āļø CHAPTER 02 āļø
Axion was done shopping and decided to go sit on a bench whole waiting for his driver to get him another car. But on getting to the bench outside the moll, he was surprised to see Phoenix lying on it and...
She was sleeping! A scoff left his lips.
" You again " He bent slightly to remove the dirt stuck in her hair. Using the opportunity, he decided to examine her face. His pupil dilated greatly and his heart skipped a bit.
" She's cute " He mumbled with a faint smile but quickly came back to his senses. He stood up and made to leave, but stopped. He squatted back, looking over at her hair. That was when he saw a red-feathered hair tie which she used to tie her ponytail. The hair tie grabbed his attention and he immediately felt drawn to it.
" What type of a hair tie is this? " He wondered as he reached out and gently took it off making Phoenix's hair fall freely, covering her face. He stared at it for some time, examining it.
" I think I'll take this " He shrugged and stood up, putting the hair tie into his pocket.
" Sleep tight " He scoffed and left.
Ć. Ć. Ć
" So you came " Tamara huffed as Axion entered their house.
" I told you I would " He replied, approaching.
" Where is Grandma? " He asked.
" She's in mom's room with Aunt Glinda " Tamara answered as they both headed upstairs. They got to the door and entered the room. There inside the room was an old woman seated on a chair beside a bed. And on top of that bed was a lifeless lady whose whole body had turned pale except for her face. On the other side of the bed was yet another lady, standing.
" Any updates? " Axion asked, turning the attention of the two to himself.
" You're here? Come, my dear " The old woman smiled on seeing him. Axion complied and sat beside the lady on the bed. He took her hand in, rubbing it gently.
" No improvement " The other lady replied.
" But Aunt Glinda, why isn't your spell and medicine working on Mom? " Tamara questioned with a sad pout.
" It's not left for me to heal Kelsey, my dear, her sickness is really beyond my spells and magic. The only thing I can do is try preserving her for some time, but not forever " Glinda explained.
" How much time do we have left? " Axion asked.
" Not much time. Her whole body had already turned pale, including her neck. If her face is to turn pale too...then she's gone...for good " The old woman answered this time around. Axion let out a sigh, bowing his head down in sadness, his eyes closed.
" I want to be alone with Mom " He muttered in everyone's hearing.
" Come on Tamara, let's go," The old woman said, standing up. Placing her hand on Axion's shoulder,
"Kelsey will be fine, my dear, I'm sure of it. Just don't lose hope yet " She assured. Axion only nodded slightly to what she said, his eyes still closed and head bowed. With that being said, the woman and Tamara left, leaving the room to Axion and Glinda.
" Why haven't I found her yet? " Was the question Axion threw at Glinda almost immediately.
" Maybe you have... but aren't aware yet " Glinda replied.
" But how am I even going to know if it's truly her when I meet her? As you said, I don't have much time before my mom is gone for good and I've spent 7 years looking for her but still nothing " Axion groaned in a complaint, finally looking up.
" I can't tell if you'll be able to identify her at a go but one thing I'm sure about is that there will be something in which you can use to identify her, I know that for sure "
Signing sadly, Axion stood up and walked to Glinda. Putting his hand in his pocket, he took out the hair tie.
" I saw this weird feathered red hair tie somewhere and I don't know why but I feel weirdly attracted to it for no good reason. I don't know... maybe because I haven't seen such a hair tie before " He revealed, waving it before Glinda.
Glinda's eyes widened greatly on seeing the hair tie and she snatched it from Axion.
" Where did you find this? " She demanded hurriedly.
" Why do you ask, is something wrong? " Axion replied with a question.
" Just answer my question, where did you find it? " Glinda snapped impatiently.
" I..erm...took it from this crazy girl I met at the mall " Axion answered.
" Is she red-haired?
" Yep..."
Glinda let out a happy scoff immediately, much to Axion's surprise.
" Aunt, are you OK? " He asked, a bit worried.
" Do you expect me not to be? Of course, I'm okay! " She chuckled happily.
" Do you know what this is, huh? " She asked, and Axion nodded negatively.
" Your search is over, Axion, you just found her...you did! " Glinda revealed, and Axion's eyes widened. His lips parted in shock.
" You mean...I found the...Red Phoenix? " He asked, just to be sure.
" According to what I know and all the books I've read about them, only a Red Phoenix can possess this red-feathered hair tie. And if you're one thousand and one percent sure you found this on someone...then yes, you've found her "
Happiness went down Axion and a happy scoff left his lips. He ran his hand through his hair still in disbelief. His heart was already leaping in excitement and joy, but he was still shocked or rather surprised.
" Your search is finally over...Axion...
Ć. Ć. Ć
" I can't believe I lost my hair tie. Mom warned me not to take it off and even if I do, I have to keep I safe. She bought it for hundreds of dollars and now...I lost it..." Phoenix wheezed at herself as she drove back to the club.
When she woke up, she was surprised to see her hair loose. She has been cursing and swearing at herself ever since she couldn't find her hair tie.
