happy. I want you to live your best life and I do not want to keep you in the dark. I am not asking you to doubt your wife, I just want to know. Do you kbow who mom really is? You said she showed up to you in a dream and told you that being a chosen is not what they make it out to be. Do you know how she did that?"

He blinked, "she showed up in my dream…"

"Why did you believe that it was her?" I interrupted him.

"Because it was her. I saw her face."

"And how did she appear to you in her dream?" I was being selfish yet again. To satisfy my curiosity, I was hurting my dad yet again.

"S…she.. she…" he got to his knees, his eyes darted around the room, his hands trembled and his breathing, ragged. "She….she was there. It was her." He hung his head low, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"You're going too far. He could end up with multiple personalities if you decide to return his repressed memories this way." The village chief's voice emerged from the other end of the room.

I was not trying to return his repressed memories, I simply wanted answers to my questions. A sharp pain jolted through me like electricity, making me stumble backwards but I kept my balance and managed to keep myself standing upright.

"Why are you trying so hard not to believe my words? I would not lie to you, after all, you are the one who will set us all free."

"What?"

What was he talking about? Me? Set who free?

"Do not bother yourself with that. All you need to know now is that your mother and the gods absolutely need the festival of the goddess to hold every year. I do not know why though."

I was even more confused, he just kept adding new information however he felt like it and I could not keep up any longer. I just wanted to rest, I stared at my dad who was on the floor, mumbling to himself and I felt lost.

It was like I had forgotten why I had come to this residence in the first place. None of my questions got answered, I was only left with more questions, more mysteries to which no one had the answers. No one except maybe the village chief who memories had been allegedly repressed. I was tired.

Just yesterday morning, I was a simple girl who wanted revenge for her fellow sisters, who thought the men had something to do with their deaths, who swore off all men and only wanted their doom but now, I was the daughter of an alleged god who was probably listening to a mentally disturbed man and was slowly turning insane. I just wanted to rest.

I helped my dad get to his feet and started walking out of the room, my dad by my side.

"Nicole." The village chief called for me but I did not turn back, I was tired. I wanted to go back, back to my peaceful life, back to the days I would dream of leaving the island in search of my mother, back to Trish.

I was given a lot of information I never wanted and yet, I had not been told what was wanted of me.

"They will come for you now that your powers have manifested. You need to help us before that happens." The village chief yelled, a desperate attempt for me to stop walking.

But I was just a girl, he honestly did not expect me to leave my whole world and take on god duties. I could not, I had my whole life ahead of me.

He did not relent. "You need to save us and the women. It is your destiny. It has been prophesied."

I did not care, I did not even understand what he was saying. What prophesy? What destiny? I just want to live.