Hello!
So hopefully the little dramatic moment last chapter caught your interest!
Enjoy chapter three!
Death
That evening the family had gathered in the living room after supper to just relax. Mel sat curled up between her parents playing with her stuffed bear as her mother knit and her father sketched.
Her sister was doing embroidery in the chair next to the fireplace with a content expression on her face.
It was peaceful in the house, however the peace was short lived as they were disturbed by a violent pounding on the door.
Everyone looked up and her dad stood.
"How strange. I'll get it."
"Papa! No!"
Her father was pushed back down onto the couch as Rayina leaped from her seat, embroidery laying on the ground as she shoved him back into the chair.
"Rayina what in the world?!"
"It's those men!"
"What men?"
Rayina tried to explain quickly what they had done and it didn't take very many words before her parents white and shaking.
"Papa?" Mel murmured uncertainly.
Without a word her father stood and pulled her mother to her feet before ruling Rayina and Mel down the hallway away from the front door.
"Brandon..." Her mother whispered.
"I know my love."
A cracking noise filled the air before the door blew apart and the massive hulking figures of the two men could be seen. But this time...the men had black wings.
Mel let out a strangled gasp as Rayina screamed in terror.
The men laughed, a chilling sound that would be immortalized in her nightmares, and started forward.
"Give us the prophesied heirs." One ordered, pointing a talon like finger at Mel and Rayina.
"Serena! GO!" Her father roared before charging the beings, hands crackling with electricity that he lobbed at them.
Her mother grabbed Mel and Rayina before fleeing down the hallway of their house with Rayina and Mel in tow. The men yelled and began to fight her father while working towards the hallway to follow.
"Mama!" Mel cried.
"No time my dear, just run!" Her mother ordered, tears thick in her voice.
They ran from the explosions and shouting, blindly following their mother as smoke began to cloud their vision. Her mother reached the end of the hallway, opened the office door and shoved the girls in before following and closing the door behind her, locking it and shoving a chair under it in a feeble attempt to buy them time.
"Girls, come on." She ordered.
They followed her to the opposite wall where her mother began to feel frantically along the wall. A click sounded and a portion of the wall swung in soundlessly, their mother grabbing their arms and pushing them into the hidden passage.
"Girls, I love you and so does your father. When you leave the passage you need to run and not look back. Do not stay in here, flee far away from this place lest they find you. Go to the priestess temple in Thais and give them this letter."
Her mother pressed a letter into Rayina's hands and Rayina tucked it into her dress pocket.
"Mama, you have to come to!" Mel begged.
"I cannot. I must buy you time. Now go."
Another massive explosion and a howl of agony could be heard from out there as heavy steps began to approach. Her mother let out another sob.
"Dear goddess, protect my children. I'll even give them up to fate of you will let them survive this." She whispered.
A cool breeze stirred through the musty passage, bringing the scent of flowers. Their mother smiled through the tears before shutting the passage door. Another shriek could be heard but Mel and Rayina didn't stay around long enough to listen, they were already fleeing through the passage as another explosion blasted the house and smoke billowed through the old passage behind them.
They reached the end of the passage in a few minutes, her sister blasting open the door with her magic before they tumbled out into the street coughing and crying. People who had already come at the sounds of the battle going on inside of the house saw the two girls and came running, helping the girls to their feet and ask asking what was going on.
Mel looked up at her house to see flames licking out of the windows as explosions continued inside. A feminine shout could be heard and Rayina let out a cry of her own.
"Mama!"
The teen lurched to her feet and stared towards the house. Mel gasped and lunged for her sister, one hand latching onto her upper arm and the other latching onto a orange ribbon tied around her sisters wrist.
"What are you doing?!"
Her sister looked back at her for a moment before reaching down and pulling the bow, causing the ribbon to come undone in Mel's hand.
"Keep this safe will you?"
Then her sister ripped her arm free and took off towards the house.
"Stop!" Mel cried, scrambling up and chasing after her sister.
But Rayina was to fast and Mel was to late. She watched her older sister run into the house. The whole crowd of people who had grabbed buckets of water to help put out out the fire started shouting.
Mel blanked on what was safe and started running towards her childhood home but then there was a high pitched scream of utter terror and a moment later the whole house exploded sending Mel flying backwards.
Then something slammed into her head and everything went black.
Mel drifted in and out of consciousness for the next couple of days, dreading being awake because of the headache that plagued her. This was the first time she was even remotely alert although she couldn't seem to open her eyes or speak.
"...ghost...touched...dead...only survivor...magic...darkness...cursed..."
Mel's brows furrowed as she tried to open her eyes. She didn't understand what they were talking about. But the more she fought to wake up the further away she drifted until finally sleep overtook her once more.
The next time Mel woke up she was able to open her eyes with a groan. Everything seemed over bright and her head was aching.
"Mel, can you hear me?"
Mel looked over to see one of the town healers leaning over her.
"Yes, I-owwwwww. My head hurts so bad...what happened?"
The healer stared at her.
"You don't remember?"
Mel shook her head and the healer arched a brow.
"You don't remember the fire?"
Mel was silent for a moment before letting out a gasp and grabbing her head the memory of what had happened playing through her mind rapid fire. She stared silently at the healer in blank horror.
"T-they're dead?!"
"Yes."
Mel took a rasping breath as she tried to process.
"B-but I don't understand. Why did those men do that? R-Rayina and I never did anything to them." Mel whispered.
The woman eyed her coldly.
"Perhaps it is because of what you did that this tragedy has befallen your innocent parents and sister."
Mel flinched at her words.
"What?!"
"Stephan and Jacov told us what had happened when you four went to the tower, how you touched the tower and opened the door, unleashing the Darkthrop curse upon your innocent family."
The woman pointed at the door.
"I let you stay here while you were asleep as it would have been wrong in the eyes of the goddess for me to leave you defenceless. But you are awake now and I want you gone. I will not have your curse affect me and my family!"
Mel sat frozen in the bed and the woman snarled, anger transforming her features.
"GET OUT!"
The healer shoved a orange ribbon into her hands before roughly pushing her out the door and onto the stoop. Mel landed on her hands and knees as the door slammed behind her.
Mel took a ragged breath, her eyes glassy as she grabbed the railing and pulled herself to her feet, legs wobbling under her.
She looked down at the ribbon in her hand, a lump building in her throat that she forced herself to swallow. She couldn't let herself think about them now or she would break down. She had to be strong now, she had to find somewhere to go.
Taking careful steps to keep from falling because of how unsteady her legs were Mel carefully went down the stairs before walking along the road. Her parents although kind were very withdrawn people and since they had only come to Harburg when Mel was three they had no family for Mel to live with or close friends that would take Mel in.
Mel knew that she had no one that would take her in, but she knew of a place that she would at least be safe in until she could figure out where to go. The teen ally. All the homeless kids and teens with the exception of a few loners that lived outside the city slept in that ally.
Mel tiredly made her way down the street towards the ally that attracted the homeless and the troublemakers, avoiding the gazes of those who watched her. She didn't understand the anger in people's eyes as they looked at her.
She let out a sigh of relief upon reaching the ally, pausing momentarily and looking around at the smoke filled air and loud teens. She had barely taken a few steps into the ally when a hand clamped down on her shoulder.
"What are you doing here, cursed girl?"
So what did you think? Reviews are welcome! Flames shall be laughed at, posted for others to laugh at, and ignored as I continue the story.