IGNIS : the umbrella academy [COMPLETE]

I

   

     TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO, AGED 6:

      The sound of laughter rang through the small house, and two young girls ran down the stairs. They were identical, matching manes of red hair whipping out behind them as they hurried towards the kitchen, blue eyes crinkled as they giggled, racing each other down the hall and round a corner into a small kitchen.

     They practically threw themselves into their chairs, both crying out a desperate, "I win!"

     One of the twins turned to their mother, "Mommy! Who won? It was me, wasn't it?"

     A young woman, Myra Jenkins, who was in her late twenties, turned around with a kind smile, letting out a quiet laugh. Her ginger hair was tied loosely into a ponytail, and she was wearing her Nurse's uniform, watching her daughters, before saying sweetly, "You both win, girls."

     "I would have won, but Carla cheated!" One of the twins protested.

     Carla opened her mouth in outrage, "Not true! Sarah's the one who had a headstart!"

     "Why must you two be so competitive all the time?" Their mother teased, placing two plates of pasta down in front of them.

     Carla gasped, as Sarah said gleefully, "You made your special pasta!"

     "Of course I did, I know it's your favourite," Myra said, watching as the twins begun eating. She smiled, eyes shining with adoration as she watched her two six-year-olds happily eat their food, "And I'd do anything for my favourite girls."

     EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO, AGED 12:

     A blood-curdling scream cut through the house, and Carla sat upright, "Sarah?"

     All she got in reply was another scream, and the girl scrambled to her feet, running downstairs, "Sarah? Sarah, where are you?"

     She burst into the living room, freezing when she saw the sight in front of her.

     Sarah was standing upright, hands covering her mouth in horror, body heaving with sobs, and by her feet was a shrivelled and twisted corpse, old and decayed.

     Its flesh was grey and clinging to the bones, eyes sunken and white hair hanging in clumps. It reminded her of a mummy, like one of the ones found in those history books, but instead of being printed on a page it was a few feet in front of her.

     Carla gagged, covering her mouth and nose, and averting her gaze.

     "Sarah?" Carla asked, horror filling her, "Sarah, what happened?"

     Sarah let out a sob, "I didn't mean to."

     "Didn't mean to do what?" Carla took a step forward, cautiously reaching out to place a comforting hand on her twins shoulder, however, Sarah stumbled away, yelping out, "Don't touch me!"

     Then, Sarah fell to the floor, kneeling down and holding her head in her hands, "I didn't mean to, I swear I didn't, I would never-"

     "Wait," Carla's eyes went wide, blood freezing like ice in her veins with dread, "Who is that?"

     All Sarah did was sob, mumbling incoherent words, shaking her head.

     "Sarah," Carla repeated, more stern this time, deperately wishing her theory wasn't true, "Who is that?"

     "I didn't mean to-" Sarah choked out, and Carla felt her heart still, because she finally understood what had happened, who the withered corpse was.