Chapter 13 - Gateway to Destiny

Phoebe was discharged from the hospital and Dave decided to take them to their house. He stopped by a pharmacy to buy some take-home prescription medicines for her with some chocolates and snacks but a small old lady with a velvet black scarf on her neck keeps on staring at him.

The old lady straightens her face to the counter while waiting for her change, "Is that for your child, son?" 

"Uhm.. excuse me, are you talking to me?" Politely he answered.

"Who else? You are  King Angus' only nephew, right?"

His face twisted into a scowl, "How did you...?"

The old lady turned her back and suddenly exits leaving Dave baffled and speechless.

"Here's your change, Sir... Sir...?"

Stunned Dave grabbed the change and runs to his car, abruptly started the engine catching his breath.

"Why daddy?" Worried Phoebe can sense Dave's confusion.

Dave shifts his emotions and smiles, "Nothing." 

Dave lowered his eyebrows at Martha as she secures her place beside the driver's seat and slides her fingers into her amulet. Amelia rests at the back and runs her palm through the back of her neck, "Ugh! My head hurts, I need to catch some sleep."

"I'm sorry Mommy, how foolish I was to stare at the crow's devilish eyes." Phoebe lamentably uttered while buckling up.

Amelia holds her daughter's rosy cheeks and slightly bumps her forehead into hers while pinning a smile, "Oh no honey, it's not your fault, bad crows right? We are still lucky that you have recovered so fast, and when you can, going back to school will be your priority. Okay?" 

Phoebe gleams, wraps her arms around her Mom giving her a  tight squeeze, and  turns her head to the right, "Nanny, I want to play at the park, can you come with me?"

"I can come with you, sweetie." Dave butts in displaying a convincing smile trying to impress her daughter with his words.

Phoebe paints a ray of sunshine in her eyes, "Really daddy?" beggingly blinks fast at her mom with her lips pouted.

Amelia is tired of this kind of conversation and she just agrees, "Alright, you can play at the park with your dad but please no cuts or bruises okay?"

Phoebe giggled with sparkled eyes while Dave winks at her.

"By the way Dave, I have a meeting with Gela and I must call Raya too. We will be out of town to check out the house that I have been eyeing for months so you can take Phoebe with you and of course Martha."

"No problemo supremo. Thank you for finally giving in to my requests to be with my daughter. I promise to make good memories with her. Rest assured she'll be happy and full."

"Well, you must, otherwise..."

"Mommy, what kind of house is that?" Phoebe interrupts.

"Oh it's the one that we're relocating to, my friend said that tomorrow will be the schedule for their open house."

"What is an open house, Mommy?"

"Well it means that everybody is welcome to check the house that they want to buy, we'll be checking the house across the street with a stream behind it."

"Stream? Can I swim there Mommy?"

"Yes, sure! We will be having a tea party beside the stream. I'm sure you're gonna make lots of friends there."

"Where is that located? You can hire me as your driver. I'll send you to that place before I fetch Phoebe." Dave asks in a quizzical smile.

"Oh it's a hidden village but the owner of the whole property died and her children decided to sell the place. I'm not sure but I think it's some kind of... Tikolene...Tikaluna Village? Yeah, it's Tikaluna Village."

Dave widens his eyes as his heartbeat pounds fast, "Don't go there!"

"What? Why not? I have already sent reservations for me and my friends. We have been planning this for so long and now you're telling me to refrain?"

"Who told you about that village?"

"It was Raya. She got it from a flash advertisement in her Realface account. What's the sudden concern, Dave?"

"I know that village, I have been there once but I swear I will not ever come back. You will just regret it and will realize that I'm right." Dave lifts his shoulders and shows a half-smile.

"For sure, I'll regret if I listened to all your warnings." 

Martha cuts their conversation and warns Amelia, "Most streams in the villages have stories to tell."

"What do you mean Nanny?" Amelia narrowed her eyes.

"You'll see when you get there. Bring my amulet with you dear, it's for your protection."

Amelia whispers in an inaudible tone, "Sheesh... Protection for what? You should talk to Dave about things like these. I'm not even scared or interested. I told you, there's no such thing as creepy creatures, they are all from stupid imaginations of people."

"Better be safe than sorry." Martha smirks and glances at Dave.

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Amelia and her friends arrived at the Tikaluna Village as early as seven in the morning. The clear sky boasts its powdery blue color with a dash of thin white streaks on it.

It has been years since Amelia smelled and felt fresh damp of fog on her face, a serene feeling of the countryside that invites her to settle and find a home.

The perplexity from Martha and Dave's warning still lingers in the corner of her eyes pushing her heart into the edge. She thought about their warning and was not able to sleep well. 

Her insomnia brought her once again into a dream of kissing a werewolf in a wilderness with swords pierced at her back. This mystical dream woke her up and fought with her subconscious before she hit the van going to Tikaluna Village.

"I told you Gela, you should have brought your sweaters. The coldness will sting your veins." Raya reminds her in a mother- tone voice.

Wrapping her arms around her body, "Geez! I have never felt these shivers for a long time. The city has lost its frost ambiance. How about you Amelia, you seem unbothered by the fog?"

She yawned and squeezed her eyes while throwing her arms into the air, "Hmm... I want to get used to this kind of weather, after all, I'll be spending the rest of my life here. This is where Phoebe can smell the free fresh air and grow beautifully wise."

After stepping off from Raya's car, their few steps reached the house, and a tall middle-aged woman in black trousers and beige top with a red scarf around her neck greeted them at the front door, "Welcome Ma'am. I am Vicky and I'll be your tour guide for the day."

The three, Amelia, Raya, and Gela eagerly entered the house as they exchange smiles with the tour guide. Excitement fills every element of the house and their hearts are at large as their eyes surveyed every corner of the house.

A bright flash from the huge clear glass window caught Amelia's attention, and while her friends were having a chit-chat with the tour guide, she exits from the circle and her feet brings her to the huge clear glass window which her eyes lead to an old house across from where her feet glued her.

Her eyes were stuck by the swaying branches and falling leaves of an enormous ancient Mabolo Tree. Her head gently sways to the right and  gushing water from the stream fills her eyes with delight.

"Is there someone settling in that house right now?" Amelia asks Vicky while her eyes never leave the fresh blue color of the stream

"Hmm.. Not that I know of, I was told that the house across this has been unoccupied for years and nobody was unable to afford the property. I'm telling you, that mansion sells at a very high price and it seems that the owner does not want to sell it."

"Mansion? But I only see a cottage with a two-bedroom I suppose."

"Hahaha! You must be tired Amelia from our 4-hour drive. It's a huge house right in front of your girl, and it looks like an abandoned house, well because of the high price, right Gela?" Raya turns her head to Gela who keeps on munching the mixed nuts and sipping the dark choco frappe while scrolling into her social media account."

Gela just nods and seems uninterested while Amelia's wrinkled brows and shaky smile lead her to set her eyes once more into the house and her eyes widen by what she saw.

"She battles with her subconscious again and talks to herself, "They are right, it's a mansion, how could I see it differently few minutes earlier? Bold colors from the tree is missing, the stream seems dry."

She decides to step out from the house to check the mansion and when she is about to cross the street, an old man grabs her arm telling her that the house is enchanted and forbidden.