Rebirth of the Bedridden Warrioress

Chapter One - Died

Aramis Bronx Davina 

“You’re chosen to be one of my candidates, be my wife or die, may the best warrioress win,” A strange man’s voice was to be heard whispering into my ears.

His voice was deep and alluring, it’s like a piece of strange siren music was being played every time he used his voice to call for attention.

What did he say? Candidate of being what now? Who the hell is going to die? And why is it so dark? I keep on glancing around my surroundings, I see nothing but eternal darkness. Did I go blind? Was this the fruit of my non-stop reading and playing of my games?

“Aramis… Aramis,” that voice continued calling my name like he was singing a sweet melody using it to lure some cute fluffy babies into sleep.

Wait a minute. That voice again? I’m sure I heard that voice somewhere, am I dreaming again? A harsh slap on my shoulder immediately pulled me back from reality making me jump on my seat and kneel.

“I don’t want to die!” I screamed at the top of my lungs trying to hide underneath my desk. Is it an evil sorcerer? My loots are full damn it! I slowly peeked at my back and saw my mom who’s looking at me weirdly.

“O-Oh great,” I sighed in relief, I thought I was playing my game jeez, “It’s just you mom, I thought you’re that evil sorcerer who doesn’t want me to live,” I started blabbing some stories that I’m sure she might not understand, it was the game and novel that I finished last night.

I didn’t realize that I fell asleep on my gaming and reading desk, mom remained staring at me before sighing.

She just shook her head before inviting herself to open the shades of my navy-blue curtains, allowing those sunlight rays to creep into my room even if they’re not invited.

Oh. It's morning already… isn’t it just midnight? I was determined to stay up late because I wanted to finish the novel and the game that I have started and ended so quickly.

“Aramis, don’t you have school today?” From my mother’s tone, I can tell that she was starting to get livid as she takes her time to examine my spacious room.

“Look how untidy this place is Aramis! You’re a woman and you should act like one!” my mother complained before pointing at my normal-looking room.

With her words, I roamed my eyes around and saw nothing but piles of DVD stacks for my games and piles of books for the novels that I read. Some tissue papers and crumpled sketches are lurking in the shadows probably because those are the ones I tried shooting at my trash can like some ball.

The sheets of my bed are in disarray like some hurricane hit it, but it still looks decent. For my freaking eyes though.

“It looks pretty normal to me?” I slackly replied before curiously looking at myself, I’m still in my sweaters and pajamas. Shoot, I forgot to brush my teeth last night.

I immediately stood up to close those shades that my mom had tied with some thick shiny string. I hate the sun. Is it weird to hate the sun? I always wanted my room to be dark and chilly. I feel so comfortable that way.

“Mom, didn’t I tell you not to open this when I’m inside here? Most especially mornings,” I complained, but she placed her hand on her waist like she’s ready to fire me another statement that I always hear about.

“Aramis, you already turned 18, can’t you act more like your name and age? Be sporty and join clubs that can make you excel at extracurricular activities!” my mom started saying those lines again, I’m so tired of hearing those words from her.

She kept on reminding me that my name was from a vigorous warrior from that novel and game that she used to play and read in her teenage years. Well sad to say, she raised an opposite of that one.

“Mom, my name and age don’t define who I am right now. I hate sports, and didn’t I tell you already that I started taking homeschool classes like last two weeks ago?” I reminded her which made her glared at me.

“I didn’t agree to it, yet you still did that huh?!” she mumbled before walking towards stealing my novels and games again, so I was forced to stop her from doing it.

“M-Mom please,” I squeezed her hands, “I’m comfortable studying at home, just please let me do this,” I pleaded. I badly want her to accept this because I really don’t want to come back to that school anymore.

Kids are getting more brutal, some of them are burning the novels that I read, the good thing is they didn’t burn my phone because some of my favorite games were downloaded over there.

Mom looked at me with worry in her eyes, so she just sighed before turning her back on me, “Why can’t you just open up to me Aramis? You know I’m here to listen right? Your brother and father will come here soon,” she really wants me to be reminded of nightmares I don’t want to think about as of this moment.

But I didn’t say anything as I kept my mouth shut trying to listen to what she was trying to say, “And I want your father to see that even without him, you and I can do better,” I bitterly smiled at her statement. There she goes again, overthinking that I might leave her too just because my brother went to my dad.

We’re a broken family, and I chose to stay with mom because despite how I act, she was always there to stand as my mother and not judge me for who I am not like my brother and dad.

I didn’t tell her anything about the bullies because it didn’t really bother me, they can just say or do whatever they want but what’s important is, I know what I want to do and who I want to be. I’m still standing strong not being bothered by those freaks.

My books and games are in danger, so I have to get away from there and save them, being homeschooled was my last option, so I grabbed it.

I also don’t want her to worry that I didn’t bother telling her. So, it’s partly my fault for not saying anything to her. She doesn’t have to know about that.

“I will not leave you, mom, okay?” I reached out to hold her hands and squeezed them intently, “I want to stay here with you,” I sincerely reminded her.

“But just give me the game that you were playing before and I’ll be good,” I tried to ease the tension that was forming into the air so when my mom smiled, I cheered on the insides because I didn’t make her overthink.

“Go out and buy some groceries first then I’ll tell you, you don’t have classes till noon if it’s homeschool am I right?” my mom suddenly offered a deal that caused my eyes to widen.

“H-How did you know my schedule?!” I shakingly pointed my index finger at her, but she just started giving me some tote bag, a grocery list, and some money.

She didn’t even give me some time to react as she pushed me out of my darkroom, I almost panicked when we’re already in the living room of our apartment. It’s bright!

