[Incomplete/Abandoned] Eyes Like Stars || A Heartless Marissa Meyer Story

Chapter 8 (part 1 of 2)- Oven in the Woods

Eventually Jill woke herself up and looked around the clearing with the campfire. Jack noticed and pushed her up onto her feet as he got up.

"Feeling better little sister?"

"...yes actually, thank you," Jill replied. She woke up pretty quickly and could be pretty articulate when she wanted to be, "where are we?"

"No idea," Jack told her, "it does look like someone's had a large fire here sometime in the last couple weeks though."

"Hmmm," Jill pondered. She retrieved her special metal pail from where Jack had lashed it onto his pack. Then heading over to the firepit she picked up a chunk of ash and scattered it into the bucket.

Jack had been expecting it, so he wasn't too surprised when the dusty substance simply blew back out of the container, scattering Jill and the ground around her with the powdery substance.

He was surprised, however, when he heard an absolutely revolting shriek ring out through the forest.

"Ah! Jack, are there people around here?" Jill exclaimed fearfully.

"I didn't see any earlier, but apparently yes," said Jack.

Never let it be said that Jill's heart wasn't in the right place. Sure, she might be afraid of the quest and the mission she set out on. She'd be impulsive, running into things without thinking them out or thinking better of them. But she always jumped in when someone was in need.

Still gripping her pail Jill sprinted toward where the shouting had come from, her now dirty while frock and her blonde curls whipping behind her super speed.

Jack slung his pack back on as quickly as he could and ran after her. He had trouble keeping up, not just because of his heavy pack, but also the fact that Jill had been resting all morning while Jack had been carrying her around.

And on top of that Jill had just always been faster than him.

Jack pulled up short behind his sister as they'd stumbled into another clearing in the dark forest. This one was illuminated though.

On the left a large lamp with a yellow flame illuminated a cottage with a strange texture to it's walls and shutters.

On the right the light was an orangy red color. It seemed to be coming out of a large brick structure. An outdoor oven! Of course!

From inside the bricks a woman was shrieking, and from outside them, illuminated by the orange glow a small girl was shrieking back. She looked to be around the same age as Jill, but her manner was completely different. Her hair was long and straight and her frame was thin and worn under her long dress and apron.

Jill ran up to confront the girl in the midst of her yelling.

"What are you doing to that poor woman? She'll surely die in there!" Jill exclaimed to the girl.

"As would I if I'd done as she asked!" The girl said, spinning immediately to face Jill. Her dirty face was streaked with tears, as though she'd been crying for a good long while. And the rage and defiance in her eyes burned hotter than the literal oven behind her, "And my brother too, eaten up for supper!"

Jill started at this, looking back at her older brother for guidance. By now the screaming from the oven had ceased, and Jack knew that with a death like that if would take much more than he was willing to risk to save her. Not that he didn't want to, but if he was going to have to bring her back from the dead anyway he might as well hear the story and make sure it was worth it first. It was sounding like it might very well not be.

Jack stepped up next to Jill and knelt down, offering his hand to the little girl.

"I see you've gone through a lot recently. My name is Jack, and I'm here to help you," he introduced himself.

The girl didn't take his hand, wary of trusting him he supposed.

"If you're really all that good, wait here while I go fetch my brother. He'll know what to make of you."

"Alright," Jack agreed amiably, taking off his pack and setting it on the ground next to where he was kneeling.

Jack and Jill waited patiently as the girl disappeared into the shadows behind the oven structure. And they continued to wait until she returned, now accompanied by a boy who looked very much like her, but perhaps with shorter hair and different clothes.

"Hello, I'm Jack," Jack told the boy, "I'm here to help you, if you'll let me."

The boy tilted his head and squinted, first at Jack and then at Jill.

Then he let out a sigh, as if he were simply tired. Tired of trials perhaps? Tired of second guessing people? Maybe just tired of being tired.

"Who cares, why not?" the boy replied, "you're older than me but not so old as to be an adult. I may as well trust you."

Jack noticed the girl's face softy start to glow. She obviously looked up to her brother, and if he were wary of them she would stay on edge too. But she was tired of distrust as well, so when her brother said they were trusting Jack, she seemed to melt.

Jack caught her as she ran at his chest and hugged him tight. Soon her brother did the same, and Jack gave them a hug. He didn't know what they'd gone through, or anything close to the full story here.

But he was a good big brother. And now he had more little siblings to protect. Nothing was going to hurt any of them as long as he had a say in it.

A/N: you remember when I said I was gonna update on Sundays... XD. Yeah sorry, I really did mean too, I just wasn't in a great mental state for writing at the time. And here we have another chapter in parts, cause I feel like this one's not done but this is what I've got right now. I'll get caught up I hope :D