Chapter 6:

Almost a year had passed since "that" night. My life seemed to have gone back to its usual routines. Every day, I woke up, go to school, walked around the hall invisibly then rushed to work when the bell rang. Every night I got home to mountains of dirty dished and laundry, and sometimes, Natharn's vomit on the carpet. Nothing changed, except my mother found out she had last stage breast cancer. The news came as a shock to all of us, even Natharn seemed a little concerned. Now half of my saving had gone into her medicines and trips to the hospital. Only I knew that nothing was the same.

In the dark of the night, dreams of the burning house still haunted me. However, last night, the riders saw me. They surrounded me, screaming "Rose Mazur!". I tried to convince them I was only Alisha Anderson, but none would hear of it. They tossed some powder at me, and where it touched me, flame flared. A scream escaped my lips and I tried desperately to brush it off, but it stuck on my skin like glue. I smelled my roasted flesh and knew the end was coming. There was no escape. As I was about to give in, a woman's voice, faint as the wind, whispered into my ear, "Can you feel the heat?". I startled... "Then what should you do?", it laughed and faded away. Fire was still dancing on my body but I wasn't afraid anymore. I slowly stood up, feeling more powerful than I'd ever felt, like a phoenix reborn... Then I woke up.

Dawn came, and for the first time of the year, I felt refreshed. I opened the window and welcomed the wind, letting it tussle my hair and tickle my nose. Suddenly, I remembered the little diary. After a week of trying in vain to open it, I let it settle down in the back of my closet. My guess was that it needed a trigger word, which was "Janine Hathaway" in this case, but I didn't dare try it again for fear it would turn the whole house upside down. Then the boring daily routines swept it out of my mind.

Today, I finally found the courage to see it again. I brushed away the dust coating its cover and left the house at first light, gently closed the door behind me. I headed to the small wood behind our house. The air was filled with the scent of pine and every leaves twinkled with dew. It was such a lovely morning that I felt a pang of guilt for what I was about to do. After half an hour or so, I reached my small hideout by the stream. I found this place over ten years ago when I tried to run away from home. In my memory, the stream had always been calm, its silky water always eased my fear and weariness, but today, it seemed angry with rushing water and bubbles exploding on the rocks. I smirked, thinking, "Even the wood knows I'm up to something bad".

I sat down on a log and held the diary on my lap. I traced the patterns on its cover, feeling the cool leather beneath my fingers. May be I could just seat here all day, imagining "mother" beside me instead of wrecking havoc. That would be for the best, but I couldn't stand the curiosity that had been nagging me all year anymore. And how could I let the little courage found this morning go to waste! And I whisper, "Janine Hathaway…"

Again, the wind rose. Again, the cold cut into my flesh. Again, everything around me was pulled into a wild dance. But I didn't freak out like last time. I clung on to the log and held my breath as I waited for the book to glow.

…

…

…

Nothing happened.

…

"Nooo! Do something you stupid! I didn't ruin my favorite place for nothing! Open up! Glow! Flutter! Anything! …Please!", tears swelled up in my eyes. "Please… I just want an answer… I just want to know…", my voice died and turned into sobs.

The wind blew stronger but I didn't care anymore. The diary was closed, and I couldn't stop the wind the way I did last time. I knew nothing of this sorcery! I just wanted to be numb, to not feel the disappointment and anger building inside me. Whoever this "Janine" was, I was sure she wanted me dead! She could never be my mother, I meant, what kind of mother would drop her child at some random door, hoping she would be adopted then left her with a cursed book! I look at it, then with one furious movement, I threw it into the stream.

The moment it touched the water, fire roared as if I tossed a match into a tank of gas. Fire burned high like a wall on the water, showing me a landscape. Two armies on horseback was charging at each other and a woman was sitting on the cloud above the bloody battlefield, looking so full of herself. I squinted, trying to get a better look at her face but the fire shuddered and the scene disappeared.

I stood there, dumbfounded as the flame burned higher and turned everything in its way to ashes. Heat hit me like a truck, and I suddenly realized: the wind was blowing in the direction of my house...

A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading this story :) I'm sure you liked it (if you don't, you probably won't be reading this now *laugh*) and I'm soooo happy to see the number of favorites and followers increase. BUT WHY WON'T YOU REVIEWWW! I really want to hear your opinions! C'monnn, make my day :D

Thanks for reading again ^.^