The woods brought nothing but utter darkness. In the nighttime woods, the trees stayed black, its trunks against a strange bluish charcoal sky, such darkness. The path in front had become the deepest brown and moonlight could do so little when it came shining its light, only causing the stones to glimmer, but the canopy of trees prevented any other light from getting through.
I cried out in frustration, as my heels caught against fallen branches and roots of the large trees.
Running in Jimmy Choos was impossible, but running bare feet, and here where sharp thorns could cut through your flesh would be worse. The pain would simply slow me down.
I could still hear the cracking of the fire, and its heat. Though it had died down a little, it was still there, following my feet with each step I took.
The eerie silence of the woods made me quiver; my insides shaking as I struggled to take steady and soft breaths. Though, the branches and twigs broke under my weight and the flames soaring high, it didn't let silence fall from its dominance over the thick air.
The fire that rose from me, I didn't understand it, nor did I want to. I didn't want to believe I could have been a possible murderer. Mother has suffered, and probably in intensive care because of me..because of my actions. I could have possibly killed hundreds tonight, these flames that rose from inside of me was a curse, a weapon to kill and slay.
My leg caught in between a few branches, causing me to be pulled back and fall onto the mucky, and wet grounds of the woods. A painful yelp escaped through my lips as my ankle stretched awkwardly, letting me crash against the moist soil grounds, "Gross!" I whimpered, patting the dirt off my arms. My dress was already ruined, the ends of it ripped and covered in dirt, "My dress!" I whined as I tried to smooth the expensive material.
More tears leaked as my eyes caught the fire, thankfully it only surrounded me, following me without spreading across the forest woods, 'This is all your fault!" I screamed at the fire. While it was happening before my very eyes, I didn't want to believe this fire belonged to me or came from me. Its heat still caressed my body, not letting me feel the coldness of night, but didn't let that comfort me. If anything, it only disgusted me, the fact this fire was able to give me comfort, but hurt others? Mother?!
My desperate attempts to shake the flames off my hands remained futile. I cursed at the fire that brought me nothing but misfortune. I feared it before, but now all I felt for it was hate. Hate that filled me with anger towards the flames, "Go away!" I screamed, pathetically at the fire before my eyes.
I had lost all sense of dignity and confidence as fear wrapped around me, only pressuring my hate for the fire to grow stronger.
I cry into my hands, scared someone would spot the roaring fires in the middle of the woods, someone is bound to see sooner or later. My assistant watched me like I was a monster before his eyes, and the eyes of many others watching me like that, scared and worried me, making me remember the frightened little girl in the marketplace, alone..lost and afraid. I hug onto my knees feeling sick and pathetic, my strong confidence that melted away in mere seconds, making me into a completely different person.
As I cried into my knees, letting my dress soak up the tears, a sudden sound of an unnatural wind caught my attention. I gasped, sitting up straight looking around. I squinted my eyes trying to spot what cut the air.
The sound of the air being cut through was heard again, from behind me, this time. I gasped, turning around trying to spot whatever was out there. The large whooshing of the air being cut at an unnatural speed set my heart racing, letting it thump hard, wanting to escape the confinements of my chest.
My breathing heavied into pants as my chest tightened painfully. My eyes searched desperately, praying no one had found me. Hearing the air cut through again and the trunks of the trees hit by the unnatural wind and leaves falling, I stood up gasping, trying to identify its source. The darkness the night brought made it impossible to see what stood behind the shadows of the woods, and the trees acting as a canopy didn't help either, it blocked out any bit of moonlight from reaching the grounds. However, the flames provided me with some bit of light in the darkness, allowing me to see around my feet. Another thing for me to hate the fire, mother suffered its wrath, but they provided me with light and some sort of protection from the cold.
I opened my mouth to scream at the fire again, but the weight of something large touching the forest grounds stopped me. My eyes widened as some trees were knocked off; falling flat and shaking the ground, allowing space for whatever landed.
