Chapter 3:flames

I bolted upright, I soon realized I was sitting on wooden floorboards, a shadow casted in front of me from the dusty black chest. Bellivia giggled softly like a child, I looked up to her as her pale pink lips that smiled weakly. "Not used to blood I see, or seeing some that isn't your own anyway." She said with a giggle. She seemed so sweet, something about her that was different compared to when Mother Sagorian was around. She seemed happier, more lively…

I stood up quickly and dusted off. I reached for the chest and dusted it off before opening it, the linen wrapping sat rolled on top of the neatly folded clothes. "Thank you. I was meaning to tell you but you didn't stay conscious long enough" she said her pale skin growing ever more pale as crimson poured from her dripping down her arm looking as though it was a thick red wine. Red suited her skin; something about it complimented her eyes. That's when I looked up to them. They were a deep green-brown, mysterious but beautiful none the less. They revealed a kind but secret keeping girl who feared many things. I began notice the fog had lifted from her eyes, the life was pushing back into them.

I quickly shook my head to get into focus; something made me think about what she said. It was too sweet to be real, anger began to build in my thoughts and rush to my heart to get into my veins. I tried to push aside this feeling but words had already formed on my tongue slowly wanting to fall out. "I didn't do it for you." I muttered harshly, my hand instantly covering my mouth as I looked at her. She wasn't looking at me or focusing on what I said, she looked at little specks floating about the room. Little glowing feathers, floating gently about. Embers. She looked at me and then down towards the wrappings, ignoring the embers again. I knew she saw them, but why ignore it? She hid something dark, something life changing. I walked up to her the floorboards groaning and crying out with each step, she slowly put her arm up to me and removed her hand. It revealed a small bite that went straight through the flesh. Each tooth had created a small pocket in her flesh that slowly poured red. I slowly began to wrap the linen tightly around the wound making her grimace with pain. "Why did she bite you?" I asked but Bellivia only scrunched up her face and ignored my question, she thought of it for a second and just pushed it down. I for some reason felt hurt by this but ignored it. She gave a small yelp as her eyes filled with pain, tears beginning to build up. I loosened my wrapping, her body untensed, growing more comfortable as a little more pressure lightened.

"Who is Elijah?" I asked trying to distract her. She looked up to me her expression sad and scared. I couldn't tell if her pain was from the wound or the thought of the answer. "He used to make smoke. Like your embers… Except it was when he felt alone. Mother Sagorian didn't like smoke. He always felt alone… I mustn't say anything or she'll hurt me." She answered her eyes shifting to the door then back to me over and over again, watching and waiting for Mother Sagorian to walk in and hurt her. She spared every detail she could, I knew she didn't like the topic but I tried to stay calm as I came to the realization that the boy in the smoke room… He made the smoke because he felt alone… The boy in the smoke room was Elijah. But my mind skipped over that thought, like my embers? Did I cause the embers, and if I did how did she know?

Anger still boiled in me and as I began to tie the knot to hold the wrapping in place, Bellivia put her hand over mine. It stopped me in my tracks, my eyes shifted to meet hers; tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "Don't be mad, she controls me… She's not around now but she will be soon. I don't want to hurt you" she cried out, her voice growing louder with each word. I pulled away in confusion; the embers about the room grew to a vibrant blue… But I wasn't mad at her; I was growing in hatred for Mother Sagorian.

Suddenly Bellivia's face grew expressionless again, the fog thickened in her eyes as the life drained away. She rubbed away the tears on her cheeks and looked toward the door. I turned to see Mother Sagorian, her lips pouting sourly and her eyes piercing into me like knives. The embers grew brighter and moved faster about the room. Mother Sagorian stormed toward me, causing my body to curl and flinch the opposite way. She grabbed my arm so quickly and tightly it felt as though it was going to fall off. Her long fingers took up my small forearm as her grip tightened. She began to pull me out the room an evil grin growing on her face. I tried to pull away but like the small child that bit Bellivia I could not. The embers swirling wildly around me, now giving a bit of heat off themselves. She dragged me toward the staircase. The passage seemed long and torturing, building fear as we drew closer but the closer we got the more I fought. Suddenly I broke free of her grip but she wasn't shocked. She let out a angry cry and began to storm towards my backing away body. Her dress swayed viciously, almost cutting her ankles. Her eyes staring deep into me with anger. Something told me to stop, my body jerked to a sudden halt. Embers fluttered about making the whole room hot.

Then I saw it.

As a single blue ember touched her navy dress, she shrieked as a blue flame began to consume her dress faster and faster quickly growing more intense. Another ember touched a door and it instantly went up. A single ember softly floated down and as it touched the old wooden floorboard a bright blue light began to flicker. I had set my world on fire in a second, and no one could stop the power flowing through my veins… The anger that bit at me as I watched Mother Sagorian run down the stairs and out of view. Everything was in flames. And I was happy standing proud, until I heard Bellivia screaming.

I snapped into the harsh reality of the orphanage on fire. I turned to see I was in the middle of the passage and flames surrounded me. I looked to Bellivia's door, smoke rising out of it and crawling to the ceiling. The door suddenly shuddered as Bellivia tried to knock it down but her body was too weak from the blood loss… Terrified screams came from the floor below as the fire continued to eat up the place with haste. I stood in fear not sure what to do. The flame flickered on; its burning blue light gave a ghastly heat giving me chills and a cold sweat… Not from the heat but from the fear of what it would do to Bellivia.

I could hear my heart pounding out of my chest, my fists clenching my nails into my skin ripping in like teeth. I could feel the heat touch my wounds drying them out and creating sharp pains, I moved my hand over my cheek and grimaced. I looked to the stairwell, then back to Bellivia's door, the flames slowly eating toward it. Her screams of help echoed through the hallway and bounced off the walls sending me shivers. The same distance, a chance to save a life and yet another choice gave me certainty of living. I had a decision to make… But I stood still not daring to move, for I was only human.

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