[STORY] THE X-FAMILY (Episode 32)

Episode 32.

Octavia’s eyes dimmed the moment he called her name. Oh, goodness! She can do this. Of course, she can.

His forehead was looking all sweaty already, his eyes opening and getting closed again. Even a blind man could tell how restless he felt, the pains he was going through.

“Octavia…” He called again.
“What’re you doing here?”

His voice sounded like that of a person who was being hypnotized.
Well, of course, that was how the antidote worked.

It possible he might not even recall this incidence as soon as he’s awake.

Nervous Octavia kept the bottle on the floor and fisted her hands in front of herself. Goodness! She was too nervous.

“M… Master” she called dazily.

The clock was ticking. And she was running out of time. Oh! She needed to act really fast.

“What happened to me…” He groaned and turned his head uncomfortably.

“Who attacked me?”

Octavia swallowed the heavy lump in her throat.

“We…We don’t know yet, Master” she answered.

He gronaed again and turned his head sideways. He was looking so tired and his eyes…they were looking heavy.

“Why am I awake?” He asked weakly.
“I need some rest”.

His eyes were trying to drift back to sleep.

Whaaaat????

“Master.!” She called in fear and touched his arm.

“C…Can you hear me? Please…open your eyes”.

Khalid’s temperature increased as more sweats formed up on his face.

“What is it, Octavia? Why are you disturbing me?” He asked huskily, his face expressing all the discomfort he felt.

“I’m… trying to help you, Master. Please…you must stay awake” she answered with a shaky tone.

Khalid was silent for a few seconds, his head turning uncomfortably on the bed.

“What’re you doing to me?” He finally asked gruffly.
“I shouldn’t be feeling this way”.

Octavia gulped nervously again and touched his hand.
Oh! She couldn’t stop being nervous.

“I gave you an antidote, Master” she said.
“An antidote that can heal you. But if you go back to sleep, it won’t work. And that’s the reason I need you to stay awake…. please. I…I went through a lot trying to get this antidote. Don’t let my efforts be in vain”.

Khalid forced his drooping eyes to look at her. He couldn’t see clearly, but he was sure of the pathetic look on her face.

“Get away from me” he groaned and turned his head again.
“I don’t want you here. I want to be alone”.

“Please…” She whimpered.
“I promise to leave as soon as you make it work”.

“I’ll punish you for this, Octavia” he mumbled.

The effect of the antidote was being excess on him. He could hardly take it.

His lids were too heavy to stay open and helplessly, they tried going close.

“No!” Octavia gasped and jerked his arm and the lids went open again – but barely.

“I need this antidote to work, please…Help me” she whimpered.

Khalid turned uncomfortable again and slowly, the lids started going close.

He just couldn’t help it.

“Master…” Her voice shook, her eyes glistened with tears.

“Please…don’t do this”.

Khalid couldn’t stop his eyes from going close. And in his weak state, his breathless voice, he asked:

“Why is it so important to you?”

Tears spilled from Octavia’s eyes as she stared at him and in a cracked tone, she answered:

“Because it killed my mother”.

Khalid’s hands fisted.

“I tried helping her, but she ended up dead. Please…I won’t be able to forgive myself if I kill someone else with it”.

She wept profusely.

Khalid could hear everything, but couldn’t react again as the overwhelming sleep took over him.

His eyes went shut.

******************
“What is it, Mica? Spill it out” Becca said as soon as she was standing alone with Mica.

She couldn’t hide her curiousity any longer.

Mica looked around, trying to stall.

“Mica…”

“I don’t know if it’d work out but…I just wanted to give it a try” Mica began.

“Why don’t we…ask each clan Master for help? Maybe… they could find someone who knows a cure”.

Becca blinked rapidly.

“Seriously?” She scoffed.
“Is this really the reason you called me here?”

Mica tried to act surprised.

“Do you really think I haven’t thought of that, Mica?” She asked, angrily and disappointedly.

“The X-family is more like a competition,Mica. And none of the clan Masters would agree to help. Even Zack has been going around, looking for a cure. But they don’t seem to be any at all. Nothing can be done”.

She paused and brushed her fingers into her, in frustration.

“I don’t know what to do, Mica. And you actually got my hopes high when you told me you had a solution. You gave me false hope!”

“Oh..” she mumbled
“I’m sorry, Becca. I just thought I could be of help”.

“Gosh!” Becca shook her head and turned around, leaving angrily.

****************

Octavia stood up from the chair where she sat immediately, crying profusely.

The Master was gone. He had gone back to sleep. He was…dead.

Tears streaked her face as she stared at his still body. She couldn’t do it.

Oh! Mica warned her. She had only ended up killing the Master faster – the same way she killed her mother. Why was she so cursed, huh? Why?

She turned around and scurried out of the room immediately, ignoring the guards at the door.

“Didn’t you say Becca asked you to wait?” One of the guards asked, but she didn’t even turn to look at any of them as she just continued scuttling away.

She took the stairs, ran and finally got out of the block and fortunately for her, she found Mica waiting for her at the same spot she said she’d be waiting.

“Octavia?” She called lowly, frightened by her tears.

Oh! Please, she didn’t want to hear it. Why was she crying?

“I’m sorry” Octavia whimpered, her sight blinded by tears.

