Word Count: 2379
IV
The night before, Calida has stayed out well past sunset, wandering the forest aimlessly. Had her parents known, they would have stormed her back to the house, scolding, yelling at her about the dangers, the improperness of her actions.
She just wanted to look at the stars.
Of the many stories Salvia had told her, she had always been drawn to the tale of the bright balls of fire.
Every star up there is someone, Salvia would tell her. They are taken away from this world to live up there. When they're ready to come back, their star dies, and falls back towards Earth.
Since then, she had always attempted to count the stars.
Calida cursed herself for her childish wishes, but she hoped that one day, she would be up there in the stars too, only to return back to life, new, normal.
Thea had left two hours ago with Lucien, who had shown up at their front door. She had not slept that night, as when Calida crept back into the house, she had been sitting in the main rokm, staring into the fire. Yet when Lucien came for her, all life that had seemed to vanish returned. Lucien had gazed at Calida, questioning her silently, before kissing the back of her sister's hand and leading Thea, who had been unusually impassive, away. Calida watched them leave before visiting Salvia once more.
"Why are you still here?" Her grandma shooed her out of the room after an hour had passed, "Go prepare for the party."
Calida sighed and placed a kiss on her grandma's wrinkled cheek before walking to her room. She threw a red cloak over her dark clothes, pulled her hair down to cover the left side of her face, and pulled on her black boots. Thea's blankets were pulled over a large heap, most likely all the clothes she had tried on and declined.
She slipped out of the door before her parents saw her, and trudged through the field towards the forest. A path that she had discovered years ago while exploring created a shortcut to the town, and she had never told anyone about it. It was curvy path, and the moisture made the ground muddy, sticking to her boots.
She trudged through the forest, each step creating a slurping noise as she pulled her feet out of the mud. The distance noise of evening activities in town drew closer and she slowed her pace, doubt ringing through her mind. She didn't want to go, but Salvia had been so determined to make her attend. A chill brushed against the material of her cloak, and she clutched it tighter, pulling up the hood. The night was cooler than usual, and the winds blew through the trees, creating a cacophony of sounds.
Despite the dwindling hour, people still bustled around, chatting. Children played in the tiny school yard, and Calida watched them enviously. Only those who could afford it were allowed to attend school-her family had been one of the many who didn't have enough to send their children to school. Her mother and father had taught her everything she knew at home, before the accident. After they stopped, Salvia had taken up the deed and began to tell her stories.
An old man sweeping the empty grounds of the market scowled at Calida as she walked through the lanes, leaving a trail of mud.
"Creatures of He..." He muttered under his breath, eyes lingering on her face as she walked by, and she hurried away before he finished his sentence.
Parties always took place on the west side of town, where the houses were larger. The parents were always away, off spending their money on vacation while the kids were at home, partying and robbing their alcohol cabinets. All the teens were invited, but Calida had never gone to one.
The house was clustered with intoxicated teenagers, dancing, laughing. Bright lights shone through the windows, and the sound of music and screams could be heard through the open door. How did Thea enjoy this? Wincing when a boy ran past her to vomit at the side of the house, Calida entered, her eyes searching for any sign of Thea or Lucien. She marveled at how large the house was. Though it wasn't huge, it had two floors and a basement, three bathrooms, four bedroom, a large living room, dining room, and a small game area, which was immense compared to her own, tiny, one floor, one bathroom, three bedroomed house.
Skirting around clusters of bodies, she held her breath as an attempt to block out the reek of sweat, alcohol, and vomit. The dancers didn't seem to notice as she pushed her way through. The house may have been larger than hers, but it was not large enough to hold so many people. Calida felt as though everyone was the size of elephants, crushing her.
The upstairs was no less cramped, and all of the rooms were preoccupied. She only hoped that Thea was not in one of them. People drinking and doing shameless things against the walls made her cheeks heat, and Caluda quickly scurried away. When she returned back downstairs, she stoof on the edge of the dancefloor.
Someone caught her by the hand and spun her around, twirling her with the music. She pulled her hand back and stared at the boy who had held it. He looked vaguely familiar from the market, but hi eyes were wide and distant, and the grin on his face far too large to be a sober one.
"Dance with me, pretty lady." His breath reeked, and Calida cringe away.
"No, I cant- I have to...go." The boy pouted childishly, and Calida searched for an escape.
Then, she caught sight of shocking blond hair. Calida weaved through the crowd, towards the blond. Lucien was standing by the kitchen table, a yellow haired girl standing besides him. Just as she stepped into the kitchen, Lucien grabbed Thea's hand and led her towards the backdoor. The back was a large yard that led into the forest. She saw a small crowd around the fire, and Lucien and Thea heading towards the forest.
By the time Calida stepped out, they were entering the edge of the forest. What were they doing? She didn't want to walk in on somwthing she didn't want to see, but something irked at her, telling her to follow.
The sky had grown darker by then, and with the Sun below the horizon, the winds blew colder under the shade of the trees. Thea's footsteps were loud with the crunch of leaves under her shoes, and Calida used the noise to follow them through the darkness. Yet, for a moment, she lost them, blind in the black of night. Her ears strained for any noise from Thea or Lucien, but she came up short. Everything seemed to become more sinister then, with the mystery of the forest surrounding her.
Then, a sudden burst of heat, so hot she thought her skin would burn off. A shroud of light in the near distance.
And the resounding cry of Thea's scream.
