Undesirable

Chapter 6

The image of my sister's smile plays on a loop in my mind for the next two days. It's a sickening sight when you know the reason behind it is based on lies. She's just so desperate to have a bright future, that she is willing to put her faith in nonsense, allowing herself to be blinded by a perfect fantasy. She's no longer able to see through the witch's scams or realise that she has been tricked. I fret that she's hanging onto empty desires, and is only going to be left more disappointed when it inevitably shatters her heart.

All her life, Ana has wanted nothing more than a child, to be a mother herself - marrying a man that she truly fell in love with was just a bonus that very few get to experience. Now, all I can do for her is nod in agreement and play along with her plans, until the unescapable time comes for me to pick up the pieces. I just pray her dreams haven't led her down a dark path that she can't return from, leaving her a shadow of her former self.

She woke me up this morning with the sound of her retching, as she forced the first portion of Messena's herbs down her throat. I had to press my pillow over my head and ears just to block out the vile noises she was making, struggling to avoid being sick myself. It went on nonstop for twenty minutes. I couldn't bear it. I had to get out of my bed and go to work early just to get away. She insists that she already feels like a changed woman, but I highly suspect she is lying. They sound like they are killing her rather than curing her. I just hope the woman she is changing into has a tiny bit more common sense.

Sadly, there was no difference by the afternoon. She mixed in another set of herbs with her meal, which filled the whole room with a foul smell, even worse than the fish we were about to eat. It was enough to make anyone's stomach do somersaults. It was safe to say none of us felt like eating after that, so we saved our food for the morning. Though, I don't think my stomach will be settled by then, not with the sounds she was making.

How she's forcing herself to eat that stuff is beyond me. There is a fine line between being desperate and stupid; and sadly, I think she has crossed it.

Luckily for me, halfway through the family meal, I can sneak out to go Evangeline's unnoticed, leaving my family behind to deal with Ana and her new diet. Honestly, I would go anywhere to get away from hearing her make those noises again, even if it meant sleeping the night on the beach. I plan on staying out as long as I can, for the sake of my ears, stomach, and appetite.

I meet Kya outside her house, and we set off to Evangeline's for the evening, while I update her on everything to do with my sister and the herbs.

"She went to the witch for help?" Kya asks.

"Witch Doctor," I correct her, sarcastically. Kya looks across at me like I have gone mad. "They are Ana's words, not mine. She is the one who insists on calling her that."

With an arched eyebrow, Kya states, "She is kidding herself if she thinks Messena is any kind of doctor." I have to agree with her.

Messena has been known to kill more of her customers than cure them, so it baffles me why so many people from our Sector still think her mystical gifts are real. On the rare occasions that she has been able to 'help' someone, no one can be entirely sure it was her or just a coincidence. People's dehydration vanished by avoiding drinking water from the sea, burning skin cured by staying out of the sun, or splinters being avoided by wearing gloves when working with wood. It sounds more like common sense than magic to me, but desperate people are willing to put their faith in anything they are told.

"So, what happened during her visit to the witch?" Kya asks, in a cynical tone.

"She gave her all this stuff to eat and drink," I say, sparing her from the gross details that came along with my sister's new eating habits.