The sun bore down upon the town of Veros. All around life flourished with each individual's routine. Bees extract honey from the flowers outside the flower shop and the butcher rides his horse cart with the next day's meat. Men return from the forest with firewood for the night and wives place sundry clothes in the hamper. To a visitor this would be a common scene to find in the many towns that populate the countryside. It is hard to believe that this beautiful lush town scarcely resembles the small village that once stood on the same spot nearly ten years ago. The village of Veros was small and for many years scantily populated. Legends say that it was regularly the target of evil spirits and angry demons that thrive in the legends of this land. But eight years ago the land was hit harshly by a weeklong rain storm. It flooded the lands and made rivers of mud that took months to subside. The destruction of the small village as well as the death of its inhabitants was attributed to the storm. After several years a large and prosperous town was built over the mud and dirt remains. Legends of skeleton armies and man-wolves were now far from the minds of the town folk. They're only used to scare children into submission, children such as those that played in front of the baker's house.
"Kick it Clark! Before Bess gets it!" Anthony yelled. Clark, a boy eight years old with black hair flapping in the wind was running with all his might to reach the dirty brown ball that lay ten feet ahead of him. But he was too late. The blond haired Bess kicked the ball in the direction of her compatriots.
"Damn!" Anthony cursed.
"Anthony! What did I tell you about cursing!" A voice cried out. Anthony turned with a sheepish face. "Sorry Carrie. I'll try harder." Carrie smiled with satisfaction as the young boy returned to the ball game. Carrie sat on top of a wooden barrel overlooking the game. She was the oldest so it was her job to watch over the little ones. The three boys and three girls that were "fighting" over a dirty ball made of rubber were all eight years old. All of them except Florence who was still seven. Carrie was twelve years old and had short black that went down to her neck. She wore a blue green dress that was really more green than blue. She watched the game but was lost in her thoughts. She struggled to think of something entertaining. The game was only fun if you were in it but to make it fair she had to stay out of it, that plus the fact that she was older. Carrie wished that there were someone else her age in Veros. Someone that she could play with and not feel like she had an advantage over them. But there wasn't so Carrie sat and watched.
From behind large bushes two eyes peered through the branches. The bright blue
eyes scanned the sporting scene for several moments and then focused on Carrie.
It held the stare for what seemed like an eternity. He had seen her many times
before but he was not allowed to speak to her. That only made him want to speak
to her more. He wanted to know what she was like. Was she nice? Was she mean?
She did not look mean, in fact she looked quite nice. But she always seemed
sad, even when she was happy. He felt like he could understand her and that
made the voice mad.
What are you looking at?
"Nothing."
Don't lie to me. You know you can't.
"She's pretty. I want to talk to her."
What did I tell you! What have I always told you!
"I'm sorry. Don't get mad."
I'm not mad, the voice said. I only want what's best for you. Even as the voice said it Malus knew it was a lie. Just as he could not lie to it, it could not lie to him.
"She's special isn't she?"
Yes she is.
"So why don't you let me talk to her?"
It is not your place, yet.
Malus was suddenly drawn back into reality as he heard the cries and whimpers of children. To his left he saw a dirty rubber ball roll into a nearby brush. The children whined and cried out to Carrie. Malus heard her telling them not to worry, she would get the ball.
"All of you stay here, I'll be back in a minute."
Perhaps it is time to test something.
Carrie was about ten feet from the ball when something rushed by quickly. It was so fast that she thought it might be an animal. But then Carrie saw that the ball was gone. What animal would take the ball? "Hey, come back here!" Carrie yelled. She started run, but as she ran she had no idea where she was going or whom she was running after. Finally she came into a wide plain surrounded by trees and forest. In the center of the plain was the rubber ball, dirtier than ever. She slowly walked towards it keeping a good eye all around her. Dirt she walked on was an odd color. As she bent down to pick up the ball she grabbed some in her hand. Carrie looked up towards the sky as the color of the ground triggered memories long since buried. Tears ran down her cheeks as bright lights engulfed familiar faces. Bright lights that were really
"Flames."
Carrie snapped away from her memories and found herself looking at small figure dressed in a purple suit. The figure was a boy, nearly her size, with blue hair and blue eyes. To Carrie it was as though he had just appeared from nowhere and so for a moment she had no idea how to react.
"Who are you?" Carrie finally said.
"Malus."
"I've never heard that name before."
"I've never heard your name before."
"Carrie is a common name!"
"I didn't say it wasn't, I just said I had never heard you name."
"That's not what I" Carrie stopped after she realized that he was playing with her.
"You don't look old enough to be a smart mouth, Malus."
"I'm seven, eight in three days."
"Why did you take my ball?"
"I didn't."
Carrie considered him for a moment. It was odd. Looking into his eyes she could see that he was telling the truth and yet somehow she knew it had been him. That made Carrie want to hit him in the head. She felt like the seven-year-old was outsmarting her. It was embarrassing. She then turned her attention back to where they were.
"It's quiet here. Do you come here often?"
"Yes. It's the only place I can really think. That and I know no one else will come here."
