Chapter 5:bellivia

Chapter five: Bellivia

Growing up I always tried to protect him...from harm and from people who tried to use us. Mother Sagorian promised she'd protect us from that. My brother Elijah and I never knew that she led with a fake smile that deceived.

******

6 years earlier

******

A white butterfly floated gently down onto a deep blue rose. Its wings matched the gloomy winter day; clouds had eaten up the sky and hid the sun behind a thick white cape. "You know what the great kings and queens call these Elijah?" I asked my brother. His eyes consumed by wonder and curiosity, he shook his head trying not to scare away the white beauty resting on the sea of blue trapped in a flower. "They call it a papillon. I think it's a playful name for such a creature" my eyes look into his bright green eyes. His childish giggles filled the air making the butterfly flutter and dance into the sky and disappear into the shades of white and grey. All was right in the world, quiet and peaceful. Our parents loved us and Elijah was safe, 'how could anything go wrong?' I asked myself in my thoughts. Oh how I was wrong...

Elijah hopped along the small street smiling and looking all around us. I was nervous, I felt something was wrong but I was scared to know what. The sun still hiding behind the clouds but the sky darkening into an early evening sky. We came near to our home and something made me want to run back and never take a step into the house. I ignored it and just kept walking. Elijah began to feel what I felt and slowed down his movements unsure and worried. I wrapped my arm over his shoulders and smiled a wide but sickly grin over my face trying me best to make it seem real. He nervously smiled back but it quickly faded. He jerked back in protest but I pulled him forward. Something terribly wrong was about to happen and we could feel it.

As we opened the creaky old door to the quiet hallways loomed toward us, warning us to walk away. We walked in wearily the floorboards crying from age. As we walked along the hallway of happy memories pinned up like dead animal trophies we began to hear indistinct voices talking in our fathers study. We tried to avoid making the floor moan, knowing which boards would cry out and which would not. We came to the door, listening to hear what was being said.

"My love, Elijah is nearly that age which means we can sell him off to those mineworkers" a voice exclaimed with reason. "No we cannot Gerald! He's our son! We are not selling him to some filthy mine workers!" A voice shouted in an urgent protest. A chair's legs scraped along the aged wooden floor followed by a creek. "I will not have you, my own wife; disrespect me in such a manner!" The voice shouted aggressively as a loud bang struck what sounded like the desk. Elijah began to step forward his face serious and his fists clenching. I stopped him in fear of what he might walk into but he pushed past me and opened the door. It revealed our parents standing shocked my father's fists still resting on the table where he had struck them.

My father gave a sickly smile and came towards Elijah wrapping his arm around Elijah's shoulders making him seem small and lanky. "Listen boy. You're Mother and I have decided that it's time for you to make us money. Tomorrow the miners come to the village and I want you to be the first boy they see. They will offer us a magnificent for you!" He exclaimed with certain fakeness in his voice. Elijah tried to protest but was shut down quickly by his father's roaring chuckle. "Now off to bed. The both of you! We have a big day tomorrow. Big day!" He shouted with chuckles and excitement racing in his voice. I looked to my mother but she was silent. But even in silence you can see pain, as tears drew down her cheeks she looked at Elijah and then away to the shelves of books so he could not see her cry.

As I lay in my bed I could feel rage beginning to boil in me. I couldn't stand what my father was doing. It meant that I would never see my brother again and both my mother and I would have to live with it. I sat up and creeped to the window avoiding creaky boards. I looked out the window to the dead night, stars cloaked under a dark blanket of grey. The roads still and silent lit by the lanterns hanging on the porches of each house. Most houses the windows were darkened because within were sleeping bodies waiting for the sun to rise. There were two houses that didn't have darkened windows. The one houses window fascinated me as I watched a large light flicker and bob about. Small wisps of darkness danced out the cracks of the window frame and floated up to the sky. I could smell smoke. That made me realise the danger in that house and sent a sense of urgency up my spine. There was a fire!

