Sun Stealer. Walking In Circles (6 page)

             
“You stole my son!” I screamed my lungs out after a long pause.

             
“You stole mine!” she finally responded.

             
“What did you say?” I held myself from striking her again.

             
“What did you expect Almas? That you will try to kill me, steal my son’s heart and get away with it?” she answered with her old voice.

             
“So you stole my baby? You destroyed the life of an entire family for your stupid revenge? Why am I not surprised Sia? Isn’t that what you always do? Play with people’s life?” I yelled at her.

             
“You are not a victim Almas. You are just paying the price of your crimes”, she answered apathetically.

             
“And what about your crimes Sia? Do you ever look in the mirror? You stupid cloak may hide your face but it can never hide the truth. God, I swear I would have killed you if I could!” I raged.

             
“But you can’t”, I could feel her smile even though I couldn’t see her face.

             
“How come you are immortal?” I yelled at her.

             
“That, my child, is a very long story”, she sat down the ground.

             
“Well, I have all the time in the world and for the last time, I am not your child!” I urged her to speak.

             
The old witch took a deep breath in and began with her story.

             
“At first, I didn’t understand it myself. Here I was, lying under the collapsed walls of Didam- Valley and I was very much alive. I could breathe. I could move. How could it be? I got out and decided to stay close to the valley for a while. Then it hit me. During the days we had been preparing ourselves for the battle against the Nomadic tribes, I used to snoop around their camps, in hope to find a clue to what they were after. I found nothing but some old potions that I didn’t recognize and decided to take them with me. I am a witch after all”, she sighed.

             
“So this was how we had turned into immortals? The Nomadic tribes held the formula for eternal life?” I asked.

             
“It was the lake. They had poisoned the lake. You were already immortals when you refused the offer”, she explained to me.

             
“This is how our wild cats became immortals…” I mumbled.

             
“Why us? Their leader kept talking about breaking the cycle somewhere along the future”, I said.

             
Sia laughed aloud.

             
“And you were waiting my child? You were waiting for the moment to break the cycle?” she kept laughing, “It is okay Almas. Most people do. Life is what happening while we wait for the right moment. I bet you live in the valley, right? You cannot make a change as a passive audience of life Almas. You need to participate in it and if you can‘t beat them, join them!” she stated.

             
“What about Dark beast? He kept saying he was weak. What did he mean? I thought he gave the baby in exchange to eternal life. I have accused him of the worse crime of all, a crime he did not commit…” I cried.

             
“He thought he betrayed you with Eve, when they walked together to the lake while you left to feed the baby. He doesn’t know he didn’t even make it to the lake. He fell into the immortal sleep long before they even got there”, she explained.

             
“And that is how you did it. When everyone was sleeping, you came and stole my baby”, I fell to the ground.

             
I couldn’t bear any of it but I kept on asking.

             
“So why did they do it? And Sia you better tell me the truth or I swear, I will take a picture of your face and spread it out on every network that exists!” I yelled at her.

             
“Because you had broken the cycle!” she yelled back, “Cant you see? You had already achieved what the leader was trying to sell you. You had a united land with no animosity. You changed history while they did everything in their power to preserve it!”

             
“Why would they want that?” I raised my voice, “You don’t make any sense, Sia!”

             
“Haven’t you learned anything my child? All the years we had spent together inside the valley and you still don’t get it. Every continual conflict is someone else’s hidden interest. They didn’t want people to know that there was a better way. That it was done before. Why do you think the tribes erased all of my drawings on the valley’s walls? To change history! They didn’t want people to learn about the sun stealer nor about the people of Anomaly. You think you broke free from that valley back then? I am sorry to inform you my child but you are still locked inside and this time, out of your own free will!” she raised her voice.

             
“So what you are saying is, in the past we had a little witch that treated people as if they were tools in her sick minded game and now we have the system. Back then, we used to have a pathetic creature with no face that plotted reality with her drawings and now we have anonymous profiles and avatars that preserve the conflict through technology? Some things never change…” I sighed.

             
“Walking in circles… That was the only symbol left at the valley’s walls and it was not made by me”, she sighed.

             
“Not the only symbol. There was another one next to him. The symbol of Leo”, I said with rage.

             
“I didn’t see it. All I know, they knew you were one and as one, no one could break you. So they set you apart”, she explained.

             
“You are not different Sia!” I yelled at her.

             
“I had a good reason”, she whispered.

             
“What reason? Getting back at me? At Dark beast? You had torn an innocent baby out of his mother’s arms! How cruel are you?” I screamed.

             
“Make no mistake Almas, I love Leo. I took good care of him and I love my son too. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. See, he is about to become a governor just as he was supposed to before he fell in love with you!” she pointed her finger at me.

