Center of the Flames

Chapter 4: Who Are You

Chapter Four: Who are you

Section Twelve: *never ever getting back together by Taylor Swift*

I'm desperately trying to figure out where I am, all I see are walls of crumbling dirt, dirt covering my legs and peppering my waist. I'm sitting up in this ditch, covered in earth. I'm lost in my thoughts, I start hyperventilating, what's happening? I try and stand but my body won't let me, I feel heavier than I've ever been, grounded.

All I can do is look around. I turn my gaze up, and see a blurry figure, sitting on the ground, two feet dangling down towards the area I'm lying in. They quickly get up, seeming scared, and I continue studying them. The storm clouds and rain blurring together, just as my thoughts and memories are now, with what I think is a person. I can't process this information as quickly as it's coming in, but I see black. Long black dress, long black hair, tawny brown skin, and white patches.

My vision starts to clear, and I see a startled face. I realize that those white patches are bandages, covering what I think would be battle scars. I look back at this face and attempt to identify the features. Their thick lips are open, revealing a gap in their teeth. There are bumps on the sides of their face, and This unidentified person's thin eyebrows are at the top of their forehead, accompanying their dark brown eyes, opened wide in shock. They seem similar, but I still can't figure out where I know them from.

This figure, still dazed, jumps down into the ditch I'm in. Grave? Before I can think about this anymore, they lean down, reaching their arm out, offering to help me up. I accept this unspoken offer and use all my strength to move my arm towards theirs. They help hoist me up, and I feel the softness of their arm, their skin.

Memories start to come back to me.

A marriage, a fight, a dance, family, love. An escape, chaos, laughter, revenge, a figure, a tiger, plants, running, fire, something else I can't put my finger on.

I escape these confusing memories I don't know if I ever lived, and I'm back in reality. What I think is reality at least. I try my hardest to stay standing as this familiar person walks next to me, my arm around her. I move my head and look at her face. She seems scared, confused, but determined. I try to speak, but nothing comes out.

"Hey, it's alright, let's get you inside." This is comforting, and I recognize this voice just as much as I recognize this person's appearance. Who are you-

I'm inside. I look around, confused. How did I get here? We were just outside, the rain was covering... A blanket is covering my body, and I'm sitting in a chair. I wonder where the person is, and as I look out the window, covering the wall to the left me, rain tapping against it. The person comes back, this time I think I know who it is.

"Are you- is this- are-" I sigh. "Astrid?"

"That's me..." She softly says as she comes to sit on the arm of the light teal chair I'm sitting on, blanket in her hand. There's a pink chair right next to it why would she try to sit on mine-

She sits next to me, I quickly push her off and stand up. I feel my head spinning, I lean down and grab the edge of the table to stabilize myself. I look back at "Astrid" as I try to piece my thoughts together. Before I know what's happening I feel my hand on her leg, and I push her off.

"What are you doing?" This snaps me out of this trance, and I respond, trying to sound coherent.

"You don't care about me, you don't love me. Stop pretending you do."

"What-"

"You don't love me!"

"Who saved you? Who mourned you? Who buried you?" After this I try to say something, but she keeps going. "And which one of us destroyed that town, my town! -And got us into this mess?"