hearts on fire

CHAPTER TWELVE

"Raven..?" I asked incredulously, except... she didn't answer.

I moved forward and reached out to poke her, to get her attention but my finger just turned her body in to mini shimmery particles that dispersed out in to the air, leaving the room in darkness.

I span around completely bewildered by what had just happened, and went to exit the room because freaking hell that was weird. I reached for the door handle but was stopped still by the familiar sound of my twin's voice trying to calm me down, even though she had tears streaming down her face too.

"Hey rose, rose it's okay shhh everything is going to be okay sweetie."

But... that voice sounded young, and childlike, like a memory of my past. I slowly turned with my eyes closed, preparing myself for whatever creepy shit was about to play out.

I opened my eyes, and stumbled back slightly at how close my sister was to me. I was facing her back but she was millimetres away, hugging a six year old me on my bed, which had unicorns and rainbows over the sheets. I moved to the side of the both of us, and looked as if I was watching through a television screen. I was bawling my eyes out, and the pain was evident on both of our faces.

I still remember this particular moment even now.

It was the day that our mum left us.

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"Where did- did she go?" I asked Raven, sniffling.

"She had to leave Rosey-posey, she'll be back for us I promise." She sniffled too, wiping a few tears off of my face with her sleeve.

"Bu-but how do you know she'll come back? Did she say she'd come back?" I hiccupped through speaking, thanks to the tears running down my podgy little face.

"No, but I'm sure she couldn't leave us forever. She'll be back. I know she will." She whispered the last part, almost as if trying to convince herself instead of me.

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The scene ended, and started filtering out in to a new one. But this one wasn't familiar, so it definitely wasn't a memory.

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The room turned in to a school field, and focused on a six year old Raven. She was screaming at what looked to be a seven year old boy, who was quite a few inches taller than her, and she was waving her hands around angrily. Her face was red, out of embarrassment or rage I couldn't tell, and the boy was laughing at her. He shoved her backwards, and she landed on her butt loudly.

Something inside of her flipped, and she became even more enraged, to the point of looking like a rabid animal; her breathing was ragged and a snarl was threatening to escape her tiny mouth. My hand went up to my mouth, and I gasped.

The boys eyes widened and he tried to step back but he was already so close to the fence that there was nowhere really he could go, she had cornered him.

All of a sudden, she pounced on him, knocking him to the ground and also knocking the wind out of him completely. He made a loud "ooff" noise as he hit the floor, and with every hit she landed on his stomach, he groaned in agony. She was full on growling now, and if that shell shocked teacher hadn't gotten there in time to pull her off of him, he could have been lying dead on the floor in minutes flat.

She was seething even in the teachers arms, and she struggled with all her might to get out of his grip. I spotted my mum in the distance, so this must have been near home time, and seeing as I wasn't with her I must have been at home ill. She rushed over immediately once she noticed the commotion and she picked Raven up with one hand and pulled her in to a strong hug. Raven's breathing steadied and her grip on my mums shoulders loosened slightly, and just like that she relaxed. Mum said something to the teacher quietly and almost sprinted out of the school and to the car.