Ashes of Fire (#1)

Prologue

Spring

            My head fall off of my palms as I try to regain my consciousness back. But every time I wake up, people already scatter around the class making their way home. Uff, high school was even better. I once promised to my best friends that we would go to the same college, have fun together, hang out and shop together. But that isn’t happening. Just like the class, we all scattered, and we barely see each other ever since. I have no friends in my college.

“Hey hun, where are you? Meet me at the usual coffee shop near your college alright?” he texts.

Well when I say I has no friend, that's half a lie, my cousin Alex Lipton, is the only best friend I have left. Talking about Alex, he’s basically a bookworm who wears the same sweater for a week and doesn’t stink at all. He barely breaks a sweat and smells like jasmine every day. I tell you, what kind of girl who doesn’t fall in love with a guy that spend most of his time in a bookstore and looks like a fictional character that just comes out from a book? Yes, they do pray to God that he’s their fate. But little they know he is actually gay. I hate to pop the bubble, but every time they see him walking with me and calls me ‘hun’ they stare at me like I just steal their fictional boyfriend. Well, what can I say?

“’Kay Al, in my way,” I text back. I quickly climb into my car and drive my way to the coffee shop.

***

            “Hey Essie, you took so long, I swear,” he pouts as he plays with his straw.

“Yeah, sorry,” I shrug off the complain. “So, what do you wanna talk about?” I rest my head in the cup of my hand. He raise an eyebrow in disbelief. “What?”

“Oh my God, Es. Today’s your birthday,” he rolls his eyes. “Happy birthday Essie.”

“Awwh, thank you! You’re so sweet Al. The assignments are killing my ass off. You made my day,” I give him a full grin.

“Hey, don’t thank me first. I bought you something,” he smiles. I smile back along with airy chuckles.

“You’ve got to be kidding me Al. Just tell me already.”

He motions me to wait. While I close my eyes, I try to guess what he bought me. He’s unpredictable. The last time, he even bought me an action figure from my favourite game and posters from my favorite TV series. I literally fell to my knees and cried of happiness that time.

“Okay, open your eyes,” he breaks my little daydream. I open my eyes slowly; letting the sunshine slip through my eyes. “Tadaa!” He claps his hands. I focus my gaze to the table. “First, I bought you the dystopian book you’ve been dreaming to have, and second, I bought you a fairy-tale.”

I scan the books slowly that sprawls against the table. My lips quickly curl into a smirk. I dash from my seat and give him a bear hug. He never fails to make my day.

“You should totally check out the fairy tale. You might laugh at the fact that it’s a fairy tale, but this one is different somehow. It seems like it’s not meant for kids,” he lean to my ears as if he just said an ultimate secret.

“Um, okay...”

I take a peek on the title. It clearly says with a bold, italic words: ‘Elle The Great Witch’. It sounds like it’s for kids to read. But what do I know? I can’t judge the book by its cover. I clears my throat as I open the book.

Then everything suddenly goes black. A blackout?

“Hello?” I scream.

An image shows up in front of my eyes. There’s a little girl with blonde hair with gold eyes just like mine. But my hair’s brown since my mom wants me to look a little bit like her. I was addopted by her, and she told me that. However, I still love her no matter what. I look at the image of the girl again. She’s going to a forest with a guy.

Then it flashes to another image. This time she’s already about seventeen years old. I examine her from head to toe. She seems normal and pretty. I look at the moving image again. She threw fire from her hand. What is that?

“Essie?” someone shook my body impatiently. “Essie!” Oh, it’s Alex.

“What is wrong with you?” I jerk away from his tight grip.

“What is wrong with you? Your eyes suddenly goes white and start to mumble things about the fairy tale that you haven’t even read! You’re freaking me out, Es,” he blurts. Is it about the weird thing that I ‘dream’? It isn’t even a dream. It’s just a compact of images that flash through my eyes, or mind, I don't know.

“What? How?”

“You tell me.”

What just happened? Why? There’s something about that girl. It feels like I know her.

But when? How?

Questions just keep swirling in my mind. 

A/N: Hello ;) what do you think about the epilogue??