Burning Sky

Chapter 1

The sun bathed her room when she opened the blinds, making her dream seem more distant than ever. Still she knew it wasn't just a dream. It was the cruel reality that had haunted her for the past few months. Not wanting to dwell on it any more, Sora turned her gaze to the cloudless sky and lost herself inside the billowy softness of its spell.

"That is where I belong," she heard herself saying as she brushed the cool window with the back of her hand. She thought that her parents must have had great insight naming her 'Sora', which meant sky in Japanese. A sad smile formed on her face at the thought of them.

Moving down the stairs a step at a time, she glanced at one of the picture frames on the wall. A redheaded man was holding a woman with pitch black hair in his arms, while they were both trying to make their little daughter sit still long enough to snap the photo. The final result was a blurred girl running in front of them as they laughed. They were shadowed by the tall trees that surrounded them in the thick forest. In the blurred girl's face, Sora saw a familiar smile, her smile, her hair was even the same shade of red-brown.

She stroked the picture gently and let herself get lost in the memory of that last trip with her parents to the Highlands' forest, during that final summer. She was only three back then and couldn't remember much, just a general feeling of happiness and peace until the accident.

A small sigh slipped out. She slapped her face with both hands. "Sora Gate," she said with determination, "you don't want to be late on your first day of school."

Without any further ado, she raced down the rest of the stairs, through the empty kitchen and out the back door. In the back yard, she was greeted with a warm, fuzzy welcome from her German Shepherd who was eagerly waiting for her.

"Kiba, down," she laughed as she playfully batted him away. "I already washed my face."

The dog immediately obeyed and sat down at her feet. His tail thumping wildly as he began barking happily. Sora grabbed his leash that was hanging right next to the door and attached it to his collar. "Ready for your walk?"

Kiba answered with a sharp, loud bark, and she smiled widely. The two of them stepped out of the yard and started walking on the sidewalk. Gradually their walking turned into jogging and then into fast running.

Once the pair arrived back home, they were both exhausted. Sora led Kiba back into the yard and filled his bowls with fresh water and food. "You are getting old," she said to him while he lapped his water, completely ignoring her. "I am going to take a shower, I'll be back with more water," she said finally and entered the house.

In the kitchen, she smelled the welcoming scent of tea steeping for her. Two sets of dishes were stacked in the sink. A small slip of paper sat next to the tea. It was a note from her grandparents.

We went to visit your parents. There is food in the oven. Good luck at school today.

That was the only thing written on it. Sora glanced at the oven but decided she needed a shower before she could eat anything. "The food can wait, baachan," she said to the note using the Japanese word for grandma as she tossed the note in the trash.

Freshly showered and smelling of bright citrus shower gel, Sora slid into her clothes and bounded back downstairs. To complete the outfit, she squashed her striped knee-high socked feet into her yellow rubber boots.

Even if Darkwood, Leicesteshire, UK was not that close to the sea, the county still had a lot of humidity and was known for its sudden rains. A small town right next to the thickest part of Charnwood, the Darkwood forest got its name from the lack of sunlight caused by the dense tree lines of the area. Making rubber boots a must have for every citizen.