I trembled as it walked forward, large feet hitting against the ground. Its shadow approached me first. Shadows of large wings cover the ground around my feet, from the light of the fire, I could see something standing tall within the darkness. I shook my head, praying I was imagining it. I prayed, hoping the whole night was one sick dream.
But from the heat on my skin, I knew it was no dream. While the heat didn't harm me, it made me aware this was reality. I searched whimpering, hoping to find something as defense, but I was surrounded by only twigs, grass and dirt. Nothing came to my aid as whatever approached me slowly. I watched the flames crackling, sparking sharply as it burned the pieces of wood, any bit of life it can grab onto. I looked at the flames that still caressed my hands, then into the darkness, where it stood, stepping forward, "STAY BACK!" I yelled, reaching out with my hands, but it only caused the flames to soar higher, grow into a wildfire as it climbed up the trees at an alarming speed, eating up every bit of life it wrapped around, like a snake it choked its prey.
I whimpered, knowing I simply made it worse; if no one noticed the fire before, they definitely did now.
"Calm down..get control of your emotions!"
A masculine voice snapped from the distance. My head whipped around at the familiarity it held. A voice soothing, yet dominating at the same time. The familiarity it held soothed the frayed nerves of my body, wrapping me such comfort that slowed the alarming beating of my heart.
But it made no effect on the flames, they refused to step down from the glory given to them.
"You need to get control of your emotions." His voice laced with urgency, and it dreaded me.
"I am not a monster…" I whimpered.
While in my childhood days, I dreamed of having magical powers and living in fantasy worlds, this wasn't it. I had no control, no way of putting the fire to rest.
"No, you're not.." He sighed, "I know you're scared-"
"I am not scared! I am not weak!" I immediately snapped. Yes, I was scared, petrified if you wanted a better word, but I refused to let anyone else see through to that.
"Don't get angry!" He raised his voice, "It will only make things worse. I need you to calm yourself down!"
I frowned at the strange comfort his voice gave me, deep and soothing, grasping me tightly, "Have we met before?" I questioned, speaking into the darkness.
"No," He answered, "But we were always bound to meet." He added. The words he spoke made no sense, even if I tried to get understanding of them I wouldn't be able to, because his words held a hidden meaning.
"You're voice-"
Just as I was about to speak, he cut me off, "I can't believe you're human!" He grunted, some bit of anger laced his voice; some bit of own personal hatred flaring into life.
"Excuse me?" I frowned.
"Look! I need you to stop this fire before we're spotted!" The urgency in his voice returned.
"It's fire!" I said, "You need water or a fire extinguisher or something!" I snapped, wondering if this guy was stupid. Fire needs to be put out with the element that possesses the opposite traits.
"You know as much as I do, this isn't a natural fire! It came from you, therefore, you need to put it out and now!"
It came from you..
I whimpered at the reality brought to my hands. My body trembled with the fear that wrapped around me, I sniffed answering, "I don't know how.." I felt utterly defeated. The confidence I built over the years crumbled away, leaving nothing behind.
"All you need to do is calm down.." His voice faded away as my most hated memory rose to mind.
"Mummy!" I cried, trying to search for a woman in a red coloured shawl.
Everywhere I looked, unfamiliar faces clouded my vision.
The heat of the flames slowly died down...
Indistinct voices spoke, none of them familiar or held my mum's comfort.
Bells and talking of prices.
"Mummy!"
Bustling street markets.
Tears streamed down my face as I looked around for my mum.
The crackling sounds of the sharp flames faded away into the winds.
People passed by, taking no interest in the crying girl standing in the middle of the street.
She said she would be back. She said it will only take a second, but I counted from one to ten already again and again. She never came back..
"She never came back…" I whispered.
Blurriness surrounded my eyes, I tried to blink them away, but with the exhaustion that creeped through me, making the simple task of keeping my eyes open impossible.
My legs gave out from underneath me, I tried to brace myself for impact against the ground, but instead my weak body was pulled into strong arms.
I blinked, trying to clear the blurriness in my eyes again, the dark spots started clouding my vision, but before it fully had a chance to pull me in, I was met with deep seafoam eyes that shone with so much intensity, "I have you.."