Dear Isabella
Chapter Eight By A Shot of Amber
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!
Dear Isabella
Chapter Eight
Serena drove up the drive way and parked the car near the walkway leading to the door. No one was home now, the kids were at school and Andrew was at work. It would all be fine. She wouldn't have to deal with their looks. She knew it was hurting the kids to know that their mother had had a fight with their father and then walked out. It was hurting Andrew too. After so many happy years of marriage it was all falling apart.
Serena got out of her car and shut the door but she didn't bother locking it, she wanted to be out of there as quickly as possible. Serena walked up the walk way into the empty house. I was as quiet as she wanted it to be. Serena didn't even look at the computer, the start of all the evil that was happening but instead lightly ran up the stairs to her room. Once inside she pulled out her suitcase and begin to pack. It didn't take long, she gathered up all her clothes and threw them into a pile. Next came her make up bag and a few extra things she might need at the temple. As she packed her mind went back to the night before sitting in a motel room at two in morning calling a womyn she barely knew.
" Its me the MonPrincess also known as Serena and I need your help."
" Mon Princess? Serena is this you? Why are you calling at," there was a pause while she looked at the clock next to her bed, " two in the morning?"
Tears started flowing down her cheeks as she spoke again. " I just had a fight with my husband and I have no place to go. I know this is really short notice but you once said you would love to meet me and I was wondering if now would be a good time?"
Rei didn't say anything for a second as she let the information sink in then she sighed softly so Serena wouldn't hear. " This is really short notice. Are you coming tonight because everyone is already asleep and-"
" No I thought I could come later today and just stay a few days while I work something out, that would be fine right?"
" Of course, look why don't you come this afternoon after you get some sleep. You sound really tired and that way I can have everything set up for you."
" Yea that would be great." Serena wiped away the tears on her face. " Just give me directions."
" Of course." Rei settled herself more comfortably in her bed and looked over at her husband while Serena searched for paper and a pencil. What was going on here?
After Serena had gotten the directions from Rei she took all the spare change she had in her purse and went back out into the cold night air to the vending machines. Once she had an armful of sodas and bags of M&M's and potato chips she went back to room and assembled them on her bed. Now that reality had sunk in and she had a place to go she had realized she was hungry. Dressed only in her wrinkled and slightly dirty clothes, Serena sprawled out on the bed and watched late night TV while she ate her snacks and drank soda after soda.
At 4am she finally fell asleep while an old black and white movie played on the TV screen.
It had been a crazy night Serena thought to herself as she dragged two full suitcases down the stairs and out into the nippy daylight air. Serena threw both suitcases into her trunk before going back inside and walking over to the computer. She didn't know if she could do this but she would try. Serena turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up before she logged on. Once online she didn't even check for any messages from Darien but instead did what she felt was the best thing. She canceled her account.
Serena got up from the chair after she turned off the computer and walked back out the door making sure that she slammed the door in retaliation. It was too quiet inside the house.
Once on the rode Serena turned on the radio to combat the silence in the car. She selected a slow song playing on one of those top 40 stations. As Serena drove she thought of Darien, she had just cut ties with him. She didn't have his number so she couldn't call him. The only way he could speak to her was through the computer and now that was gone. Two tears tracked their way down her cheeks. Quickly Serena turned the radio station to something playing a fast up beat song and wiped away her tears.
She got to Rei's relatively quickly. It was a quiet temple with a parking lot far below the steps that led up to the main temple. Serena pulled out her suitcases, hitched up her purse and locked the car doors before she started up the stairs. It was a long walk and with the suitcases it went even slower. Several times she had to stop to catch her breath but eventually she made it to the top and to her first ever view of a Shinto temple. It was beautiful even in the dead of winter. Trees surrounded the wood and stone structure that must have been the temple. From the corner of her eye Serena saw a flash of red. She turned her head to see a womyn with long black hair wearing a red and white kimono standing in the doorway that had just slip open.
