Disaster [Twilight-Paul Lahote]

Memories and Cold Tea

With blurry vision and heavy eyes, Maple Latimer found herself back in her old periwinkle bedroom, a four post bed pushed into the corner of the south wall, a cream beanbag covered in fluffy winter blankets and stuffed bears sat off to the side. 

Running a small, pale hand over her lavender duvet Maple can hear the hushed voices of her parents, Susan and Aaron Latimer, downstairs. With a wide grin and childlike wonder on full display in her eyes, Maple excitedly pulls her old oak door open, sprinting down the hall towards the staircase.

Taking two at a time, she barely had time to stop and marvel at the beauty of the archway decorated in a winter wonderland theme. Like every Christmas Maple's house was decorated from top to bottom, to say the Latimer household liked Christmas would be an understatement. 

Bouncing into the kitchen with a goofy smile and happy eyes, Maple's senses are filled with the scent of cinnamon and frangipani, releasing a content sigh Maple shuffles her way over to her mother who is busying herself with making breakfast for the Latimer family.

"Merry Christmas, Mum!" came the high pitched voice of young Maple, her smile only growing in size when her eyes land on the chocolate chip pancakes. "Christmas isn't till tomorrow, sweetheart" replied Susan with a shake of her head and a soft smile, caused by her daughters fish bowl shaped eyes. 

Giggling, young Maple skipped around her mother, towards the white, padded bar stools "I know mumma, but I'm just so excited!" whined Maple while simultaneously filling her cheeks with a pancake she had grabbed.

A low chuckle emitted from the man in the archways chest, twisting in her seat Maple saw the face of her father, his smile mimicking her own and eyes alight with mischief. Jumping from her place, half eaten pancake discarded on the bench, Maple Latimer took a skip, hop and a jump towards her fathers open arms.

Throwing her over his shoulder, Aaron Latimer, spun around his daughter falling more and more in love with the bundle of joy he and his wife had brought into the world ten years ago. Maple's bell like laughter filled the room, warming up the already joyful environment. "There's my little munchkin, how did you sleep?" Aaron questioned his daughter, placing her back onto her own two feet.

A knock on the door interrupted any reply that was going to slip past Maple's pink lips. Susan and Aaron shared a glance, going un-noticed by their daughter who had resumed stuffing her face with pancakes. Sparing one last glance at his daughter, Aaron proceeded towards the front door.

Standing on the other side of the door was a man with skin the colour of snow, hidden under a navy blue over coat, his head hung making it impossible to get a good look at his face. Upon opening the door the strange man raised his head, matching Aaron's gaze, "Can I help you?" Came Aaron's curt reply.

No words were said by the mysterious stranger, only a wide cheshire cat like grin morphing his features, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. But none of this is what grabbed Aaron's attention, no it was the crimson eyes of this man that made Aaron Latimer's skin crawl.

As if the crimson eyed man knew that he was the cause of the fear rushing through Aaron's veins, his already cheshire grin grew in size causing the fear in Aaron to reach new levels. For every back step taken, the strange, red eyed man would take one forward until he was a good distance in the house.

"Daddy! Can we go-" Maple was cut off by her own shrill scream bubbling up her throat and slipping out her lips. Both men's attention snapped towards the young figure standing behind her father, clutching the cup in her hands. Staring at the red eyed man, Maple could feel something destructive building up inside her small frame, staring from her toes to the very tip of her nose.

Susan Latimer rushed into the hallway after hearing her daughters terror filled scream, stopping abruptly in her tracks at the sight of the man behind her husband. Before anyone could react the stranger leapt towards the brunette haired man known as Aaron Latimer. 

Screams echoed through the wind, the ground beneath their feet splitting open and panic being the only emotion everyone in that house felt at the present time. The snow white creature jumped away from his lost meal, as the holes in the ground became bigger with every passing second. Deciding it be safer to leave and find a meal somewhere else, the handsome creature spared one last glance at the young girl whispering a soft "I'll see you again, Gaea" before disappearing into the wind.

Opening her eyes Maple found herself back in her living room, nestled under a periwinkle blanket, with a now cold cup of tea in her hands, sighing she rises shaking her head to try and rid herself of the memory.

It had been nine years since she had seen the strange, red eyed man. Nine years since she first discovered her powers. Tipping her cup into the sink, Maple glances at the clock on her microwave; 5:15 great, the pizzas late. Maple drawled in her head.

Walking back to the couch, she turns the tv back on and continues to read her book Goosebumps; Ghost Camp. Immersing herself in her book, Maple failed to take notice of the swaying trees or the man with the red eyes from Christmas nine years ago, watching her from across the lawn.