17A mysterious virus has swept past the entire European continent, and caused it to crumble. People are warded into the hospitals on an hourly basis, and no vaccine has yet been found. This virus is contagious, and is spread by the sharing of bodily fluids. A total of nine people have died from this virus. The symptoms include high fever, dry cough and hallucinations. No one has yet survived. - Singapore Times
"Look at this," Mrs Chivons said glancing at the newspaper on the dining table, "I do hope that they're okay, the poor dears!"
Samantha reached over for a slice of buttered toast and tossed a look at her mother. "Pardon?" They were conversing in the dining room, with the breakfast spread on the table.
Mrs Chivons thrust the newspaper towards Samantha, eyes clouded in worry. "What if it carries over to our country?" Samantha scanned the article once through and then closed the page. 'Did it.. Nah, it must be coincedental.'
"Honey, don't worry," Samantha's father stated as he appeared at the archway of the dining room decked out in a suit. Mrs Chivons smiled tremously at him and whispered, "Sorry dear, it must be one of those days." He walked towards her, leaned over and pressed a kiss on her cheek. "Honey, you should worry more about me instead." He withdrew back to his seat at the head of the table before winking at Sam.
Samantha in turn sighed, and set the newspaper down. "Dad, you guys are quite old you know." She grinned at them. "It gets embarrassing at times." Her parents turned to look at each other, before wheeling towards Samantha with an identical look in their eyes.
Samantha recognized the look and pointed the butter knife at them, "Don't you dare!"
They laughed, and the disturbing article was forgotten. However, it lingered at the back of Samantha's mind and demanded attention.
The news kept up with Samantha through the many classes of the day. Every thing passed by in a blur, and she was noticably quieter. However her friends knew she was alright, due to experience. Samantha was prone to withdraw into herself when she had things on her mind, and they knew wild horses could not drag it out of her unless she was ready to spill. They did try including her in their conversations, but it was not recipocrated and they left it at that.
Samantha did not know why the issue concerned her so much, but it did. The words in the article kept repeating in her mind, and she had a strong feeling that it had something to do with Jibril. 'But what can I do?'
'Perhaps I can go check up on it online.' The thought appeared unbidden in her mind, and it took hold. 'What harm could it do after all?'
Samantha hurried home after the last bell and scrambled up towards her room as soon as the shoes were off her feet. She switched on the computer screen, and the lights on the moniter flickered before showing the crystalline screen. It was a flat screen moniter with smooth black contours and high speed connection that kept her online though she was in school.
Within minutes she had the latest news of the epidemic right in front of her, and the amount of information listed on the search engine staggered her. "How serious is this?" Samantha muttered to herself.
Her dismay mounted as one by one the articles highlighted two important details: there was no available cure and many were warded by the hour.
"Okay chill girl, there's nothing much you can do anyway." Samantha tried to repress the rising panic in her. She could feel her stomach turning over, and the nausea was about to pull her under.
"Where's Jibril when I need him? He always give such cryptic notices but never what I want to hear! ARGH." The sentence ended with a heartfelt sound that most could have attributed to a moan.
Samantha tried to pretend everything was normal, joining her parents for dinner as per normal, and doing her homework in the study room. However, she kept herself wounded tightly as the anxiety threatened to spill over without some control.
It was close to one in the morning when Samantha deigned to look at the clock placed on the sturdy brown table she was working on. The worksheets were lying all over the place, some on the floor, some on the armchair beside the bookshelf, some on her lap. In fact, if her parents or Susan (her servant) saw these - she would be dead. They were sticklers for neatness.
She had at last shoved the news at the bottom of the pile of mess in her mind, focusing on her elementary mathematics. "I hate math," she muttered to herself. "I really really hate math."
Samantha looked over the question once again while chewing on one end of the pen. She was getting frustrated staring at the question which seemed to have no solutions. She groaned and stood up, "Aw, whatever. I need a drink."
Samantha walked swiftly out of the room, and jogged down the stairs towards the kitchen. Surprisingly, there was a dim light on in the kitchen. She marched towards the fridge and took out a can of milk tea.
"So, I gathered you saw the news."
Samantha, on the verge of opening the can, glanced up. Jibril was sitting on the counter top, his feet dangling mid-air. She glared at him. "If survival is important to you, I assure you that you have to keep your mouth shut."
Jibril chuckled, and the room seemed to vibrate with his low sounding laugh. "Why, you getting anxious over them?"
Samantha threw a stony look at him, but kept her peace. 'This has nothing to do with me,' she thought to herself, 'this doesn't concern me.'
Jibril stopped laughing, and gazed at her seriously. Samantha found it disconcerting the way he could switch emotions at will. Now he was calm and collected, unlike the him a few minutes ago.
"This does in fact concern you, my dear. The world is going through a crisis now, of which a cure is not yet found. If anything, you are the best hope."
Samantha muttered, "Now you tell me you can read minds," before saying louder, " What do you want me to do, show my wings and make them happy?"
JIbril smiled, gently. "My dear, you matter more than a circus show. The essence within you, can give life. Do what you think you should do. You are more than these. The evil one is out to get more lives to go down with him. You must stop him."
The last statement made jarred Samantha into full alert mode. "Hello, in case you haven't noticed, I am not an angel or whatever," she rolled her eyes, "unlike someone."
"True, but against all odds you were chosen from birth."
"Then tell me who my parents were."
Samantha glanced at Jibril through beneath her lowered eyelashes. It had been a long kept secret desire, her wish to know her biological parents. Perhaps now, she could finally discover why she was abandoned.
"You are a child of divine nature. Only you can save the world." The sentence rolled off the being's tongue easily.
"HEY, give me some credit here okay? I'm here listening to you, not thinking you're just an apparition, sincerely wanting to do whatever I can, and you don't want to tell me about my parents?! Just what is wrong with you! Will something so minor hurt? Will it affect, oh your divinity to divulge it!" By then, Samantha was trembling and her breaths came out harsh and fast. She could feel her hands trembling, and the ache in her shoulders were more noticable.
"However much I wish to tell it to you, it is not of time."
"Then when is it time!" Samantha exploded, and her wings burst out in fullness. Jibril smiled at her, albeit sadly. "How can I," she stopped to laugh bitterly, "save the world when in fact I don't know the whole story? Am I to focus on half facts and unknown events? Is it that hard to tell me two names? Is it that hard to tell me who birthed me? Is it that difficult to know of the reason why they abandon me? Huh? Is it? Tell me - IS IT?"
Jibril moved to stand, and walked towards the girl with his hands stretched out. "You will know in due time my dear. I apologize for your hurt. However much I want to tell you, I can't. I'm sorry."
Samantha gazed at the marble flooring refusing to acknowledge him in front of her, and nodded. Without a word, she pushed past the being and ran up the stairs, disappearing into the darkness. The being stared at her retreating back, and sighed. "If only I can tell you. It makes it so much easier."
Diamond-Dust: haha I read Neon Evangelion! OMG! i used to though, stopped around book 11.
Elisefey: thanks!
Dragon Fiend of Doom: yeah i figured, but i always miss out such mistakes. dumb of me, but i'm looking to improve! thanks btw!