" Hello?" Serena called uncertainly.
The womyn looked up a broom clutched in her hands. The two of them just stared at each other until the womyn smiled and walked down the steps.
" Let me guess, you are Serena?"
" Yes I am," Serena smiled and let go of her suitcase so she could hold out a hand.
Rei shifted her broom to one hand and shook Serena's hand. " I was wondering when you would make it to the temple. I was just going to sweep the porch. Did you have a hard time coming up the steps?"
" It wasn't so bad," Serena lied as she picked up her suitcase again.
" No don't do that, Chad can take them." Rei turned back to the door and cupped a hand around her mouth. " Chad get out here!"
A few seconds later another door opened and a man dressed in a priest's outfit came out. He had longish brown hair which fell and covered his eyes which Serena would later find out were a soft brown color like that of a collie.
" Chad please take Serena's luggage to her room."
" So you must be Serena," Chad stepped forward. " I'm Chad, Rei's husband." He held out a hand to her which Serena shook before he let go and took her luggage from her.
" Chad you know where Serena is sleeping so we'll follow you to her room." Rei turned to Serena. " Follow me." She walked up the stairs and opened the sliding rice paper door for Serena. Serena walked in and watched Rei close the door before they headed off through the dark hallway.
" This is one of our nicest rooms so I hope you like it. The bath is at the end of the hallway to your right and the kitchen is to your left. Dinner is usually at 5 but if you are hungry before then feel free to raid the kitchen." Rei stopped and removed her shoes.
" This is your room," she opened the door and stepped in followed by Chad with her luggage.
Serena quickly removed her tennis sneakers and walked into the room. It was a rather large room done in a modern style with a bed right under the window and other furniture scattered around along with a large mirror that caught Serena's reflection. She looked into the mirror seeing a pale wide eyed girl with slightly messed up hair. Serena turned away from her reflection and watched Chad set down her luggage.
" If you need anything just call or come and find me. I'll be outside sweeping the steps." Rei bowed and took Chad's arm. " Lets leave her be, she looks absolutely peaked," Rei whispered to Chad as they left the room and closed the door.
Serena unfoundedly had heard what Rei had said and absentmindedly looked again into the mirror. She did looked peaked. Her skin was a pale white and she looked tired and scared. She was tired, bone tired but she couldn't sleep yet. Instead Serena begin to unpack her clothes. Everything went tidily into the dresser of drawers. In childhood Serena had been a slob but adulthood had taught her to be neat. Now she zipped up her empty bag and set it away in the closet along with some of her clothes that wrinkled easily so she hung them up. Her make-up bag and other essentials went into the washroom which was connected to her room.
Serena quietly undressed out of her dirty clothes from last night and threw them into a pile in a corner of the closet. She changed into her robe and gathered up her bottles of shampoo and conditioner and headed out of her room to the bathroom. The bathroom was thankfully modern also with a porcelain tub and a sink. She absentmindedly wondered why it wasn't the old fashioned kind that was heated by fire but didn't really feel like hunting Rei down to find out. Instead Serena filled the tub with lilac scented water and undressed. Her robe lay crumpled on the floor as she climbed into the tub and sat back in the water. For half an hour she did nothing but lay back in the tub and let her mind wonder. Darien was on her mind. She wondered what it would be like to have him sitting here watching her bath in the tub, just lying there. Serena smiled and ran a hand through her hair. She could feel the grime collecting in it. Serena reached for the bottle of shampoo and begin to wash her hair. Thoughts of Darien would have to be reserved for later, when she had time to really think about him, and the strength.
* * * * * * *
It had been a week since she ran away from home and came to the temple. Christmas was in another week and Serena had no one to celebrate it with. Rei and Chad were both Shinto so that meant no sparkling Christmas tree with its shiny glass ornaments hanging from its pine scented branches. Instead there was cold hallways and a warm bath that she spent hours in thinking of emails to send Darien. It was just to bad that she no longer had her account. She had cut off all contact with Darien and that was the way it was.
