Another World

Chapter 33

A burning red and orange permeated the air in a hazy hue, obscuring the scenery surrounding her. Charlotte squinted, but the more she concentrated, the more the air became denser with the thick vapour.

Charlotte opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She frowned and tried again, but the same thing happened. She slowly turned full circle, but she was effectively enveloped in this strange, smoky fog and could not discern anything past the end of her nose. She tried to step forward, but now found her feet firmly planted in place. This was not good...

Her heart started racing as a sense of foreboding settled deep in her bones. Just as she was close to panicking, the fog suddenly parted, revealing a clearing in front of her.

But instead of feeling relieved, what she now saw frightened her even more.

The clearing was something out of a war zone, with burning and smoking debris scattered around. There was nothing discernable among the wreckage to make out what it had once been. Just jagged sheets of metal, twisted and bent into unrecognisable shapes, poking out of charred and smoldering planks of wood.

Charlotte swallowed, but instantly gagged as the taste of ash and soot filled her mouth. Her eyes started to burn as black smoke blew in her face, and she hacked and coughed, trying to clear her burning lungs. She was going to suffocate if she didn't find a way out of here soon...

As though sensing her thoughts, the air suddenly cleared and Charlotte inhaled deeply, the clean and pure air soothing the burn in her chest. She wiped at her stinging eyes with the back of her hand and when she looked up, she let out a gasp of shock and stumbled back. For there, in front of her, now stood her parents.

They seemed unscathed by the burning carnage surrounding them, and they gazed at their daughter with equal looks of parental affection and love.

Fresh tears of sorrow stung her eyes and her heart constricted at the sight. Before she could think about it, Charlotte rushed forward, almost sighing in relief when she crashed into their awaiting arms, which wrapped around her in a warm embrace. They stood there for the longest while, contented to just be held by each other and bask in the love and joy of seeing each other again.

Charlotte finally pulled away enough to gaze at them. Oh, how she missed them! Her joy slowly ebbed into that of guilt. Guilt that she was indirectly responsible for their deaths. If she had never become involved with Eric, then they wouldn't be dead...

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, the tears now falling freely.

Her mother shook her head sadly and bought her slender hand up to cup her daughter's cheek. She said nothing; her expression enough to relay that she did not blame Charlotte. Her father laid his hand upon her shoulder and gave her a small squeeze. He, too, shook his head, his solemn eyes boring into hers and silently urging her not to blame herself.

But she did...

Charlotte frowned, only now realising that they hadn't uttered a single word during their whole exchange.

The wind changed subtly, yet it was enough to send a chill through her and she shivered.

Her parent's expression changed to that of one of fear.

As the wind picked up, her mother and father glanced at each other fearfully before turning their attention back to Charlotte. They each grasped her hand in their own, their grips almost painfully tight. Her mother opened her mouth, but no sound came out as she mouthed something repeatedly. Charlotte's brows knitted together. Was her mother trying to tell her to run...? Her features showed the abject fear, as well as an urgency that Charlotte was failing to understand.