“M-Mom! I don’t want to go out! I want to stay indoors! The sun is out!” I complained while trying to run back to my room, but my mom is just too strong to stop me.

“And so, what if the sun is out? Are you a vampire? It’s good for your skin! Look at your complexion, it’s pale!” she argued, still stopping me from running straight towards my room.

“But I hate the sun! You know that right?!” I tried to reason out, but she just shook her head while pointing at the hat, shades, and umbrella.

“Use that! Those were made for a reason!” she scolded me while saying that those were essential for blocking the sun.

“B-But mom!” I started acting like I was crying hoping this one would work, “I really don’t want to—”

“Do you want that game or what? Here, this is the novel,” she cut me off and fished out something on her tattered pockets which made my eyes widened. She let me witness a book with a bold red title of “Warrioress Wife”.

The woman over there on the cover is dressed in an enigmatic warrior suit that fits her curves perfectly, she was holding a terrifying sword that could slit my throat even if I just heard the s***h of it, and a veil was on her head while she’s in the middle of a lava field where a figure of a man is sitting on a red stoned chair shouting dominance and power on the center.

Dope. It was the only word that my mind could process, that looks so cool as hell! My hands slowly reached out to grab that book, but my mom easily hid it in her pockets that made me pout.

“The game of this is hidden on the DVD stacks I’m keeping in the attic, to be honest… I haven’t really finished that game,” she sighed before smirking at me, “You can have that after you did this challenge of mine,” she added which made me gulp.

At first, I was hesitant but after seeing that rare book, I suddenly got curious about it. I immediately grabbed some hats, shades, and that umbrella without saying another word.

“I-I’m going,” I cannot back down, my mother offered such a rare novel and game, I don’t want to miss it.

My mom laughed before clapping her hands, “Good girl, get back here as soon as you can and I’ll leave everything in your room,” she really knows what fuels my heart, I slightly hate and love her for that.

I waved her goodbye before forcing myself to step out of that apartment and be underneath the rising sun.

My body shivered because I can already feel the heat almost burning my pale skin. I want to regret being outside, but that rare book and game are worth the risk.

I swiftly trotted on the spacious bricked streets without looking up ahead, I have memorized the routes from my school and convenience store, so this is just a piece of cake for me.

After numerous right and left, I have reached the pedestrian street where I need to look up since I’m going to cross the highway.

My eyes patiently waited for the signal to turn red and after that, I crossed the wide polished road and didn’t realize that those slow steps I’m making were the last moments of me being alive to this world.

People were shouting, it sounded like it was a warning or maybe they’re just arguing in the middle of the streets. I didn’t bother minding them because I remained focused on my goal of finishing these to-do lists, that’s odd why am I the only one who’s crossing?

The continuous wailing siren of the truck kept ringing in my ear until I glanced my eyes on the right seeing a big truck that was going to trample me over. The loud siren of the truck continued to amplify my ears, the signal turned red why is it still moving? 

My heart race and my body froze in the middle of the street, it feels like my feet were glued to that place, unable to move or react because I’m going to face my death and I can’t run away from it.

I closed my eyes when that truck massively hit me and felt nothing blank, so this is the feeling of being dead huh?

There was a static that amplified the ringing of my ears, it was bearable but irritates my well-being at the same time.

My body was hoping that it was cold, but why the hell did I feel so warm? Did my soul rot in hell? I didn’t do anything aside from enduring my hard life.

We're not rich, we're just barely surviving every single day, but it was good enough for me since I have my mom.

It's okay, I died reading all novels and playing almost all of the games released in my timeline. I'll be much happier someday.

The lids of my eyes slowly opened when I heard some strange noises beside me and was astounded upon seeing a dark red room.

My eyebrows immediately furrowed in confusion after seeing that this place looks oddly unfamiliar. Broken candles were hanging from the ceiling that probably serves as the light from this room and the uncomfortable bed below me is making my backache.

“What should we do? The calling of the warrioress is about to come before the midnight banquet yet our precious daughter is still in a deep sleep,” an unfamiliar voice of a woman solemnly talked like they’re waiting for Charon to arrive and fetch their souls.

“If we knew that she was going to be ill we should have never let her be a candidate of that challenge,” an unfamiliar voice of a man talked this time like they’re all so worried about me.

“Precisely, we forced her to do this for us, if only I was wealthy enough to stop this from happening I would gladly do so,” the man added that probably caused that woman to cry.

“We didn’t let her join my dear husband, she was forced to be invited as a candidate because of her outstanding skills as a warrioress at their public academy, our heads will be cut off if she didn’t show up,” that woman talked again this time that made me furrowed my eyebrows and stood up.

Why would their heads be cut off? That means death, right? And why are they talking so formally? It’s irritating my ears.

My eyes peered at those two and it widened after seeing that they’re wearing weird outfits common from feudal times.

The man was wearing a black stocking partnered with a red weird tunic top while a brown woolen hat was on his head, while this woman was wearing an almost tattered long gown with sleeveless tunics and a dirty wimple to cover her hair.

“W-Who are you guys?” I confusingly asked, which caused them both to flinch before peering at me with wide eyes.

 “A-Aramis!” those two shouted before jumping over to hug me, “Oh, our dear daughter you finally woke up!” those two unfamiliar people cried while hugging me intently which caused my eyes to widen.

“Daughter? Who? Is it me?” I pointed at myself but they both broke their hugs against me, they were suddenly hugging each other this time like they’re in some drama show.

“Quick! We have to fetch those warrior clothes we borrowed from Melissa!” the man who claimed to be my dad panicked together with that woman who claimed to be my mother.

What the hell is going on? Where the hell am I?

To be continued…