Chapter 207 - Message
Rebecca was sitting on the wooden bench watching Melinda tending to her plants outside the hut. She already narrated the rest of her story to her old friend.
A few minutes later, Melinda was done tending to her plants, she lowered herself on the bench beside Rebecca. "When are you going to go back to Graven's side?" she asked.
Rebecca shook her head. "No. I'm not going to go back there anymore, Grandma," she replied.
"But why-?"
"Because I feared that they have put a tracker inside my body and if I returned to my friends' side right now they might be able to find out Laura's whereabouts," Rebecca explained.
"Ah, okay. I understand your reason. You just don't want your friend's location discovered by those who pursued Laura. I think your idea is brilliant. It's better to be safe than sorry," Melinda said.
Rebecca breathed deeply. "I'm planning to send a message to Graven and inform him that I'm already back home, safe and sound in your side. I just can't see them right now because the vampire couple is tracking Laura's whereabouts and I might accidentally lead them to Laura's location. But I don't know how to send them a message that can't be noticed by anyone."
Melinda glanced at her Dandelion Flowers growing beautifully around her backyard. She was inspired to grow them around her house to cope up with her loneliness due to living in the forest alone. The flowers help her tremendously when it comes to her mental health. Ten big butterflies are flying around the flowers sipping their nectar. "I think I know how to help you with your problem," she said.
"Grandma, how?" Rebecca asked.
"Stay here, I'll just go to my Dandelion Flowers," Melinda said. She rose to her feet and walked towards the flowers. She chanted a spell and opened her palm. The biggest butterfly flew and landed on her palm. She walked back towards the bench.
Rebecca looked at the butterfly with its colorful wings. "Wow, what a beautiful butterfly!" she gushes.
Melinda looked at the darkening sky above. "Many people trained crows and ravens as their messenger bird. But I like using a butterfly as a messenger because they don't attract much attention. This is the answer to your problem," she said. The butterfly flew towards Rebecca and landed on her shoulder.
Rebecca's brows furrowed. "Really-? How to make the butterfly carry my message? I want to send a message to Graven now!" she said excitedly. She knows that he must have been doing his best to find her everywhere to no avail. She needs to inform him that she already escape the vampire couple and currently hiding and living with Melinda, her best friend. Graven knew all about Melinda but he had no idea where is the old woman's location.
Melinda rose to her feet. "Wait here, I'll get something from my room," she said and walked towards the door of her house.
Rebecca watched as the old woman disappeared behind the door. She looked at the yellow and while Dandelion flowers everywhere. They help uplift her gloomy spirit. She missed Corbin so much! But she has to forget him from now on.
Melinda returned to the wooden bench. She was holding a tiny 2-inches bottle in her palm and gave it to Rebecca. "This will help you carry your message to Graven," she said.
"But how?"
"Talk directly to the mouth of the bottle, it will record your voice and project your image as well. The moment the bottle is broken your voice and image will appear in the air in front of Graven," Melinda explained.
"Okay, so I will just talk facing the bottle?" Rebecca asked.
"Yeah, try it!"
Rebecca picked up the small bottle and looked at its tiny opening, she smiled brightly and began talking. "Hello Graven, Laura, Horace, Calder, and everyone. I just want you all to know that I escaped the vampire couple's clutches and I'm currently living with my friend Melinda in her house. I can't return right now because they might have put a tracker inside my body. I don't want to lead them to you guys. Rest assured that I'm alive, safe, and sound. Don't find me anymore. See you all someday when it's already safe to do so!" she said and gave the bottle to the old woman.
Melinda opened her palm and the butterfly left Rebecca's shoulder and landed on her palm. She put the bottle at the back of the butterfly and chanted a spell, a thin thread appeared, securing the bottle on the back of the butterfly to keep it in place. She looked at her companion. "Shall I send it now to Graven's headquarter? I know that place," she asked. She knows all Graven's places because she had secretly spied on Rebecca's friends wanting to make sure that her young charge is safe in the hands of her so-called friends.
"Yes, please... wait...how did you know that place?" Rebecca asked.
"Have you have forgotten that you brought me there once in my invisible form?" Melinda reminded her.
"Ah, okay, I remembered now. Yes, Graven would visit that place every day because it's the main headquarter where his trusted people report to him with their daily news, Rebecca said.
"Okay, I'll send the butterfly now to that place," Melinda said.
Rebecca watched as Melinda's mouth began moving, chanting foreign words that she can't comprehend.
A few minutes later, the butterfly disappeared from their view.
