Immortal
A book for those who feel as though they should be Immortal...
INTRODUCTIONHave you ever thought you belonged in a time not of your own? Have you ever wondered how to go back, back to where you feel you should be? Well there was one girl who had the chance. Her name was Scarlet, Scarlet D'Iffé. She lived in France on an estate with her mother, father and twin younger siblings, Heather and Genevive. Her Father was a software developer. Her mother worked for the French government as a translator from French to English. The twins attended the Hilltop Elementary. Scarlet attended the International School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Scarlet ahd just moved here during the summer from The USA. She was practically a nobody, when she came from America she had little to no friends, and wasn't very good at aquiring them. Her famliy was very wealthy, but no matter how much she had, she always felt as if she didn't belong. Even though she loved to sing and was in the honnor womens chorus at her school, writing was her secret passion. She kept a journal and wrote down everything, including dreams she had. After a few years of journaling she had enough to write a New York best seller! But everything changed on her 17th birthday.
CHAPTER I:
In the Beginning
Scarlet's alarm went off at 5:45 am, as usual. She had to hit it a few times to silence it, but all was well. She scrambled out of bed and made her way to the warm, inviting shower. Her cat, Alex, noticed the absence of her warmth and hopped out of the bed sheets, walked into the bathroom and lay down on the rug. When she was sparkling clean from head to toe, Scarlet clambered out of the shower and fumbled for a towel. After she had found one, she dried off then wrapped it around herself. She pulled out the blow dryer and dried her blonde hair. After she had washed her face, brushed her teeth and brushed her hair, she primped herself in the foggy mirror. She then looked at the clock on the bathroom wall and noticed that it was 6:30 already. Scarlet threw on her bathrobe and rushed to her room. She had already set out her outfit for today, considering it was her birthday and naturally she would wear her favorite outfit. After she threw it on and accessorized herself, she bolted towards the front door. As she ran outside she snatched up her bags, purse, and white raincoat then hopped into their black Lincoln Navigator. It was a drizzly, rainy day as they drove down the seemingly endless stretch of road. Today Scarlet was to attend a new school, The French Academy of Arts and International Studies.
The school was an old Château on a hill bordering the banks of the old river, quite large in size. It walls were made entirely of stone and about thirty feet high and one hundred fifty feet long. It had four menacing towers at each corner that seemed to reach for the heavens. The surrounding area was encompassed in a wall as well. Small houses and markets were scattered on the streets. Back hundreds of years ago the Château was a thriving kingdom, with peasants, surfs, kings, knights and princesses. But a terrible thing happened during those many years, and it was brought down by evil and powers so dark, that history was never capable of explaining such events. Many thing of this nature happened but they were never spoken of because it was said that even those words were to bring and unnatural and inexplicable death those that even mentioned her name. The name of the one whom could either doom the fate of all mankind or help them. Alas these were the stories of fairy tales not to be taken seriously, but no matter how absurd they were, still, no one ever spoke her name.
Scarlet, of course, had heard these tales of old and always wondered if the outcome could ever be changed, or if history was so solid that no matter what, future events could never alter the effects of the past and only prevent them from reoccurring. But somewhere deep inside she felt that the things of the past could be changed. She thought upon this as they drove to the school. As she looked out the window she felt that something familiar was near and something was going to happen. It was almost impossible for her to decode her thoughts because she was so oddly mystified and confused about what she felt. Just when she thought she had found it, they arrived at the school. Ralph, their butler, got out of the car and opened the door for Scarlet, holding his umbrella. She stepped out of the car marveling at the magnificent courtyard and the fountain.
"I swear I have seen this before.." she thought to herself.