“I’m sorry, Mica. I couldn’t do it. I killed him” she fell onto her shoulders immediately, but Mica couldn’t even hold her as she was too shocked from the news.

What?

“I killed him. I couldn’t keep him awake. Oh! I killed him” she wept more, soaking Mic’s shirt with tears.

She couldn’t recall the last time she’d cried that much. It was just too much for her.

Mica was still too shocked to speak or hold her as she just stood like a statue and let her cry on her shoulders.

There had been droplets of rain already and immediately, it increased and started pouring heavily. But the two sisters stood there, their bodies in contact and they didn’t move.

“Octavia!” They heard a thick voice and Mica turned to see it was Moscow, together with some boys.

His eyes were blazing as he stood under a shelter, not far from them.

Oh! Sh*t. He was awake!

He had a whip with him and looked like he was ready to kill someone. And with that same expression, he marched into the rain, towards them.

“Mosocw…” Mica called as Octavia moved away from her shoulders.

“Get on your knees, Octavia” he gritted.

“Hey! Moscow, stop it. You wanna punish someone, then punish me. I’m the one you want” Mica tried getting in the way, but he pushed her away, although she didn’t fall.

“On your knees, Octavia!” He growled and pushed her and she landed on her knees immediately.

The sound of the rain was battling with the sound of the voices. So, they had to yell

“Moscow, stop it. I’m the one you want! I’m the one who attacked you and tied you up. So, punish me. Keep her out of this!” Mica yellled.

“I have no business with you, Mica! So, stay out of my way. You’re tbe one who offended me, but she’s the one I’ll punish. So, stay away!!” He roared and lifted the whip to hit Octavia, but Mica stopped him.

“I can’t let you do this” she shook her head as she held his hand.

Immediately, the boys with him rushed to her and tried pulling her away, but she made to fight.

“Mica!” Another voice called and they turned to see it was Draco.

She felt a little relief as she ran to him.

“Draco please!” Her voice was desperate.
“Tell him to stop, please. He can punish me if he wants to. But not now”.

She felt her relationship with Draco could save the moment, but she was wrong.

“He told me what happened, Mica. And he has every right to punish her. So, stay away” Draco answered, his voice a little icy.

Well, no matter what, they still had certain rules in the clan which couldn’t be overstepped.

Other members of the clan had already come out as well, standing under shades to watch the mini drama. Some of them watched from their windows.

Tho, they couldn’t hear a thing due to the rain, but the actions explained it all.

Mica turned to look at Octavia and more boys were already surrounding Moscow. And at that point, she knew there was nothing she could do. It was above her limits.

Moscow lifted the whip and landed it on Octavia’s back and she screamed.

For the first time in years, Mica found tears strolling down her cheeks and quickly, she turned around, unable to watch the sight.

Mosocw lifted the whip again, landed it on her and repeated the process.

He whipped her repeatedly and so bad, she felt her skin tearing up.

“No..!” She whimpered, her hands on the floor as she knelt.

Her tears got mixed with the rain as she felt so many agonizing pain – so many pains she couldn’t comprehend.

The death of the Master?

Or the whip she was receiving?

Moscow groaned as he whipped her with all pleasure and it got to a point, her knees became too weak to support her. So, she fell on the floor.

***************

Becca sat in front of the bed as soon as she returned and took Khalid’s hand into hers.

She stared into his face, admiring the charming looks.

Oh! He was growing so cold. He was looking more pale. She was losing him!

She took his palm to her lips and kissed it. What would she do without him huh? How can she just lose him so easily?

She bent her head in agony.

She could feel something happening outside, there was a commotion and she could hear it, despite the rain. But she was too concerned about Khalid to go check it out. So, she just remained there and reminiscinced on his hands, her head bowed.

Suddenly, she heard a sound – a grunt. And she lifted her head slowly to find the Master”s eyes open.

Hah!!!

Her eyes widened in shock as his hands fell from hers.

“Khalid!!” She almost screamed.

Goodness! He was awake!

She was confused, excited. didn’t know what to think.

“Khalid..! Khalid! Can you hear me?!” She stuttered his name as the young Master’s eyes fluttered open.

Oh!! Becca felt her heart jumping in her chest.

She stood up immediately and ran to the door, her entire body shaking.

She opened it and met the guards there

“Get Leo! Get Leo! Now! The Master’s awake!! She screamed at them and they all scurried off in both surprise and confusion.

She ran back to the room and found Khalid trying to leave the bed.

“Khalid! What’re you doing? Khalid?!”

He felt dazed, his head aching.

Blur memories kept flashing into his head, he couldn’t understand what was going on.

But one thing he could remember vividly was seeing Octavia in his room.

“Khalid!” Becca called and held him as he tried standing up.

“What’re you doing?”

“What’s happening out there?” He asked, his hands on his forehead.

One could tell how confused he was from his voice.

“What’re you… What’re you talking about? Khalid…” Becca was paranoid.
He wasn’t acting normal.

He forcefully left the bed and started towards the window and of course, Becca followed him.

She was confused. What was going on with him?

“Khalid!” She called, but he didn’t turn to look at her as he finally got to the window and opened the curtains.

And there he found a lady on the floor, in the middle of the rain, being whipped to unconsciousness.
To Be Continued… . . . .