A smooth turn led to another swift jump.
Seven-year-old Grace Smoke rode her horse, Admiral, around the arena. Her family owned a barn out in the middle of nowhere. It was just her, Cahto (her twin brother) and their parents, along with the horses, donkeys, pigs, and their Bernese mountain dog, Bailey.
Grace loved the animals. She loved the fresh air and loved feeling free. She didn't mind being alone and secluded. Cahto was all she needed. And the animals. She could talk to them about things she couldn't talk to anyone else.
The sun started to set and Grace dismounted the gray-speckled Tennesse Walker. Cahto waited for her in the stables as she untacked Admiral and fed him.
"Grace, Cahto!" Their mother called from the small little house. "Time for dinner!"
"Race you," Grace said, smirking.
Cahto shook his head but started running. Grace took off, trying to catch up. Cahto reached the few wooden stairs just seconds before she did. He looked at her smugly and she rolled her eyes.
The family ate chicken fried steak with rice and mashed potatoes. Grace slid her vegetables to Bailey under the table until her father caught her. Once she and Cahto finished eating, they helped with chores before enjoying free time before bed.
Cahto went upstairs to read and Grace stayed in the main room with Bailey, playing tug-of-war and fetch. She was about to go upstairs to check on Cahto when she heard hushed voices in the laundry room.
"How will they react when they know?" Her mother whispered.
"I don't know," her father murmured. "But we need to tell them at some point. It's too dangerous. They'll need to learn how to protect themselves, assuming they're as big a threat as Mr. Forkle told us."
Her mother sniffled. "I know. But when they realize they're adopted, they're going to change. They're too young to go through this."
We're adopted?! Grace thought, stumbling away from the door. How could they lie to us? How could—
She collapsed on the floor in the main room, not sure how to feel. Betrayed, shocked, curious, sad. What had happened to their real parents? Were they dead? Did they not want children?
Dozens of thoughts and emotions overwhelmed Grace and she didn't even know what she felt or what she should feel. Everything halted to stunned horror as flames licked at her hands.
She jumped back, terrified. But they weren't burning her. They were simply enveloping her skin and flickering. But no harm was felt. Her hands didn't burn or feel hot. They felt. . . right. Like she was meant to be on fire.
She hesitantly touched the wooden floors, and the fire grew and swarmed it, taking to the couch first. Bailey whimpered and backed up to the door where the fire quickly trapped her. She tried to go through but quickly fled, barking to get someone's attention.
Grace stared in shock at the flames, which quickly closed her inside the fiery room. Her parents came running out of the room they had been talking and froze at the sight. Her father was the first to snap out of the shock.
But just as he started to make his way towards his daughter, more flames shot up in Grace's fear and uncertainty, creating a boundary between them. Her parents were forced back, coughing from the smoke inhalation.
Grace looked down at her hands, tears from the smoke and from shame. This was all her fault. She had created the fire. No matter how much she tried to stop it, no matter how much she wanted to stop it, her fear and shame and guilt rose up and took control, only spreading the fire.
"Grace!" Cahto's voice sounded far away and desperate.
Grace tried to look up but smoke clouded her eyes. She coughed and rubbed at her stinging eyes. Suddenly, two arms wrapped around her and picked her up, carrying her out of the house.
When she was on the ground she looked up, only able to see Cahto briefly before he disappeared back into the house. She crawled to the middle of the arena where she couldn't catch anything else on fire, careful to keep her hands high above the grass as she ran.
In the distance she watched Cahto drag a limp body out of the flaming house. Then he ran back in. Only to drag out another charred body.
This was all her fault.
She'd killed her own parents.
She was a monster.
A/N: I'm so bad to my characters :[
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Untamed Spirits - KOTLC - (DISCONTINUED)
Fanfiction- DISCONTINUED - Noreh Foster is Sophie's twin. She goes to the Lost Cities but is adopted by the Sencen family. Briefly after arriving she is sent to Exilium and meets Grace, who, apparently, is her older sister. Noreh is given the opportunity...
