Kingdom of Arzialla by Marilyn Arias (best books to read all time TXT) 📖

HERE I AM EATING IN GRANDMAMA’S over-decorated dining table, in which is long enough for ten people to sit in. Long candles in intricate candle holders sat on the red table cloth, in which was covered in mistletoes.
I looked up to find the second hand on the round, black rimmed analog clock that hung on the wall ticking away. A quarter before seven at night, it said. I wished Christmas Eve would just end…
I set that thought aside and focused on what’s on my plate. The mashed potatoes were the only thing in this entire meal that I actually liked. I’d get more but it’d be obvious to my parents that I’m trying my best to avoid everything else that I’m suppose to be eating. I’m not like those bratty children who don’t eat their vegetables at all, but since baked carrots, peas, and broccolis were in my presence, I’m just tempted to sneak a few under the table and let Grandmama’s wiener dog Peanut eat them but Mom is sitting right next to me. So I just rolled my peas back and forth around my plate…
“Honey, put your napkin on your lap. We don’t want your dress to get messy,” my mommy told me, interrupting my train of thought.
I lazily grabbed the neatly folded napkin, opened it, and without a care, I sloppily laid it on my green velvet dress. I love how velvet feels and how beautiful it looks, but once I wear it I instantly feel itchy. I’ve been trying so hard to not scratch myself, especially around my shoulders, sides, and back, since our family considers it to be rude to scratch yourself. It’s driving me insane, though.
“What’s wrong, Sweetheart?”Mom asked, noticing how I've been playing with my food. “You haven’t eaten anything.”
“I ate my mashed potatoes…” I said with my head leaning against my hand.
“Yeah, but you didn’t eat your pork or veges. And take your elbows off the table.”
I rolled my eyes and dropped my arm under the table. “You know I don’t like pork.”
“Well pretend you do and eat it,” she said. She always says that whenever I say I dislike food. It’s really annoying…
“Oh, Kim, leave her alone,” Grandmama told my mom. “Afterall, it’s her birthday.”
Yeah… a birthday that’s never truly celebrated since it’s always mixed in with Christmas...
“Sweety if you think you’re done, you are excused,” Grandmama told me.
I hesitated since it’s not normal for me to hear that. I looked at my mother but she wasn’t looking at me. She seemed so defeated. Afterall, we’re under Grandmama’s roof for tonight so it’s what she says that goes. I tried to glance over to Daddy but he was too busy talking to Uncle Steve.
I took the napkin that was on my lap, wiped my mouth with it, and slid off my seat.
I walked out the dining room and headed toward the front door but just when I touched doorknob, I realized I should’ve said thank you to Grandmama but I guess it would make me look somewhat stupid to go back just to say that. I grabbed my coat, turned the knob, and cracked the door open. I felt the cold break into the house and I felt shivers crawl from the top of my head down to my toes so I changed my mind and closed the door. It’s not cold to the point where snow falls down the night sky but it’s cold enough for me to not want to go outside. I hate the cold…
“What’s wrong?” my cousin’s voice snuck behind me. “Scared of a little bit of winter?”
“No,” I said, trying to seem big and brave. I scratched my back and chuckled, “Maybe.”
“Ooh! You scratched,” she said.
“Oh shush, Caitlin. I don’t care anymore. I hate this dress…”
“’Want to borrow one of my dresses?”
Caitlin and her big sister Jenny stayed over at Grandmama’s house for a week just for fun so she has clothes that’d fit perfectly on me.
I scratched my stomach and thought about it. “Umm… okay.”
Caitlin took me upstairs and into the room that she and Jenny were staying in. Caitlin looked into her luggage bag and fished out a red dress.
“Since you’re the birthday girl,” she said, tossing me the dress, “I’ll let you wear my prettiest one.”
I held the dress for me to see it and found it to have an off the shoulder neckline, and a waist band of roses made out of ribbons. The dress looked like a ball gown in a way with a black veil layering over, starting under the roses. Without hesitation, I went into the nearby closet and hid in there. I might be a little kid, but I still don’t feel comfortable to change in front of people. I took the velvet dress off and slipped on Caitlin’s. As soon as I came out, I had my cousin help me zip it on. I felt instant relief.
“Can you keep a secret?” she asked.
My eyebrows knitted together in confusion and I said, “Yeah. Why…?”
“’Wana see a magic trick?” she said. I nodded but she didn’t see since she just went straight to the rug that’s in the middle of the room. She rolled it out of the way and revealed a star in a circle that was drawn out with white chalk on the floor...
I didn’t know what that was but for some reason it creeped me out. “What’s that?”
“That…” she said as she went into Jenny’s dresser drawers and grabbed five different colored candles. “That is a pentacle.”
“Okay? How’s this a magic trick?” I asked.
“Just wait. Sit there,” she told me, pointing at a spot outside of the circle. I sat down and watched her place the candles at the tips of the star. That’s when I realized they were red, blue, white, yellow, and green. I began feeling a little bit shaky…
When she finished she patted her palms together and sat across from me.
“Caitlin, I’m not sure about this…” I said.
“Why? It’s awesome! Trust me,” she told me. “Jenny did it with me.”
I swallowed and gave a little nod. She held out her hands and I had to scoot forward to take them. She told me to close my eyes and to relax. My eyelids draped my eyes but my heart wouldn’t calm down, no matter how much I tried. I was seriously feeling nauseous…
She started saying words in some language I didn’t know and before I knew it, I felt cold air blowing through a hot atmosphere. I smelled freshly cut grass and I heard the ocean waves like I was right there in the beach. I opened my eyes a bit and found the circle beneath me lighting up and swirling with colors. My knees went weak and I could feel myself losing my balance.
“Caitlin!” I screamed before I fell in. My fall broke when Caitlin caught my hand. My body dangled and I forced my eyes not to look down.
“What are you doing?!” Caitlin shouted. “You weren’t supposed to fall!”
“It’s not like I wanted to!” I screamed back.
“Oh, just hold--” she said before my hand began to slip.
“Caitlin! Don’t let go!”
“I’m trying!” she tried giving some muscle and pull me back up but when she did she lost her grip a little. By now she’s only holding my fingers.
“Caitlin!” I begged.
Suddenly, the door slammed open and we heard “What’s going on?!”
Jenny just came in and immediately understood what was going on. She dove next to Caitlin and just when she went to reach for me, my hand slipped and I was falling deeper into the unknown.
“Anna!” I heard their voices scream into echoes. And then, my world turned black…