Calida bolted, running towards the sound of her sister, towards the light. Twigs and leaves pulled at her hairb clawed at her skin, trying to stop her. Her face stung as she pushed branches away, running towards the fire. Since she was young, she had always been drawn to fire like it was a lodestar, even after the accident. Yet as she ran towards the fire, she felt no admiration or awe- she felt dread.
Lucien stood in a small clearing of the forest, Thea sturggling in his arms. Her eyes are wide with panic, but his were calm, glowing. Besides them was a large fire, and, analysing the position he held Thea in, fear pooled in the pit of her stomach. The boy was deranged-the easy gleam of his eyes said as much as he shifted towards the fire.
"Let her go!" Calida screamed. Her voice was hoarse with terror as she took a hesitant step closer, watching Lucien's movements carefully. Each one seemed to be meticulously planned, slow, calculated, making her heart pound harder with every shift.
Expression unchanging, Lucien kept his eyes on her. "Our kind need our queen back. Rise from your ashes, lead your people." His words were like wood, and the fire seemed to grow as he spoke.
Calida coughed at the rising amount of smoke, and her mind hazed, the sound of Thea's screams drowned out by the familiar yet dreadful roar of fire. Her eyes shut, and she felt the painful heat against her skin, blistering, burning, and suddenly, she was no longer in the forest.
Gasping, Calida opened her eyes and inhaled a lung-full of smoke. The scene before her is haunting and familar, yet it was different. A little girl stood before her, dark hair tied back, tears streaming down her face silently. Calida stretched out her hand towards the little girl as flames circled them, dancing, flickering.
"Come with me." The voice that came from her lips was foreign to her tongue, and she started at the smooth, higher pitch. The arm that stuck out, her arm, was pale and unmarked, like it had been before the accident.
The little girl took a step towards her, but hesitated for one moment. That hesitation was enough.
A loud crack sounded from above them, and with a rain of ash and flames, a wood beam came crashing down. The girl cried out in pain, and Calida quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her away and towards the door. Heat encased them. Stumbling blindly around the flames, Calida cursed herself. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have started the fire, knowing the life she needed was in there?
But Calida had never uttered those thoughts, never felt them.
Like they were someone elses.
Calida kicked the door open and pushed the girl out. Blood ran down her face from a long gash, mixed with her tears. She stumbled out, landing on her knees and hands. Calida shut the door on the girl, hearing her screams muffled by the fire.
Something changed within her. She felt bigger, lighter. The heat didn't bother her anymore. She reached out to touch a flame, and just barely noticed a difference in her arms before a crack came from above her. Tumbling to the floor, Calida attempted to roll away. Debris and chunks pelted her, but she continued to scramble away.
Too late.
Something heavy collided with her foot, and she screamed in pain. Writhing under the heavy fallen chunk got her free, and she leaped.
Hot air rushed around her, and her stomach plummeted as she was suddenly higher and higher. Just as she was to break through the flaming ceiling, Calida gasped, and she was back in the forest.
"Lida!" Thea screamed, thrashing against Lucien. "Help me!"
The boy's eyes were silent and calm, flames in a windless night. He didn't seem bothered by the heat, even though Calida could feel it from her distance.
Growling, Calida yelled, "Let her go."
A slow, single shake of the head from Lucien chilled her. "Paradise needs its Queen."
Confusion overtook her, but she played along. "Why not someone else? Why Thea?"
He simply shook his head. Every step she took closer to them, he took one towards the fire. She clenched her fists as Thea cried.
"Let's make a deal, Lucien!" Calida yelled. He raised an eyebrow, stilling, and stared at her. She took that as an invitation to continue, "You don't have to take Thea to be your Queen." She paused to fully comprehend the decision she was about to make. Her heart pounded, and Lucien continued to watch her, waiting, like he knew what she was going to say. She breathed in deeply, inhaling smoke, then exhaled.
"I will be your Queen."
Lucien grinned. "Humble choice, Your Majesty."
Calida ran for Thea, and Lucien remained still. Two more step, and they would have been inside the fire. She watched Thea's face, her pace slowing slightly. As relief flooded through her, Thea stayed motionless and apathetic as it was that night by the fire, all terror gone from her expression. Calida skidded to a halt five feet away.
"Thea?" Her sister remained motionless, unblinking. She took slow, hesitant steps towards them. Something wasn't right with her. "Thea!"
Lucien sighed. "Forgive me, Your Majesty." With that, he pushed Thea sideways, into the fire.
"No!" Calida ran for Thea, who was not even screaming, but Lucien caught her before she could blindly leap into the flames to retrieve her sister.
"She will be fine." His voice was so calm. It made her skin crawl with annoyance.
She turned towards Lucien, lurching out of his grasp. "You are mad! Killer! You just killed my sister!" Calida pushed at him, desiring to throw him in after Thea. She hit him twice before Lucien caught her wrist.
The cool look on his face made her hands itch, and she wished to break it off his face. Breathing became harder, as if she was breathing in thick, hot anger and not oxygen.
"I assure you she is well and safe."
"Monster!" She stepped towards him, her fist raised. "How can she be fine when she's-" Calida looked into the fire, bracing herself for the sight of her sister's corpse, flesh burning and melting. Yet there was nothing. Raising her gaze back to Lucien, she found him staring blankly back. "Wh-wha-"
He grabbed her arm surprisingly gently for a murderer, and wrapped his other arm around her shoulder. She was too dumbfounded to struggle. "One last apology, Your Majesty."
Then, he pushed her into the fire. She screamed as the heat licked at her, painfully hot. Her vision blurred, and she was sure her flesh was peeling off.
So sure she was dying, the feeling of being lifted could only have been the end of her life, and the journey towards after.
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