Chapter 2: Silence
Erin looked out the window, watching the sheets of rain hit the dirt ground and bounce off. The window itself looked like a mirror of water: the way it reflected images, making them twist and contort as the water slid off the glass pane. She didn't make a sound, just sat there staring out the window at her reflection. Not much had happened that day; she was the only one home, since she lived by herself. There was always a silence about the house, Even if a noise was made it was as though the walls themselves sucked it up, returning silence to the abode.
Erin moved away from the window and walked over to her piano, not making a sound, then lightly ran her fingers over the keys.
She just looked at it for a while, then after a moment she pulled out the bench so that she might sit. She hit one of the keys and listened to the sound float about the house. It was her voice, since she had none of her own. A bolt of lightning cracked sharply outside.
Slowly, as though it would collapse under her weight, she sat down on the bench. Her fingers began to play, making a beautiful melody emanate throughout the house. She closed her eyes and just listened, her hands taking on minds of their own.
At the sound of another bolt of lightning and her horse running, Erin's eyes shot open. She stood quickly and ran out the front door into the pouring rain, then ran across the yard to the fenced off section her horse was kept in. The rain was falling so heavily that she was completely drenched by the time she reached it. The large black gelding started when it saw her, but ran towards her after she was recognized, hoping to find safety.
Erin reached her hands up to its head, stroking it soothingly. The horse slowly began to calm down, until lightning struck again, this time hitting the ground near her house. The area that the lightning struck was surrounded by dry leaves, as they were kept dry from the overhanging roof. She watched in horror as they sparked and caught fire, beginning to spread slowly to the rest of her house.
Erin looked on in terror as her horse, Aegnor, began to run about the yard, slipping in the mud and almost running through trees. Erin didn't know what to do, he was going to hurt himself and she couldn't control him from her position standing on the ground. She thought for a moment and then came to a quick decision. She ran across the yard to a path that she anticipated Aegnor taking, and waited, watching him closely, until he turned and began to run in her direction.
He was going very fast and was slipping, so this would be difficult. Erin looked up to the sky, which was near black with the dark storm clouds rolling in. She looked back to her horse, her eyes set in determination: now was her chance. As Aegnor passed she reached her hands up, grasped his mane, and swung herself up onto his back. She was almost thrown off immediately. Her horse was in a blind panic; there had never been a storm this bad before.
Erin hugged her body close to his and held on tight, Aegnor was running directly toward the burning house. She sucked in a sharp breath and braced herself. Aegnor stopped abruptly and reared up onto his hind legs, sliding across the mud. Erin heard another sharp crack of lightning. She looked up and saw a bright flash of light before everything went black.
Erin looked out the window, watching the sheets of rain hit the dirt ground and bounce off. The window itself looked like a mirror of water: the way it reflected images, making them twist and contort as the water slid off the glass pane. She didn't make a sound, just sat there staring out the window at her reflection. Not much had happened that day; she was the only one home, since she lived by herself. There was always a silence about the house, Even if a noise was made it was as though the walls themselves sucked it up, returning silence to the abode.
Erin moved away from the window and walked over to her piano, not making a sound, then lightly ran her fingers over the keys.
She just looked at it for a while, then after a moment she pulled out the bench so that she might sit. She hit one of the keys and listened to the sound float about the house. It was her voice, since she had none of her own. A bolt of lightning cracked sharply outside.
Slowly, as though it would collapse under her weight, she sat down on the bench. Her fingers began to play, making a beautiful melody emanate throughout the house. She closed her eyes and just listened, her hands taking on minds of their own.
At the sound of another bolt of lightning and her horse running, Erin's eyes shot open. She stood quickly and ran out the front door into the pouring rain, then ran across the yard to the fenced off section her horse was kept in. The rain was falling so heavily that she was completely drenched by the time she reached it. The large black gelding started when it saw her, but ran towards her after she was recognized, hoping to find safety.
Erin reached her hands up to its head, stroking it soothingly. The horse slowly began to calm down, until lightning struck again, this time hitting the ground near her house. The area that the lightning struck was surrounded by dry leaves, as they were kept dry from the overhanging roof. She watched in horror as they sparked and caught fire, beginning to spread slowly to the rest of her house.
Erin looked on in terror as her horse, Aegnor, began to run about the yard, slipping in the mud and almost running through trees. Erin didn't know what to do, he was going to hurt himself and she couldn't control him from her position standing on the ground. She thought for a moment and then came to a quick decision. She ran across the yard to a path that she anticipated Aegnor taking, and waited, watching him closely, until he turned and began to run in her direction.
He was going very fast and was slipping, so this would be difficult. Erin looked up to the sky, which was near black with the dark storm clouds rolling in. She looked back to her horse, her eyes set in determination: now was her chance. As Aegnor passed she reached her hands up, grasped his mane, and swung herself up onto his back. She was almost thrown off immediately. Her horse was in a blind panic; there had never been a storm this bad before.
Erin hugged her body close to his and held on tight, Aegnor was running directly toward the burning house. She sucked in a sharp breath and braced herself. Aegnor stopped abruptly and reared up onto his hind legs, sliding across the mud. Erin heard another sharp crack of lightning. She looked up and saw a bright flash of light before everything went black.