Addie and Ciara: Forged in Light

Chapter 5: I Am More Than My Roots

No matter how far or fast she went, the sand beneath her feet kept slipping from under her. All she could do was keep running. Running. Running. If they caught up to her, she'd surely be slaughtered in the slowest, most gruesome way possible. All she could see was sand for miles as her vision blurred. Sand, only sand. And then, of course, the horrible, terrifying people chasing her. Sirens sounded at a deafening decibel, any louder and her ears would start to bleed. Running. Must Keep Running. But their footsteps got louder. One large, loud pair, and one smaller, but just as terrifying. Sweat poured from Addie's forehead. Everything was too loud, too bright, too hot, god, so very hot.

Father's voice boomed something inaudible in a dry-throated hollar as he chased after her, Blaze's high-pitched scream was heard alongside, even less clearly than Father's.

They had found her. She had no idea how but they had, really and truly found her. All she could do was run. She had already tried flying, but for whatever reason, she couldn't. Debilitating fear coursed through her fragile, panicked frame, as her heart raced faster and faster. Keep running. Keep running, Addie. Just keep running. The thumping in her chest quickened to the point she not only felt it in her chest and throat but in every part of her lanky figure. It felt as if it were about to burst out and tear her chest asunder.

Suddenly, the sirens had stopped sounding, but Addie didn't look back. She couldn't. She had to keep running. Where was Dominic? Where was Eomma or Maman? Where was Lorelei? She didn't know. Maybe they had gotten to them. And if they had, It was clearly all her fault. She had led them back to her family. If she had just been stronger, more obedient. More wise. More resilient. Maybe then her family wouldn't be gone. It was all her fault. It is all your fault, Adeline.

A large, grotesquely calloused hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her back and slamming her onto the sand beneath her as she screamed.

"Nowhere to run, fucking brat." Father spat in her face with a sickly hollow exhale, his nicotine-ridden breath searing her nostrils. Addie squirmed, kicking and frantically flailing everywhere and anywhere she could, but his grip was far too tight.

"Y'know, it's funny," Blaze sneered, walking around to Addie's head and gripping by the scalp, "You really thought you could escape us, didn't you?" She asked, her grip tightening, tugging on Addie's sensitive hair as she let out a whimper.

"But in all honesty, I have to thank you," Blaze moved closer, now nose to nose with Addie as she gave a dark, disgusting smile, "If it weren't for you, I would have never met your father..." She glazed, wrapping Addie's long hair around her hand tighter than before, "And I would have never been able to finish you off,"

Blaze's hands turned red-hot, fire blossoming from her fingertips into a large ball of flame, and she violently shoved it directly into Addie's mouth. Her skin began to burn as unimaginable pain coursed through her body, her face bursting into flame while she suffocated. Muffled screams barely escaped Addie's mouth as flesh melted right off, dripping down the back of her throat and burning her from the inside out. And just as the hot, mangled flesh was about to reach her lungs...

Addie screamed, her very much intact heart thumping through her throat as she sat up. She was covered in goosebumps, the hair on her neck stiff at attention, a puddle of tears soaking her pillow as her throat ached. Lorelei let out a terrified cry as she was jolted awake, beginning to sob uncontrollably. Within a second Addie wrapped her hands around her own throat, then her mouth, checking to see if it was all still there, and quickly cradled Lorelei, rocking back and forth to soothe her.

"S-shhh, shsh shh...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it's okay, shh shh," She sputtered out in a delirious drawl as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Dominic practically broke the door down as he rushed in, tripping over the bed and almost faceplanting as he came to check on his sisters.