A Gift from the Goddess

I left Noah in Zac’s capable hands and got his word that he’d call my father to say the job was completed per normal.He was risking a lot for my sake, I knew that.

A lot of risk for what seemed like absolutely no reason.

The level of danger associated with this insane plan wasn’t lost on me.

After all, the last thing 1 wanted was for Zac’s name to end up in my next manilla folder.I headed home as soon as I could, leaving enough time to arrive well before daylight, and walked towards my front door.

But it was as I was entering through the front gate to our property that something caught my eye.

It was an old lady, huddled up in a shawl, standing just on the street outside.

She had grey hair and eyes to match, clearly at an age that would suggest a retirement home or carer was required.

And yet she stood randomly outside my house at three o’clock in the morning, staring directly at me.

I paused for a moment and looked around, trying to see if she was with someone.

But when the empty street was completely silent and devoid of all other life, I started to wonder if maybe she’d gotten lost.

...Did I really have the energy to deal with this right now though? I was already so exhausted and just wanted to go inside to sleep in my own bed, something that would be a first after many days.

I could already perfectly visualise how soft my pillow would be...

just begging to be laid on and—.

"I can save her," the old lady suddenly said.

"I can save the girl." …

What? I took my hand off the gate handle and turned back around to fully face her, part of me still wondering if she was even talking to me.

"..Pardon?" I called back.

Wasn't it common for older people to lose their minds at a certain age? What if she was a dementia patient who wandered off? I should probably just look up where the closest hospital or retirement home was and tell them where to find—.

"The girl.Clarissa," she said.

As if that was of any real help.

I blankly stared back at her.

"I’m not Clarissa," I clarified.

"I think you’ve—."

"I know that," she snapped sharply, making me flinch a bit in surprise.

"Oh...kay.Well, is that...your daughter?" I asked, still trying to be polite.

"Or your carer? Do you want m e to call someone for you—?" 

But then she started to walk towards me, her stride more steady than I would have expected given her appearance.

There was something oddly strange about her too.

A weird atmosphere around her.

Or maybe I was just slightly unnerved by the whole creepiness of the situation.

"Do you not know who I am?" she asked once she stood within a few feet of me.

"Ma’am, truthfully, I’m not even sure if you know who you are.No offence," I said, starting to get more uncomfortable the longer this drew out.

"If you just wait here a moment though, I’ll head inside and wake up one of the maids.They can maybe help you out or something."

really didn’t care about courtesy anymore and

encounter that just rubbed me

hair at the back of my neck standing up.I turned around and tried to open the

to bite back my instincts telling me to

nothing to be

be pushed over by

"Wait, amoment," she repeated.

I reluctantly turned back

seemed to hold an intelligence there that

spoke in a tone so low that

you know the true story of the

serious as I shuffled

face for any sort of recognition that I knew

course, I

a fairy tale?"

book you used to read to your grandkids or something?"

my immense discomfort, she only continued to

I really wanted to

close to home, merely a foot

a step forward and I could

me that I wasn’t sure what

wasn’t right in

flying into the air somewhere, she finally turned away, pulling the hood

her," she

And she started walking back down the street

more time in stepping through the gate and locking

much fear caused by just one crazy old

crone, I would have to answer that it was the man waiting for me once I finally entered

my front door, I saw a light had been left

people in the house should have been

happened, I had every intention of just

...

help but catch the familiar scent

to this realisation, so close to finally being able t o go to bed, but

He was expecting me.

stepped back...and headed

he greeted me, sitting in a

where I was standing, I could only see his arma s he held a drink in his hand, the chair

"Father," I replied.

received the call from Zac not long ago," he said, taking

later than expected."

old lady outside," I

lost.Kept trying to talk to me and

meant the job, Raven.You’re several hours late from the job.The agreed upon time should have seen you home a long

"Ah..." 

"Did everything go...smoothly?" 

No.No, it had not.

of many ways in which it

definitely shouldn’t have, opening

by accidentally killing an employee for a kidnapping job...then by failing

was continuing to hide that consequence because I didn’t want the

couldn't mention any

this point, I was already in

knew I shouldn’t be...but I couldn’t help but feel

to find out? Was it related to the

ah, it all went smoothly," I

getting into the building, is all.A crowd of people were drinking outside and, well, intoxicated o r not, they'd still be witnesses.I decided

so...?" he

nervous feeling was bubbling in my chest.He couldn’t know I was lying...could he? But then again...there was no such