Page 43 of Forged in Deception

She had never expected her life to become so grand. She had never been an important person, but now, here she was, leading others to the truth. Her heart felt like it might burst with pride.

At that moment, Mother arrived.

She felt a stirring in the air around her, a whisper without words, and then the snake showed herself in all her glory.

Mother greeted her warmly, and the woman did the same.

Silence followed as she tried to think of how to ask what was on her mind. Mother was beautiful, kind, and perfect, but sometimes, she still struck the woman with a sense of dread.

Fortunately, the snake knew this well.

“Don’t be afraid, my child,” Mother said to the woman gently.

She watched as Mother began to shrink in front of her until her hulking green form had been reduced to something no larger than a snake that she might find in a garden shed.

“I am sorry, Mother,” the woman said, feeling a twinge of shame. She should obey Mother and control her emotions. The snake had earned her trust by now.

“What do you want to ask of me?”

“How–how will I know who it is that is chosen?” she stammered out.

Mother was moving now, coming closer to her until she was slithering up the front of her chest. She tried not to flinch as the snake came even closer.

“You will hear my whisper in your heart when the time is right. I am always with you, my child.”

All at once, the woman felt a chill rushing through her.

The snake was gone now, but she knew exactly where the being was.

She could feel Mother gleaming within her chest, slipping gently beneath her ribcage and taking hold of her heart.

Everything inside of her was warmth, and light, and happiness.

“Thank you, Mother,” the woman breathed, a smile spreading across her face as the trees began to dance. “There is one woman here who I will show to you. She is in deep need of the truth.”

“Very good, my child. Very good.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY

KARLIN

The waiting room smelled like plastic and rubbing alcohol.

Karlin shifted in her seat. Try as she might, she couldn’t manage to get comfortable, nor could she manage to forget about the last time she’d been in a hospital.

She’d been visiting John, and the waiting room had smelled exactly like this one did, right down to the vaguely floral scent of whatever cleaner the staff used.

At least this one led to normal patient rooms rather than a locked psych word. It was a solid step up.

Axel plunked himself in the seat next to her, handing her a vending machine coffee.

“Maybe my next dose of fake DX8 can have caffeine in it,” he joked, taking a large gulp from his matching paper cup. “I’m seriously starting to miss it.”

She opened her mouth to respond but quickly closed it again. She wanted to joke around with him, and she especially wanted the cheap, crappy coffee after so much deprivation, but she couldn’t seem to let go of the night’s stress.

Not to mention her own dark memories.

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