If We Could Make it There

Candles and Opals

Posting this because I can't on Thursday :P Remember to vote

Ashlyn POV

"Name?" I hear a croaky voice call from nowhere in particular. I clear my throat.

"Ashlyn," I say as confidently as I can. The voice sighs, clearly annoyed.

"Full name?" the voice asks. I look up at the dark sky. I back up until my back hits a wall, and then stand up straight. If this is the Bruxa, I don't want to make a terrible impression. I don't know why I care, because I honestly really dislike them.

"Ashlyn Emerson," I hesitate before adding the middle name that I've always hated, one that I've only ever shared with Amalie. "Ashlyn Navy Emerson." I hear nothing but silence for a moment. Then I hear a scratchy noise and a grunt of, "Where are you from, and what's your cause?" I actually laugh.

"Where am I from? There's only one place leading to this place. And it's in Causa. I'm from Causa," I answer, and then on a more serious note I add, "And I'm hear for... for my friends little sister. She's sick. And we need her to get better." This person (if the voice belongs to a person) sounds bored and tired. Probably wishing for some light.

"What's your friends name? And her sister?" the person asks, "Full name." it adds hastily.

"Alexandra Dawn Cinders, and Marissa Sophia Cinders," I answer. Alexandra has such a cool name, I wish my parents had come up with something like that for me. Pft. Ashlyn is an okay name, but it's really uncommon.

I can hear a muffled noise. The voice perks up as it says, "Alexandra Cinders? She's your friend, right? And the... the other one... Marissa. That's the sick sister."

I nod to nowhere in general, before remembering no one can see me.

"Yes, yes, that's right." I say, "Right-o." I add awkwardly.

"Okay. Last thing: why're you here? It's not you're family whose sick," the voice states. She's right, Marissa's my family. I don't have to do anything. I could leave here right now and no one would blame me. But I would. I'd blame myself for the disappearance of one of my friends. I will not let any of the others do that. This has to be me. I think I've known it for some while now.

"Because I want to- I need to be here," I answer, "This has to be me. I can't let any of my friends go forever, I'd rather."

The voice scoffs at me, and mumbles, "How noble" which annoys the heck out of me. But I don't say anything else, and for a while all that I hear is a steady tap tap-ing, before lights flicker on.

I look around to find myself in a vast room, filled with candles of different sizes and colors. The croaky voice appears to have come from a woman who looks in her fifties, who is descending a large staircase. She's holding a medium sized metal object, with weird engravings on the front.She has frizzy grey streaked with large patches of auburn. Her most striking feature is her eyes. Crystal blue and piercing, they mesmerize me. I stand there in my trance for a few seconds, before snapping out of it.

"Come with me dear," she says, smiling a little. She leads me to a door at the bottom of the staircase, and we walk down a hallway with many doors.

Shyly, I ask,"Don't mean to be rude or anything... But are you the Bruxa?" She grins. "No dear," she says, "I'd never be good enough for that. The big three are at the end of this hall."

I look at her inquisitively and ask, "Why are you here then?" She tilts her head towards me.

"Same as you, Hun," she says, "Needed something." I look up at her, shocked.