APHOTIC
Alex
Sweat streaked hair, racing heart, burning muscles, Alexandra Farrah of Cyto ran for her life. Her snow white hair fluttered in the wind in a tangled mess. The smell of ash mixed with blood and death clung to her. She leaped over logs and dodged trees, ignoring the pain of her screaming legs. Behind her chased a roaring sea of fire with waves swallowing the ancient trees of the sacred forest.
“Alex hurry!” Alex pushed herself a little further to catch up with her older sister, Dove. “There’s a cave nearby, the fire shouldn’t be able to reach into the heart of it.”
Dove was tall, beautiful and almost a full fledged spirit. Her golden hair was pinned up, with ringlets escaping from the coils. She was usually as perfect as a porcelain doll, but now, Alex could see the grave sadness and fear carved into the lines on her blotchy red face.
Alex followed her sister around a long dead tree trunk rotting on the forest floor, waiting for the fire to come devour it. They slid into a small crack in the ground as the fire brushed passed, burning Alex on the ankle. Dove yanked her in, and dragged her deeper into the cave before settling her down at the base of a small rocky mound within the cavern.
They could hear the fire roaring outside. The light spilled into the cave and their shadows flickered against the rocky limestone walls. Dove helped her little sister sit up, before taking a look at her ankle. The burn wasn’t as bad as it could be. Dove could heal most of it and block the pain, but there would a scar left.
Alex was flinching and biting her lip every time her sister touched the burn. She held back tears and cries of pain. The searing bolts of pain eased as a blue light glowed from Dove’s palms. Alex’s ankle was washed with cool and numbing healing magic. Dove’s speciality was in magic, she was a healer, and the best fledgling healer in Cyto. Alex couldn’t feel her ankle. She peered at it in the fluctuating light. There were webs of blotchy skin above her ankle and Alex scowled before a soft hand touched her cheek.
“Don’t worry, it will heal. Get some rest for now. I sense that rains will come. I’ll wake you when the fire burns out,” Dove rubbed some dirt of Alex’s cheek and kissed her forehead.
Alex watched as her eye lids became heavy. Dove stood and re coiled her hair, before sitting down against the cavern wall and inspecting a cut on her arm. The darkness and cold seeped into and her mind slipped into oblivion…
***
“ALEX! ALEX!” Alexandra Farrah’s eyes snapped open, wide and traumatised. Beads of sweat rolled down her face and her hands were shaking. She caught her breath as whoever was at her door continued to scream her name and knock obnoxiously.
“I’M COMING!” She yelled back and fought down a wave of pain as her throat burned with dryness.
Alex ripped open the door, eyes menacingly glaring at the boy at her door. He stood tall with coal black hair and shimmering green eyes which were looking down because he was fussing with a stain on his shirt.
Alex coughed impatiently, “what is it Tom?”
He was still fiddling with his shirt, “Alex it’s late why aren’t you up- OHMYWHAT” his eyes grew wide as he looked up at Alex and she jumped back, stunned.
“What-,” Alex’s hair curled over her shoulder. Pure white strands hung freely around her, radiating with a snow white glow.
Alex’s heart dropped for a second as she slammed the door shut. Her hands began shaking more and she could feel the blood rushing to her head.
MY HAIR! IT’S WHITE! HE SAW IT WHITE! Oh know what do I do?! Humans aren’t supposed to have WHITE HAIR! He might report me. I can’t- I can’t…