             
“Governor? Is that why my son works for the system? How convenient, Sia!” I yelled at her.

             
“Almas, you don’t understand. Leo was lost, he didn’t get along with people and he didn’t have any friends. I noticed he had a gift. He was attracted to computers and smart technology so it was only reasonable that he would join them and he was promoted real fast!” she informed me.

             
“Does he know he has a family who loves him? Does he know he is not alone in this?” I asked her.

             
Sia took a long pause and finally admitted, “He knows he has a grandmother, who loves him and he thinks we are the only immortals in the world”.               “No wonder he doesn’t get along with humans…” I mumbled with tears. My heart ached for my little baby, my Leo.

             
“Sia, my dear witch, the years have shown me you haven’t changed and you don’t intend to. You are a wicked witch with no heart nor soul that only makes everyone around her miserable. Now unfortunately, I cannot stop you. One cannot kill what has already been dead. I can neither change history nor bring back all the lost time with my family. But let me tell you this, next time you choose to play with somebody’s life, stay the hell out of my field!” I raged and stormed out of her back yard.

             
“Almas!” Sia called me.

             
For a minute, I thought she was about to apologize but she just stood there and looked at me with no words. I guess some people are so consumed by their victimization, they don’t even realize that within time, they have turned into an ugly reflection of their attackers.

             
But I was not there to educate anybody. I had more important things to do.

             
“Hi, remember me?” I asked the young man at the door.

             
“I am sorry, do I know you?” he mumbled and wore his glasses. 

             
It was late at night and he was probably asleep when I knocked at his door.

             
“We met at the club the other day. Nineteen eighty- four, remember?” I smiled at him.

             
“How… how did you find me?” he asked with concern.

             
“Oh… a girl has her ways”, I acted as if I was flirting with him.

             
“Excuse me for asking but why are you here?” he wondered.

             
“I like you. I came to take you out”, I was upfront.

             
“Is this a joke?” he laughed.

             
“Not at all. Are you coming? It will be fun, I promise!” I persuade him.

             
“It’s very late”, he looked at his watch.

             
“Are you going to let a nice girl down?” I asked him with a smile.

             
I was his mother but we looked the same age and he was sure I was just a simple girl, who wished to have some fun with him so he gladly accepted my offer.

             
It was about time my son would learn about the truth and I could only think of one location that would be perfect for it.

             
“Are you out of your mind?” he screamed with laugher.

             
“Calm down, I do it often my self. Every time I feel lost”, I smiled at him.

             
“And you don’t get caught?” he wondered.

             
“Here, wear this cap”, I handed him mine since I was wearing a hoodie myself,               “See this camera, we have exactly thirty seconds to climb the wall without getting caught”, I explained to him.

             
“I can’t do that Almas!” he hesitated.

             
“Sure you can. You’re a wild one!” I smiled at him.

             
“What do you mean?” he wondered.

             
“Well, this is your last name isn’t it?” I managed to pull through.

             
I ran first when the time was right and by ten seconds, I was on the other side of the wall.

             
“Come on. You can do it!” I encouraged him.

             
He tried the first time and failed. Then waited for the camera to turn and jumped. This time he made it.

             
There we were, mother and son inside of a closed, dark zoo.

             
“I can’t believe we made it!” he said with joy.

             
“Come, there is someone I want you to meet”, I led the way.

             
“Where are you from, Almas?” he asked me.

             
“I am from the valley. I run an animal shelter for the lost ones”, I informed him.

             
“Valley? So what were you doing at the club?” he wondered.

             
“Oh… just visiting an old friend…” I answered.

             
“There. That is my favorite spot at this zoo”, I pointed at a closed area.

             
“You got to be kidding me…” he chuckled.

             
I gazed into his eyes for a long moment and then ran straight into the closed area without looking back.

             
“Almas! Stop! Are you crazy?” he screamed.

             
But I didn’t stop and before he knew it, I was surrounded by the most divine creatures in the world. One of the tigers jumped on me with joy and started licking my face. It has been a while since my last visit and they have missed their leader.

             
“Jump in Liam! Don’t be scared!” I shouted with joy.

             
“No way! They will tear me to pieces!” he yelled with fear.

             
“Trust me!” I urged him.

             
He slowly walked towards me and followed my voice.

             
“You can do it… I am right here…” I kept repeating myself.   

             
Finally, he stood right in front of us and got down on his knees. I could tell he was shivering.

             
“You wish to pet him?” I asked and got down on my knees myself. I held the massive tiger with my arm and gently brought him closer to my son. All the other wilds cats stood around us quietly.