Lies Beneath The Truth

Chapter 6: The Burden of the Survivals

Laura woke up to the sound of low mutterings. As her senses came to conscious, she realized that her whole body was aching. The haziness in her mind wouldn't clear in her sleepiness and she couldn't understand why she was this tired. When her eyes met the unfamiliar ceiling however, everything came back to her in a rush. Father. Fire. Mother. Home. Lost. Unwell. Brother. Help. She sat up with a start.

She immediately bit her lower lip before a sound could escape; headache struck her head as punishment for her sudden movement and a cold shiver swept through her whole body. The temperature in the room wasn't helping. It reminded her of the fire. She needed fresh air.

"-ther..." Startled, she turned to the source of the sound. It was then she remembered the low mutterings she had heard. It was Laurence. "Father..."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to be level-headed at a time like this. Only when she reopened her eyes did the confusion lifted. She then realized the man must have carried her up the stairs to her bed. If she remembered correctly, she was so tired she fainted – that was why she was feeling the way she did now. Taking another deep breath, she stood up and walked soundlessly towards her brother's bed on the other side. He was shaking his head in his sleep and sweats were rolling down his forehead. He was having a nightmare. Slowly, she bent down and nudged him, "Laurence, wake up."

Slowly he opened his eyes and met hers' when he heard her called. Her face unconsciously softened and he relaxed slightly in return. She helped his sat up. Like her, he was shivering and it took a while for him to calm his breathing.

"Hot..." he muttered, "It's very hot in here..." He didn't add but she knew what he had wanted to say...like the fire...because she felt the same.

Laurence's bed was directly beneath the window and the wind was already coming in from the half-opened window. Laura was about to move towards it, thinking to open the other half to let more air in, when her brother caught her wrist. She froze, startled at his sudden movement. He squeezed the wrist he was holding while staring at it, but let go after much silence. She stared at her skin as warmth left her before making her way to the window without a word.

"Thanks," he said as fresh air greeted him. He crawled towards the window on his bed and held the window edge. Laura took a small chair she randomly found and occupied the other half of the sill, mirroring her brother.

At first, they stayed there staring at nothingness while taking comfort in each other's companion. Then, they looked up at the night sky to see the twinkling stars. The depths of their eyes reflected a whole different world of infinity of stars that each held a profound tale beyond their comprehension. They had no idea of the secret the starry sky beheld, but their father would tell the twins stories about it: about how the visible outline could be traced when a peculiar shape was formed, and how one would try to untangle its mystery. He said that the realm of bright stars was a world of another beauty, and that his father would also pass down the myths of the seven sisters Pleiades, Hyades, Omega Centauri etc., enhancing his interest even farther.

They glanced in silence while appreciating the stillness of the night, letting the quietness washed them while they could. They needed this calmness if they were to think coherently. If one thing after another kept on popping up, they might lose their insanity. They needed to still their mind before facing those.

"Father is probably among the stars, watching us from the sky." Laurence's whispered voice bought both of them back to the present. Laura felt her own eyes contracted as she continued to stare up at the sky. Father...

"Laura," she heard her brother called softly. She looked at him. He was already staring at her. He opened his mouth but closed again. He furrowed his eyes then eventually said out his thoughts, "You know that the fire was intended by someone right, sis?" Laura immediately looked away. He needed not say more; she sensed where he was getting. She remained silence despite knowing what he wanted - a reaction from her - but it didn't stop him from urging her. There was, however, an underlying tone of watchful in his tone, "Sis?"