So why did it hurt so much?
Serena adjusted her gloves and reached up to touch one of the ice covered branches. It snapped in half and fell into her open palm. There had been an ice storm last night covering everything in ice. Now she stood dressed in jeans and a warm coat looking down at the little branch in her hand. The trees were groaning under the weight of the ice on their branches. All around her, she could hear the sounds of branches snapping and falling to the ground. Serena turned and begin walking back to the main temple so she could put away the little branch when she heard someone calling her name.
It was Rei.
" Serena! Come in out of that cold! Your crazy to be outside!"
Serena smiled and pocketed the ice covered twig. She walked up to where Rei stood shivering in the cold. Today had been a quiet day for the temple. They had only had a few visitors visiting and they only wanted to pray, not buy charms. Chad had ended up closing early and was now off somewhere practicing his martial arts. This left Serena and Rei alone to have tea in the kitchen.
From her first day she and Rei had hit it off. Rei was bossy and commanding but Serena liked her anyway. She hadn't told Rei much about her life before coming to the temple. Maybe today would be the day.
Inside the kitchen Serena sat at the table while Rei bustled about pouring hot water into the tea pot and adding tea leaves.
" I don't use tea bags. I prefer tea leaves better for their taste."
" Do you tell fortunes with tea leaves also?" Serena asked crossing her arms on the table top and bring them close to her body.
" Fortune telling is not my style. I'm not a gypsy you know." Rei turned and set the tray onto the table top. Instead of being dressed in her robe she had instead donned a crème colored wool dress over thick black stockings. Her hair was still loose and falling to her hips.
" Its awful about this cold weather. I'm afraid that it might ruin a lot of my trees," Rei said as she poured the hot water into cups and handed one to Serena.
" Its probably doing the same thing to my trees at home. Andrew will be cursing when he has to pick up all the dead branches," Serena replied without thinking then stopped as she realized she had just spoken of her home life.
Rei took a sip of her tea and set the cup down before she looked Serena straight in the eye. " Andrew is your husband." It was more of a statement then a question.
Serena sighed and turned away from Rei's stares. " Yes he is, I mean he was."
" You are getting a divorce?"
" No, nothing like that. Its really nothing,."
Rei shook her head so that her black hair whipped around her face. " It is not nothing. You came here looked like a little lost dog and that look is still in your eyes. I took you in because I knew you had no where else to go and from what I've gathered you fell in love with another man."
Serena looked up in shock. " How did you know that?"
Rei smiled and hugged her tea cup with both hands. " The scared fire told me."
" The scared fire?" Serena replied.
" Its nothing, I'll show you after we finish our tea, but the scared fire told me that you fell in love with another man. You left your husband for him but you never went to him. Instead you ran away from both of them and came to me."
Serena sighed again and took a sip of tea. " Its really a long story."
" I have all the time in the world."
"Yes but do I have all the time to tell it?"
" I don't know? Do you?" Rei asked
Serena took a sip of tea then looked up at Rei. " It all really started with the new computer." Quite before Serena knew it the story was pouring out of her. She told Rei everything from getting the new computer to meeting Darien online then in real life and falling in love with him.
" After I left my house after my fight with Andrew I went to a cheap motel and called you. I wanted to call Darien but I didn't know his number and I couldn't go to him. He has a wife and everything so it would be horrible for him if I showed up, and ruined everything, so now here I am sitting with you and wondering what I should do?"
" I think that you need to follow your heart." Rei patted her hand and smiled. "Who do you love more? That's the one you need to go too. Follow your heart to them and then you will find peace."
" Yes but if I follow my heart then people will get hurt." Serena replied softly.
Rei frowned and stood up. " Come and follow me. I want to show you something." She walked out of the room leaving Serena to stand up and follow.
They walked through the hallway to a room Serena had never seen before. In the middle a fire was crackling and hissing in its wooden gate. Rei stood in the doorway staring into the flames. Serena walked up next to her and stopped.
