Hung By Sky

Prologue

Hung by Sky

The scent of lavender was overpowering, as my sister, Jessalyn lit a fourth candle in the dining room.

She kissed her thumb and touched it to the flame for just a second, just as our mother had whenever she lit a candle. She didn't ever tell us what it meant, but we'd carried on doing it.

Jessalyn tells me she feels so awake, though it's nearly morning and we haven't slept. I tell her we have school tomorrow, and we should probably get two hours of sleep.

"I just lit a candle," Jessalyn protested. I tell her that we really should sleep. I blow out the candle and it's pitch black. Jessalyn is very quiet as we creep upstairs, past our parents' bedroom.

We do this often. Sleep is uncommon with Jessalyn and I. Our father can sleep, but our mother is who we take after, because she doesn't sleep at all. She doesn't want to even try anymore. She sits up in her bedroom, reading and after she is done reading she will turn out the lights, slip out the window and go to our cottage in the woods.

The cottage was our mother's place. It was filled with candles. My mother made her own candles out there, and there was barely space to walk, there was so many. They were even on the pathway to the cottage. She also collected candles made by other people. She'd buy them at farmer's markets and order special wax from Egypt or Rome. They'd take forever to be sent to her, but they'd almost always come eventually. She'd be so happy when they did arrive. Those were the good days, when she used to sleep at least three times a week.

I never went out to her cottage really, because I felt like I wold have been intruding. I went there to bring her food and remind her to eat, or tell her "We need to go grocery shopping, mom, it's been a while." But this night would be the last time I'd ever see the cottage.

Jessalyn and I got into bed after brushing our teeth quietly, and tried to sleep. I fell into a deep sleep but was awoken by a strange feeling in my lungs. I sprung from my bed and coughed and coughed until I couldn't breathe. Smoke was filling the air all around the forest. I looked out my window and saw a very bright light coming through the trees. It was fire. Then I realized Jessalyn wasn't in her bed.

I grabbed my shoes and ran out the door, sprinting towards a wall of flames as Jessalyn's shadow came into sight. I called her name. She was staring at the cottage, still as a statue. I ran to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Where's mom and dad?" I asked her. She had a spiritless expression on her face, and it scared me. It was the last night I ever seen my father, my mother, and the last time my sister ever saw me.