The Girl in the Cloak

Reunited

The sensation of falling enveloped Rain. At the same time, she was incapable of catching a breath. She felt as if her eyes betrayed her. Everything around her was like the light she had seen before. Pinks and purples swirled around her as she saw stars both near and far. She had not felt this way since her first kill. The sense of fear that took over her was overwhelming and yet familiar. The girl could feel tears dripping and falling from her cheeks as she continued plummeting towards a destination she knew nothing of. Her throat felt scratchy as if she had been screaming for hours. Suddenly it was all gone. Darkness was all around again. This was something she knew well. The comfort of it all felt like home. Then it came. A whisper in the distance she could not make out. Was it the dragon of her that lived in her jewelry. It was far enough away, she could not make it out. She looked around for it. It came again. Only it was closer this time. She started to sweat nervously as the whisper came closer and became louder. She frantically started to look for her weapons. None of them were there, she was defenseless. A sense of hopelessness came over her. What if she could force the flames to come out again. They felt so pure as she felt her uncle. Gave her strength she had never known. She started doing all she could as the whisper grew into a muffled yell. Whatever it was it was getting closer. She closed her eyes and tried harder and harder over and over again as the voice became a shrill scream. The sound hit her finally. Clarity came as the words clearly and softly spoke to her.

"Little one, Welcome home." She opened her eyes and found herself under the tree she had created in the twilight. She sat up and looked around. Everything else was darkness. "We felt you would feel more welcome under the tree, were we wrong?" Rain felt her skin. Hit had developed a tackiness from the sweats she had before.

"No, you were correct. What, what happened to me?"

"You had fallen into the Horric flames little one. They had engulfed you entirely."

"I feel as if I have only just vomited. What is this?"

"Those are withdrawals little one. Great dark power has been known to cause the sensation if you fall too deeply into it."

"I have used the flames before though."

"True, but this was your first time doing it without our help wasn't it. We keep you tethered to this place. Without your tether, you fell aimlessly into the madness of your Horric ancestry. We are sure you could handle it. In time." The girl couldn't bring herself to respond. She had no clue what she had done outside of this safe haven. "Worry not little one. We have more important things to handle as of now."

"Mother where are you?" Nothing came back. "Mother? Are you there?" The echoes always kept the two connected. The only exception would be if she didn't have her cloak on.

"I know what your thinking. That's not what it is. I told you little one you have more important things to handle." The rage started to hit the girl again. "Do not use the flame. Let us help you, like old times." Flashes of their past working together flew through Rain's head. She was sure she would be able to handle the engulf for longer than usual, but she didn't know if she could in the state she was in.

"Do I have enough in me to face this challenge though? My uncle did a good amount of damage to me."

"We will find a way through it." The girl clenched her fist as the cloak finished.

"Or go down fighting."