" Is this where the scared fire is?" She asked Rei who didn't look at her but only nodded.
" Look into the flames and clear your mind Serena. Just look and it will tell you what to do."
Serena looked at Rei for a second then looked into the flames. She tried clearing her mind but all she could think of was how crazy this was. Next to her Rei turned her head and watched Serena who was staring into the fire.
Serena felt like her body was as light as air the longer she stared into the fire. She could feel the heat on her face despite being across the room. Then suddenly the answer came to her. It was crystal clear as the ice outside on the trees.
" Serena?" It was Rei calling her back from the heights she had gone too.
" What was that?" Serena asked as she floated back to the surface of her thoughts.
" That was the scared fire telling you what to do. Do you understand now?"
" I thought you didn't do fortune telling."
" I don't," Rei looked into the flames, " but the fire does and what it told you, you must believe."
" Yes I must believe," Serena whispered softly.
" Rei! Are you in here?"
Rei and Serena turned to see Chad walked towards them with something in his arms.
" I'm right here by the fire. How was training?" Rei called back.
They could hear Chad's footsteps as he walked towards them from wherever he had come. In his arms a little girl dressed in white dress bounced up and down trying to get loose.
" Man training was tough today with Sakura. She kept getting in my way."
" Then why do you insist on bringing her with you into the cold training hall?"
" She likes to watch her daddy work out," Chad replied as he rumpled the girls dark hair affectionately.
Rei didn't reply but instead shook her head in exasperation while Sakura reached out with her little hands towards Rei who took her from Chad and gave her a kiss on the nose.
Serena smiled as she looked at the happy family. In the week that she had been there she had witnessed the happy family life that Rei had. Even though it was just the three of them Rei was really happy. It made Serena feel like the third wheel on a cart that only needed two. She was going to have to leave.
Serena rubbed her stomach softly as she got lost in her thoughts of the next few days.
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!
Chapter Eight By A Shot of Amber
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!
Dear Isabella
Chapter Eight
Serena drove up the drive way and parked the car near the walkway leading to the door. No one was home now, the kids were at school and Andrew was at work. It would all be fine. She wouldn't have to deal with their looks. She knew it was hurting the kids to know that their mother had had a fight with their father and then walked out. It was hurting Andrew too. After so many happy years of marriage it was all falling apart.
Serena got out of her car and shut the door but she didn't bother locking it, she wanted to be out of there as quickly as possible. Serena walked up the walk way into the empty house. I was as quiet as she wanted it to be. Serena didn't even look at the computer, the start of all the evil that was happening but instead lightly ran up the stairs to her room. Once inside she pulled out her suitcase and begin to pack. It didn't take long, she gathered up all her clothes and threw them into a pile. Next came her make up bag and a few extra things she might need at the temple. As she packed her mind went back to the night before sitting in a motel room at two in morning calling a womyn she barely knew.
" Its me the MonPrincess also known as Serena and I need your help."
" Mon Princess? Serena is this you? Why are you calling at," there was a pause while she looked at the clock next to her bed, " two in the morning?"
Tears started flowing down her cheeks as she spoke again. " I just had a fight with my husband and I have no place to go. I know this is really short notice but you once said you would love to meet me and I was wondering if now would be a good time?"
Rei didn't say anything for a second as she let the information sink in then she sighed softly so Serena wouldn't hear. " This is really short notice. Are you coming tonight because everyone is already asleep and-"
" No I thought I could come later today and just stay a few days while I work something out, that would be fine right?"
" Of course, look why don't you come this afternoon after you get some sleep. You sound really tired and that way I can have everything set up for you."
" Yea that would be great." Serena wiped away the tears on her face. " Just give me directions."
" Of course." Rei settled herself more comfortably in her bed and looked over at her husband while Serena searched for paper and a pencil. What was going on here?