I thought it was a dream when I found myself lying in snow when I woke up but then I suppose it was real since my hands were numb from the freezing weather. The night sky was beautiful with its thousand twinkling stars but the dark woods were haunting. There was no sign of light but I heard the voices of people. I was always told that if I was lost, to be as far away as possible from people so I won’t have strangers talking to me and get kidnapped but in this occasion, how will I get home? Where will I stay in this weather? I won’t survive if I’m just wearing a dress in the snow. So I started walking towards the voices.

Walking through snow was terrible. I was trembling beyond imagination and the cold was burning my insides. My feet were six inches deep into the smushy snow, making my nice, white party shoes and pantyhose soaked. Nice to meet you, winter, I thought sarcastically. But I forced myself to keep walking…

About a mile later, I was beginning to feel extremely thirsty and dizzy. I didn’t understand it all that well of why I’d feel the need to drink something whenever I’m in the cold but, at this time, my throat was dry.
I could still hear voices from a distance, a bit louder than before but they still sounded vague.
All of a sudden I tripped on something and fell. I looked back at my feet and found it to be a tree root that hid beneath the snow. The snow was still cold and it felt wet against my face, but it felt kinda good to lie there.
I think I’m just going to rest for a minute, I told myself. I didn’t care if I died anymore. No one’s going to come looking for me and I imagine I’m never going home. Even if Jenny did come for me, I figured I’d be long gone before she’d find my body. I closed my eyes and let the wind take me to wherever it’d take me…

I still heard voices even after a minute or two of being in deep sleep. But within minutes, it sounded as if a couple of them were only a few feet away from me. I heard blood curdling screams and the sound of swords clashing against one another but those were much more unclear than the ones that were near me.
They were two men, speaking in nonchalant tones. But… in a language I didn’t know.
They sounded like they saw me and were watching me, probably thinking I was already dead. And then their feet started moving away… 
“Help…”
They halted and one said something briefly.
“Help me…” I repeated. My voice was really scratchy and quiet but, besides the screams in the far distance, against this silent atmosphere, my voice was loud enough to be heard. They rushed back and one knelt beside me.
“…cold…” was all I could say. I meant to say “It’s so cold” but my throat was so parched my voice was practically dead.
One quickly asked another something and the other answered with a single word. And then…
“Are you okay?”
He spoke English?
“Speak to me,” he said. I noticed he had a strange, unfamiliar accent.
“I’m… cold…” I said.
The one who spoke English turned me over and checked my pulse in my neck.
He craned his neck to look at his partner and told him something.
“Can you sit up?” he asked me.
I felt so cold… I couldn’t feel my body. I was so numb…
I shook my head.
“Help me,” he told his friend.
He paused and I was able to slightly open my eyes to be able to make out the face of the man closest to