Nevermore

Daphne's perspective

No one had expected it, least of all her. She had been in her small cabin on Murmuring Mountains with her brother Jonah, her mother and father. They had been having tea, measly roasted rabbit and raw vegetables - food was hard to come by up here, usually trades had to be made with the other kingdoms. 

There was no school in the Murmuring Mountains, or playgrounds and parks - 90% of jobs were linked with mining as the Mountains possessed silver and gold deep within. Daphne was 13 years old, and she accompanied her father down the mines once a week. To get the feel of it, so he said.  

Already she felt sicker in her lungs, the occasional wheeze making an appearance. Her father though? He had to have regular doctor checkups as his lungs were getting weaker and weaker. The doctor suggested soon would be a good time to retire and then it would be Daphne's turn to provide for the family, working in those deadly mines. 

" I want a dog." Jonah demanded. 

" Pets don't live up here, sweetie." 

Jonah was a six year old, very demanding brat. Her very annoying younger brother. 

Daphne mustered a smile. " Maybe when you're older, eh?" 

Jonah just pouted, crossing his arms. 

The smell seemed to flood the air quite suddenly, the smell of burning and smoke. 

" Anyone else smell that?" Daphne asked, watching her family sniff at the air. Her father coughed. " Let's go outside and see." He managed. 

" Yes Papa." She hoisted him up, helping him walk when he needed it, stepping out into the cold night air.

The light was impossible not to see - it shone as brightly as a star. 

Fire, pure brilliant destructive fire. A dragon beside it, much bigger than she had ever dreamed. It occupied the top of the Mountain, where the King resided, above them all. Not anymore though, Daphne realised. There was no castle in sight but a pile of smouldering wood, marble, rock and gold. 

" A dragon! Yay!" Jonah cried.

"Not yay dearest-" Daphne began before she was flung backwards through the air, a scream rising up her throat. Screams filled the air, including hers as she saw other people she knew flying through the air. Neighbours. Friends. 

Daphne lay on her back, temporarily wounded. A small trickle of blood ran from her head. " Uh," she groaned, her eyes rolling up into the back of her head as her body shook and writhed. Her head was pounding as if she was being punched repeatedly. She couldn't see or hear - all there was was that awful pain. 

In some faraway logical point of her mind, she wondered if her back had been broken or what was happening to the rest of her family. In this faraway point of her mind she saw blurs of what her eyes should be seeing. 

Her eyes snapped back to attention to see the dragon towering over her, staring at her with its creepy blood-red eyes. Daphne let out a small cry as the dragon opened its mouth, fire brewing- 

With all the strength she had, Daphne screamed, forcing her body to move to the right. A hunk of molten lava landed where she had been a second ago. Breathing deeply, her heart threatening to escape her chest, she fearfully stared into the dragon's cold eyes. It seemed as if it was going to fire at her this time but it halted, turning to the villagers who were whacking its body with pickaxes, pitchforks, wooden spoons. Tears welled up in Daphne's eyes at their bravery. 

As if they were just flies, the dragon knocked them aside with his tail like a skipping rope, sending them flinging away like ping pong balls. The dragon had temporarily forgotten Daphne as she crawled away like a worm into the dirt. She dug her hands into it, needing it to be real. 

She couldn't think with the sounds of screams, the smell of fire and burning flesh, the horror that she used to call home. How could this happen? Why her? She had always been a good girl. She sobbed uncontrollably, hitting her head in the ground, as if it was a dream and she needed to wake up. " Why?" She screamed at the smoke red-orange-yellow sky. " Why?"

She took a deep breath. Calm. Calm. Calm. Calm. " Calm." She muttered, putting a hand to her boiling forehead. What to do next? Go back into the blaze and likely die. Find her family and escape. Escape and find the nearest person you can to help. 

She could never find her family now - she would lose her life in doing so. She could also not run into the fire and attempt to kill the dragon - she would be a brave fool and a dead one. The only thing she could do to help was find someone who could help her and them. With much difficulty she stood up, dizziness rushing in before stumbling down the path of the ever winding mountain. 

She eventually ended up on her knees, her face unrecognisable from the heaps of ash on her cheeks. Her wavy middle-length copper hair was wild, knotty, hot from the heat. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she went, favouring her broken leg, cringing from the possibility of a sickening crack. It wasn't long before she could go no more, and she made her way of the path to a cluster of rocks and red trees, She lent her head against the tree and collapsed.

Daphne woke suddenly, realising it was dawn. She must have been out about seven hours. For a moment she forgot the events of the night and tried to move her leg to recall it was broken and letting out a cry of pain. 

" Is anyone there?"

Daphne went dead silent. 

A boy emerged from the path. He was about her age, fair brown curly hair, dark eyes, a concerned look on his face. 

" Oh shit." He said when seeing her condition. " From the Murmuring Mountains?"

" What do you think?" She snapped, her patience lost. " Oh god. Help me!"

" Wait a minute. Who are you?" She accused, noticing his clean clothes and fresh face.

She put it together in an instant. " Wait. Are you involved in this?"

He began to answer but she began scrambling away. " Leave me alone."

" Listen : I'm trying to help y-"

She had backed away a good few metres and was so focused on him that she hadn't been paying attention to where she was. She backed away a bit more, looked up at him to see the horror etched on his face. He was saying something but she didn't care as the rush of the wind pulled her down. Great - I've fallen of a cliff. She thought. But isn't it better than the present?

She stopped thinking at all.