Flame

Chapter 1

4/21/1342 A dragon roared in the distance. Men shouted. There was Fire. Death. Danger. Everywhere. Someone was holding me. Whispering into my ear. But I couldn't make out what. Something broke. A door. Crying. But it was coming from me. I was the one crying. Someone grabbed me. Someone was screaming. A woman. Silence.
    I sat up in bed, trying to catch my breath. I gripped the blanket, my knuckles turning white. My cell was freezing but sweat dripped down my forehead and back. A torch flickered on the wall across from my cell, casting strange shadows across the room. I  had been having the same dream for as long as I could remember. I could never understand it, and I never ceased to wake up shaking in fear. I tried to steady my breathing, focusing on the stone walls around me. I heard someone muttering in the cell across from me. In the dim light, I could make out a girl rocking on the heels of her feet. 

     "They've found us. They've found us. They've found us." Her name was Serena. She had been in the facility for as long as I could remember. She muttered the same words over and over again, always rocking back and forth. Her eyes were always glazed, and wide open as if in fear. Reliving the same memory over and over again. It must have been a terrible memory if it had driven her to insanity. Sometimes people tried to talk to her before but it always had the same results. 

   They would say something to her and she would stop muttering and look at them, her eyes returning to their normal brown color for a split second before she went back to rocking on her feet. But with me it was different. She would actually jump back to reality long enough to listen to me. I don't know why. She won't listen to anyone else. Only me.

        The sound of keys jangling echoed throughout the hallway. I stood up and went over to the bars, trying to crane my neck to see down the corridor. I could just make out the dark figure of a guard. He was unlocking the cells, each rusty door opening with a loud squeak. The heels of his large boots finally clicked down the stone floor over to mine and Serena's cells.

     He unlocked her door first. She continued to rock back and forth on the ground.

      "Get up." He barked. "Did you hear me? Get up!"He shouted, his arm raised in a fist. I knew what happened next would not be good. Unless I intervened

      "Wait!" I shouted. He turned to look at me, the light of the fire making his face look terrifying. "Let me. She'll listen to me." The guard spat on the ground and jammed his key into the lock. The door creaked open. 

      "Be my guest." He must have been a new guard. All of the guards knew how Serena was. I guess they hadn't gotten around to explaining it to him yet. 

      I stood up and walked over to Serena, her eyes glued to something only she could see. 

     " They've found us. They've found us." She continued to whisper. I had learned long ago not to touch her. That only caused her to scream, and try to get away from me. 

     "Serena. It's me." I spoke gently, looking directly into her unseeing eyes. "You're safe now. Take my hand." For a moment I thought she would continue to rock but after a while, she let go of her knees and gingerly took my right hand, her eyes scanning me. "There you go." I smiled at her. I stood up, helping her to her feet. I started to lead her out of the cell, but she suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to her. Our faces were so close I felt her warm breath on my face. She squeezed my arm and whispered, " Are you, Mother?" My eyes widened. 

     "I- I-"

      "ARE YOU?!" She screamed, her voice echoing around the cell. This was the first time I had ever heard her mutter words other than They've found us… I was terrified. There was no telling what Serena could do to me. My eyes darted to the hallway but the guard had disappeared. We were alone in the corridor.