-the summer of 1868- Kali is 10, Liliana is 9 and Clotilde is 7-
The sun hung proudly in the air, its rays radiating down upon each succulent blade of luscious grass and the fresh, powder blue sky stretched onwards, a slight breeze rippling over the field of lavender. It was a summers day.
"Kali, Kali!" A joyous voice giggled. "It's your turn, Kali!"
"Alright, alright. I'm counting, now go hide!" Another infantile voice spoke.
A chorus of giggles and excited squeals danced along the lavender as the two young girls hurried away from their counting friend. The taller of the two, seemingly older, ran with feverish steps that were both light and agile as she held onto her friend's hand, her hair fluttering like a newly born butterfly in the wind. It matched the rich, golden colour of the corn that grew in the opposite field. The other, younger girl, however, ran with speed and purpose, her bare feet falling heavily upon the spongy grass as she moved. Her hair was deeper and somewhat fiery, matching the rays of the sun.
Running together, their fingers stayed interlocked as they approached the forest clearing. The trees grew tall enough to form a blanket of shade in the branches above which eased the midday heat and soft beams seeped through the gaps, leaving peculiar shapes and patterns on the forest floor.
"In here, in here!" Beckoned the youngest. She tugged her friend towards the hollow of a chestnut tree, its presence creating a large shadow of grey around them.
Excitedly, she scrambled into the hollow and pulled her friend inside.
"Are you sure this is safe?" The eldest whispered, bringing her knees up to her chest as she sat.
"Of course it is, she will never find us in here!" The other replied, poking her head out playfully to scan the area.
"Alright then, I trust you."
Eventually the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the sky turned into a deeper, melancholy blue. There were no longer any playful patterns cast across the forest floor, just a bleak beacon of grey that stretched along the ground.
"Where is she?" The youngest voiced in frustration.
"Maybe she got bored and went home." Murmured the eldest. She brought her knees closer, hugging them for warmth. "I want to go home now."
"It's fine, we can stay for a little longer."
"No, Papa will be worried if we don't return soon."
"Bu-"
"Come on, Clotilde." She warned.
Reluctantly, the youngest held onto her sister's outstretched hand and they both climbed out of the chestnut hollow. The ground felt prickly and rough against their feet; there was no longer that lush spongey layer of grass.
Slowly, the two meandered through the forest, hoping to find the clearing that lead them back out to the open fields. The eldest lead her sister through the trees with tentative steps, her feet tiptoeing along the ground whilst her sister trudged behind in toe, her feet falling on every broken branch and snapped twig.
"Did you hear that?" Whispered the eldest, suddenly stopping still. Her eyes blinked through the darkness in fear as she searched the surrounding woodland. "It came from over th-"
There, in the distance, was a dark, disfigured shape. It stood still. However the angle of the body was turned towards the two girls as if watching their every move. Suddenly, the figure blurred out of sight and the girls gasped out of both amazement and fear.
"We have to go!" The eldest urged, tugging at her younger sister's arm. "Quick!"
The girls begun to move, their feet ferociously thudding along the forest floor, branches and twigs snapping under their pressure as their hair whipped round each tree they cleared. The trees started to space out, the branches breaking away until they could see the fields in the distance. Still moving, the youngest tripped, her body flailing to the floor. She yelped at the sight of her bleeding hand but her sister didn't hear. Suddenly, she was alone on the forest floor, watching as her sister ran out of the clearing and into the fields, fear pumping through her veins.
It was cold now, she realised, and she huddled up against a tree, cradling her bloody hand. The sky was now a sullen grey and the branches hung like bones from the thick tree trunks. The air was crisp and icy.
"Are you alright there?" A deep voice spoke.
The girl looked away from her hand and at the approaching figure, her breathing erratic with terror.
"Don't worry about me." It spoke again. "I was hungry so came out here. I even got excited when I heard the sound of movement."
He moved closer, crouching down to the girl's height until his face was distinguishable in the dull light of the moon.
"But once I saw I had sourced out two children," he sighed. " I realised, that's perhaps a step too far."
"Wh-who are you?" The girl tremored, edging away from the man.
"Who am I? That's easy." He grinned. "What am I? Now that's difficult."
"P-please don't hurt me."
"I'm not here to hurt you." The blue eyed creature spoke, but his eyes stopped dead at the sight of her hand.
The blood, still a bright, crimson colour, trickled down her hand and onto her frail wrist. Hastily, the man turned away, his jaw clenched.
"How did you do that, Hun?" He spoke slowly through gritted teeth.
"I cut it on something as I fell." She replied in a whisper.
"Now that's unfortunate."
Slowly, he turned his head back round to face the girl. She didn't seem scared anymore, oddly calm. He sighed at her innocence and gullibility as he ripped off a part of his shirt.
"You do realise, I could kill you." He stated, wrapping the fabric around her pale, infantile hand. "But, I guess that just washes all over that little head of yours."
The girl blinked back at him.
"What is your name, little girl?" He sighed.
"Clotilde Trinity." She answered confidently.
"Ah," Blue Eyes smiled. "I've heard of your family. And what is this?"
Clotilde looked down at her wrist where the strange man had pointed. The trinity mark stood out amongst her pale skin, the dark ink emphasising the symbol.
"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "My sisters have it too."
"How oddly interesting," he smiled back. "Now I better get you home before your father comes out looking for you with all his men."
Gently, he lifted the young Clotilde into his arms and stood up, his eyes focussed on the fields ahead.
"Are you saying your house is in this direction, Miss?"
"Yes," she smiled back before nestling into the crook of his arm.
"Then let's get you home."
Clotilde knew that it took a while to get from the forest to her house. She had made the journey at least twelve times before. Yet this time it felt like a matter of seconds before she was at her doorstep.
She opened her eyes, feeling strangely cold without the presence of someone else's body heat. Looking around, she could see no one. She frowned, upset that the nice man hadn't even left with a goodbye.
That was all she remembered of that night. Not the creepy shadows that had hung from the trees nor the cold air that had frozen her little body but the vivid blue eyes of the nice man that, against his will and nature, had gone out of his way to save her.
YOU ARE READING
The Trinity Sisters
Teen Fiction"I love them, Alec" she sighed, her gaze dropping to the ground. A strand of her copper hair blew across her face and she looked up, their eyes instantly locking. "And that's why I need you to kill them." "Whatever you say, Little Red," the dark fig...
