It's a flooding heat and deep sharp pain that wakes Daphne. A gasp clawing its way out of her throat as she jerks where she lays. More than a gasp claws at her, a scream building in her chest but she clenches her jaw and fights it off. Her fingers dig into what she is laying on. It's warm and soft. She's not sure what it is but it feels like it is scorching her skin. Her eyes flutter as she turns her head, her hands coming up to touch her stomach. The first thing she notices is that it's bare skin beneath her fingers and some form of gritty fine powder. She groans as she turns onto her hands and knees. Her eyes opening to look at what she's been laying on. She frowns as she curls her fingers into it. It's ash. Damp but warm ash. She shakes her head, trying to clear the fog there, but it doesn't help. It's like there is a shadow over her memories and her thoughts.
Daphne pushes herself up to her feet, taking a few shaky steps back as she tries to find her balance. Her legs are unsteady as she tries to walk through the ash, shuffling through it, her toes catching on debris beneath the ash, almost tripping her over. Once she is free of the ash and ruin, her feet make contact with charred grass. Her eyes drifting down to look at it, at her toes as they curl into it. They roam, up her legs and to her arms and hands. Covered in a layer of ash. She frowns and looks around where she is stood. It's ruins. Burnt and crispy ruins. Her mind struggles to keep up with what is going on. Her body feels as though it is on fire, inside and out. Heat and pain flooding through her entire being. She lets out small puffs as she struggles to breath. Grasping at the warm air swirling around her. Everything hurts. Tears gather in her eyes. She's confused, in pain, with little in the way of thought going through her head. It's a scramble. A mess of swirling images, voices, things she can't grasp onto. Like they are so very far away from her. It makes her disorientated and confused and scared.
Daphne turns her eyes to the road a she hears a car approaching. A sheriff's car. It pulls up at the site and a woman steps out of it. Daphne tilts her head as she watches the woman. She knows she knows her, but Daphne can't for the life of her pull a name from her foggy brain. It's Liz. Caroline's mother. Someone to be trusted. But for Liz, seeing a figure, covered in ash, standing in the remains of a burnt out house puts her on edge and alert. She pulls had gun from her holster and moves forward towards Daphne. It takes her a moment, but she does get there, recognising the teenager standing in front of her.
"Daphne?" She gasps, holstering her gun again and rushing forward to reach the girl. Daphne can't think who this woman is right now, but she feels safe when Liz touches her arms, looking over her, checking her for injury, to try and see through the layer of ash covering her entire body. Even her hair is completely covered, enough so that Liz wasn't sure it was her, she couldn't see Daphne's trademark red hair until she was up close. Liz pulls back and shrugs out of her coat before she pulls it around Daphne, to keep her warm and to protect her modesty. She's completely naked except for the ash covering every inch of her.
"Wha...." Daphne starts but she is having trouble even forming words. "I..." She looks around, eye unfocused.
"You're alright" Liz assures her softly, rubbing Daphne's arm. She has no idea how the girl got out here or how she survived the fire that destroyed an entire farmhouse and killed everyone else inside. Daphne snaps her head back around to Liz, her eyes now glowing orange and strange fiery veins appear under her skin. Liz gasps a little, taking a cautionary step back from her. Daphne blinks and it all disappears as fast as it appeared.
"I'm..." Daphne tries to say something else but it hurts to even talk. She lets out a shaky whimper and takes a step forward before she collapses into Liz's arm. Unconscious. Liz is quick to check for a pulse though, just in case. Considering the mess that Daphne climbed out of.
YOU ARE READING
(2) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)
FanfictionReturning from the dead was the last thing that Daphne wanted. But it's happened and now she has to live with the consequences that come from it. With new challenges on the horizon, Daphne must find a balance between family, love, and her devasting...
