New York City was nothing like Brielle had imagined.
The moment she stepped onto the busy sidewalk, she was met by a rush of unfamiliar sounds—car horns, distant sirens, the rumble of buses, and the constant chatter of people moving around her.
She tightened her arms around the two baby girls she carried, one resting against each side of her chest.
A small bag containing their clothes hung from her shoulder.
She stood there for a moment, taking everything in.
Tall buildings towered above her, their glass windows reflecting the afternoon sunlight.
Bright signs and enormous advertisements covered the sides of some buildings, while yellow taxis slipped through the heavy traffic.
People hurried past without sparing her more than a glance.
A man rushed by with a coffee in one hand and his phone in the other.
A woman pushed a stroller while talking to someone through her earphones.
Somewhere nearby, the smell of freshly baked pizza and coffee drifted through the air, mixing with the scent of the city.
She had never seen so many people in one place.
Yet somehow, despite the crowd surrounding her, she had never felt more alone.
Back home, she had known the streets, the faces, the familiar voices.
Here, everything was strange.
She looked down at the sleeping babies in her arms.
Their tiny faces were peaceful, completely unaware of the enormous city around them.
A faint smile touched her lips.
“Welcome to New York,” she whispered.
She adjusted the small bag on her shoulder and began walking.
She had almost nothing with her—just a few clothes, two babies, and a future she couldn’t yet imagine.
She didn’t know what waited for her in New York .
But after everything she had survived, she was ready to face it.
Or so she thought.
But getting to New York had not been easy.
Hours earlier, she was certain she was going to lose everything.
… The door shook violently against its hinges.
BANG!
Brielle flinched.
Another blow followed, harder than the first.
“Open the door!” a man’s voice thundered from outside.
The sisters stared at each other.
There was no more time.
‘We must leave, now!’ Brielle shouted as she pulled her sister along.
They reached the room with not more than a few steps.
‘Pack the clothes into the bag.
Make sure nothing we need is left behind, especially for the kids.’ She ordered frantically while she herself moved the kids.
They could still hear the men trying their best to break down the door while their threats floated lazily in the background.
After Adira had packed all the necessities, she handed the bag to Brielle.
‘What are you doing?’ Brielle asked while she adjusted the position of the kids across her chest.
‘You all leave without me.
I will stay back to distract them.’ Her words sent a chill down Brielle’s spine, causing her to lose focus on what she was doing.
Adira wasn’t trembling anymore.
That frightened Brielle more than the men outside.
For a moment, they both stood awkwardly silent in the room, not until the continuous noise from outside returned with a much bigger impact.
They could feel how close the people were to breaking down the door.
‘What nonsense are you saying?’ Brielle questioned her angrily.
She was already worried for their safety.
She didn’t have the precious time to now convince her obstinate sister to leave with them.
She sighed.
Then took a look at her.
‘Adira.’ She called softly despite the turmoil stirring deep inside of her.
‘I don’t know whatever it is you want to say, but trust me, this isn’t the right time to.
What matters now is to get out of here.
We can talk later on, please.’ Adira shook her head stubbornly.
‘I won’t go!’ ‘Adira you…’ ‘Sister please.’ She cut her off, her voice pleading.
‘I know what I am saying.
Those people are after my life, not yours.
The only reason they want you and the kids is because they haven’t gotten me yet.
Once they lay their hands on me, they will let you go.’ ‘You’re crazy if you think I am leaving you behind Adira!’ Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.
‘I have always allowed you to have your way but not this time, no!’ She shook her head, the tiny pearls of tears that had formed began to fall.
‘Sister…’ Adira called out as she reached for her shoulders.
‘I know I have always been a pain in the back to you…’ ‘No Adira…’ ‘Please,let me speak.
I know I have made a lot of irrational decisions in the past but let me correct it this time.
You don’t always have to carry the burden of taking care of this family.’ ‘This family has never been a burden for me!’ Brielle corrected, the tears flowing freely from her eyes.
‘I know, I know, but for once, let me shoulder this responsibility.
I can’t be the only one who makes the mistake.
Let me be the one to correct them today.’ Adira requested.
‘But…but how are you going to protect yourself from these vicious men.
You know if they lay their hands on you, they won’t spare you.
Leaving you here alone seems…’ ‘But I am not alone!’ Adira declared amidst Brielle’s woes.
‘What?
Who’s here with you then?
Who’s going to protect you when we’re gone?’ Brielle asked confused.
“You keep asking who’s going to protect me.” Adira smiled faintly.
“Perhaps you’ve been asking the wrong question.” Before Brielle could continue, Adira shut her eyes calmly while Brielle starred at her in confusion.
For a while, everything seemed to stop in it’s place.
The door stopped shaking.
The curtains froze.
A glass on a table stopped rattling.
Brielle’s own breath seemed suspended.
Adira closed her eyes.
Then her eyes changed.
Standing in front of her was Adira alright, but her pupils had dilated, and the usual black and white color was no longer there.
It was replaced with a vivid , unnatural blue color and her smile seemed more defiant now.
Brielle’s face was a mixture of confusion and horror.
She couldn’t believe what she was just seeing.
How could a normal human being have such eyes or such a strange smile?
Then the thought crossed her mind.
What if everything her grandmother and sister had been saying earlier was actually true?
What if their lineage was not as normal as it seemed?
What if they really were… She couldn’t process her thoughts anymore.
‘Who are you?’ She wondered aloud.
She couldn’t try to piece things together in this moment.
The bartering continued ,heightening the tension.
‘I…I’m a witch.’ The words barely left her lips before— CRASH!
The door burst open.
“Get them!” Several men stormed into the room.
Brielle instinctively stepped backward, clutching the babies against her chest.
But Adira didn’t move.
She simply smiled.
And for the first time, Brielle realized something terrifying.
Her sister wasn’t afraid of them.
She was waiting for them.
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