Chapter 31

In her own world
Jasmine! Jasmine! called out a voice in the dark.

Jasmine looked around trying to grasp what was going on but she could only see trees, haunted images, weirdly shaped houses.

At the sight of all this, she felt a tingling sensation. Fear and excitement gripping her all at once. Goosebumps creeping in.
She decided to explore and soon forgot about the voice that was calling out to her. She lingered on, wanting to know the occupants of the tree- like houses.

She went to one and debated on whether or not to knock.
_What would I even find here?_ she pondered.

"Perhaps, a knock wouldn't be that much of a bother to whomever is behind this door." She paused to confirm if it was a good idea or not and soon, she was knocking on the door.

_Knock! Knock!_ Jasmine, trying not to let the emotions get the best of her, knocked gently in order to make a good first impression.

No response.

She knocked again, this time a little harder.

Still no response.

She knocked yet again awaiting some sort of response. By now, she was already running out of patience.

A long pause.


She turned to leave and immediately, something in the form of a creature jumped at her.
"Ahhhh" she screamed in fright.

Upon seeing the face of this creature, she screamed again. It had Rose's face!

_What is going on here?_ She wondered, her mind in disarray while making for a run.

Soon, she saw a woman in white just as her step mother had told her and the lady was heading for Jasmine, holding a mug cup.

Jasmine thought it was coffee but it wasn't.

_A flash_

"Oh no!, It's one of those portions", she exclaimed.

She decided not to go towards the woman's direction any longer and took a left turn.

Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she headed for the cottage just down the road.

"Just a light", She thought out loud.

_Oh! Wait... There's something there like a little plant_. Jasmine noticed as she got a little closer.

Looking intensely at the supposed plant, trying to figure out what it really was, realization struck her.
_That's no plant! That's... that's a human!_ At the thought of this, a new sensation enveloped her, bringing with it a new surge of emotion. This time it was clouded by fear alone.

She caught the person laughing hysterically and knew she had to find another route.

Making a turn to the right, she bumped into someone.

"What the... Becca?" She questioned surprised to see her yet again in this place as well.

Jasmine gasped as Becca reached for her throat. She wore a sinister look on her face, a grin playing on her lips.

"Not again!" Jasmine screamed out into consciousness.

Everyone on the table had stopped eating and were staring curiously at Jasmine.

Jasmine eyes met theirs and she knew she would have to explain herself.

Matt walked in to meet everyone at the table staring at Jasmine in amazement, including his boys.

_What could she have done this time_ he wondered, shaking his head.

He carefully took his seat and looked from one person to the other trying to read out their facial expressions but failed.

Unable to bear the silence anymore, he asked, "What's going on here?"

_Silence_

"Why is everyone at the table staring at Jasmine?" He pressed further seeing that no one gave any response to his first question.

"I think Jasmine would be in the best position to answer that since she decided to scream the roof top off and interrupt our meal" Rose replied, looking at Jasmine with so much disgust.

_Scream?_ he wondered.

He turned to Rose to ask more questions but met her already staring at him impatiently.

_Not the time_ he thought.

Matt understanding this look knew he had to question Jasmine.

"Jasmine, what's wrong?" he asked cautiously, trying not to spark up any fire between this two. He knew if he didn't question Jasmine, Rose would pick offence and do it herself and that was what he didn't want. On the other hand, if he questions Jasmine carelessly, she would be hurt and probably break down or do something everyone seated there would regret.
He knew he had to be careful either ways.

Jasmine who was already shivering in fright became less tensive when she heard the manner at which Matt had spoken to her.

Barely able to speak, she muttered her reply softly.

_A long pause_

Everyone at the table exchanged glances expecting some kind of reaction from anyone but got none.

One of her brows raised in curiosity, Rose stared at Becca and Matt awaiting an explanation. She thought she was the only one who hadn't heard what Jasmine had said.

She soon realized she wasn't the only one when she saw the wrinkles forming on Matt's forehead as he struggled to make meaning of whatever she must have muttered. She turned her gaze to Becca, only to find her eating her meal quietly.

They both hadn't heard anything.

Matt, breaking the awkward silence pleaded, "Jasmine, please could you speak up? We are concerned".

Jasmine looked at him trying hard to really understand the man. One minute he is being the most annoying and hard- to- cope- with person and the next minute, he is being the nicest and most gentle soul.

"I... I... I... didn't know what had... had..." Jasmine scratched her head in nervousness. Trying hard to come up with answers.

Rose, already irritated by now, shouted "Can't you speak clearly?!"

Jasmine's shivering by now had gotten worse and nobody seemed to care about that. They only wanted answers.
She opened her mouth as if to say something but stopped when one of her boys suddenly dropped his spoon hard on the plate, getting everyone's attention on him.

"Please, don't speak to the Queen like that, she's already going through a lot".

He said looking pitifully at the bags that had gradually formed underneath his mother's eyes in the past few days. He knew his mother hadn't gotten a good night rest for some days now and had even heard her, on few occasions, cry herself to sleep.

He had quietly watched them speak carelessly to Queen Jasmine, his mother and couldn't take it anymore.

"I beg to leave, your highness", he said as he stood up and made for the door, leaving everyone in total shock, including Queen Jasmine.

Jasmine almost couldn't believe her eyes.

_Did one of my boys just stand up for me?_

They all watched him as he exited the hall without looking back. He definitely wasn't happy.

Jasmine was concerned with this new development but at same time, she felt relieved that she wouldn't have to explain herself anymore and she soon became relaxed.

She picked up her cutleries again and this time, rather than picking on the food, she ate to her fill.

She hadn't realized how hungry she was until now.