" I'm sure it must be that blonde guy who took it. But...what does he even need a hair tie for? Is he stupid or what? " She hissed angrily as she stepped out of her car, entering the club.
" Mom, I'm back " She announced on entering their office. To her surprise, she got no reply.
" Mom? " She called out, confused.
" Weird. The Lilly I know will never leave her office for anything or else if it is time to perform, so where is she? " She wondered and just then, the lights went off.
" Hey, what happened? " She said, as darkness engulfed everywhere since it was night. She was still about to take out her phone when she felt a hand slowly grip her shoulder which made her flinch.
" Don't let him find you, Phoenix " A voice whispered to her. She swiftly turned, about to send a hard punch at the person when the lights came on, revealing a random lady.
"Oh Veronica, it's just you " Phoenix chuckled nervously.
" You scared me " She heaved, placing her hand on her chest to calm her racing heart.
" Who were you expecting it to be...a ghost? " Veronica scoffed.
" Maybe " She mumbled.
" It's nothing. Anyways, where is my mom? " She asked instead.
" Oh, I forgot to tell you. Mrs. Lilly collapsed all of a sudden and was rushed to the hospital " Veronica replied, and Phoenix's eyes widened in horror immediately.
" Mom what?! " She exclaimed in shock.
AT THE HOSPITAL
Phoenix can be seen seated in a doctor's office. She was rubbing her sweating palm because she was as nervous as hell.
" Doctor, will my Mom be OK. Is anything wrong with? " She inquired.
" Yes. Mrs. Lilly has...SGS ie Short gut syndrome " The doctor revealed.
" What?! "
" What does that even mean?! " Phoenix demanded, shocked.
" Let's just put it this way...she has an intestinal failure and needs to be treated immediately " The doctor explained. Phoenix's lips parted in more shock as she couldn't believe what the doctor had just said.
" But, when and how did it happen? How come I... never knew about it since? " She mumbled.
" It's obvious she tried hiding it from you because this isn't the first time she was diagnosed with it "
Phoenix could feel her whole world crumbling down. She couldn't believe her mom had been sick, yet she never knew about it.
" What type of a daughter am I? "
" Tell me what needs to be done doctor, I don't... want to lose my mom " She inquired, trying hard to fight back her tears.
" She needs to undergo a gastrointestinal transplant. In a more specific manner, a modified multi-visceral transplant "
" I don't understand a thing you just said, doctor " Phoenix muttered truthfully.
" In simple terms, she needs a stomach, pancreas, and intestinal transplant. It's a really risky and complex operation which will take a long time " The doctor explained.
" And how much is the transplant going to cost? "
" Summing everything up, including the research, preparation, and postoperative care, it's a total of $1,206,000..." Phoenix's eyes almost popped out of their socket.
" One million what!!!...
āļø CHAPTER 03 āļø Phoenix can be seen seated with a woman sitting opposite her. The was putting on a robe and one could see her heavy makeup. In her hand was a cigarette stick. " Oh my God! " Monica, the woman gasped in shock immediately. " What?! That's one of the most expensive surgical operations, from what I know. When did all this happen? " She asked and Phoenix bowed down her head in sadness. " I just found out today " She muttered before looking up, her eyes clouded with tears. " I need your help aunt. I don't want to lose my mom, please " She pleaded, letting her tears fall. Monica's face softened on seeing her tears and she kept her cigarette aside. " Shush, don't cry Phoenix, OK? Tell me...how much do you need? " She inquired and Phoenix beamed on hearing that. She slowly wiped her tears. " I need one million, aunt " Monica's eyes widened. " That's a lot of money, Phoenix, jeez! " She exclaimed. " I know aunt. But I swear, I'll pay you back gradually. I don't know ho
āļø CHAPTER 04 āļø After taking a refreshing bath, Phoenix crawled up to her bed to get some sleep since she hadn't gotten any since yesterday. She had already dropped some food for Lilly at the hospital and wanted to have some time to herself at home. She couldn't stop thinking about Monica's offer. Did she make a mistake accepting? What about her mother? She couldn't just leave her to die! She didn't even know when she fell asleep thinking about all that. She was having a peaceful sleep when she suddenly heard a loud thud making her wake up. " What was that? " She asked, but heard the thud again. She climbed down from the bed, walked up to the switch, and turned on the light in her room. The noise came yet again, making her grab the bat which was lying beside her door. Grabbing her phone and turning on the touch, she followed where the noise was coming from and was already in the kitchen. Entering inside, she was surprised not to see anything broken. " Weird. I thought I he