The two guards at the doors opened the massive wooden monsters as a tall, thin, odd-looking woman stood at the door to greet the newcomers. As Scarlet stepped in the door she drew a long, labored breath and closed her green eyes. An eerie air of familiarity surrounded her as she began to wonder. Suddenly flashes of oddly familiar people and battles were blurred in her mind. Everything then went dark and a flicker of light fell into a great abyss and seemed to be lost forever. A voice began to sing and speak in a foreign tongue that she could not understand. For a moment it seemed time stopped as did she everything just froze and stopped existing. Then it all came back like a pounding hammer on scarlet and she was thrown to the marble floor, unconscious. Everyone rushed to her aid as she woke.
She spoke wearily, "Did you feel that? What was it…I…I…"
"Hush child!" The odd woman said with a strong French accent
Scarlet slowly rose and waved everyone to back off "I'm alright." She stated profoundly, yet she was still confused.
"Miss D'Iffé, welcome to the French Academy of Arts and International Studies or FAAIS. We are pleased to have you as a student. My attendants will show you to your room to change those…uh…clothes. Then it's off to the meeting hall to get a taste of class. Your first few days here will only be temporary, meaning that you will go home at the end of the day. After a few days this will be your home until the summer." Her flank of attendants came over to Scarlet and whisked her up the stairs without another word.
Ralph was just about to leave when the, as it has been made quite clear by now, Headmistress Eleanor, was her name, stopped him.
"Not on word to her family about her little mishap today, we wouldn't want them to find out what she really is would you. Mind me that would be a disaster beyond our control. The world is not ready to know that she still is. And what she is. It is for the good of all she is under a constant eye and kept secret for who she is."
Ralph nodded and walked out the door, got into the car and drove off down the winding stretch of road. The guards close the monstrous doors as the headmistress walked down the hall.
Meanwhile, Scarlet was in her room, oblivious to the fact that bustling attendants were dressing her in the school uniform of a long blue velvet dress with floor-length sleeves and a silver headband. No, she was to distracted by the earlier events of the morning. Her mind wandered the vast, endless stretches of the mind to the people she saw, the bloody battles, the voice, oh the voice, the haunting, wondrous, mystifying voice. The voice that set her spirit on fire the voice that made her soul soar the voice that brought fear in to the hearts of any mortal man, woman or child. But to Scarlet, dear Scarlet, the voice was her ecstasy her desires that horrible but beautiful voice was what all her thoughts were leading to. All her confusing, meaningless thoughts, were all figured out by the voice. She began to think again but the attendants told her they were finished and there was no time to show her what she looked like so they just flew her down the stairs. They went in and out of corridors until they entered a room with 8 long king's tables and people sitting at them. banners hung all along the towering ceiling. And at the very front of the room the head mistress sat with a whole clique of elders. The attendants took Scarlet to her seat. The headmistress called attention as all went silent.
"Welcome to a new semester at The International School. I am glad to see that you all enjoyed it enough to come back." Everyone laughed, as well as the headmistress, but Scarlet didn't flinch. "Well I do see a few new faces here and would like to properly introduce them. First we have Mister Franz Heinzander from Germany whose parents are German ambassadors to France. Next we have Miss Juliet Crisanders who is from America. Her parents are here on business. And last but not least, Miss Scarlet D'Iffé. Now it is time to get to your classes so I will see you later."
Everyone scrambled to their classes as Scarlet was pushed aside. A pretty black haired girl stopped to say hi to Scarlet.
"Bonjour! J m'appelle Erin. Comment tu t'appelle?"
"J'ai regret mais je ne parle pas francais." Scarlet replied.
"Oh I'm so sorry. I saw your purse and i really like it... "
"Really? I got it back home." Said Scarlet plainly.
"You have quite a bunch of fans. And a fansite and a club. You are quite the celebrity." The girl urged on
"What class do you have now?" Scarlet said, changing the subject.
"History. You?"
"Same" She replied.
"Do you want to walk with me there? Assuming you are new and don't quite know the way, I could show you." The girl almost pleaded.
"O.K it would be kinda nice to have a friend while I'm here." Scarlet said reluctantly.
The two girls began to talk and giggle about the headmistress and about their two totally different lives.
"I'm sorry" Scarlet said "I didn't quite get your name"
"Erin." Said the girl.
