Aggie sat and watched her children embrace. It had felt like forever since they had seen each other, and to be together again was something special. Devon saw Aggie over his sister's shoulder. "How?" he asked walking a couple steps absent-mindedly towards the gazebo.
She sat happily inside the gazebo and smiled at her son. "I had nothing to do with it," she said simply.
"But I didn't-," he said and then caught his sister's eyes. "You?" he asked. She said nothing. "But how did you-?"
"She found me," said Agathea with a wide spread of her hands.
Devon looked back to his sister. "Where have you been all this time?" The woman's face changed, her eyes losing their sparkle a little. "Aiyana?"
"Someplace dark," she replied and then wrapped her arms around her. "And cold." Her arms fell loosely to her sides, her head falling forward some. "Alone. For so long." Devon turned to Agathea who rose from her seat and moved closer. "Mind plays tricks," Aiyana continued, her tone quiet and wan. "Things there not really there." A sharpness tweaked her eyes when she said, "And then she came."
"Who?" asked Agathea.
"She put me there," she said, then her mouth turned into a slight snarl when she added, "and left me there." The older woman was closer now, standing a little further from her children than they were to each other. "Alone," she mumbled. "But then..."
"What?"
"She came back," she whispered. "I thought I was dreaming. I did that a lot. The darkness melted the day together." She brought a hand to her head. "And then she was gone, but something was different. Something... pulled me away..." Her hand dropped and turned toward the gardens. "Where are they?" she asked. "The little ones," she said eagerly looking about.
Devon stood by her side. "Little ones?"
"I think she means the girls," said Agathea stepping up beside him.
He nodded. "They're asleep," he said. "I checked on them earlier."
"My girls," she said quietly. "My angels." Her hands slowly curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms. A small growl escaped her lips as she muttered, "How dare she keep from them."
She sat happily inside the gazebo and smiled at her son. "I had nothing to do with it," she said simply.
"But I didn't-," he said and then caught his sister's eyes. "You?" he asked. She said nothing. "But how did you-?"
"She found me," said Agathea with a wide spread of her hands.
Devon looked back to his sister. "Where have you been all this time?" The woman's face changed, her eyes losing their sparkle a little. "Aiyana?"
"Someplace dark," she replied and then wrapped her arms around her. "And cold." Her arms fell loosely to her sides, her head falling forward some. "Alone. For so long." Devon turned to Agathea who rose from her seat and moved closer. "Mind plays tricks," Aiyana continued, her tone quiet and wan. "Things there not really there." A sharpness tweaked her eyes when she said, "And then she came."
"Who?" asked Agathea.
"She put me there," she said, then her mouth turned into a slight snarl when she added, "and left me there." The older woman was closer now, standing a little further from her children than they were to each other. "Alone," she mumbled. "But then..."
"What?"
"She came back," she whispered. "I thought I was dreaming. I did that a lot. The darkness melted the day together." She brought a hand to her head. "And then she was gone, but something was different. Something... pulled me away..." Her hand dropped and turned toward the gardens. "Where are they?" she asked. "The little ones," she said eagerly looking about.
Devon stood by her side. "Little ones?"
"I think she means the girls," said Agathea stepping up beside him.
He nodded. "They're asleep," he said. "I checked on them earlier."
"My girls," she said quietly. "My angels." Her hands slowly curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms. A small growl escaped her lips as she muttered, "How dare she keep from them."
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