An accident - that's all it was, supposedly.
Ember knew the truth: that fire was no accident. Sometimes the light slips into the dark and there's nothing you can do but watch yet another flame be extinguished.
Daniel had a fire inside him so brigh...
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as this is the first official chapter, please do leave comments throughout! your engagement really does help my stories reach a wider audience and i'm so grateful. if you're here from my latest upload of 'away we go', let me know! might drop a cheeky follow and give a shout out to your books (yes this is bribery)
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Dark clouds rolled in from the Indian Ocean, bringing with them waves as tall as houses and rain heavy enough to create floods in a flash. High in the darkness, lightning rumbled, prepping to strike on Perth. No amount of rain was enough to wash away the sins of the city. The magnificent skyline wasn't visible to anyone south of the river through the thick wall of rain that pelted the public. The majority of people stayed sheltered in their homes, or shielded by the roof of their work place - all apart from the friends and family of Elaine Ricciardo.
Elaine was a kind, selfless woman and so the news of her death struck the local community like a bolt of lightning. She lived her whole life unmarried, her passion and love pouring into her business - the Honeybadger bakery, named after her beloved nephew and his nickname in the world of business. She would be at her bakery from the moment the sun rose to the moment at night when she could barely keep her eyes open. No matter the time of day, there would always be a smile on Elaine's face. She radiated nothing but positivity with her flame and many people felt a deep pain that her fire was extinguished too soon. Her funeral summoned family from all corners of the globe, all of who shared the empty hole that her death created. No one could quite believe she was taken so soon in such extreme circumstances - a tragedy.
It was deduced by local law enforcements and a team of investigators dressed in black that the fire that burned the Honeybadger bakery to the ground with Elaine still inside was nothing but an accident. Some faulty wiring connected to the oven system was enough to create a spark and the subsequent flames that consumed the quaint building. Foul play was ruled out on the terms that the wiring was as old as the bakery itself and Elaine had never done anything for someone to dislike her.
Two services were to be held for Elaine Ricciardo: one dedicated to family and close friends, those who knew her best and loved her light; the other for the wider public, allowing everyone who was touched by Elaine or her bakes. Not only did South Perth lose one of its brightest citizens, but also the city's most sought-after bakery. Almost everyone just had to accept that this was a tragic and painful accident - everyone but one.
Ember smoothed down the satin fabric of her black dress, the material gently caressing her tan thighs with the breeze. A cotton cardigan of the same mournful colour was wrapped tightly around her upper body in a desperate attempt to retain some heat on the miserable day. Clutched in her left hand was the crumpled up and rain-splotched invitation to the private funeral of Elaine Ricciardo, whereas in her right was a large black umbrella. The sound of the emotional eulogies was drowned out by the relentless pitter-patter of rain on the top of the umbrella, and this wasn't helped by the fact Ember opted to stand away from the crowd of people. The distinctive rain smell brought Ember some comfort, but not enough to hold back the shivers of guilt, Despite being invited, this was the last place she wanted to be knowing exactly what happened to the woman now six feet under the ground.