After Serena had gotten the directions from Rei she took all the spare change she had in her purse and went back out into the cold night air to the vending machines. Once she had an armful of sodas and bags of M&M's and potato chips she went back to room and assembled them on her bed. Now that reality had sunk in and she had a place to go she had realized she was hungry. Dressed only in her wrinkled and slightly dirty clothes, Serena sprawled out on the bed and watched late night TV while she ate her snacks and drank soda after soda.
At 4am she finally fell asleep while an old black and white movie played on the TV screen.
It had been a crazy night Serena thought to herself as she dragged two full suitcases down the stairs and out into the nippy daylight air. Serena threw both suitcases into her trunk before going back inside and walking over to the computer. She didn't know if she could do this but she would try. Serena turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up before she logged on. Once online she didn't even check for any messages from Darien but instead did what she felt was the best thing. She canceled her account.
Serena got up from the chair after she turned off the computer and walked back out the door making sure that she slammed the door in retaliation. It was too quiet inside the house.
Once on the rode Serena turned on the radio to combat the silence in the car. She selected a slow song playing on one of those top 40 stations. As Serena drove she thought of Darien, she had just cut ties with him. She didn't have his number so she couldn't call him. The only way he could speak to her was through the computer and now that was gone. Two tears tracked their way down her cheeks. Quickly Serena turned the radio station to something playing a fast up beat song and wiped away her tears.
She got to Rei's relatively quickly. It was a quiet temple with a parking lot far below the steps that led up to the main temple. Serena pulled out her suitcases, hitched up her purse and locked the car doors before she started up the stairs. It was a long walk and with the suitcases it went even slower. Several times she had to stop to catch her breath but eventually she made it to the top and to her first ever view of a Shinto temple. It was beautiful even in the dead of winter. Trees surrounded the wood and stone structure that must have been the temple. From the corner of her eye Serena saw a flash of red. She turned her head to see a womyn with long black hair wearing a red and white kimono standing in the doorway that had just slip open.
" Hello?" Serena called uncertainly.
The womyn looked up a broom clutched in her hands. The two of them just stared at each other until the womyn smiled and walked down the steps.
" Let me guess, you are Serena?"
" Yes I am," Serena smiled and let go of her suitcase so she could hold out a hand.
Rei shifted her broom to one hand and shook Serena's hand. " I was wondering when you would make it to the temple. I was just going to sweep the porch. Did you have a hard time coming up the steps?"
" It wasn't so bad," Serena lied as she picked up her suitcase again.
" No don't do that, Chad can take them." Rei turned back to the door and cupped a hand around her mouth. " Chad get out here!"
A few seconds later another door opened and a man dressed in a priest's outfit came out. He had longish brown hair which fell and covered his eyes which Serena would later find out were a soft brown color like that of a collie.
" Chad please take Serena's luggage to her room."
" So you must be Serena," Chad stepped forward. " I'm Chad, Rei's husband." He held out a hand to her which Serena shook before he let go and took her luggage from her.
" Chad you know where Serena is sleeping so we'll follow you to her room." Rei turned to Serena. " Follow me." She walked up the stairs and opened the sliding rice paper door for Serena. Serena walked in and watched Rei close the door before they headed off through the dark hallway.
" This is one of our nicest rooms so I hope you like it. The bath is at the end of the hallway to your right and the kitchen is to your left. Dinner is usually at 5 but if you are hungry before then feel free to raid the kitchen." Rei stopped and removed her shoes.
" This is your room," she opened the door and stepped in followed by Chad with her luggage.
Serena quickly removed her tennis sneakers and walked into the room. It was a rather large room done in a modern style with a bed right under the window and other furniture scattered around along with a large mirror that caught Serena's reflection. She looked into the mirror seeing a pale wide eyed girl with slightly messed up hair. Serena turned away from her reflection and watched Chad set down her luggage.
