The Beetle and the Bracelet Chapter Three- Stalking her Soul

I'm very sorry I haven't posted in so long. I hate writters block!

Coming home an hour late, Jane hummed tunelessly as she dragged her feet along. Her parents would be mad, she knew. She wouldn’t have time to do her homework. Detention sucked. Science sucked. Homework sucked.
“Why does everything in my life have to suck!?” she mutted angrily to herself, “Why can’t any thing rock?”

So consumed with self pity, dragging her feet and scuffing her new shoes, so angry about having to walk home, (because of detention she had missed her bus) she quite failed to notice the stalker behind her. It was, admittedly, not such a large oversight as it might seem, for who does notice an ant scurrying along after you?

“Hem, hem,” came a voice. “Princess Bethany Tina Eliza Jane Stephanie-” it paused, almost sheepish, “I think you get the drift.”

Jane walked on, calmly. She was sure it was one of her sister’s stupid jokes. Her sister, a speaker or mobile was hiding in the trees on her right.

The voice came again.
“Princess?’ it was unsure this time.
“Princess!” the strange voice was trying again, panicked, and, Jane would say, even a touch anguished.
“Beth! Speak to me!!” you could not mistake the terror in that voice. When there was no reply, the voice broke into sobs. It was crying as if its heart had been broken ten times over. It gasped and wailed.

Jane spun round and saw no-one. She thoroughly cheeked through the trees, but found neither person nor mechanical device. “Annie!” she screamed in terror, “You can stop pretending now!! This isn’t a joke!” In reply, the sobs grew louder. Her heart rate increased.

Fortunately, she knew how to stay calm, and surveyed her options. She needed to get away, and fast. There were still several miles to her house, and she could not run all the way. This was a walking route, so no busses or cars would come past. As Jane had no money or mobile, she was stuck. All the calm she had left deserted her. Common sense also took a leave.

“WHO ARE YOU?” Jane screamed, “WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT?”
“Princess!” came the reply. Realisation flooded in. “Princess…”
“WHO ARE YOU?” Jane repeated, even more hysterical than the first time.
“I am the Queen Lilianne’s servant, her most important spy and messenger. I am the Princess Bethany Tina’s guardian. I am… the princess’s best friend…” the voice trailed off.
Jane took several deep breaths. “Why are you the most important?”
“I am the most important because I can meddle with memories, enter emotions, mix with the mind, bombard the brain, and cause both hate and happiness, tranquillity and trouble.” The voice paused again, this time for dramatic affect. “For I am Stellina, stalker of souls!” A lot of evil laughter came from behind her.

For the second time that afternoon, Jane spun round and inhaled sharply. A golden, glowing ant as big as Janes entire torso was hovering mid-air before her. A causal passer-by would have remembered the scene for its magic. Not Jane. Though the scene was not particularly scary or horrible, in the pressured, terrified state Jane was in, the gold reminded her of Midas’ daughter, the glow of a raging fire, and the giant ant resembled a giant spider. A poisonous spider. Jane lost control completely, lashed out, missed, turned on her heel, and sprinted away, the voice of Stellina stinging her soul.

*

After running a few steps, Jane dropped her pack. She ran on, her hair streaking out behind her, tears of terror streaking down her cheeks. Stellinas calls streaking her soul.

After running half a mile, Jane remembered she still had another two to run. She collapsed, and turned on the tears.

A good cry brought her to her senses. Who did this? Then she remembered her Aunt Lily’s full name. Lilianne. Her own Aunt did this. She looked down at her wrist and saw it was bare.

Ohhhh-no. The full truth, the full extent of Aunt Lily’s words penetrated her selfishness.

There was one problem: Aunt Lily had no full extent. The power went on, and on, and on. There was no way to stop it. No way to turn it off. Ohhhh-no.