I do not own The Lunar Chronicals. Wish I did, though.
Winter Hayle-Blackburn walked down to see Ryu. She sat next to his cage and petted him.
"Thirteen years ago," she whispered softly. "I had a friend, but she turned into a pile of girl-shaped ashes, Ryu."
The wolf tilted its head.
Winter took it upon herself to explain. "My friend Selene Blackburn. She was my friend and I was her's. Do you know what a friend is, Ryu? We are friends, you know. She was kind and gentle like I. We played together everyday, while Aunt Channary and Levena were doing stuff for Artemisia. Then Aunt Channary disappeared and never came back. Do you think she drowned in the blood, Ryu?"
"Who are you talking about?" Someone asked groggily.
Winter spun around. "Scarlet-friend!" She exclaimed. "I am talking of my friend who became a pile of girl-shaped ashes. Her name was Selene. I miss her sometimes."
"Princess Selene?" Scarlet Benoit asked perplexed.
"Yes," Winter hummed. "We were playing in the nursery with the nanny. She was quite nice, you know. Then Levena came and got me to go home. I asked a guard to take me back later after she was gone and I saw the nursery burned to ashes and the nanny badly hurt. The blood ate her later maybe? And my friend was laying on the floor. A pile of girl-shaped ashes." Winter smiled at her wolf and Scarlet. "And then they took the ashes and a burnt blob and took her away and never came back."
"We're you two...were you two, um, close?" Scarlet asked stumbling over her words.
"Yes," Winter answered. "I think so. She liked Ryu, maybe."
"Do you believe she's dead or alive?" Scarlet didn't mean for it to come out as harsh as hit had.
Winter's eyes shone with tears. She pushed all feelings aside and settled for her crazy-like nature. "If she didn't die in the fire, the blood must be seeping into wherever she has been hidden making her drown in it. I myself wake up covered in blood and I walk through blood that's almost to my knees. My dresses are all bloody and so are my shoes. I do not think she could have escaped the blood wherever she is."
"Would you believe someone if they told you she was alive?" Scarlet asked with hesitation.
Winter cocked her head. "It would depend. Is this person a friend?"
"Yes," Scarlet gulped.
"Well is this friend trustworthy?" Winter wondered.
"I certainly hope so."
"Then, I suppose I could believe them. When Jacin comes back, and if he told me she was alive, I would believe him." Winter smiled prettily at Scarlet. "I think I would believe you too Scarlet-friend."
Scarlet took a deep breath. She beckoned Winter over. She whispered in Winter's ear two words: "She's alive."
Three hours later, Scarlet's message still rang clear in her head. She's alive. It gave Winter hope. She walked round her room. The blood started to sink and soon it was only ankle deep. It lowered continually until no more blood remained. Winter snatched a card from her nightstand. It was a card she'd written when she was five in the hopes that Selene might see it from wherever she was. She tossed it in the fire and ran out of the room to get a celebratory snack.
A wind picked up and blew the ashes and cinders onto the pristine wooden floorboards. It formed a pile in the shape of a figure. All that remained of Winter's card was a pile of girl-shaped ashes.
A/N: So how was it? I was just thinking about Winter's comment on a friend she had being turned into a pile of girl shaped ashes. That would be Selene of course.