" If you need anything just call or come and find me. I'll be outside sweeping the steps." Rei bowed and took Chad's arm. " Lets leave her be, she looks absolutely peaked," Rei whispered to Chad as they left the room and closed the door.
Serena unfoundedly had heard what Rei had said and absentmindedly looked again into the mirror. She did looked peaked. Her skin was a pale white and she looked tired and scared. She was tired, bone tired but she couldn't sleep yet. Instead Serena begin to unpack her clothes. Everything went tidily into the dresser of drawers. In childhood Serena had been a slob but adulthood had taught her to be neat. Now she zipped up her empty bag and set it away in the closet along with some of her clothes that wrinkled easily so she hung them up. Her make-up bag and other essentials went into the washroom which was connected to her room.
Serena quietly undressed out of her dirty clothes from last night and threw them into a pile in a corner of the closet. She changed into her robe and gathered up her bottles of shampoo and conditioner and headed out of her room to the bathroom. The bathroom was thankfully modern also with a porcelain tub and a sink. She absentmindedly wondered why it wasn't the old fashioned kind that was heated by fire but didn't really feel like hunting Rei down to find out. Instead Serena filled the tub with lilac scented water and undressed. Her robe lay crumpled on the floor as she climbed into the tub and sat back in the water. For half an hour she did nothing but lay back in the tub and let her mind wonder. Darien was on her mind. She wondered what it would be like to have him sitting here watching her bath in the tub, just lying there. Serena smiled and ran a hand through her hair. She could feel the grime collecting in it. Serena reached for the bottle of shampoo and begin to wash her hair. Thoughts of Darien would have to be reserved for later, when she had time to really think about him, and the strength.
* * * * * * *
It had been a week since she ran away from home and came to the temple. Christmas was in another week and Serena had no one to celebrate it with. Rei and Chad were both Shinto so that meant no sparkling Christmas tree with its shiny glass ornaments hanging from its pine scented branches. Instead there was cold hallways and a warm bath that she spent hours in thinking of emails to send Darien. It was just to bad that she no longer had her account. She had cut off all contact with Darien and that was the way it was.
So why did it hurt so much?
Serena adjusted her gloves and reached up to touch one of the ice covered branches. It snapped in half and fell into her open palm. There had been an ice storm last night covering everything in ice. Now she stood dressed in jeans and a warm coat looking down at the little branch in her hand. The trees were groaning under the weight of the ice on their branches. All around her, she could hear the sounds of branches snapping and falling to the ground. Serena turned and begin walking back to the main temple so she could put away the little branch when she heard someone calling her name.
It was Rei.
" Serena! Come in out of that cold! Your crazy to be outside!"
Serena smiled and pocketed the ice covered twig. She walked up to where Rei stood shivering in the cold. Today had been a quiet day for the temple. They had only had a few visitors visiting and they only wanted to pray, not buy charms. Chad had ended up closing early and was now off somewhere practicing his martial arts. This left Serena and Rei alone to have tea in the kitchen.
From her first day she and Rei had hit it off. Rei was bossy and commanding but Serena liked her anyway. She hadn't told Rei much about her life before coming to the temple. Maybe today would be the day.
Inside the kitchen Serena sat at the table while Rei bustled about pouring hot water into the tea pot and adding tea leaves.
" I don't use tea bags. I prefer tea leaves better for their taste."
" Do you tell fortunes with tea leaves also?" Serena asked crossing her arms on the table top and bring them close to her body.
" Fortune telling is not my style. I'm not a gypsy you know." Rei turned and set the tray onto the table top. Instead of being dressed in her robe she had instead donned a crème colored wool dress over thick black stockings. Her hair was still loose and falling to her hips.
" Its awful about this cold weather. I'm afraid that it might ruin a lot of my trees," Rei said as she poured the hot water into cups and handed one to Serena.
" Its probably doing the same thing to my trees at home. Andrew will be cursing when he has to pick up all the dead branches," Serena replied without thinking then stopped as she realized she had just spoken of her home life.
