Project Wildfire

Greece, 12 Years Ago

The docks were flooded with people of all different sizes. In the middle was a man and woman with a small girl in the middle. Her blonde hair was tied back into braids. She stood timidly in the middle of the crowd as a backpack hung on her back. One shaky hand held a small bag. The other was sweaty and holding firmly onto her mother's hand. They all were dressed in modest clothing. In fact, looking around, most of the people at the docks were besides the officers and ship crew.

"Go, Aithne," the father gently nudged her forward towards the large ship that stood at the end of the dock. It was a shadow in the night. The only thing Katie could make out of the large vessel was the metal bars of the main deck that glistened in the moonlight.

"No," Aithne cried, "I want to stay!"

Her mother kneeled in front of her. At this close proximity, Aithne could see the dust that collected on her face and hands and could smell the gasoline that wafted off her clothes. As her mother took her small hands into hers she could feel the familiarity of the calloused hands that had worked hard all these years to raise her. But little Aithne didn't notice it, it was too familiar to pay attention to.

"Aithne, darling, I know you want to stay. I want to be with you every day and every night. I want to sing you lullabies every night and brush your beautiful hair every morning. But I can't. I am your mother. I am supposed to love you, to protect you, and take care of you. But my most important job is to give you your best chance, no matter the cost. And for me to keep you here with me when you could grow would be going against my job. If you go, the government will give you an education. They will teach you things, things that we could never teach here. I will miss you these next twelve years. You will come back as a grown woman, but a very smart and strong woman."

"You're strong," the little girl said as she looked up at her mother with large brown eyes. "I can be like you."

"I may be strong," the mother said as she brushed her daughter's hair, "but it will never be enough for the world. We will always be ignored and put to the side. But if you get on that ship maybe they will listen to you."

"But I don't want to leave you!" Aithne cried.

"You won't be leaving us," her father patted her hair while her mother stayed quiet and looked at her with solemn eyes, "not really. If you remember us every day and think of us you will never leave us. We will stay in your heart just as you will in ours."

Aithne, with tears still spilling down her cheeks, nodded and wrapped her small arms as far as she could around her parents. They held her for a moment, tears spilling down their cheeks as they wondered about the future that awaited them. Suddenly, the ship horn blew.

They pulled away from her and her father said, "Go, get on the ship."

"We will see you again, my little flame," her mother promised as she hobbled through the crowds of people. "And don't forget, you were meant to change the world, and you will. Remember to be the strong unyielding fire you always were meant to be."

"I will!" Aithne shouted back across the crowds.

"We love you!"

"I love you, too!" Aithne shouted back but it was drowned out by the noise. She was pushed along the crowds of other children and other parents carrying babies. She hugged the bags tighter to herself.

Finally, she climbed onto the main deck. Aithne found an empty spot at the glistening mettle rails and climbed up to see better. She could barely make out the shadow of her parents waving to her from the edge of the docks. She waved and waved and as they started to fade away in the distance she climbed farther up onto the rail and leaned forward to keep waving... Suddenly, she got the gut-wrenching feeling of falling before a set of strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her back onto the deck. She gathered her breathing and looked at the man who had just saved her life.

"Are you alright?" A woman standing next to him asked. She was carrying a little baby girl, "You nearly fell off the side."

"I'm okay," Aithne told them and her panic was replaced with curiosity.

"Are your parents with you?" the man asked.

Aithne shook her head, "No. They said I'm a big girl since I'm five so they didn't let my parents come too."

"Oh," the woman said. "What's your name?"

"Aithne," she responded.

"Well, Aithne. Don't worry. You can stay with us and our baby girl."

"Thank you," Aithne nodded and squeaked in response. Her attention turned to the baby girl in the woman's arms. Her big brown eyes were wide open as she studied Aithne intently. Aithne, who always wanted a younger sister, held up a finger close to the baby. The baby studied it before grabbing it with one hand. Then Aithne wiggled the finger towards the girl's nose and she cooed in delight. She was only half-aware of the woman and man giggling as they watched her fret over their child with delight.

"She's so cute," Aithne said. "What's her name?"

"Hestia Kamber," the mother responded.

"That's a long name," Aithne pointed out.

"It is," the woman said. "We call her Tia."

The baby cooed again as the ship sailed on through the dark and foreboding sea.