The Mythical Roses

Cold Attack

    "Is she alive?"
    "No doofus, she's dead"
    "But she's breathing, Antonio"
    Crystalline could hear voices, but they sounded far away. Who were they? Were they gonna hurt her? No, they sounded young. Where was she? She opened her eyes gingerly.
    She was in a small, but cozy room. It was cluttered as it could be. There were clothes strewn everywhere, the blanket was yanked off the bed. There were toys laying around the room. And many other things that one could trip over. A candle, burning bright, on the side table bathed the room in an orange glow.
"She awake!" The girl exclaimed. The girl, short and young, was standing next to a boy, siblings perhaps. They were both brunette. The girl wore a brown cotton dress while the boy had on a brown tunic with beige trousers.
Crystalline suddenly wondered how out of place she must look in dull room, with her pale ice blue hair, her gleaming baby blue eyes and her frozen blue dress, then immediately scolded herself for getting off thinking about unimportant things
"Go fetch the mayor" said the boy to the girl. Turning back he said "How are you feeling?"
"What happened?" Crystalline asked, she had so many questions.
"The mayor's daughter died yesterday, of pneumonia. And he told us to fetch your mother, to sing the ritual of her burial. But when me and My friend got there, your house was burned down and you were unconscious."
    She was in Frostwood village she realized, a small town, not that far from her house, her family was considered to be a part of the town. They made a weekly trip down to the town for groceries and such. Crystalline's mother had been a respected figure in the town, many had asked for her to sing the rituals for their loved one's funeral.
"Anita's dead?" She asked, her voice cracking, how much pain could she endure in two days? Anita was the Mayor's only daughter. She had always been fragile, a small weak child. She loved to help, and everyone loved her.
They waited in an awkward silence, for the mayor.

•~~*~~•

    It wasn't long before the mayor came, with a few people behind him.
    "Crystalline! Good gods what happened? When Antonio and john found you, we could hardly believe our ears!" Exclaimed the mayor.
Crystalline looked at the people, debating wether she could trust them or not. She knew better to share information not know who's listening.
Perhaps sensing Crystalline's unease, the mayor spoke, "Those who do not have any direct business here, please leave"
One by one, everyone left, until it was only the Mayor and Crystalline.
"Now, what happened?" He asked.
"Last night, we were all sleeping," she began hesitantly, "and out of nowhere, someone, no something, attacked us, first, the thing suddenly set the whole house aflame, Emer-" her voice broke, relieving the awful night was painful. "Emerlina burned to death in her sleep. Elena woke to the heat, and alerted everyone. We ran out of the house, but Connellie insisted of going back inside for little Emerlina. We couldn't stop her. Then we realized benny and henry were still inside, I volunteered to go get them, but my mother stopped me, she said she couldn't risk someone important, father went instead, Elena went with him, but they had just walked inside when the burning house collapsed, killing everyone inside. " She said, taking a shuddering breath to stop herself from bursting into tears. The mayor waited until she stopped.
"Then suddenly these hideous wolves came from no where, they started barking at my mother. My mother looked frightened, she was actually scared, but not from the wolves, she was looking at something else. And then the thing was there, The Ice Witch. My mother quickly turned and tossed something to Ariana and screamed at us to run. Ariana ran, I didn't want to but Ari dragged me with her. We ran but the Ice Witch's wolves chased us. right into an ambush. The Witch's goblins were waiting for us, they surrounded us." Crystalline paused, unsure how to continue without spilling her family's secret. She decided not to tell that part. "Arielle came and tried to help us. But it was pointless. Ariana handed me what mother had given to her, and she yelled at Arielle to keep me safe, and told me to run. I did, I had to." Her voice broke and this time she couldn't continue. Crystalline gave into her tears.
    The mayor was shaking his head.
    "All of them? Gone? In one night? How can that be? And the Ice Witch! She was supposed to be a myth, a scary bedtime story! How can she be real?!"
    "I don't know!" Wept Crystalline.
    The mayor shook his head again, "Rest child, I'll send someone to look for you fox." And with that he left.
    Crystalline gave into her exhaustion and fell asleep.