Thorns of a Rose #1 (Howl's Moving Castle fanfiction)

Chapter 5: Trust - Or Lack Thereof

The bed was so much bigger without him lying next to her. The exotic quilt of various colors and shapes wrapped around her like a warm shield, as if it were protecting her from every evil. This feeling was typical to her, due to the many countless nights she'd slept through the night alone without Howl by her side.

This time was no different - except for her new nightmare.

The same nightmare she had had for weeks. It was the kind of horror that woke Sophie up halfway through the night, her heart beating so hard it was bound to break through its rib cage prison. And every time, Howl was there to comfort her.

But not this time.

When Sophie jolted up panting and sweating for the third time that night, she knew it was futile to try returning to her slumber. She shivered as she threw the covers off, exposing herself to the bone chilling room. She walked quietly down the stairs in her fuzzy slippers, hoping no one could hear her creeping through the still house.

Calcifer's fire was mute, but still active. He rarely slept; it was part of being a fire demon, where sleeping was a luxury he could enjoy if he chose – which made it all the more difficult to sneak out to the front room.

The floorboards squeaked like scared, baby chipmunks as she walked toward the front door. Calcifer reached for another log as she passed him. "The dream again?"

"Yup." She walked down the stairs and, as silently as possible, opened the front door and closed it.

Calcifer had seen Sophie rush downstairs time and time again after the nightmare. He often stayed awake so she wouldn't have to live that nightmare alone, but she was also a very stubborn woman. Under no circumstances would she reveal the events of the dream, albeit his mentioning of dreams being a form of a magic that even humans were able to control.

As much as he yearned to know the specifics, Calcifer was at least aware of the fact that it scared her to the point where sleep was only wishful thinking.

She sat on the first step and stared at the early morning sky, too early for the sun to have awakened. It was strange; dreams hadn't haunted her since she was a child, and now they were taking over her slumber. It wasn't until her anxieties heightened did she feel a true fear for her subconscious. For a long time, her only concerns were an eccentric mother, two preppy sisters, and a lonely hat shop.

The moment Howl entered her life, things went from simple to overbearing.

She rested both of her palms on the scratchy, concrete step. Every morning, eight o'clock on the dot, she would stumble out of bed and get ready for the day. Eggs and toast for breakfast - bacon if she felt optimistic. The shop opened at nine and the girls were ready to work the second she flipped the open sign.

That was her life for three years, an endless, robotic do-as-your-told life. Sophie never disagreed with her mother. The store opened when Honey wanted it to; the store closed when Honey wanted it to; and Sophie would work there as long as Honey needed her, until the day she was expected to marry.

That day never came, and then Howl swept her away on a neverending, magical journey.

Sophie sighed. As much as she loved her mother, Honey always had to be in control - especially when it came to her daughters. Lettie was smart; she applied at the bakery because mother knew the owner, and she knew the job was hers the minute she walked in. Honey only agreed because Lettie was bringing in more money there.

Sophie hadn't seen her baby sister, Martha, in years. Honey sent her to a boarding school, hoping she would find some wonderful prince or duke or anyone royal to take her hand. Sophie was the first to actually break away from her mother's reins and be with someone she truly loved, not someone with whom mother would have been proud to see her daughter. Sophie knew she would have a heart attack if she saw Sophie living with an infamous wizard.