Fallen

Chapter 8: Out of Time

Celeste in panic hurries back home after getting what she was asked of, by this time in the evening her brother should be home by now. As she gets to her door she unlocks it and to worsen her panicked state her brother is nowhere to be found, she begins pacing back and forth not knowing what to do and on the verge of tears. That is until suddenly the door is opened and Xenith enters while noticing his sister "Oh hey Cel-" before he finish Celeste sprints at him to lock him into a hug as she says with a shaky voice "W-where have you been?" Confused and concerned responds "I was with a friend before coming back home, why?" Celeste still concerned continue to press him "W-who exactly?" she says keeping her shaky voice. Xenith sighs "If you really must know, its a girl I'm interested in ok?" Celeste realizes the boundary she has overstepped, she backs up and looks down "I...I'm sorry Xenith." as she says that she keeps her eyes shut ashamed of her actions; suddenly she feels arms wrap around her. She opens her eyes to see her brother hugging her "I don't know for what reasons but, I'm sorry I made you worry and I'm not upset at you, you were just concerned." She looks at her brother with a small smile and pulls him a bit closer "I'm just glad you're okay."

After they finally begin to pull apart Xenith decides to speak up "Hey I'll go make dinner, why don't you go lay down for a bit." "Are you sure?" Xenith nods his head "Positive." Celeste smiles at her brother "Thank you." she says as she turns and heads to her room. After about an hour passes there's a knock on Celeste's door "Dinner's ready." says a muffled Xenith sounding annoyed. Celeste goes over to the door quickly and opens it to see her brother heading down to his room with a plate in hand as he gets to his door and shuts it behind himself. Celeste concerned but decides to let her brother have space, heads down the hall to get food as she sees her father at the table eating "Hello Celeste." Celeste freezes after hearing the greeting and hesitates to respond "H-hello father." Zayfur has a puzzled look on his face but then not long after he drops it. Celeste still feeling concern about her brother looks more intently towards her father "Is brother okay?" she asks, Zayfur still focused on his food acknowledges her question "What does he matter."

"There's absolutely no doubt about it then..."

A silence fills the room after the comment Zayfur had made, Celeste taken aback by the words aware of the visible shock on her face. Her father finally takes notice of her reaction "N-no I didn't- what I meant was its not our matter, he abruptly left without a word it must be something he dealt with on his own." Celeste still quiet moves to get her food not responding to what her father's corrected statement, as she does so her father gets up being finished and goes to his room. After sometime had passed, Celeste had finished her food and cleaned up everything, after her long day, she opens the front door and steps out to the patio as she slides against the wall down to the floor and curls into a ball as she buries her head into her arms. She then grasps her necklace, her mother's necklace and looks towards the sky "Oh, Mother..." she says as she begins to cry as her sight fades to black.

Suddenly Celeste jumps awake and somehow she's in her bed, confused she looks around as the last place she remembers being was outside on the patio. As she feels around her neck there's nothing there as she starts to feel panic, instinctually she looks to her dresser counter and sees the necklace sitting there. Celeste sighs in relief to then quickly collect herself once again "How did I get here?" she thinks to herself again as she gets up deciding to shrug it off as she goes to leave her room. As she closes the door behind herself as she goes down the hall "Is everything okay?" Celeste turns around to see her brother. Celeste thinks to herself "Did he..?" Xenith sighs heavily "I...I heard you crying outside and when I opened the door you were asleep so I brought you inside." Celeste looks down as she grabs the pendant on her necklace. Xenith continues to press me "Is something wrong?; Celeste?" Celeste looks him in the eye "He needs to know, I need to tell him I have to." Celeste takes a deep breath in and exhales "Xenith I-"

"Hey I'm going out, I need you two to stay and watch the house for the day!"

The door slams shut. Celeste freezes and looks at her brother but can't finish her sentence "Why can't I speak..." she thinks to herself. Xenith sighs "Its okay Celeste, if you don't wanna talk to it I won't force you to, if you need me I'll be by the front door but, I think you should lie down." Celeste shuts her mouth and nods "No! What am I doing?!" Xenith pulls me in for a hug to comfort me "I'll check up on you later on." I hug him back "Why...why aren't I saying anything..." Xenith walks down the hall and I go back to room

"What...WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!"

Several hours pass, Celeste leaves her room and down the hall into the living room area. Celeste takes another step and the floor creaks; Xenith turns to his sister "Hey, feeling better?" Celeste nods "Y-yes I am, thank you." Xenith smiles at his sister "Anyways, its been getting kind of loud outside, must be a party or something." the sounds of people can be heard in the distance. Celeste takes a seat nearby one of the windows and becomes lost in thought "Tomorrow. I have to tell him tomorrow but, right everything is oka- wait, is... are the people getting louder...?" Celeste looks outside the window as the sounds get louder and louder.

Celeste in panic shakes her brother "We've got to move Xenith, come on." "H-huh?, what're you do-" Celeste shakes her head "N-no time to explain, move." I hesitantly nod and move where she's directing me. "Down the hall?, maybe to out a window?, but why?" "Hey those people are getting awfully lou-" Celeste shakes her head "No time for that we've got to mo-

SLAM

The front door is kicked open with what looks to be the entire village standing outside and the one who kicked the door open.

"There he is, the monster who killed those innocent people!"

Zayfur shouts pointing at his son. I look to my sister confused "Celeste..?" Celeste looks back at her father.

"We're out of time."