Free Of Gaea by Victoria Escobar Page B

an
i-key-os?”
    Nasya
gave a sleepy chuckle and sat down on the bed next to Ari.
“Spartans believe in the pantheon, but more importantly we
worshiped the Mother of the Pantheon, Gaea. Without her we would
not have the gods that help us in everyday things. If you need a
comparison it’s like praying to Mary for Jesus’s help. She is the
mother of all things.”
    “What’s that
have to do with the Kirin?”
    “ You’re
not very good with stories are you?” Nasya yawned and leaned
against her. “The Kirin is the familiar to Gaea. There are female
children born of Gaea; born with her power; born with the ability
to become one with Gaea, Herself. Every time one of these children
are born the Kirin appears. She is like the guide to the child
until the child chooses what she wants to be. Depending on the path
of the child the Kirin stays or the Kirin goes. If the Kirin stays,
well… it’s never happened and no one knows why.”
    “ It’s
only a myth, right?” Ari asked fascinated. “No one actually
believes that anymore?”
    “ Don’t
we? If we didn’t, would you be here? Would Ghita have done all the
things she has if some small part of her did not believe? Believe
and feared it?”
    The
knock on the door rescued Ari from answering. She had no answer.
Nasya leaned away and Ari hastily pulled her night shirt over her
head. “Come in!”
    Sasha entered and looked around. “Nasya went home I see.”
    Ari
turned to where Nasya had been sitting and found the other girl was
gone. “I guess so.” Ari looked back down at the book in her lap
then at Sasha. “You don’t have to stay. I’m safe here,
right?”
    He
hesitated a moment then rolled the chair next to the bed where she
could easily access it. “Yes and no. I would prefer if you’d allow
me to stay at least until Ghita gets back.”
    “ I don’t
think I’ll be sleeping any time soon, and you look tired.” Ari
picked up her laptop from the nightstand.
    Sasha said nothing else but went into Ari’s closet, pulled
out his camping mat, and rolled it out. He lay down on his back and closed
his eyes. He wasn’t instantly asleep; Ari knew that just by the
semi-tension in his limbs. Taking pity on him, she hit the light
and watched his body slowly relax into deep sleep.
    Ari watched him sleep. All the tension that normally filled him
was replaced with peace. His hands rested on the chiseled muscles
of his stomach. He hadn’t kicked off his shoes. If Ari had working
legs she would have gotten up and pulled them off for him. She
unfolded one of her blankets and fluffed it over him. She smiled as
he curled into the blanket.
    Even though she had given him an escape, Ari was glad he
stayed. Maybe it was her imagination but it felt better having him
asleep on the floor.

A ri greeted the
sun as it inched its way
into her room through the patio doors she never used anymore. She
wanted to use the doors to sneak out like she used to, but the step
down to the terrace was an accident waiting to happen. It just
wasn’t wheelchair friendly.
    Ari scooted to the edge of her bed and carefully lowered
herself to the floor. Being careful not to disturb Sasha she used her
arms to move awkwardly towards the door.
    The glass was already warm when she leaned against
it. She
closed her eyes and the sun burned away the darkness that rose.
Pressing her head against the glass, she fell asleep.
    She woke
in gradual stages. First to the full warmth of the sun, then to the
quiet chirp of birdsong. The soft breathing of someone else nearby.
The familiar perfume of the only woman she had ever known as her
mom.
    When she
opened her eyes, the first thing Ari noticed was she was stretched
out across one of the padded Adirondack chairs on the deck. The
next thing she noticed was Ghita sat at the kotatsu table nearby;
her laptop open and Ghita was rapidly typing away. Ari’s notebooks,
both the one Sasha gave her and the one Nasya just gave her, were
lying on the table’s surface.
    There