Nights of Fire & Ash

Chapter 1

The night had become cold and dark. I stayed out far too late, but out here, in this cold, I felt more at home than I had in a long, long time. Those stars, the light snow that hit my face...how could I just turn off my natural instincts to let it encase me entirely? I knew my brothers waited for me at home with a mother who was exhausted from caring for far too many kids and an absent, abusive father who I sometimes wished would just drink himself to death. It hadn't happened yet though. After the death of my sister three years ago, no one had been the same. My three younger brothers needed care, but my mother barely got out of bed some days. My father had drifted further into his dependency to alcohol. I had left today in hopes of finding a deer or something to help with the horrible hunger that had recently taken hold on all of them. My father wasn't very much help with the hunting anymore. He spent more time sitting in his stupid shed pretending to come up with some amazing invention, but in reality, he was just drinking and drinking until my uncle came home and dragged his drunk ass to the house. Sometimes, I think that was the only way that he didn't freeze to death.

At this time of night, I knew that no deer would be out wondering around. I was more likely to run into a lone wolf that would rip me into little pieces and leave me scattered about in the snow. Maybe, I'd get lucky and a banshee would see me wondering around aimlessly and make me deaf. Then, I wouldn't have to listen to the screaming and yelling that would eventually come about when I arrived home, empty-handed, for the third time this week.

On the very edge of the cliff, I could see the fire lights and hear the soft music that drifted out to the countryside...it called to me. I love music, more than I love almost anything else. I would dream of escaping from this house, finding a job where I could listen to music and read all day long. That's all I wish for at this point. With the winter solstice nearing, another year ending, I wasn't sure how much longer I could manage living like this. I had turned 21 two days ago, and guess who noticed? Only, my youngest brother, Ty, who always remembered things like that. We had always been closest. He had only been four when Astrid, my older sister, passed away, and since my mother practically died as well, I had become a mother figure to him. Now, at the age of seven, he had become more like a child of my own than a sibling. Astrid was only 20 when she passed away. She had been out walking the streets with her soon to be husband when they were attacked by a leviathan or a demon or for all I new another man. Her father had never made the details very clear. He said, "It was something evil." That's all he would say. Her corpse was so mangled that they had her cremated and spread her ashes over the edge of a sea facing cliff that she had loved to dance by. Astrid would take me to the edge of the cliff where she would dance and pull me around. I learned to love music because of her. I can't dance though, not anymore, not without her.

I was lost in that memory of her twirling around with me when I was blasted with something that sent me off the ground. It blasted a shock of cold throughout my body. It launches me forward through the air, knocking the wind out of me.

When I woke up, I realized that I must have been knocked clear unconscious. I looked up from the ledge where I fell. Is there anything there? As I gazed up, I see nothing. I swear that maybe I've just been struck by a snowball except when I heaved myself up and turn around. I can tell I've been bleeding. Something definitely struck me. I pull myself up to peer over the edge of the cliff. The silence is deafening as I strain to hear anything.

Fresh blood started to warm my back as it seeped out of my wounds. I wrinkled my nose as the tangy iron hit my senses. I knew whatever was out there smells it too. I heaved myself up over the ledge with every bit of strength I had left. I was too far away from home. Nothing was going to save me now. I was left at the mercy of whatever was out here with me. That's when I saw it. Well not much, but I saw something. Another gust of what looks like air came shooting out of the forest. Maybe something like flames. A body flew out of the forest and landed with a such a loud thud that the ground shook. I started to think I was hallucinating. I saw wings.