"Why?"
"Because of the ground."
"What was it you said about the ground?"
"I said, flames."
Carrie was annoyed again. "Why did you say that?"
"I could see you recognized the color of the ground. This place was once on fire. People tell themselves that a long time ago a flood destroyed this little village but they know it was fire. It's always fire around here. You know about that don't you? You and I both know about it."
Carrie was struggling to break their locked gaze but could not. She felt like he was reading her thoughts from her gazing eyes. "You don't talk like a seven-year-old."
"I've had a special teacher."
Finally she broke the gaze. She looked at the ball in her hands and kept her gaze there. "I've never seen you around before. Where do you live?"
"In the town. My parents say there is something"
"Carrie!" A voice cried out. Carrie turned in the general direction of her mother's voice. When she turned back towards Malus, he was gone. Carrie saw her mother come out from the bushes. Her cheeks were as red as her hair. At first sight of her, Henrietta quickly brushed away the tears from her bright green eyes.
"Carrie! You had me worried sick. Why did you run so far away?"
"I'm sorry mother. The ball got kicked this far into the bush."
Carrie's mother was too relieved to see Carrie safe and sound to question her any further. "Next time just leave it," she said. Henrietta clutched Carrie in her arms. Quickly they strode away through the bushes, but not before Henrietta caught a glimpse of something, something with blue hair.
Night had fallen upon the town of Veros. Henrietta along with Carrie finished dropping off the last three children, Diana, Edward, and Florence. Their parents were grateful towards them for taking care of them all day. Henrietta and Carrie were very much loved in Veros. Everyone knew their sad story. Carrie was of course an orphan. Henrietta was on the other hand a widow. Everyone knew that they were not truly blood-related but no one thought it really mattered. Both of them lived together on the second floor of the town bakery. The owner was not known for his kindness but seemed to like them for some reason. He let them live in his bakery free of charge. The only condition was that Henrietta would have to work for him. It was not hard work and after all, Henrietta turned out to be a very good baker.
The only light in the bakery came from the few candles that Henrietta lit around the bakery and the two in the center of the dinner table. Carrie stared at her empty plate. It had been a delicious meal like always. She loved Henrietta's cooking. For some reason Carrie found herself trying to think of a time when she did not know of her delicious food. In fact all day Carrie found herself thinking about a lot of things that she had never thought about before. Henrietta had told her many times that it was a sign she was becoming mature. Carrie hoped she wasn't becoming an adult. As much as she loved her mother, she couldn't trust too many adults. She always felt that they thought different from young people. They way of thinking is always so clouded with other things that only adults would think about. Carrie suddenly found herself asking her mother something that had never occurred to her before.
"What happened in that open field you found me in today?"
Henrietta looked somewhat stunned at the question. She held a plate half raised from the dinner table for a moment before finishing the motion to pick it up. She took it and dropped it away with all the other dishes that she would have to clean up for tomorrow.
"Mother?"
"Why do you ask me such a thing?"
"I just want to know."
"It was where the old village used to be. Didn't they teach you this at school?"
"Yes."
"So why do you ask?"
"I don't know. I thought maybe it had been something else."
"Something else? Like what?"
"Fire."
"Now if they told you it was a flood why would you think it was a fire?"
"Maybe the adults didn't want to remember. Adults never want to remember anything."
"Now there's enough of that. Aren't you sleepy?"
"No."
"Well you should,"
Henrietta said as she tugged at Carrie and ushered up to bed. "It's past
your bedtime." She helped her into her sleeping gown, tucked her in, and
gave her a kiss on the forehead. After Carrie had long since fell asleep she
blew out the remaining candles in the bakery. Then Henrietta sat alone in the
dark. She worked hard to give Carrie a good life. She hoped she had been successful
up until now. But today she felt like that had been threatened. Finding Carrie
in that field worried her. Every person carries their own share of scars and
bad memories. It was Carrie's misfortune that hers happen to have led her back
here. Henrietta did not always live in Veros . She lived with her husband in
a village faraway from here. When her husband passed away she became very reclusive,
rarely going out into the streets. One day she did go out of her house. On that
day it just so happen that villagers were burning a pair of witches they had
found trying to steal some food. Why witches would steal food was a matter for
the judges to figure out. Nevertheless the pair was sentenced to be burned.
Henrietta hated burnings. Then, to her surprise she stumbled upon a little girl
hiding behind some barrels. The girl turned out to be Carrie. She was about
four years old and skinny as though she had not eaten in days. Henrietta swore
that the moment she found her she had found herself a reason to live. It took
her a while but eventually Carrie began to talk again. At one point, she began
to ignore the fact that Henrietta wasn't her real mother. In fact Henrietta
wasn't sure if she remembered he real parents. Nonetheless Henrietta worked
quietly to try and find out who her parents really were. She knew that one day
Carrie would want to know. Now Henrietta felt as though that day might be approaching.
Henrietta stayed in the darkness and pondered in Carrie's lineage which she
knew would bring her young daughter great peril.
Chapter 21:
A Day in Darkness