I grabbed my shawl from my chair resting against the wall by the window and hurriedly scurried to my parents' room screaming about a fire at the top of my lungs. They jumped out of their beds half asleep but ready for actions. The smell of smoke deepened as I ran to Elijah's room. I had fear our house too was on fire. My parents with no explanation ran to my room and looked out my window to see the now great blaze that lit the house. I opened my brother's door; he sat looking toward a wall his eyes lost in thought. Smoke had flooded his room and was wisping out the doorways and into the dark halls. I could hear my parents rushing about and quickly getting into decent wear to leave the house. I quietly came up to my brother and hugged him. His shock as he realized it was me hugging him and the smoke began to fade away. He was dripping with sweat and seemed different to his usual lively self. Our parents screamed for us reminding us the urgency of the situation. We ran out his room and through the hallways to get to the stairs. Our parents stood waiting as we came to the stairwell. No one realizes that there is a worry when it comes to fires in the village. Middle of winter called for dry grass and easy picking for the fire to set every house ablaze. We ran into the narrow street screaming fire and running to the house. Soon the village was bustling in a hurry to save the blazing house. We came to the house its walls now being consumed by vicious light and dark clouds of burning wood. Elijah looked up to the window and screamed in horror as a woman was rushing about screaming for help but was being drowned by the crackling of burning wood. My father and mother ran into the burning away house and disappeared into the great inferno. Both Elijah and I waited anxiously for their return knowing better than to run after them. By this time the villagers were stopping the fire from spreading buy could do no more than that because the fire was too big to put out. My father ran out clutching a small corpse in his arms. He lay her at our feet and looked about the area. He looked at both of us his eyes with worry. "Has your mother come out yet into safety yet?" He asked his voice panicked. We both shook our heads and he turned back to the house becoming more unsteady by the fires viscous flames. He looked at as for a last time before running into the house to find his wife and the woman. A voice exclaimed among the crowd as the house began to creak and groan. And as suddenly as the blaze went up the house crashed down sending embers floating all around and clouds of smoke shooting towards the surrounding parties.

I collapsed to my knees my body weak from the thought. The thought that we had just lost both of our parents. Tears prickled my eyes as I looked to the dying blaze of rubble. Elijah came down to his knees screaming and crying holding his chest as though his heart had exploded. They were gone, swallowed by rubble and consumed by the great fire. I looked down to the girl he saved, her body sooty and sweating. She was small and skinny and seemed only eight. I was glad she was saved but hated the cost that came with saving her life. A mixture of emotions boiled on me and made me wish she too was dead. But then there'd be no reason for our parents to have lost themselves too.

Long skinny fingers wrapped themselves over my shoulder; I looked up to see a woman dressed in a dark navy dress. Her smile welcoming but evil as though I shouldn't trust her. Her brown curls looped and frayed wild down her shoulders and back. "I saw what happened my dear. I give my condolences." She looked at me with a false worried look as her screechy voice spoke. I simply just looked down at the ground not answering. "You know I can protect you. You, your brother and your little sister" her tone sounding evil and sly. Rage boiled in me as I looked to the barely breathing girl and back at the woman. "She's not my sister! She's the reason my brother and I are orphans!" I snapped rudely to the woman. Her face grew shocked but came quickly to a smile. "I know about you and your brother my dear. I fear there us so many people out in this world that want what you have. I on the other hand can protect you both. Mother Sagorian, head of the orphanage" she said her voice growing more and more sly and suspicious. I heard her words and clung to the thought that Elijah and I would never be separated, we'd be protected. I looked to Elijah who was looking at me his eyes full of worry and fear. I smiled a weak smile at him and looked to mother Sagorian. Her hand stood out toward me beckoning me to shake it. I took her hand and smiled. Her smile grew dark and evil as she scooped up the small girl. She waved her hand as signal for us to follow and so we did.

As weeks passed by Elijah began to grow into a habit of spending time alone up in our room. Mother Sagorian didn't like the idea and said boys his age should be working hard or enjoying their lives with their friends. I began to notice how smoke wafted around the room every night and each day he enclosed himself in it. I wasn't the only one, the other children saw the smoke wisp from underneath the door and out the window. He didn't care if they saw the smoke he made. He just felt alone. Even in my company. Mother Sagorian warned him to stop his foolish games and control his emotions for his own protection and yet he never listened. He couldn't help but feel alone among the children her. One day his powers took a dark and grim turn when we were meant to be sleeping. His smoke began to cluster and fill the room eating all the air. My body began to sweat from the heat he gave off and my lungs began to fill with the smoky venom.

My coughs became loud but he didn't hear them he was trapped in memories not aware of what they were doing. Suddenly mother Sagorian burst in and dragged him out the room putting onto the floor in the hallway. She came in and cleared the smoke from the room allowing my lungs to get air and bring the coughing to a stop. She looked at me and muttered something under her breath before slamming the door shut. I heard her drag him along the hallway floor as he screamed for her to stop; I could hear him struggle to try get free and run. But he could not. The screams and cries died down as mother Sagorian took him away. She said it was for his protection and the orphanages if he stayed in the smoke room. I agreed knowing it would be safer for him not to cause alarm but I never realized her true intentions behind the smoke room. Not until it was too late.

******