To The Sun And Beyond

2. UNFORTUNATE CONTEMPORARIES

I WAS RUNNING IN THE DARK.
I don't exactly know what I was running from. Nothing was behind me, and nothing was in front of me. The air in my lungs began to squeeze out of me and escape my system. My heart pounded at my ribcage and pounded in my ears. Strange noises sounded from behind me.

Faster.

Suddenly, a small light shone in the darkness. I quickly focused on it. The light began to grow as I drew near. I kept running. I need to get to that light.

Suddenly, my body jerked as If I had fallen off a ledge. I began to fall, and the noises faded. Tiny lights began to form all around me, like stars. I saw the giant light that I had been chasing grow larger, although I was not running to it.

A sharp pain coursed through my body and I began to burn as the light got nearer.

"Aaaahh!" I screamed in agony, though there was no one around to hear.

My body slowly began to melt into the light, giving my human form to the sun. My screams were drowned out by the light engulphing my soal and everything left behind. The shriking violently stopped and my body began to decompose and melt into the sun.

I AWOKE SUDDENLY.
My eyes adjusted to my surroundings. I was still in Mr. Nelly' s shiney black car.

"How many more hours?" I asked, groggy.

"About five," Mr. Nelly responded. "You slept for quite a while."

I glanced over at Fin, who was examining his amulet. We were each given one from our parents. Mine was given to me from my dad, and Fin got his from mom. They both look similar, a dark gemstone with a thick silver lining. His was a deep green color, mine a very bright orange. Fin fiddled with his often, when he was stressed. He wore his every day, always keeping it near him.

I only wore mine once. And that's today.

It was when my parents died, that I started wearing it.

Fin noticed me looking at him, and smiled.

"Did you sleep well?"

I shook my head.

"Me neither," Fin explained. "I had a hard time sleeping. Of course, my dream didn't help."

His dream.

"What was your dream about?" I asked, suddenly curious.

Fin sighed, and looked forward. He began to explain, not looking at me.

"I was falling," he explained. "In a vast space, with a million stars. The earth was below me, growing nearer. I didn't burn from the atmosphere. I was immune. When I got the ground, my body continued to fall, breaking through the ground, and once I got to the core, I was burned to a crisp, and swallowed by the heat."

My jaw just hung open.

"What?" Fin asked, confused.

"I had the same dream," I explained. "Except with the sun, and not the earth, and, of course, no you."

Fin just stared at me.

"Interesting." he said, tapping his chin.

That is the most prominent thing I remember from the car ride.

When we arrived at our destination, the sun was beginning to set. I was very tired. I trudged out of the car and gazed in shock upon my new home.

The walls were a bright pastel yellow, and the roof a deep tan. The porch was covered in floweres, and the whole house looked to be about two stories. It was a very ugly house.

Mr. Nelly, Fin, and I walked to the door and Mr. Nelly knocked twice. Fin quickly grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard. The doorknob jiggled, and the door opened.

"Hello childeren," Said the most ugly woman I've ever seen. She had what looked like a giant wig atop her head and caked-on makeup. Her fingernails were abnormally long and her dress clung to every curve in her body. It was a deep purple with many random blue bloches on it. "We've been ancsiosly waiting for you." She grumbled, rubbing her gloved- fingers together.

"Hello, Mrs. Pullman." Mr. Nelly said.

"Oh please, call me Vivian," She said. "Oh, you must be the childeren! Camille and Frank, right?"

"Celeste and Fin." I corrected.

"Oh, potato, tomato," Miss Vivian shrugged. "Why don't you come inside, childeren?" She gestured toward the door.

Fin and I glanced at each other wearily, but proceeded into the house.

The inside was even more ugly than the outside. It was very cluttered, and many purple floral decorations and the thousands of glass dolls made me uncomfterble. The couch was sitting in the corner and beside it, a long spiral staircase.

Fin turned his head to me, his eyes as wide as sausers.

I seconded the look, and turned to Vivian who was chatting with Mr. Nelly. Vivian waved goodbye to Mr. Nelly and closed the door. I hadn't noticed this before, but the door had at least--17, 18-- 18 padlocks on it. Vivian closed each one separate before turning to us.

She folded her hands and smiled. It wasn't a genuine happy smile, but a dark, twisted smile. Like she had a devious plan and it was just set into motion. Fin gripped my hand tighter.

"Alright, childeren! I want you to meet my four daughters!" She stomped on the ground twice-I'm surprized her six-inch heels didnt penetrate the wood floor.

Suddenly, four girls came running down the staircase. The first one to line up -I'm assuming the oldest- wore a sparkly pink dress that came in at the waist and puffed out, like a tutu. She was accepionally beautiful, with light blue eyes and gorgeous red hair, and light freckles on her cheeks and nose. "This is my eldest, Sophie." Vivian gestured. Sophie nodded at me, with a warm smile.

"Hello." Sophie greeted.

"Sophie, these are your new siblings, Candi and Fabio." Vivian said.

"Well, acually, it's-" I began, but the next sibling had already gotten in line.

The second oldest wore a light blue dress that matched Sophie's. Her nose pointed out, and her eyes were chocolate brown and her hair was a beautiful golden shade. She was frowning, with her arms across her chest. She looked like she's never smiled in her life.

"This is Stepenie," Vivian explained." Stephenie, these are Camree and Fabi."

Stepenie only growled. Fin had a firm hold on my hand, and I knew he was as creeped out as I was.

The next girl skipped in line. Her dress was the same, except a light shade of green. Her hair was done up in two buns and was a dark black color. Her eyes were shielded from her huge glasses but I could tell they were a beautiful shade of violet. She walked over to Fin and I and patted us each on the head saying:

"How do you do? It's a pleasure to meet you! You must be Celeste and Fin! You guys have such pretty names! My name is Sage. It's a pretty boring name. But this is about you, not me. I'm sorry I talk an awful lot-"

"Sage!" Vivian ordered, and pointed back to the line. Sage trudged back in line, head sagging.

"I'm sorry about that one. She's not as elegant as the others." Vivian explained, eyeing Sage.

"It's okay." Fin said, shrugging it off.

"Oh so he can talk." Stephenie grumbled, and Fin just stared at the ground. I squeezed his hand as a sign of reassurance, and he smiled at me.

The last girl sprinted in. Her dress was a light coral color. Her hair was a bleach blonde color, with a gigantic bow. Her eyes were silver, with a hint of blue.

" Shilo, this is Cheeko and Frankfurt." Vivian gestured once again.

"Um, actually," I interrupted. "It's Celeste and Fin."

"Right," Vivian said. "Now girls, I expect you to be respectful to your new siblings. Sage, Can you show these nice children to their room?"

Sage nodded, and gestured toward the spiral staircase.