I didn't mean to hurt you

Ashes of a life

Emily stared around her at the ashes of her life, her home and all because of one boy. Aric.

She gasped for breath as she choked on the fumes. The smoke was making her eyes water and her mind confused. Desperate for a way out she looked around only to see fire. It climbed high up the walls and the light created shadows like monsters. It danced tauntingly around the girl as if trying to remind her that there was no way out. She started to cough consistently since she'd inhaled to much smoke. Her vision started to fade and she dropped to her knees about to take her final breaths. That was when the Foxwood Guard came. They came running through the fire with buckets of water. One of them ran over to her and gently picked her up before dashing back out. It was dark outside. The neighbours had come out with blankets and hot coco, they were standing at the ready with bandages and water. The only light came from the burning house. As her head started to clear she looked around her. Her mother was standing with the Foxwood Guard reporting something. When she saw Emily she came dashing over.
"Oh thank goodness you're alright! I was so worried." Once she was convinced that she was ok she hurried over to her father and whispered something in his ear. The fire had began to be taken under control when the screaming started. The Foxwood guard were dragging someone away, a young boy with dark black hair and violet eyes. Aric. All of a sudden the memories came flooding back. Aric murdering the family pets. Aric getting angry with her parents and setting the house on fire. Just as Emily stood up to run after him a woman put a hand on her shoulder.
"He'll be ok sweetheart, they won't hurt him, I'm Dean Brunhilde of Arbed House at Foxwood school for boys. He's going to go to school there with me as his teacher."
Emily looked up at her with wide eyes.
"Why, though! He's being punished and he didn't meant to kill the pets or burn the house down! He just gets angry. And he never means to hurt me!" Emily said unconvinced that there wouldn't be some sort of punishment.
"I'm sure he didn't, but he can't stay with you and your family though can he?"
Emily looked over at her parents. They'd never really understood Aric like she did. They'd meant to look after him when they found him in the woods 6 years ago. But aric has proved different to most children. For starters he glare at anyone who looked at him to long or he would fatten the chickens up a little too enthusiastically. At first they'd put it to the fact that he had been alone for so long, but it soon became clear that he was probably the child of a never. To Emily it didn't make much difference, aric was still her big brother and that was that. For her parents it was different. They were mortified as any decent family in Foxwood would be if they found out their child was evil. They were all for giving him up there and then, if it hadn't have been for Emily's persistence in keeping him they would have dumped him straight back where they found him.
Emily looked back up at the woman. She was young, but she already had worry lines across her forehead. Her smile was warm and genuine and she looked as if she was well meaning.
"I guess not," Emily said still unsure.
"How about this then, you can come and visit as often as you like and meet the other boys?"
Emily looked up at her.
"Mother would never let me," she said quietly.
"Well, I think I could sort something out with her." Dean Brunhilde said thoughtfully.
Emily smiled gratefully.
"If you'd excuse me child I must go now." She said and hurried of leaving Emily all alone as she stared at her house. The ashes of her life.