Beautiful Cries

Chapter Twelve: Closer and Closer Still

The light was nearly blinding, but Alena could still see the faint outline of Rhode as the rod around their wrists tightened.

It felt almost like being hurled into a typhoon, wind screaming past her ears and water ripping at her skin.

Heat unlike any other seared her wrist, making her gasp and look up at Damari with single minded fear, she had never experienced anything like it before.

She saw the same wild and unconstrained fear reflected in his eyes and it caused hers to grow, her sense of hopelessness becoming greater by the second.

Rhode released their wrists and her body shook in the green hew of the lamps in the room as she raised her hands above her head and whispered. "Zâragon ōl freithen!"

Color exploded everywhere, vibrant fireworks of fuchsia, burgundy and ochre surrounding the room, their sparks spiraling in a whirl wind of water and fire.

Chancing another look to Damari, Alena felt drawn to him, unwillingly wanting to be closer to him; as close as she could possibly be.

When her eyes met his again her body jerked and her vision narrowed to that of a tunnel, before zooming ahead of her at the speed of light.

Laughter filtered into her ears as two girls skipped into sight, the skirts of their dresses brushing across the tops of the grass.

Both children were frail in figure, but one possessed black hair while the others was so blonde it was almost white.

They frolicked in the field with flowers in their fists as they ran past a house with a horse tied to its waiting post.

The sun shone down on their pale skin, unrelenting in its intensity as the girls giggled and ran back to their house.

"Father! Look at the flowers we picked for Mother! Do you think she'll like them?"

An older man stood next to the golden skinned side of the palomino as his daughters ran to him, his brown hair graying and slight wrinkles showing in the corner of his eyes when he smiled.

"I'm sure she will love them, my darlings," he said with a gentle spoken smile. "What a perfect gift from the perfect daughters."

While the two turned to smile at the praise, their father came around from the side of the horse and with a playful growl picked them both off the ground, tossing them over his shoulders as he made his way back to the house.

"Now, I wonder where my two little girls went," He questioned suspiciously, purposely swinging them back and forth as he went. "I could have sworn I saw them just now."

"Father, we're behind you!" The blonde haired girl squealed, laughing and hitting her small fists against the wall of her father's back. "Can't you hear us!?"

"Those girls." He chuckled. "Well I suppose that means no supper for them tonight."

"Father!" They both shouted in protest. "We're right here! We want supper!"

He sat them both down at the door with wide eyes, appearing stunned. "There you are! I thought I'd lost you."

They all stood in silence before their father burst into laughter and ruffled their hair. "Don't worry, my girls, I knew you were there. Now hop on inside for your mother and show her your gifts."

His grin set them alight with excitement as they rushed inside, eager to give their mother the flowers that were plentiful in abundance outside.

Their father shook his head with a grin, patting the palomino once before heading back inside.