Chapter 16: Mum's letter

It was raining

Heavily

And Crescent fall is usually so chilly during this weather.

Let's recap on what happened on the training ground.

The girls lost all fights, they were like jelly worms that just newly came out from their jars.

"Woah", Cleo said panting heavily on the ground she laid flat on, looking up at the glass like ceiling. The training ground had a protective glass shield that automatically covers the training center during harsh weathers.

"Woah indeed, my knees are killing", Hannah said also panting she wasn't laying down like Cleo but busy massaging her knees.

Liv on the other hand has been passed out for over thirty minutes now and laid on the bench located at the end of the room.

While Mari was chugging down bottles upon bottles of water.

"Hey hey hey, slow down kiddo you don't want to choke", Cleo dad chuckled taking the bottle from her. it was her fourth already.

Wiping her mouth and also breathing heavily, she sat down on the floor next to Cleo. "Gawd were so doomed", Mari said face palming herself in ebarassment.

"We're not that bad though we just lost today's fight", Hannah pointed out.

"You girls lasted for only an hour and now your really tired", Cleo's mum said shaking her head in disappointment.

"Come on, their just a bit rusty" dad said.

"More like really rusty", she said now wiping her face with a towel "you girls have been missing your training sessions for months now, especially you cleo you keep giving excuses", she said making Cleo groan in annoyance.

"Oh don't you make that sound on me girl you know is the truth", said taking a deep breath "am not happy that if you come across danger you girls won't be able to defend yourself"

"Training is hard and boring mother", Cleo practically whined.

"Um, should we tell them what happened in the graveyard", said Liv who had already woken up.

"Liv", the girls warned in unsion.

"What!. Did I say something wrong", Liv said oblivious to the glares her friends were giving her.

"Wait, what!. What am I hearing...a graveyard, you guys where at the graveyard", her mum.saud still trying to grasp what Liv had said.

"No of course not, that's code name for um...", Cleo cut short looking at her friends for help.

"Yeah for um...a project from school were working on", said Mari.

"Yes"

"Yeah"

"We have a project named graveyard", Liv said in confusion.

"Be quiet would ya", Hannah said through clench teeth.

"You girls pretty sure sound like your lying", Cleo's dad said.

"Mind sharing with us what you were doing at the graveyard", her mum asked.

"Ok so um...one of my uncle's died last week, a really good husband and mentor. And we paid tribute to him, so um..we came across this rouge.....", she said and cut short for a moment.

"But it was fine, we totally handled it", Mari added reassuringly.

Sighing and placing her hands on her hips "We just don't want you girls to get hurt ok. Let's believe you fought the rouge well, but right now you girls didn't really impress us", her mum said

They all looked looked down feeling sad and embarrassed.

"Cheer up, is not to late to start training, how about twice a week you girls pick the days and time", her dad said.

"You girls have a lot to learn", he added.

"I guess that settles it then, when you choose the days and time you want to train we will start training immediately", her mum said.

"I will go make you guys some hot chocolate", her dad suggested making Liv's face to lit up.

Chuckling at her child like reaction, him and wife went back into the house.

After they girls heard their footsteps fade away they burst out laughing.

"Never knew you you could lie like that", Hannah said

"I was also surprised myself when it just... came out"

They laughed again.

"I mean...is not entirely a lie though", Liv said with shrug making the girls turn to give the look that says 'Seriously'.

"What did I do now", Liv whined with a pout.

"Even if we do tell you, I doubt you will understand", Hannah said with a smirk.

"Hey", Liv yelled. "Am not dumb you know", she said sounding offended.

"Most times you act like one", Hannah replied.

Cleo stood up immediately to cut Liv and Hannah short before they actually start fighting.

Dusting herself she looked up at them and said, "I guess we will call it a day then"

"What of the hot chocolate", Liv asked.

"You don't want to taste my dad's definition of hot chocolate", Cleo said grimacing at the memory and making them laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~

8pm

Dawnson's house

The sound of key rattling, key locking and echoes footsteps could be heard.

Mari entered the house and was met with laughter specifically coming from her sister's room.

It wasn't any kind of laughter, but that which she was very familiar with.

Alex.

Walking up the stairs and towards her sisters room, opening the door she was met with Alex and her sister on the couch laughing hysterically at the tv screen, well her sister was doing the histerical part.

Cherry noticing her sister's presence.

"Hey you where have you been....with Noah I assume", she said wiggling her brows suggestively causing Alex to roll her eyes and Mari to laugh at her reaction.

"I was at Cleo's, we had an assignment to do", 'damn she was getting good at this lying stuff' she thought.

"When did you come by", Mari asked Alex.

"Probably like three to four hours ago", she said with a shrug.

"What", she yelled gaping at her "why didn't you text me or call me", she said now feeling bad.

"I did, but you phone was probably switched off", Alex said. Mari checked her phone and saw it was true. It was just simple where are you with a thinking emoji.

Mari whispered an "oh", confused on how she missed the text.

"Unlike you who has been a shitty best friend all day I kept her company", cherry said.

"Am so so sorry, If I had seen your text I would have....", Mari was interrupted by the both of them laughing.

"Gosh is so easy to get you to feel guilty", cherry in between laughs.

"Am confused"

"Your sister called and said she needed company, apparently she's going through heartbreak. I only sent that text when I didn't see you for almost an hour", Alex said nonchalantly with a shrug.

"What"

"Yeah, I also said the same thing like why me"

"No...I mean like you and Zack broke up"

"I guess", cherry said with a shrug and laughed.

Mari couldn't believe it, her sister didn't even look like she just had a breakup...she looked fine.

"But you guys were so good together ", Mari said. She had always admired them as a couple, their bond especially

"Were they", Alex coughed out gaining a playful glare from Mari "am just saying", she said raising her hand in mock surrender.

