SHADOW OF MYSELF

Chapter Four

PRISCA POV:

Dad drove Mom home to get some rest, leaving me stuck with this unfamiliar woman who called herself Aunt Carolina. 

Sure, family reunions are supposed to be happy affairs, but all I felt was a prickle of unease crawl up my spine. 

Maybe it was the way her gaze lingered on me a little too long, or the knowing glint in her eyes that seemed to pierce right through me. 

Her smile, though intended to be reassuring, felt more like a practiced mask hiding something deeper.

Goosebumps erupted on my skin, an undeniable urge to bolt gripping me.  I wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear, anywhere but here with this woman who felt like a puzzle with missing pieces. 

Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus on the sterile white walls of the hospital room, anything to quell the rising panic.

"Sweetheart! Everything will be fine soon, trust my words," Carolina cooed, her voice dripping with a sweetness that sent shivers down my spine.  "These trial times will end sooner than you think if you give your dreams their way to unfold. Those visions you're blocking by fearing to sleep at night, just like now!"

Her cryptic words only fueled my unease.  Turning to face her, our eyes locked.  For a fleeting moment, a jolt of energy surged through me, and I felt like I peered through a veil.

A flash of the argument between Mom and aunt Carolina about the priest flickered in my mind, leaving me stunned.  Was she…reading my thoughts?  Fear tightened its icy grip around my heart.

Before I could pry deeper, the sensation vanished.  Aunt Carolina's knowing smile sent a fresh wave of chills down my spine. "You could see through me, Prisca! What a gift, darling. So, you are more unique than I thought, huh!"

Unique? Gift?  What was she talking about?  My head spun with questions.  Before I could voice any of them, the words tumbled out in a rush.  "Aunt, I want to get some rest. If you don't mind, please let me be."

"Yes, darling, you need rest now. Have a great night. I'll sit over there. If you need anything, let me know, and I'll come to your aid," Aunt Carolina said, her touch far too lingering on my cheek as she leaned in to kiss me goodnight.

The moment she moved away, a wave of relief washed over me.  Without wasting another second, I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate to escape into the oblivion of sleep. 

But even there, the dreamscape offered no solace, only fragments of voices and unsettling premonitions.

Morning

Sunlight streamed through the window, dragging me back to a world that suddenly felt strangely calm.  No pounding heart, no suffocating dread – the usual companions of waking up.  Had I even dreamt at all last night?

My aunt's overly enthusiastic voice snapped me out of my daze. "Morning, sweetheart! Had a great night, huh?"

I could only manage a sleepy nod in response.

"That's good to hear!" she chirped, a hint of uncontainable excitement bubbling beneath her forced cheer. "You're being discharged today. We should head home, but your mom insisted she come over to get us both. While she's on her way, why don't you go get a little shower? You look a mess, dear."

The thought of escaping the sterile walls of the hospital held a strange allure.

Finally, out of here!  But why did my aunt seem more excited about leaving than I was?  Was there something she wasn't telling me?  Shrugging off my suspicions, I dragged myself out of bed and headed for the bathroom, eager to wash away the lingering remnants of the previous night's disquiet.