Different

Chapter 12

A familiar house stood before me. The outdoor paint looked dull yellow in the incandescent light from a light post nearby. It was actually pale blue. The windows had scales. The stairs to the porch creaked, so did the porch itself.

The smell of turkey was inviting. The laughter drew me closer to the wall, and the urge to eavesdrop was too strong. At the same time my stomach lurched in envy and hatred. But the door swung open. I stood aghast in front of Charlie, who beamed at me. His hair and beard were both gray. Tartar on his teeth showed. His pale eyes wasn't flattered by the dim lamp that hung from the porch ceiling. He gestured me in.

Flustered, I looked at Margaret. Her hair hung over her chests, covering much of her collar. Her wrinkles became more visible. But her smile was the warm expression I used to remember as a kid. She beckoned me to come in.

The warmth in the living room caressed my skin. My heart thumped as their smiles grew wider, more jovial, more welcoming. My little brother waited for me by the dining table. I hugged him. It felt right -- and wrong. Tears started pouring down. He had been dead for five years.

"Hayley!" A voice familiar yelled outside. Strangely enough, I couldn't figure out whose voice it was.

"It's just some rowdy neighbor," mom said as she motioned me to sit on a chair. She poured gravy on my potatoes and laid steamy beef beside them.

"We miss having dinner with you," Charlie said.

A lump in my throat rendered me speechless. I had waited for that moment I could be with them again, to see their smiles, to feel how much they cared. The irony of it all was too disturbing. The voices outdoors distracted me, but mom held my hand.

"Eat before the food turns cold," she said.

"This is not real." The spoon that had laid beside my plate hit the floor. Its tinking noise reverberated in my consciousness, attacking me from all directions. I had to cover my ears. The voices grew louder. But the scene dissipated into nothingness.

The musty smell of the hay I had slept on assaulted my nostrils. It was dark. The smoke from the embers of what had to be burnt tinder irritated my throat. My exposed skin felt cold.

People were yelling outside. They seemed to be fighting. The chains that locked me in were still taut. There had to be a way out of this boring place. The glowing splinters could be of use. I swore I could have burned down the barn. The wood was damp. It would take ages before it could burn a piece of wood on the gate. It was a futile tactic.

"Stand back!" Someone ran towards the door.

"Who are you?"

"I said stand back!" Barely unrecognizable in the dark, he kicked the door. It didn't budge.

I took one of the pieces of tinder with a glowing edge. But he was casting a spell. Defenseless, I stepped back, thinking of a quick way I could escape -- to no avail. His hands glowed red. So did the chains that soon melted, burning the wood that touched it.

"Hayley!"

"Matt?"

He grabbed me. What he did next confounded me. His lips touched my forehead as he tightened his arms around me. "Are you all right?"

"No."

"Let's go." He took off his jacket and wrapped it around me.

The ground was wet. He held my hand as we ran away. His flashlight lit our path. I could make out bushes here and there. We were coursing through them. Matt probably didn't know our way out. The shouts guided us. In the clearing were sprawled bodies. One of them was Amarra's.