The Way I See You

Prologue

If you didn't read my previous note please hear me, this story starts off heavy but will get better. You have been warned!!!! 
Xx Divine Romance

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"Talitha!"

"Mother?" Talitha murmured, forcing her bleary eyes open. She looked around her dark room, covered in shadows. In the dim light of the night she could just make out her mother's distraught face. Talitha widened her eyes at her mother's expression.

"Get up, you need to get up," her mother urged, shaking her. Talitha sat up, a terrible feeling of dread wafting over her suddenly.

"What's wrong?"

Her mother licked her cracked lips and let out a moan of pain. She started crying violently, the tears so forceful they shook her body.

"Mother! What's wrong?" Talitha asked, clambering out of bed and rushing to her mother's side. A crack sounded from the ceiling. Talitha looked up, but before she could find the source of the noise her mother began moving forward, pushing Talitha towards the door.

"I am sorry, Talitha. I am sorry for everything – I never wanted this to happen," her mother rushed out.

"What are you talking ab-"

"We need to go, now. We are not safe here anymore. Something terrible has happened."

"What? What has happened? What's going on? Where's Father?" Talitha cried, panicked now. Her mother continued rushing her through the hallways.

They both screamed as a loud thump and cry of pain sounded from a nearby room.

"Father!" Talitha screamed, recognizing her father's cry.

"Go!" she heard him moan back.

"Go, go, go," her mother rushed out, pushing Talitha. Tears streamed down her mother's face.

"We have to help him!" Talitha cried.

"It is too late, they found him," her mother responded, her face pulled up into a tortured expression. Talitha felt her own tears begin to fall.

"I'm scared, what's going on?" Talitha begged, nearly tripping over the hem of her nightgown as they sprinted down the stairs. Talitha coughed – thick, black smoke was filling the house, so dense it was nearly suffocating. They pushed their way forwards, heading in the direction of the front door.

Talitha cried out as she looked around her surroundings. The house was on fire, burning quickly and destroying everything. Heat attacked her body and sweat broke out on her skin. The fire consumed everything she laid her eyes on. The front door was in sight now.

Talitha screamed as a section of the wall broke and collapsed behind her. Her mother cried out. Talitha whipped around to see the wall covering her body.

"No! Mother!"

She rushed to her mother's side and began pulling at the wall – a heavy beam laid across her mother's waist. She coughed violently, smoke searing her lungs as she tried desperately to remove the structure. Her mother was pale and covered in a sheen of sweat. She raised her hands to Talitha – they were burned and blistered. Talitha cried at the sight of them.

"Run, Talitha. Run. Go," she ordered.

"No! I am not leaving you here," Talitha shook her head forcefully.

"It is too late. You know it. I cannot escape this – this is where we part. Talitha... please... please go."

Talitha looked up, the fire was nearly on them – they would be covered in flames within minutes. Talitha cried, desperately trying to lift the piece of wall off her mother again.

"I am sorry. I love you," her mother wheezed out.

Talitha screamed as she spotted a man dressed in black slowly creeping towards them, a bow in his hand raised and pointed at her mother.

"Talitha, leave me!" her mother ordered. The fire and man were creeping closer, Talitha choked and gasped for breath.

"I-I lo-love you," Talitha stuttered, running her hands over her mother's face. "I don't want to lose you," she cried.

"Live. You have to live. I will always be with you, when you feel the b-breath of the wind and the sound of... the rain, know I am... there. Talitha, tr-trust no one," her mother stuttered, her face contorted in pain. Talitha looked up at the man again. His eyes flickered in the fire. "GO!" her mother screamed.

Talitha cried, a long, distorted, anguished sound as she pulled herself away from her mother.

"Don't look back! I lov-" her mother's voice was cut off suddenly. Talitha cried harder and kept running. She did not have to look behind to know what had happened.

Just as she was about to reach the door, the ceiling caved in. Talitha looked up and screamed. The weight of the collision forced her to the ground. She gasped as something cut into her face deeply. Pain burned across her face and hands. She pushed herself up from under the rubble and crawled across the floor, stumbling to her feet. She ran towards the door, pulled off from its hinges. Her legs shook as she dove out through the door and kept running.

She lifted a shaky hand up to her face and pulled it away to see deep crimson blood covering it. She was wounded – badly.

She ran a few more meters until she heard a voice.

"Ma'am!"

She looked up to see a few local people running up to her.

"We came as soon as we saw the fire!"

"Is everyone out?"

"We need to get you to a healer!"

"What happened?"

Their voices rose as one and Talitha took a step closer to them. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice caught in her throat.

Trust no one.

She shook her head, suddenly terrified, and began backing away from the crowd. She turned and sprinted away before anyone could call out after her.

She ran and ran until her legs gave out and she fell to the floor. She gasped for her breath, choking on her own tears.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm sorry Mama, Papa. Please don't leave me."

She cried, repeating the words over and over until the blood was crusted on her face and exhaustion led to unconsciousness.