āļø CHAPTER 05 āļø Phoenix slowly opened her eyes as she felt something reflect on her face. Looking around, she frowned a bit at the unfamiliar room she was in. The room looked like an office and she was seated, a table before her. " Where am I? " She wondered. The drumming of someone's fingers on the table snapped her out and she looked up. Her pupil dilated on seeing the familiar blonde hair, making her beam a bit. " Guardian angel, it's you! " She exclaimed, excited to see Axion who was seated before her. He raised a brow at her. " Does she seriously think I'm her guardian angel? " He scoffed. " So, what am I doing here? " Phoenix asked with a broad smile. " I kidnapped you " Axion replied plainly. " Huh? Why would you do that? " Phoenix asked in confusion. Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets when something drawn to her. She sprang up from the chair immediately. She just remembered she was supposed to go meet Monica today. " Holy shit! " She exclaimed. " Sorry...I h
āļø CHAPTER 06 āļø Immediately Axion stepped into the house, Glinda rushed over to him. " Where is she? " She demanded, looking behind him. She let out a slight groan on seeing no one. " Come on Axion, are you still on about her being a stripper? " She asked. " Aunt...relax " Axion replied. " I'll do anything for Mom " He added and just then Phoenix stepped in. Her eyes were wandering about like she was lost. A tiny smile formed on her lips. " This place is beautiful," She thought. On seeing her, a genuine smile crept up Glinda's lips too. " Wow, she is really beautiful and...cute " She chuckled lightly making Axion roll his eyes. " Phoenix " Glinda called, pushing Axion slightly to one side and walking up to Phoenix who was shocked to hear her call her name. " How come she knows my name? " She wondered. " Welcome Phoenix " Glinda smiled broadly at her and she smiled back. " Good day ma'am " She greeted and that made Axion almost hiss. " Same to you dear. Axion told me so m
āļø CHAPTER 07 āļø Not only did Kelsey's pale face clear up but her pale body also gradually started clearing up; from her neck, down to her hands, upper body, legs, and even toes. Axion and Glinda were shocked to see her body clear up. " Mom " Axion rushed to the other side of the bed. That was when Phoenix opened her eyes and looked up. Shocked ran through her on seeing Kelsey's clear skin. Her tears dried up immediately. She quickly let go of her hand, stepping back, and her eyes widened. " What... just... happened? " She didn't even know when the question left her lips. She stared at her hands in disbelief, nodding her head negatively while stepping away from the bed even more. Axion took Kelsey's hands, massaging them gently while staring at her with his eyes glowing in hope and expectation. After some minutes of waiting, just when Axion was about to give up hope... Kelsey let out a really deep breath like she has been holding it back for years. Slowly she opened her eyes but c
āļø CHAPTER 08 āļø Phoenix was shocked to the bone at what Axion said. " What?! " She yelled at the top of her voice. " Are you nuts or what?! " " No, you're talking nonsense Axion, nonsense! " " You don't believe me, do you? " Axion chuckled. Snapping his finger, a document appeared on the table. He took it and stood up, walking over to Phoenix before stretching it out to her. Phoenix grabbed the document from him. Flipping through the pages, her eyes widened in great horror. She froze on the spot, staring at what was written on the page and her signature which was at the bottom. " No " She nodded in disbelief. " No, this can't be true " " This is just a lie you made up. You're lying to me, you're playing tricks on me! " She yelled tearing off the page and tearing it to pieces. " You're a liar! " She threw the piece to Axion's face, her eyes flooding up with tears. " I am going to leave this place and you can't stop me " She snapped and rushed to the entrance door which was
āļø CHAPTER 09 āļø Stretching out her hand, Phoenix inhaled deeply before exhaling. With her confidence boosting, " Abracadabra! " She exclaimed, staring intensely at the door with her burning red eyes, waiting for it to barge open by itself magically. Therefore, her face died in disappointment when nothing happened. Ellie nodded sideways, looking down in disappointment too. " Abracadabra! " Phoenix exclaimed again. Her red eyes went back to normal immediately. " Why is nothing happening?! " She groaned, glaring at her hand and the door. " Abracadabra!! " She yelled in frustration and anger this time around. Yet... nothing happened. The door remained closed. Phoenix let out a deep sad sigh of defeat, turning to look at Ellie. " Why didn't the door break open? " She threw her hands up in a dramatic manner. Ellie flew to her and perched on her shoulder. " What reason do you think is behind it? " He asked back. " It's simple... because I'm not a Phoenix like you said. I had my dou
āļø CHAPTER 10 āļø " A red Phoenix " The bird replied, landing on the floor. Phoenix immediately forgot she had been crying. She couldn't stop staring at the bird before her, her lips parted in awe. " You...are...beautiful " She didn't even realize when that left her lips. " Really Phoenix, that is what's going on in your mind now? " The bird scoffed, snapping her out of her awe. " Oh sorry...I couldn't help it, sorry " She apologized. " What brings you to me, great one? " She asked, bowing a bit in a way of respect. " I heard your cry for help and the doubts in your heart " The bird replied, stepping closer to her. The bird took her hands and before Phoenix could fathom what was going on, the bird turned into a very beautiful woman. The woman looked exactly like Phoenix except for the fact she was a bit older with her long golden-colored hair which was reaching down to her back knee. Phoenix's eyes widened even more as her jaw dropped open. " You are a human?! " She exclaimed