Falling Into Fire - D.Ricciardo AU

00 - dark vs light

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In the absence of light, darkness will prevail. Corruption and manipulation are laced in the shadows of even the safest of cities. Blind eyes are turned when they are needed to, excuses made from the pettiest of crimes to the most severe. The further you fall down the pit of power, the more that seems to slip just below everyone else's view on the surface. Even the purest of governments will take a peak down that fiery pit, the enchanting nature of the black abyss tempting those with the most greed.

So much more goes unnoticed under the cover of darkness than most people are even aware of. These people still have a light guiding the path forward; they have no need to acknowledge the shadows that lurk around every street corner. To them, monsters are just fictional. In the dark reality, monsters are very much real and they look just like everyone else - impossible to tell them apart from the other strangers in the street. These monsters steal, hunt, and even kill anyone they have to to remain hidden. As long as the light keeps away from the dark, innocent messes can be avoided.

Everyone is born with a fire inside them, a light so bright that no darkness exists within them. Over time, these flames begin to die out, however the majority remain lit until their final breath. Those without flames caved into the darkness. They'll do anything for money and power, even going as far as using their resources to silence anyone above them. No-one dares to point the finger of accusation knowing with fearful confidence that they'd be the next to fall victim to an unfortunate 'accident', or at least that's the official conclusion. Darkness can be bought by those seeking secrets, and secrets are expensive. Secrets that were made in the dark have the highest price to pay if they are ever brought to light - a deadly expense to ensure everything hidden by the darkness remains hidden.

***

Ember Hale's flame is on the verge of flickering out. Life has made many attempts to extinguish the young Aussie's flame to the point where she's convinced a higher power has it out for her. At the age of three, her mentally ill mother tragically drove her car into the harbour with Ember still strapped in the back. If it hadn't been for the help of heroic strangers, she'd have drowned with her mother. On Ember's tenth birthday, her remaining mother figure had to sell the house and move into a family friend's to pay off the fees that piled up from the worsening drug addiction. Eight years later, over one-hundred thousand dollars were owed by Scarlett Hale, Ember's mother, to a private company in Southern Perth, and no money remained in the family's account to pay. In a bid to help her remaining mother, Ember volunteered her assistance to the shady company to pay off the debt. Little did she know that they would take her mother, hiding the vulnerable woman under their dark cloak as a way to ensure Ember won't leave until they're finished with her.

Ember didn't anticipate the ten years that followed under the employment of Hero Everton. Those ten years were filled with struggle, stress, and pain with no escape in sight. She knew no-one would help her; the Everton name carried enough money with their power to stay hidden in the darkness. Ember wanted out, she really did, especially when the darkness tempted her in. The last thing she wanted was for her flame to go out, but she knew she couldn't risk finding someone to help reignite the fire in fear of them shining their light over her secrets.

By the time she was twenty eight, Ember had done many unspeakable things under the cover of darkness that her sleep was often plagued with burning reminders. She doesn't want to hurt people, however she'll do anything to keep her mother safe. There will always be a flicker of hope in her chest that the debt will finally be payed off and she can reunite with her once again. Ember anticipated that the debt would be ending soon as the price for the secrets under darkness increased exponentially.

Situated between two multi-story buildings on a quiet street in South Perth was the last remaining spot to bring Ember comfort. The Honeybadger bakery was the very place Ember's mothers had met over thirty years ago, and the Hale family would frequent there no matter the occasion. An extra cinnamon swirl was always awaiting Ember whenever she popped in; she knew the owner fairly well because of the long history they shared. Maybe they took pity on the fact she never seemed to be joined by anyone? Or maybe it was an attempt to persuade the young girl to start dating the owner's beloved nephew? Or maybe, just maybe, the owner had enough of a fire left that she did anything she could to spread the warmth? The quaint bakery, after all, was a beacon of light on an otherwise shaded street.

One fateful night in late October, everything seemed eerily quiet under the cloak of darkness. The streets were dead in anticipation of the largest cocaine delivery of the decade in Western Australia, those consumed by darkness listening out for even the smallest of whispers about the time and location. They all wanted a taste of the power that came with distribution. Only a select few knew of the specifics and they were all under the employment of Hero Everton. On that same fateful night, a seemingly unrelated fire broke out in that little bakery in South Perth - an accident.

Only a select few knew exactly what happened that night; only one managed to stay alive to suffer the consequences. This is a secret that must remain hidden by the dark, and Ember will go to any length to keep it that way.

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so... yeah. this chapter will be edited in time once i establish a style for this book. as you can probably already tell, mature themes will be dealt with.

kinda a dark book - defo very different to my other stuff so i apologise if it sucks.

daniel will be introduced in the first main chapter and establish himself in the story. it's not a spoiler to reassure you that he's a good guy aha i don't think writing dan as mean would work with how amazing his irl personality is.

let me know what you think! any predictions? annikapienaar you are not allowed to spoil anything major but i give you permission for hints 😌

please also read the a/n chapter after this and engage! need your opinions asap so i can get chapter one to you before summer as yet another teaser.