Installment 34

"The pendant's keeper?" I repeated the words, not quite sure whether to believe them, and what they meant if I did.
She nodded, "The story goes that there was a huge war between heaven and hell and somehow the pendant fell to earth. My ancestors found it, and for many years the women of Ogmore kept the pendant safe. We were the only ones who could see it. When my mother was old, she handed it to me, and I looked after it for many years. Then I grew old and I handed it to my daughter.

"Then one day, a man came. He was handsome and charming, and my sweet Arianwen fell madly in love with him. Together they had a daughter and they lived happily for many years, and she shared the treasures of Ogmore with him. One day, she showed him the pendant and its power. His desire for that pendant grew and grew, until one day, he walked out on his wife and daughter taking the pendant and much of the other treasure of Ogmore.
"Arianwen vowed that she would take her revenge on him and bring back every piece of treasure to Ogmore Castle. The man grew ill shortly after that day and died from a fever that no doctor could diagnose. We believe that she went mad at his betrayal and invoked ancient magics to curse him.
"All the other treasures, she brought back to Ogmore, but the pendant remained missing. Anyone who finds the pendant, it is said, will find whatever he asks and no other may see the power that the pendant holds."
I was entranced by the story, "But the man," I asked, "What did he ask for?"
She smiled slightly, "All his life, he had vowed that he would die a rich man, and that he did."
I stared at her, not sure what to think or whether to believe.
"Arianwen vowed she would find the pendant and return it to its rightful place in the castle. She left her child with me and Brin and went off into the world searching. Our family was cast out of Ogmore for allowing that treasure be taken from us, never to return unless the pendant returned with us. We've travelled around, but nowhere else feels like home."
"And your grand-daughter? She thinks it's just a story, right?"
"She was young; too young to understand."
"What does she think happened to her parents?"
"She knows her father is dead, and she knows her mother is elsewhere, working."
"Doesn't she want to see her?"
"No. She's happy with us."
"But, surely..."
"She's happy with us," Brin repeated his mother's words, but coming from him, they sounded more like a threat than an explanation.
I looked at him, saying nothing. He held my stare, as if we were children, seeing who would be the first to blink or laugh.
Gwendolyn's voice made us both turn away, "But it doesn't matter now anyway. You have the pendant. She must have found it. Where is she? Where is my daughter?"
"I... I don't know. I brought the pendant from Ogmore. It was in a shop there."
"A shop?"
"Yes, it was, like, a gift shop or something. Lots of weird trinkets and stuff."
"So, you bought it?"
"No, she said I could have it."
"Who said?"
"Elena. Well, kind of. The woman in the shop said I could keep it if Elena said it was ok."
"Who's Elena?" Brin piped up.
"She's... um... it's complicated."
"Then tell me the simple version."
"Elena is... she's, like, an angel."
"An angel?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Or possibly a daemon... or a superego."
"Are you drunk, woman?"
I shook my head, "No, not drunk. Just confused."
He nodded, looking angry.
"Look," I said, "I don't know what she is. She appeared from nowhere and she... I don't know... I'm not sure what, if any, of what she told me is true and what is made up, but she's not normal. I mean, not human, I don't think. Not... not, like... what?"
Brin was laughing and Gwendolyn smirked a little too.
"Oh, dear girl, there are so many things in this world that are neither normal, nor human. Things are so rarely what they seem."
"Wha... I... How do you mean?"
"What? Were you just not listening to the story? My sister cursed a man and he dropped dead. You think she sneezed on him or something? We're not human, girly," he waved his hands around and widened his eyes, "We live among you," then he burst out laughing again.
I felt like I was back at school, with the popular boys mocking me for everything I did. I could feel tears starting to well in my eyes. I looked up, trying to stop them coming, then when I couldn't, I got up and ran out of the room, down the corridor to my room.