"But you look happy", Mari pointed out.

"You should have seen her earlier", Alex said. Picking up her phone and scrolling through it, she stood up while taking a bottle of soda and her jacket "I'll be going now my presence is needed elsewhere"

Reaching the door entrance which Mari was still standing at by the way.

"I guess I will see you when I see you", she said patting her on her shoulder and walking out.

"Good night", Mari called out.

"I really don't get it sis", she said going to sit over at her sister's bed.

"He found his mate"

"Oh...nice", she said unsurely "Are you good though"

"Don't I look good"

"You don't have to pretend to be Cher"

Chuckling at herself. "I knew this day was going to come eventually, I mean were passed eighteen and we weren't mates to each other", sighing she added. "I just wasn't expecting it to hurt like this, but am happy for him"

"Don't worry you will get over it, you will find yours soon", she said squeezing her sisters hand.

"Your really bad at this", her sister laughed.

"Hey and Alex is any better "

"Actually yes, surprisingly she is", she said with a smile "Didn't know she had it in her....probably because she has lots of siblings"

"Why her though, how did it come about cause I would never had imagined such",

"I was going through my contacts and realized all the girls on it am either having a beef with them or their out of town"

Shaking her head at her sister's toxic relationships.

"I was actually surprised she accepted to come though, well she did say she was bored" 'of course she did', Mari thought with a roll of her eyes.

"I also still get surprised by her too, she's a kind hearted person but chooses to be closed off and act cold. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that mind of hers", Mari said with a chuckle.

"What about Emily, why didn't you contact her", Mari said asking of sister's bestfriend.

"Oh her, that's another story for another day", Cherry said with a roll of her eyes making Mari to laugh.

They sat in a comfortable silent for a moment until cherry broke it.

"Mum sent a letter", Cherry said standing up to retrieve the letter laying on her desk.

Mari hearing about her mum made her heart skip a beat, is been so long since she saw her mum or heard from her.

"What did she say", Mari said with a gulp. She was nervous to know what's written in the letter.

"I dunno its directed to you, so didn't bother opening it", said cherry handing the letter to her sister.

First Mari ran her fingers on the body of the envelope, she could smell her mum's favorite perfume. This brought a smile to her face knowing her mum didn't change despite everything. Gently she opened the letter and scanned through it.

It wasn't what she was expecting, like a 'I've missed you so much and how are you doing', no it was totally different. 'No wonder she addressed it to me and not the both of us', she thought. 'How though, how does she know what she and her friends have been up to lately'

She knew her mum had visions especially when she touches someone's belongings, but it started to become worse when she was ten.

Whatever was the vision she last had in their house frightened her mum to the very core. That's why she was currently in a mental hospital, though she forced her way in it saying she didn't want to be outside cause the world scares her. Her Dad was against it but had no choice to listen to his mate.

Mari was then 11 that time when she saw the look on her mum's face, her eyes were devoid of emotions she had eye bags and had lost drastic weight over the months since it started. But what caught Mari's attention then was the look of fear and lost hope when she was leaving for the hospital.

She respected her mum's decision but wasn't happy with the fact she refused visitation or calls since then.

It's been six years now since she heard her mother's voice talk less of seen her.

"Hello...anyone home", Cherry said waving her my hands across her sister's face and then chuckled at Mari's reaction "Come on what does it say", Cherry asked with a toothy grin.

Sighing, Mari gave it to her sister, stood up and walked over to stand at the balcony. She had tears streaming down already and discreetly tried to hide it.

"Is something wrong", Cherry asked.

Cherry looked at her sister then back at the letter and read the contents of it.

Dear Mari,

I know you've been going round looking for answers and I beg you to stop. As a mother I really don't want to see my child get hurt even if I've been absent from you and your sister's life's for so long, am still your mother. I had to write this to you, I know it will be hard for you to understand but I hope you do. Please Mari, your not fully aware of the secrets your messing with and it's really dangerous.

A great calamity is about to befall on crescent fall and I want you to be safe and healthy from such cause...so please stop this scavengery you've been up to and respect my wish.

Love mum.

"I don't understand", Cherry asked her sister "What have you been up to", she questioned.

Composing her self, Mari turned to her sister, sucking in a deep breath she said "There's something me and my friends have been working on except Alex though" she said and proceeded to tell her sister everything.

"Wow...wow...that's freaking crazy and so unbelievable yet believable at the same time", She said in awe.

"Does that mean you were in mum's visions too", Cherry asked

"Probably"

"So are you going to stop your research"

"I dunno I want to have a conversation with mum first"

"She won't allow you, you know it"

"I'm going to force my way in"

"And how are you going to do it", Cherry asked with raised eyebrow.

"I....

"Don't tell me the famous 'I've have my ways' ok, forget the tight and annoying security, if you eventually reach her cell would she talk to you that's the question"

"I will bug it out of her then"

Smacking her face "you know that's not posss...

"Don't you also want answers don't you have lots of questions to ask and stories to tell", Mari said tears already brimming in her eyes.

"Mum has been away from us for over six years now cher...six freaking years", Mari said in between sobs "Don't you at least want to talk to her even if is for closure"

They where so many times she wished her mother was here with them so many things and stories she had wished she could tell her but couldn't.

It was Allison, Alex mum who filled the space of her mother. She did a good job, she liked Allison but it hits different when with your own mother.

She missed her mother so dear much.

"I do Mari. I think about her all the time, what she's doing, is she healthy and eating. I do ok, I also want to talk to her but I've given up hope", Cherry said with tears now streaming down her eyes.

"I promise this time around would be different and we will get answers too", Mari said and went over to hug her sister.

"I promise"