on the side of the bath. That one was the closest to the one I’d seen, and I just wanted the others to give the illusion of there being more flames around without the danger of them falling out of the silver holders.
I felt the warmth and calm that staring at a flame brought, it was like cuddling up indoors on a cold, winter’s day. I loved fire, had always been drawn to it. Ironic really as it was fire that stole four years from me. Well, possibly.
Stripping out of my clothes, I got into the bath and sat closer, making sure to leave enough distance so if it did fall I wouldn’t get burnt. I breathed in and out slowly for five seconds, closed my eyes and felt myself being drawn towards the heat.
I gasped and was a child again and in the room that was too hot. Jeremy and Evelyn were running and this time I made them run round and round, coming in and out of shot. But this time I didn’t focus on them. I left them and walked to the candles. I felt the heat from the one in front of me, smelled the smoke as the small flame flickered, creating light and dark patches behind my eyelids.
I didn’t realise I was breathing so hard until my chest started to hurt. I should stop, but I felt closer than I had before. The heat and smell made me feel something. Fear. My skin may feel hot, but inside I was cold. Frozen. I gagged, swallowing bile as I felt betrayal and loneliness, even though I didn’t understand it.
My eyes flew open, and I clung to the handles on the bath. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to make sense of what’d just happened. I wanted to curl up and sob until my throat was raw because of the feeling of pure fear I’d just experienced. And I didn’t even know why I was afraid. Something really bad happened to me, something that my memory was protecting me from and even though I could feel how scared I was back then, it still refused to let me relive it.
“Scarlett?” Mum called, knocking on the door.
I jumped and spun around, making water swoosh up the side of the wall. My head and heart hurt so much I felt like I was going to pass out. “Yeah?” I replied as calmly as I could.
“Are you okay in there? Are you crying? Did something happen with Noah?”
Hearing her concern suddenly made me furious. How dare she ask if I was okay when this was all her fault?
“I’m fine,” I replied. “We argued, but we’ve made up already.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Why don’t you come out and we can talk.”
I gripped the bath handles tighter. “No, thanks. I’m okay, just want to relax for a while.” I honestly did want to relax, not that I could.
“Alright. I’m downstairs if you need me.”
“Thanks.” I think I managed to keep the seething anger out of my words. She was my mum, how could she keep something that was obviously a huge deal, from me? They demanded honesty from me but were lying themselves. I never thought my parents would turn out to be hypocrites. I was so disappointed in them and frustrated with myself.
The truth was all I wanted. Why wouldn’t anyone just give me that?
Noah
“HELLO, DONALD,” I said as I took the phone from Dad and walked to my room for privacy. My nerves were all over the place after getting off the phone to Scarlett. I wanted to know where she was so I could go and get her. I felt like I was losing my grip on everything.
This was the absolute worst time to speak to Donald.
“Noah,” he said smoothly. “How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“Staying strong?”
“Of course,” I replied. I was trying to anyway.
“Good. We knew you would be. You ascended long ago. Your mind is strong and sharp.”
Hearing those words from him now sounded… odd. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me, Noah. You are responsible for all that you have achieved.”
Silence hung in the air.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll get to the point, shall I?” he said, chuckling under his breath. “Scarlett. How is my daughter?”
I gripped the phone
I felt the warmth and calm that staring at a flame brought, it was like cuddling up indoors on a cold, winter’s day. I loved fire, had always been drawn to it. Ironic really as it was fire that stole four years from me. Well, possibly.
Stripping out of my clothes, I got into the bath and sat closer, making sure to leave enough distance so if it did fall I wouldn’t get burnt. I breathed in and out slowly for five seconds, closed my eyes and felt myself being drawn towards the heat.
I gasped and was a child again and in the room that was too hot. Jeremy and Evelyn were running and this time I made them run round and round, coming in and out of shot. But this time I didn’t focus on them. I left them and walked to the candles. I felt the heat from the one in front of me, smelled the smoke as the small flame flickered, creating light and dark patches behind my eyelids.
I didn’t realise I was breathing so hard until my chest started to hurt. I should stop, but I felt closer than I had before. The heat and smell made me feel something. Fear. My skin may feel hot, but inside I was cold. Frozen. I gagged, swallowing bile as I felt betrayal and loneliness, even though I didn’t understand it.
My eyes flew open, and I clung to the handles on the bath. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to make sense of what’d just happened. I wanted to curl up and sob until my throat was raw because of the feeling of pure fear I’d just experienced. And I didn’t even know why I was afraid. Something really bad happened to me, something that my memory was protecting me from and even though I could feel how scared I was back then, it still refused to let me relive it.
“Scarlett?” Mum called, knocking on the door.
I jumped and spun around, making water swoosh up the side of the wall. My head and heart hurt so much I felt like I was going to pass out. “Yeah?” I replied as calmly as I could.
“Are you okay in there? Are you crying? Did something happen with Noah?”
Hearing her concern suddenly made me furious. How dare she ask if I was okay when this was all her fault?
“I’m fine,” I replied. “We argued, but we’ve made up already.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Why don’t you come out and we can talk.”
I gripped the bath handles tighter. “No, thanks. I’m okay, just want to relax for a while.” I honestly did want to relax, not that I could.
“Alright. I’m downstairs if you need me.”
“Thanks.” I think I managed to keep the seething anger out of my words. She was my mum, how could she keep something that was obviously a huge deal, from me? They demanded honesty from me but were lying themselves. I never thought my parents would turn out to be hypocrites. I was so disappointed in them and frustrated with myself.
The truth was all I wanted. Why wouldn’t anyone just give me that?
Noah
“HELLO, DONALD,” I said as I took the phone from Dad and walked to my room for privacy. My nerves were all over the place after getting off the phone to Scarlett. I wanted to know where she was so I could go and get her. I felt like I was losing my grip on everything.
This was the absolute worst time to speak to Donald.
“Noah,” he said smoothly. “How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“Staying strong?”
“Of course,” I replied. I was trying to anyway.
“Good. We knew you would be. You ascended long ago. Your mind is strong and sharp.”
Hearing those words from him now sounded… odd. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me, Noah. You are responsible for all that you have achieved.”
Silence hung in the air.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll get to the point, shall I?” he said, chuckling under his breath. “Scarlett. How is my daughter?”
I gripped the phone
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