We Are Ashes

Chapter I

*Authors note: will try to upload once per week or once every two weeks.*

*also sorry if chapters are short, I don't know how to make them long, it's a problem*

It had been sunny for 5 days in a row. The first time in six months the city had been blessed with that much vitamin D. We had all almost forgotten what sunlight felt like, how it blinded us, how it warmed us. Perhaps this is why there was so much traffic and so many people outside, everyone was just staring at the sky soaking up that light. 30 years ago these events were common. They weren't even called events, according to my mother. Sunny days were as common as dark days, even more frequent. I wish I'd been alive back then.

The pavement clicked and clicked with hundreds of steps per minute. People surrounded me. Suffocated me. Even though I appreciated the light, I wasn't used to the heat. As I combed my hair through my fingers, my scalp burned my hand. I covered my head with my hoodie and crossed Rosette avenue. The clinic was right there, glistening just like all the other buildings where. The doorman greeted me like it always did:

"ID please"
"15451"

"Greetings Thea. We're happy you've come"

The glass doors slid away before my eyes to reveal a polished marble heaven. The ceiling was high above my head, you could see all four floors surrounding the lobby. On this rare sunny day, the sun rays that came in through the wide skylight gave everything a golden glow. Well, not everything. Not the iron clad doors.

I went up two the second floor, and walked towards the second door on the right. It automatically opened as I approached it. Honey brown eyes greeted me on the other side. I sat down on the visitors chair and smiled, as I always did.

"Hello mom," I said, breaking the silence.

"Hi sweetheart. How are you? How's Robin?"

That's when my chest started to shrink, every time.

"Robin's fine mom. He's always busy with work."

"Good. Good. I wish you would tell me more."

I sighed again. She always said the same thing, and I always sighed. But I didn't care, I loved to look at her face, feel her old personality seep through her many wrinkles. She used to tell the best jokes, and she had always been the one to laugh the loudest at other peoples. Her cakes were once the best in all of Swati, and her wardrobe had been the most colorful. Now she was just and middle aged woman in a disgusting pastel uniform, looking out a window with nothing new to say. I kept quiet, deciding to just enjoy her presence. I'd tried making conversation many times before, but it's notoriously frustrating speaking with someone that always forgets what you've said and asks the same questions.

As I stepped up to leave at the end of the hour I took her hand and said my goodbyes as always. It surprised me to see a strange glint in her eye, something I hadn't seen in ages. Her hand tightened around my wrist. I pulled, but she wouldn't let go.

"Mom?" I mumbled, scared. "Mom, I don't want to call them."

Her other hand grabbed me by the elbow and she violently pulled me closer. So close that her dry lips were touching my earlobes.

"Sweetheart I know my scheduled date is soon," she whispered, her breathy voice tickling my inner ear. "I'm going to die this month and I need you to fetch something for me first."

I whimpered.

"Mom, anything, please let go. I don't want to bring them here."

"Bring me Robin's ashes tomorrow"