"It's gone!" Rebecca exclaimed.
"It's currently traveling at the speed of light going to Graven's headquarters," Melinda explained.
"Thank you, Grandma!" Rebecca said in elation.
"Anything else?" Melinda asked.
"That's all for now, I'm going to my room, I'm feeling sleepy again," Rebecca said, feeling lethargic.
"Okay, go back to your room now and rest as long as you want. I'll prepare food for you later," Melinda said.
Rebecca stood up, walked towards the door, and disappeared inside the house.
Melinda was shaking her head, wondering why Rebecca is acting lethargic and weak after she arrived at her property? Maybe the girl is sick?
She will find out soon.
<<<0>>>
Graven landed outside the hut at his headquarter that was surrounded by trees. He went inside the hut to find Horace.
He was not inside the hut.
He exited the hut and looked around the area. No one of his men has come to report yet.
He was planning to go to Terros place for a visit.
He was about to leave the place when out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a butterfly landed on the table located in the corner. He'd never seen such a big and colorful butterfly before! He walked slowly towards the table, careful not to alert the butterfly.
He was standing right beside the table but the butterfly didn't even move an inch or fly away, then he saw the tiny bottle tied on its back.
Hmm, what could it be?
"What's inside the bottle?" he murmured to himself. He slowly holds the tiny bottle and the thin thread automatically disappeared the moment it came in contact with his fingers.
He put the bottle in his palm and stared at it for a few minutes, he had no idea what to do with it.
Suddenly, Horace appeared in the place landing a few meters away from Graven. "My Lord..."
Graven looked behind him. "Horace...shhh... keep quiet..." he acknowledged his presence and instructed him to stay silent.
Horace went to the table and saw the butterfly... then suddenly the butterfly flew away and disappeared from their sight. "Wow, that was the biggest butterfly I've ever seen in my whole life!" he enthused. "Where did it go? Why it suddenly disappeared from our sight?"
Graven showed Horace the tiny bottle. "I think the butterfly flew away after it delivered a message to me," he said.
Horace stared at the bottle. "But where is the message?" he asked.
"Probably inside the bottle," Graven replied and looked inside the bottle but he can't see anything no matter how hard he tried. "I can't see the message!" he said.
"Can I try?" Horace asked.
Graven put the tiny bottle in Horace's palm.
Horace looked at the bottle on all sides. "Is there even a message inside this tiny bottle?" he asked in bewilderment. He picked it up with his finger and held it up high, then suddenly it slipped from his finger and fall to the floor, shattering into tiny pieces. "Oops! Sorry, my lord!" he apologized.
Then suddenly a smoke materialized up in the air and the silhouette of a woman was formed until it becomes more distinct, and Rebecca's image appeared in front of them surrounded by flowers, then she began talking.
'Hello Graven, Laura, Horace, Calder, and everyone. I just want you all to know that I escaped the vampire couple's clutches and I'm currently living with my friend Melinda in her house. I can't return right now because they might have put a tracker inside my body. I don't want to lead them to Laura and you guys. Rest assured that I'm alive, safe, and sound. Don't find me anymore. See you all one day when it's already safe to do so!'
Rebecca's image slowly disappeared and gone with the wind.
Graven and Horace looked at each other in shock.
"OMG! That was Rebecca!" Horace exclaimed in happiness.
Graven smiled as huge relief washed over him. "That was indeed Rebecca and she looks safe and fine to me!" he said.
"Finally!" Horace was rejoicing. "B-but why did she sent a message to us? Why she didn't come back to us right away after she escaped?" he asked, confused.
"She told us that to prevent the vampire couple from locating our whereabouts, she can no longer come back to us to ensure Laura's safety," Graven said.
Horace scratches his head. "Ah, sorry I didn't remember that part of her message. All I know is that I'm happy to see her safe and sound, and smiling again, my lord!"
Graven sighed. "Rebecca has to distance herself away from us, there must be a strong reason behind it. Let her be, one day she will return to us. The good thing is she is safe and alive and we no longer have to worry about her," he said.
"You are correct, my lord!" Horace said.
"Do you have something important to report to me?" Graven questioned him.
"Nothing important, my lord," Horace said.
"Okay, I'll go and visit Grandpa Terros in the forest. If something comes up, you know where to find me!" Graven said.
"Noted, my lord!" Horace said.
Graven disappeared from the place instantly.
Unknown to them, a few meters away, Luke was listening to their conversation in his invisible form and saw Rebecca's image in the air.
He disappeared from the place following his twin brother's scent.