Rei took a sip of her tea and set the cup down before she looked Serena straight in the eye. " Andrew is your husband." It was more of a statement then a question.
Serena sighed and turned away from Rei's stares. " Yes he is, I mean he was."
" You are getting a divorce?"
" No, nothing like that. Its really nothing,."
Rei shook her head so that her black hair whipped around her face. " It is not nothing. You came here looked like a little lost dog and that look is still in your eyes. I took you in because I knew you had no where else to go and from what I've gathered you fell in love with another man."
Serena looked up in shock. " How did you know that?"
Rei smiled and hugged her tea cup with both hands. " The scared fire told me."
" The scared fire?" Serena replied.
" Its nothing, I'll show you after we finish our tea, but the scared fire told me that you fell in love with another man. You left your husband for him but you never went to him. Instead you ran away from both of them and came to me."
Serena sighed again and took a sip of tea. " Its really a long story."
" I have all the time in the world."
"Yes but do I have all the time to tell it?"
" I don't know? Do you?" Rei asked
Serena took a sip of tea then looked up at Rei. " It all really started with the new computer." Quite before Serena knew it the story was pouring out of her. She told Rei everything from getting the new computer to meeting Darien online then in real life and falling in love with him.
" After I left my house after my fight with Andrew I went to a cheap motel and called you. I wanted to call Darien but I didn't know his number and I couldn't go to him. He has a wife and everything so it would be horrible for him if I showed up, and ruined everything, so now here I am sitting with you and wondering what I should do?"
" I think that you need to follow your heart." Rei patted her hand and smiled. "Who do you love more? That's the one you need to go too. Follow your heart to them and then you will find peace."
" Yes but if I follow my heart then people will get hurt." Serena replied softly.
Rei frowned and stood up. " Come and follow me. I want to show you something." She walked out of the room leaving Serena to stand up and follow.
They walked through the hallway to a room Serena had never seen before. In the middle a fire was crackling and hissing in its wooden gate. Rei stood in the doorway staring into the flames. Serena walked up next to her and stopped.
" Is this where the scared fire is?" She asked Rei who didn't look at her but only nodded.
" Look into the flames and clear your mind Serena. Just look and it will tell you what to do."
Serena looked at Rei for a second then looked into the flames. She tried clearing her mind but all she could think of was how crazy this was. Next to her Rei turned her head and watched Serena who was staring into the fire.
Serena felt like her body was as light as air the longer she stared into the fire. She could feel the heat on her face despite being across the room. Then suddenly the answer came to her. It was crystal clear as the ice outside on the trees.
" Serena?" It was Rei calling her back from the heights she had gone too.
" What was that?" Serena asked as she floated back to the surface of her thoughts.
" That was the scared fire telling you what to do. Do you understand now?"
" I thought you didn't do fortune telling."
" I don't," Rei looked into the flames, " but the fire does and what it told you, you must believe."
" Yes I must believe," Serena whispered softly.
" Rei! Are you in here?"
Rei and Serena turned to see Chad walked towards them with something in his arms.
" I'm right here by the fire. How was training?" Rei called back.
They could hear Chad's footsteps as he walked towards them from wherever he had come. In his arms a little girl dressed in white dress bounced up and down trying to get loose.
" Man training was tough today with Sakura. She kept getting in my way."
" Then why do you insist on bringing her with you into the cold training hall?"
" She likes to watch her daddy work out," Chad replied as he rumpled the girls dark hair affectionately.
Rei didn't reply but instead shook her head in exasperation while Sakura reached out with her little hands towards Rei who took her from Chad and gave her a kiss on the nose.
Serena smiled as she looked at the happy family. In the week that she had been there she had witnessed the happy family life that Rei had. Even though it was just the three of them Rei was really happy. It made Serena feel like the third wheel on a cart that only needed two. She was going to have to leave.
Serena rubbed her stomach softly as she got lost in her thoughts of the next few days.
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