Fire in Cold Glow: Revised Edition

by LuluCalliope

A revised version of Masked Mouse's story! Tanya has a daughter named Amber, but she can't remember how she had her or who could be the father. Now she must do everything in her power to protect the one thing she cares about. Read and review!

4. Chapter 4

Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Four

Aiden sighed as he reached the front door of his house. His father had built it underground due to safety reasons. This bothered Aiden mostly, for he liked to watch the world above. He enjoyed watching the sun coming up over New York. But today he didn't mind. The piece of fabric was still causing him to be tense, even after he fell onto the couch. He wished that his mother was home so that he could tell her about what had happened. But she was away at work, and he was left by himself, with nothing but his own thoughts to comfort him…

Meanwhile, Amber had reached her home in the hostel. "Mama, Mama," she cried out, running up to Tanya and giving her a hug.

"What is it, my little one? You are freezing! What have you been doing, swimming in the lake?" She demanded, placing her hand on her daughter's forehead.

"I fell in, Mama! Aiden and I were going fishing!"

"Oh, Aiden, I swear that boy will end up in a cat's mouth one of these days," Tanya muttered to herself, cutting off Amber. "Now, what were you saying?"

"He caught something, but his line got stuck and we fell in! Guess what he found, Mama! It was a piece of cat's clothing!"

Tanya stood frozen in shock. "Cat clothing," she repeated faintly. "What color was it?"

"It was red, Mama," Amber told her, and Tanya gathered her daughter in her arms. Amber could sense the fear in her mother.

"Oh, dear God, he is back," Tanya said to herself, shaking with fear.

"Who is back, Mama?" Amber asked, wondering what her mother meant by that. At that moment Maria appeared to fetch Tanya and her daughter for dinner. Amber went ahead with her, but Tanya stayed, paralyzed with shock. Moments of her last moments with her family flashed before her eyes, as did several images of Cat R. Waul.

She shook herself. No, she told herself. Cat R. Waul doesn't know where we are. How could he have found us? And he knows nothing of Amber. I shouldn't think such silly thoughts. And besides, that piece of clothing could have been in the water for several years. The scent must have been washed away. Aiden could have mistaken it for something else…a fish, perhaps, or just a human.

Tanya regained her composure. Everything was going to be okay. Nothing was going to happen to her or to Amber. She forced a chipper smile onto her face, and she followed Maria and her daughter for the final meal of the day.