Remnant Tails

A New Tale Begins

"You are all he has. And... If a creature so loathsome shall appear before either of you in the form of man. Eyes of crystal and a mass of no weight... Then spurn them and refuse them any grant or disdain, for they are soul eaters and will wind your greatest passions against you, for they are demons. Promise me, Emare. That no matter how hard it becomes, that you will persevere for your brother's sake. Oh, promise me, Emare!"

I could no longer bear to see my mother suffer. Tears poured down my face, and in the other room, I could hear Pohlin coughing. "I promise, Mother. I'll persevere. I'll take care of Pohlin. I promise."

Mother smiled and let her head fall back on her pillow.

"Liar," she barked cruelly, then began a harsh cackle that froze my knees to the floor. "Liar!" she shouted, and in a sharp movement, she turned to me, her face contorted in anger and malice.

"You're an ungrateful little LIAR, deceiving your mother at her deathbed!"

It was wretched to hear. My tears burned with a different kind of sorrow now.

"I'm not lying! I'm not! Didn't I keep our promise! I did my best! I did everything in my power! Look at me, Mother. I've given my entire life to Pohlin!"

I somehow warped from a little girl to my former self, now terrified she'd see the white in my hair and the green of my eye.

All I saw was pure hatred in her eyes.

"I see you, and you are not my daughter, Demon! I spurn you, Demon! Go!" she yelled.

"I am your daughter!" I pleaded, but I heard a roar instead.

I turned to the kettle and caught sight of my reflection and screamed at my solid red eyes and deathly gray skin! I turned back to my mother, but it was no longer her in the bed, but Pohlin, older and covered in his own blood.

Staring at us was a young man with yellow crystal eyes.

Eyes that bore into my wicked soul.

~~~

I jumped up and looked around, catching all the blue bulbs on the ceiling.

I was breathing harder than normal as my heart exploded in my chest.

I stared at all the bulbs for a long moment before I realized they were all lit.

I sighed and laid my head back down and closed my eyes.

Strange, I thought.

They weren't lit before.

My back felt tight so I shook my shoulders a bit. It was no help, and the fact that the wooly blanket was hot and in my face bothered me. I tried to kick it off to no avail, and my arms weren't cooperating so I ignored it.

I groaned, but it sounded weird.

I opened my eyes and peeked around the strange room. My room. It's just that if it were my room, I'd prefer it not to have all these books I couldn't read.

If beggars could be choose—

"Hmm?" I wondered as I inspected the door.

I didn't ask for a door so it shouldn't be here.

Cocking my head, I scrutinized the small door.

It was so abnormal. It didn't have any opening mechanisms and hung on horizontal hinges. It was also tiny. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to get anything past my neck through it.