(Under Quick Construction) Elemental House Series: Sea of Flames

Chapter 1: The Dark Figure ☽

Sigh.

I cleared my surroundings and stared into space. I looked ridiculous sitting there blankly—anticipating a shadowy figure was going to pop up at me and drift me into eternal darkness. I sealed my eyes—just for a moment. I imagined soaring through the sky, flying through a sea of never ending stars. The feeling of the blustery wind pressing up against my face. It felt magical. Nothing mattered, one by one my thoughts flowed out of my head. The stars—

"Em, Come down here. Spaghetti is ready!" Aunt Catherine blared.

Way to shatter the moment.

My eyes instantly perked wide as I pranced off the bed like a rabbit. The door busted open as I flew down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I saw the table was set with two ceramic bowls. Catherine was standing by the stove. She gathered up the pasta and commenced to strain it. Steam rose to the top of the ceiling.

After Catherine finished straining, she poured the pasta into another bowl, combining sauce. The aroma of fresh pasta made my stomach knot up. It rumbled with emptiness as it painfully fought the urge of hunger. When Catherine finished, she hastily turned around to see me already seated in the kitchen chair.

"Well, aren't you hungry?" she said, beaming.

I quickly grabbed some spaghetti and scarfed it down. I sure was starving. I havn't consumed any food since early this morning, and that was only a granola bar.

"It's not my fault you starved me to death," I muttered.

Catherine's smile instantly faded. She settled down in the chair across from me. "Well, it's not my fault I had an urgent meeting," she bit her lip, "besides kiddo, why didn't you just come down here to get some food?"

"Another meeting?" My stomach turned to water, and this time it wasn't from hunger.

I placed my fork down and finished chewing. It was as if my burning hunger had just vanished in thin air. My eyes, the most striking ice blue you'll ever see, peered at Catherine. Ok, maybe that description was a little much. Point is my eyes are pretty cool. Just thought I'd add that in.

Catherine appeared surpassingly small as usual. She was only 5' for the age of 40. You wouldn't have known we were related, unless you really studied our faces. Our faces alike, but everything else different. Catherine has a softer shade of brown hair, the color of caramel; her eyes a lovely dark brown, like chocolate. And Catherine's smile, was a lot bigger and brighter than mine—than anyone's really. Her smile was the sweetest thing about her.

"Catherine, there is no food in this house....ever."

Catherine sighed, her eyes examining me thoroughly. Had two years since we moved here gone by that quickly?

I shot up and ambulated towards the stairs. It was nearing 8:30 and I had to be in bed by 10:30, at least that's what Catherine thought. Sunday had already arrived; the weekend flew by in a heartbeat.

I carried along just before I heard a faint voice from behind me, "wait." I turned around and get caught right into Catherine's glinting eyes. It was as if they put me under a trance, gluing me to a stare. Catherine paused for a moment.

"Are you ok, Em?"

I could feel my heart—plummeting. "Yes—I'm fine."