Before I get to the story I just want to say most of the time life doesn't play out the way we want it to. I began this book in 2013 as merely a way of doing something I loved to do; write. Well, after a while I hit a wall and at first my ideas just stopped all together. Then when they finally did come back a sense of commotion and chaos followed. So, I stopped writing . I stopped writing as I continued to experience life and go through the motions of what things should be versus how they really are. Years later I come back to this story with more than ideas to offer. It took some time and some parts are still being revised but I believe this story has what it had been missing those years ago. A writer who is living and experiencing the good, the bad and the downright ugly that life has to offer. A writer who isn't merely making characters but allowing people, feelings, and experiences she has seen and gone through herself to intermingle with her story giving it some truth and some reliability. While this story is completely fictional, I hope your able to connect with Charlise or any of the other characters in my stories on some level so that my stories is what we all hope for when we begin to read. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it.- Bee
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Prologue
8 years ago......
Slowly opening her eyes, the little girl readjusted herself to go back to sleep when she noticed her barely lit room was darker than normal. Shapeless shadows lined the walls of her room. Even though she couldn't see any eyes ,she knew they were staring at her. She always felt their eyes on her.
"Please-Please go away.." She whispered, pleading with the faceless shadows that constantly haunted her as she slowly began to sit up. The shadows shifted and began to slowly move closer.
"Mommy!"
Kicking off her covers, the little girl scooted backwards on her bed, throwing her pillows until a solid thump signified her back was against her headboard and she had no where left to go. Terrified, she drew her knees to her chest and watched helplessly through tear-filled eyes as one of the shadows broke away from the rest and began climbing onto her bed.
"No...No..No.." she cried, shaking her head.
The shadow stopped just before the little girl's feet. Silence fell onto the room and fear lodged itself into the girl's throat. The shadow began to shift. Its body twisting and turning as it began to take on the form of a little boy. Her eyes widened and tears began to fall freely as it lifted its head. Their eyes met. She whimpered and slowly began to reach for one of her pillows that had landed near by. Its lips cracked and split as they slowly spread into a shy smile.
"MOM-MMOOOOMMMMMYYY!!!!"
The little girl cried out before swinging the pillow , hitting the thing soundly in its face with all the power she could muster up.
Taken off guard the thing lost its shape for a moment and was in the middle of regaining it when the girl's mother flew into her room.
"Charli!!" Her mom flew to her side and gathered the shivering child into her arms. "Charli! I'm right here, baby."
She smoothed the sweat dampened hair from the small tear streaked face. Charli's fist clutched her mother's nightgown as she watched the shadows slowly fading until they had completely disappeared.
"I'm right here baby." Her mother whispered softly into her baby girl's hair. Burying her face into her mother's chest , the little girl found herself slowly relaxing. Picking Charli up, her mother carried her to the bathroom where she searched the medicine cabinet before finding what she was looking for; a large orange bottle filled with small white pills. She filled the glass resting on the sink counter with water before shaking one pill out of the bottle.
"Take it sweetie, it'll chase those bad shadows away."
Placing Charli onto the counter, her mother picked up the glass and placed the pill in Charli's hand. She looked down at the pill resting in her small hand and slightly gasped as a small shadowed hand covered her own. Taking a small sip of water, she quickly swallowed the pill. Looking back down at her hand again, she watched as the shadow slipped from her own as the bitter pill began to dissolve and take effect. Her mother picked her up and brought her back to bed. She tucked her daughter in and lightly kissed her forehead.
Charli fell asleep almost instantly. Quietly shutting Charli's bedroom door, her mother slipped down the hall to her own room where Charli's father was waiting.
"Is Charlise okay, Lana?" Lana shook her head as tears began to form in her own eyes.
"They're visiting her more often and she's afraid...She's so so afraid..I don't want to keep drugging her, Jean, I want her to be able to be a normal little girl."
While Jean rose the bed, Lana covered her face with her hands to conceal her sobbing . Quickly crossing the room to his wife, he pulled her into his embrace and soothingly rubbed her back. "I know dear I know. " Lana brushed aside her tears and pulled her husband closer.
"Jean..." she began softly, burying her face into his robe. He knew what she was going to say next. It had been a topic of all their arguments since Charlise's visions began to get worse. Jean pulled his wife tighter to him.
"No. I can't - I won't let you two go. I need to protect you...I need to be able to protect her." he hastened. The words died on Lana's lips when she looked up and saw the pained expression on her husband's normally cheerful face. She looked away, closing her eyes to prevent her tears from falling. She wanted to cry for her daughter, her marriage, ... and her people. Despite her husband's passionate words, she had made her decision months ago. Once she realized those heartless barbarians would strip her of her only child to fulfill some bullshit prophecy , she knew then no consequence would sway her decision.
As they climbed into bed, each lost in their own thoughts. Each seeking for a solution in their own way. They both knew , deep in their hearts, a decision had already been reached and this could possible be their last time to seek unbridled passion in each other's arms. Yet, they didn't. They quietly held each other and slept knowing anything else would make the goodbye even more painful.
YOU ARE READING
Burn
Romance" If you continue to play with fire , my dear, you will get burned. " he warned quietly, his foreboding tone filled with a promise. His smoldering eyes never wavering from her own intense stare. Her throat suddenly felt dry as an unrecognizable heat...