Chapter 4
12 Years Later…
Constance Ford awoke.
Her eyes focused on the fire before her. She was engrossed in the swaying of the flames, the different shades of red and yellow and orange, the warmth that emanated from it. Fire had become almost an obsession for Constance although she didn't know why.
Sitting up, she leant back on the wall, closed her eyes and let the warmth flow over her. Hearing a noise in front of her, she opened her eyes and looked past the roaring fire before her and into the eyes of another.
"Hello Constance." It was a woman's' voice although it wasn't nurturing like a mother's, it was rough and the sympathy was obviously fake. Constance didn't bother to ask how she knew her name. This was the fourth time a woman like this had found her and even if they didn't all know her name by now it wasn't hard to recognize her. Three faces tend to make you stand out from the crowd.
"Just clear off" Constance muttered as she stood up and begin to gather up any of her belongings that were littered about the floor. The fire in the bin continued to burn and every now and again Constance would throw on another piece of scrap wood to keep it alive. The woman carefully stepped around the burning bin and began to talk to Constance. "The streets are no place for a 12 year old girl, I've got a warm bed and good food waiting for you at the hostel."
"I know, I've heard it all before and for the fourth time, I believe you, damn it." She sighed and then finished. "I just don't like the hostels. I don't exactly fit in do I. I'm better off here." She stared long and hard into the woman's eyes, desperately trying to make her understand but in the end she admitted defeat. It'd never happen.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and started to walk towards the woman. The woman stepped back, a smile on her face. The woman turned her back and began to walk towards the street at the end of the alleyway. Constance stopped abruptly and closed her eyes.
"Hello again Constance" came his voice.
"What do you want now?" she said backing away into the darkness.
A circle of fire appeared around her and in front of her stood him. "Your body of course" he chuckled before slamming his fist into her face. She crumpled to the floor and the flames extinguished.
"Ssim em esucxe?" Constance shouted to the woman.
"What?" she replied, turning to face Constance, a puzzled look on her face.
"Lleh fo serif eht ekil uoy od woh?" she cackled, the flaming bin resting in her hands. The woman stood petrified, afraid of the face, the left face, afraid of the voice, the malice and the fire. She only realized what had happened when she felt the heat on her head, the heat from the flames burning away her hair and beginning to melt her scalp.
Constance stood back and watched. She watched and laughed. Laughed as she watched the woman struggle to escape the burning bin, struggled without the chance of ever escaping. Constance just laughed, a sick little chuckle before turning away. Finally boring of the dying woman, Constance picked up her bag and ran to the end of the alleyway, fleeing the scene of the crime.
"Constance! Constance! Wake up!" The White Woman approached, her aura bathing Constance in bright light. She had searched for Constance for 12 years now, traveling the darkness of her mind and she wouldn't let her die now, not to him.
"He…" Constance mumbled.
"He what dear?" The White Woman inquired anxious to know what she had to say.
"Hit me," She finished, sitting up and looking the White Woman in the eyes.
"Yes, I noticed." It was hard not to she thought. The pool of blood and the bruise on her nose certainly helped her come to that conclusion. "We've got to get you away from here. He'll be back soon and I want you somewhere safe, somewhere he won't find you so I can go and sort out his mess. Quick child come with me."
Pulling Constance to her feet, the White Woman began to lead her into the darkness and supposedly to safety.