"Erin" replied Scarlet "I think we are going to become good friends."
Erin smiled and giggled as did Scarlet and the girls entered their class.
"Our first lesson is on Ancient Greece. Please turn to page 7 and stay with me. The ancient Greeks were a peak civilization…" their teacher droned on about the ancient Greek civilization and how it was the eminence of society at the time. All poor Scarlet could think of was the vision and the voice…that voice.
Her thoughts trailed out the old window into the forest. That old forest that stretched from her house all the way to behind the château. The forest was so dark yet inviting she desired to go into it always but, her family forbid it. They knew the dangers that the forest held. Scarlet did as well but still desired more than anything to go into it and see what all the fuss was really about.
During lunch hour, Scarlet and Erin sat near the forest. Erin was telling Scarlet some stories but Scarlet's eyes kept wandering towards the forest. Erin noticed Scarlet wasn't paying attention so she snapped her fingers.
"Hello! Earth to Miss D'Iffé!"
"Oh sorry…" Scarlet said only half realizing it.
One of Erin's friends came over to tell her something so, Scarlet saw her chance. She stood up and walked to the forest. When she had almost stepped into the forest Erin noticed and ran over to her just as Scarlet fainted. Erin woke her and brought her up to their room. She sat scarlet up on her bed.
"What happened out there?" Demanded Erin.
"I don't know…I just heard the voice again…" Replied the exhausted girl rubbing her blonde head.
Erin looked at her gravely and asked her slowly and fearfully "What voice?"
"Well when I came here I had a vision and I heard a voice. Then all of time seemed to stop and then it started again. It was so strange I can't even begin to explain it never the less understand it!" she got a little tense and frantic but calmed down
"I'm sorry it's just something I can't control. Please don't make me explain." Se pleaded.
"Alright you win." Erin said submitingly. "Just do me a favor and don't get yourself hurt or killed."
Scarlet put a hand on her new friend "I wont you need not worry."
The girl continued to laugh and tell funny stories. The rain still poured from the heavens you would have thought that God had lost his dearest angel.
The black Lincoln Navigator drove up the road to the courtyard of the château. Ralph got out of the car and opened the door as Scarlet walked out of the mighty doors waving to Erin. She greeted the butler then hopped into the car. Ralph shut the door and got back into the car then drove back to the D'Iffé estate. Once they arrived Scarlet jumped out of the car and bounded into the door and hugged her waiting family.
"HAPPY 17th LOVE!!" they all shouted.
Scarlet was overcome with joy and they all went into the kitchen for her gourmet birthday dinner. After they had all eaten Carlotta, their cook, came out with a three-tired birthday cake. They all sang a rendition of 'Happy Birthday' to her then opened presents. When all the excitement was over and done with Genevive and Heather helped Scarlet carry her presents up to her room. Later that night Scarlet heard the voice again. She decided to follow it she entered some kind of trance and weather she liked it or not followed the voice. The voice went down the stairs and out the back door straight to the forbidden woods. Scarlet stopped and looked around then stepped into the forest. The voice sped up and Scarlet ran after it calling to it.
"Wait! Please wait!" she ran deeper and farther into the darkness, until the voice was lost and the darkness engulfed her. She was lost.
"Voice where are you I am here where you want me! Or am I wrong? please come to me voice." She fell to her knees in despair and began to weep.
All of a sudden voices, like the one voice, began to whisper and call to her chanting in foreign tongues. She stood and looked about but there was no one to be seen. She took a gasping breath and time seemed to stop, just as before. Everything spun and turned as she was lifted not but three feet above the ground. A flash of a very bright light shone all around her then seemed to go inside her. Time started again as she was dropped to the ground life blurred and everything went away. She felt her heart stop and her breathing fade and her memories were erased. She closed her eyes and faded. Scarlet D'Iffé had died as her self as time started all over again, from the beginning, to where she was first born. A time and place never spoken of, never recorded for these were the darkest of times and history dare not speak its name nor the one who came from it.