phoenix

part 1

The weather raged out side of my little wooden window, moaning in the pain of the cold. The snow came down as if a blizzard and my little house was in the middle. I peeped out from under my four blankets to look out the window opposite. All I could see out of my little window was the white of the snow, as if outside was nothing. It was nothing. As the wind started to let up the sound of the fire across grew louder, wasn't helping the room was still cold from the winters fury.

I sat up in bed unable to sleep, I stared at the room I was in, and in the corner was a little old log burner orangey gold due to time and rust. In the other corner was a door, spruce I think. There's multiple shelves up with lots of what looks to be souvenirs and nick knacks, one caught my eye in particular. A red feather. The feather glowed in the light of the fire as if was burning itself, it reminds me of when I was in school with my friend Ellie, we were learning about mythical creatures and one that stood out to me. The phoenix. The burning majestic feathers, the radiance that it casts was glorious. Ellie liked the rough and tumble griffins, that lunch we spent pretending to be those animals. It was fun.

Next to the bed where I sat was a little dresser with an old oil lamp, it was lit. The flamed danced as the wind blew. By this time I started to notice...where am I? I don't remember how I got here or anything, as if my mind was blank, like outside.

I slowly got up from the bed, and put my feet on the ground. No shoes. I glanced over at the door, maybe there is another room on the other side, or maybe someone who can help me! I got up and started to move towards the door. As I reached for the handle the lamp went out and all was silence, the wind had stopped blowing, the fire stopped crackling as if sound was nothing. But it's never silent. I shook my head, it's in my imagination I told myself as I reached for the door knob.

I grabbed the door knob and as I did sound came back, the wind blowing fiercer than before. I turned the door knob...the door didn't open. I stepped back. No lock. So I tried again and still I couldn't open it. I banged on the door hoping, praying someone may hear me. Nothing. I turned back to the log burner on the other side of the room. I walked over to it and sat in front of it watching the flames play with each other. Going in and out, in and out...until I was out, asleep once more.

I awoke to the sound of a voice, an old woman? Still. I got up and raced to the door and started to bang on it, hoping she may hear me. Then the door handle moved I stepped back as the door opened to reveal a little old woman.

The woman had grey hair down to her shoulders scraped back with a head scarf. In her ears were long beaded earrings, and around her neck a coloured wooden necklace. She wore a long blue dress that looked like it was a long top that fitted like a dress. She had purple silk tied round her waist...in short to me she looked like a gypse. I have no problem with this, I had a friend who was a gypse, I would go round to her caravan and learn how to dance, and it was...fun.

She had a softness to her which made me feel welcomed, she smiled at me as I stood in the door way looking at her, she was just about the same size as me, although looked as if she had a sun tan, I stood aside to allow her to pass. She nodded her head as if was judging me, then she walked past me.

The woman didn't speak and when I went to, she would put her figure to her lips and shhhhhh me. I was fine with not talking, maybe she couldn't speak and was not happy about others speaking, maybe she liked the quiet. I didn't understand but I didn't really care. Silence... she put a pot over the fire and beckoned me to sit next to her. I nodded and sat where she pointed. I watched as she put multiple veg in to the pot as well as spices and other things I didn't recognise, this made me worry what if she was going to poison me? What if she kills me? What if she permanently takes my voices away? What if...nothing.

I sat in silence as she poured out the weird food and gave it to me, I took the bowl and a spoon of her and tried the soup like food. Delicious. My face beamed with pleasure.

"Sometimes an action shows more than words" said the woman, I looked over at her as she went back to eating her soup, later she informed me it was called 'jumbo'. I still was confused about what was happening but something inside me...didn't care.