Flash Fiction: Hearth

Hearth

    The book wasn't a great one, but I was already reading it, and putting it back on the shelf would have been too bothersome. I turned the page, lowering my hand and wrapping cold fingers around the warm ceramic handle of a mug. Lifting it to my mouth, I kept it there for a moment, enjoying the savor of the gourmet hot chocolate. The girl behind the counter, Lyria, always knew how to make it just right.
    I tilted the mug back and took a slow sip, closing my eyes. The chocolate was creamy and smooth, not an explosion of flavor, but rather a calming river of savor.
The coffee shop wasn't too much warmer than the brisk weather outside, it had been raining relentlessly for the past six hours. I had meant to leave long ago, but decided against going out into the rain and risking a late year flu.
I set the mug down and turned the page. At this point I was hardly even paying attention to what was on the page. The rhythmic pattering of rain on the glass windows and thin roof of the shop had nearly lulled me to sleep at times. Now I was fully awake, but hardly alert. I turned the page.
    "May I sit here?" Asked a quiet, feminine voice. I would have jumped in surprise if the voice had been any more intense than it was, but the gentle nature seemed to exude a soothing feeling.
I set the book down onto the table and looked up. It was a girl. Tall and dressed in a pure white sweater and jeans, her pale clothing was a bright contrast against her bright red hair. Her skin had a reddish hue from the frigid cold, yet she was dry by means of an umbrella she held folded at her side. For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
"...of course." I eventually managed to say.  She held a warm smile as she sat on the chair opposite of me, resting her hands on her lap. I was instantly intimidated by her regal demeanor, the way she sat upright, a warm expression where she smiled with both her twinkling eyes and her lips.
I unconsciously straightened my posture, closing the book and scooting it to the corner of the table. I imitated the way she lay her hands in her lap and smiled. Steam from my mug of hot chocolate rose between us, swirling and highly visible on the chilly air of the coffee shop. She rose a hand to the steam and twirled her index finger in a circular motion. The steam swirled in response, twirling like a delicate ballerina. For a second I saw a shape, a women blanketed in robes of steam. Wings unfurled from her back, majestic and long. I blinked and it was gone, the steam curling upward. Reaching for my mug I grabbed the handle, raising it to my lips.
"The rain outside is beautiful." She said, turning her head to look out the window. I finished a long sip of the ambrosian drink before placing the mug down and glancing out the window. To my surprise it had stopped raining, the once relentless torrent was now replaced by a dark landscape, blanketed in shadow. The moon hadn't risen yet.
"Pardon me?" I said inquisitively. "You said the rain is beautiful?"
She had lifted her own mug to her lips, but didn't drink, instead pulling the drink away a hair. "I forgot, you haven't seen real rain yet-when the stars themselves rain." She said, then took a long sip. Her eyes didn't light up as they would for most others, instead her lips tugged into a bright smile. "I used to love this."
I suddenly felt befuddled. I opened my mouth to ask her for more details, but decided against it. Taking a final long sip I finished the last of the hot chocolate, gingerly placing the mug back onto the table. Lyria stepped over and I produced my wallet, and opening it and flipping through hundreds of bills.
Before she had moved countries my sister had warned me that I shouldn't keep my entire inheritance with me. She explained it would get lost or stolen, especially with the amount of it. I hadn't listened to her, holding it felt like dad was near again.
His inheritance was all I had left. A seven figure sum of money, all in bills.
I shook my head. I had paused searching through my wallet midway, falling into a reverie. I finally found a twenty at the very end and handed it to Lyria. She eyed the wallet as I slipped it back into my pocket. A reaction I got a lot. "Just a lot of ones." I lied. Most of the bills were hundreds and thousands, but that explanation satisfied most people. She shrugged and grabbed my empty mug, striding back to the counter.
I turned back to the girl with the long red hair. She had nearly finished her drink, smiling. Her eyes met mine and I suddenly noticed my rude mannerisms. "Ah! I'm sorry," I quickly said. "I forgot to ask, what is your name?"
Again her smile impossibly brightened, warm and tender. She said something but it sounded far away. "Pardon?" I said.
She said something again but it sounded far away. I rubbed my temples. It felt as if my whole head was stuffed with cotton. "Excuse me." I said, standing. The girl gave me a look of concern. I smiled and-
My left leg suddenly wasn't there, completely limp. I fell over sideways, slamming against the window. The glass fell from the window frame with a distinct pop, shattering against the brickwork stones that comprised the outside sidewalk. Control was lost, I screamed as I fell out the empty window and onto the shattered glass. I could have sworn I heard her scream as well.