Burning Darkness

Chapter 2: Living in a Shadow

Kent

Aurora tugs me along down the path to the meadow. She glances back every so often to look at me. When she does, she gives me this crooked grin. She looks so happy when she smiles, and I can't help but give her a small smile back.

I will never understand what she saw in me. What made her want to have her hand in mine? I'm not a terrible looking guy but definitely not as attractive as Liam.

Liam- I wonder why Aurora was interested in me and not him. All the girls in the village would sneak glances his way. Then when they thought he wasn't looking they would turn away to whisper and giggle. The girls would always be trying to catch his attention but Liam never seemed to notice them.

I was- let's be honest, the awkward brother. With the crazy curls of black hair. Liam's hair was cropped close to his head; he always looked very professional. I am tall and lanky and he was strong and fit. The only two similarites between us is our olive skin and bright blue eyes.

I never bothered our differences; I know he was only preparing himself for leading the village when our father came to die. I personally was okay with staying on the outside. Away from all the girls who gawked at him. And staying very far away from all the guys who glared at him; wishing they were him.

I am terrified of one thing, forgetting what my brother looks like. If I think long and hard about it I can usually still remember him pretty well. But in one more year, will I remember how the curve of his brows tilted upwards right before he is about to say something important? Or the way his nose has always been slanted at an odd angle from a fight he was in when he was eight- he was protecting me from a bully.

I am scared I will forget him completely one day. I am already forgetting the way he spoke, the way he laughed. I want to forget the pain of losing him, but I don't want to forget who he was.

I like the woods, straying away from the village and its craziness. The woods are quiet, peaceful. I spend all my time in the woods, as far away from other people as I can- except for Aurora and my friend Ty. These woods offer me a sanctuary from the world. I can just sit and listen to the birds and the whistling of the trees and usually, I can forget everything for a few moments. But not today.

The only time I actually spend in the village is when I go home at night to cook dinner, then I head off to bed. The village isn't that large, we have 54 houses built and the builders are building more for new and growing families. There are usually around 2 to 6 people per household. All together we have 163 people who live in the village. My father is in charge.

There are a lot more people around my age than anything. After many of the adults were relocated about 20 years ago they decided they needed to start repopulating, so that's exactly what happened. Now the village mostly consists of a bunch of hormonal, horny teenagers- this is a major reason I like staying in the woods all day long, to escape them.

We have a system here in the village and it works pretty well. If, of course, everyone gets off their lazy asses and does what they are supposed to do. Everyone has a job, starting as small as 5 you begin to work. Fishing, hunting, gathering, you can learn how to heal, sew, farm, tend the animals, build homes, and just about any other job you can think there is to be done, we have it.

We even have school- between the ages of 5 and 11 you attend school. We set up a school not just because the adults thought kids should still learn something besides trades; they mainly set it up for Daniella. She is a sweet old lady who used to be a teacher and loves the hell out of it. She teaches the kids the basics of how to read, all kinds of science and plants, basic math, and lots of history.