Beating Hearts That Froze With the Wind
Chapter One: Broken
The snow drops on the bare trees gleamed as the sun beams shot through them cutting like a knife, slicing it so much that it looked magical. The rainbow light that reflected out covered the snowy ground.
White was the house that haunted the shadows, a house that was covered by the daunting silent trees. It sat glumly in the chill as the misty dew settled on its white wooded window frames and glass panels, making it almost frozen and empty. The surrounding trees swayed to the beat of the wind that whistled with joy as it ran free through the land of silence. Quiet was the rain that stalked the frozen house, it clouds followed on a lead, making the rain look like it was pulling the clouds towards the house. A sight it was, the rain. How it made the the cloud look gentle, but up close the clouds were monstrous, violent: the thunder boomed as the lightning crackled like a witches laugh. The sharp beams that shot out of the clouds cut through stone. It set the trees into dusty smoke and danced around the white house of the old man.
A newspaper, a crumpled piece of paper that in itself held the news of the country. Its photos danced across the page, making it entrancing to the reader. The old withered man picked up the paper with a shaky hand, the vein's stuck out on his hands like fat snakes stretched out and twisted around the top of his thin clammy hands. To the man the raging storm out was nothing; he continued on, ignoring the thuds of the tree branches bashing against his window.
The man wished he could concentrate on the paper in front of him but the noise of the storm boomed through his head making him dizzy and wince as the branches of the tree tapped at his window. To someone looking in it might seem that he was ignoring the storm but in his head the old man was fighting a battle for peace of mind.
The wind battled against my window and the sound of the roaring sea outside thundered in my deaf ears. I lost my hearing 2 years ago; my old age is getting to me, my eye sight isn't so good any more I'm an old man that has his granddaughter looking after him. My 18 year old granddaughter, Elizabeth is the only reason I go on. She is not really my granddaughter, in fact she is much much older than me, but she is special. I knew her when I was but a small boy and she now stays with me nursing me. It also makes things easier for her as she is an old person in a young body, people often mistake her for being her age. Elizabeth or Liz as those close called her was immortal. I'm not certain how old, but she has told me stories about the dinosaurs, she told me that even then she was ancient. With how young she looks you would have never have thought that she is that old, but her eyes are the only things that show her age – they show how much she knows and looking at them it is clear that she has seen many things in the world that have been forgotten.
I once asked Liz if she ever got lonely, and she mentioned something about having siblings, but she would not tell me more. Her face was a picture of sadness, guilt loss, pain so many emotions that one person should not have to deal with. With that it is clear that she is a strong women being able to deal with so many emotions at one time. I hope she finds a way to be happy. So tired so so tired, Albert knew it was his time to move on and slowly drifted into a calm relaxed sleep.
"Albert? I back... Albert? You there?... Alllllllbbbbeeeeerrrttt! Oh no Albert w- w- wake u-p please. No no no no please no not again please wake up Albert..." Liz sob. Saving him once already liz knew she could not do it again; it was against the rules. She chose to ignore the rules the once and was still paying the price for it still, she was broken. Albert reminded her of her father in so many ways. She remembered the fatal day that they met.
*flashback*
It was raining. The rain drops were like bullets on her hood. Elizabeth stood stock still as she was pelted by the rain. She could smell and feel the emotions around her like a swirl of wind that shot at her again and again. It was chilly out and the road that she stood by was iced over. She did not know why she stood at the side of the road, but only that something was going to happen here. Softly she began to sing a soft melody that she knew from her childhood, all those centuries ago.
Dancing bears,
Painted wings,
Things I almost remember,
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December.
Someone holds me safe and warm.
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Someone holds me safe and warm.
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Far away, long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart
Used to know,
Things it yearns to remember...
And a song
Someone sings
Once upon a December
(Once upon a December, Anastasia)
As she finished the song, she noticed the forest was quiet, and in the distance you could hear a car approaching. It was driving fast, too fast. Now she knew what was going to happen it was like a memory for her, but in truth it was the future. She saw that the man in the car was going to crash. The closer the car approached Elizabeth saw in the future that the man's name was Albert.
The sound of screeching beaks was loud to her sensitive ears and the crashed echoed in the forest so loud that the it the ground trembled. With a frown etched across her face, she approached the wrecked car. Pulling the door off with inhuman strength, she picked up the man and started walking into the forest. The animals all watched with curiosity as she carried him further and further in. They knew who she was and were curious to know who the man was.
Albert was young probably in his early twenties and had soft blond hair that was blowing in the wind. Elizabeth looked down on him to see that he was asleep with a frown on his face. His face was beautiful and golden from the sun. Elizabeth knew that he was dying and was trying to find ways to help him, but every time she was blocked by the rules that she had laid centuries ago. Even she could not go against them.
They reached a small clearing deep in the forest, in the centre was a small white cottage. Animals grazed around the house and to anyone it would look abnormal. The animals were not scared about someone approaching but continued to eat and play as though she were not there. However some did look and the ones that looked could see that Elizabeth was frowning and knew that was not a good sign. An invisible gust of wind opened the door and let Elizabeth and the man in. Placing the man down on the sofa, she slowly started to build a fire. The glow of the fire flickered around the room they were in dancing in shadows against the walls. Pulling off the cloak she was wearing Elizabeth looked at the man and thought deep and hard of what she was about to do. Slowly leaning over the man she started to clean his face of the dried blood that caked his beautiful face. Softly she said his name, "Albert" again and again. His eye lids fluttered open to reveal clear blue eyes that looked on in ore of her beauty. "Hello Albert" Her beautiful bell like voice said. Blinking Albert said hi and asked her who she was.
"My name is Elizabeth, Albert and I am your friend. I can help you Albert, but it has to be your choice." She said softly almost in a whisper.
"Do you want to live Albert?" She asked.
"Y-e-s" he stuttered "very much, please".
"Well then" she said smiling for the first time, "drink this I will be back in a minute."
As she walked away she thought of the consequences of saving his life. She knew that it was against the rules, but she needed another opinion. In her mind she called again and again, Sam, Sasha, Sally I need you.
Foot steps echoed through the forest though no one would hear them, but her. She felt the ground tremble under their feet.
"Elizabeth we are here, what is it?" They asked in their minds. They all had cloaks with their hoods up hiding their faces from the man.
In her mind she answered them. "This man is a friend of yours is he not? He crashed on the road. I have asked him if he wants to live and he said yes, but it is your decision. I know nothing of this man, only that you are all close to him. He is dying and yes I can save him, but it will have heavy consequences."
All four of them looked at the man as he lay there staring into the fire. Pain was was floating around the room nipping at Elizabeth trying to tell her that she must hurry if she was going to save him.
A whimper echoed through the room from her sister, Sally and Sam and Sasha both had sad faces and shocked faces.
"Please Liz help him he is like a father to me I can not loose him" her sister said in her mind.
"For you Sally I will do this, but let me tell you the consequences of doing this, I will be broken. Death has already claimed him and there are rules."
"Please Liz, we have already lost so many I can't loose him." Sally whispered.
"Brothers, what do you say, knowing what the consequences are?" Liz thought.
"We can not loose him Liz, we have lost so many people close to us and Sally is right he is like a father to us." Sam said.
"I agree with Sam Liz help him please." Sasha all but whispered in his mind.
Sighing Elizabeth approached Albert sealing her fate. If only she could tell them the full consequences of her being broken.
"Albert, please give me your hands, it is time."
"What's going to happen?" He said not noticing the cloaked figures in the room.
"I'm going to save you." was all she said to him.
Softly chanting and singing Elizabeth could feel the change happening in her body as she disobeyed the rules that she carefully created. Albert gasped loudly as he saw her start to glow a soft white and her eyes too started to turn white as she chanted softly.
*End Flashback*
She had grown close to him over his last years. Even though she saved him she did not grant him immortality for she knew the consequences would have been more severe. She had not spoken to her brothers and sister since that fatal day. They had finally after a couple of days seen what the consequences where in full for what they had asked their sister to do. What they had asked Mother Nature to do, buy then they did not know who I was. I was only their powerful sister. If only they had known what they had asked me to give up, what they had asked me to do.