Flames of Solitude - Volume 1

Chapter 1 - Scarred for Life

"Jes, help your sister with bathing," Meren spoke to her daughter before leaving the house.

"Okay, Mom," Jessica replied.

Taking four-year-old Melody by the hand, Jessica led her to the bathroom. Although she was only five years older than her younger sister, at nine, she had already started helping her mother with household chores and taking care of Melody.

Since their father had left them, their mom had to work twice as hard. Jessica could see the growing shadows under her eyes and hear the quiet cries from her mother's bedroom in the darkest hours. So, young Jessica, who would have loved to go out and play with her friends, stayed at home to bathe her younger sister and do whatever needed to be done.

She believed that everything would be alright when she could finally see her mother's smile again. She prayed to God that this day would come soon, the day when she could play outside without worrying.

Splash

The sound of running water filled the bathroom, accompanied by a young girl's cry.

"Ah, it's too cold!" Melody exclaimed, holding her hands over her head to shield herself from the freezing water.

"It will warm up soon, just wait," Jes reassured her. She turned the showerhead away, testing the water until it reached the right temperature.

"Better now?"

"Yaa," Melody replied happily.

Despite the chase through the entire house to get her into the bathroom, she seemed to enjoy her bath. Jessica applied a bit of soap to her hand and began to wash Melody's hair, marveling at the color – the same fiery red as her own.

Jessica had endured a slew of nicknames for her hair at school: tomato head, carrot top, strawberry...

Hmm...

As she pondered this, she realized that all these names were related to food. There was one nickname, however, that stood out – Firecracker. It was a name she hadn't heard in years. Her father used to call her that, and it was also why it had been so long since she last heard it. He used to say it described not only her hair but also her personality, although Jessica hadn't understood that at the time. Back then, she would just run around wildly, screaming, "I am a firecracker!" and laughing like crazy.

Strong emotions welled up in the young girl's heart, accumulating until a tear formed in the corner of her emerald eye.

"Are you crying?" she heard her sister's voice amidst the splashing water.

"No," she replied quickly, aiming the showerhead at her face.

"Ahhh, stop!" Melody protested.

***

After taking care of Melody's shower, the next task was to prepare their meal. Meren had prepared sandwiches for her girls, along with some ingredients that Jessica would need to mix into a sauce just before eating. Jessica followed her mother's instructions dutifully.

Soon, the sound of munching could be heard emanating from the small kitchen. At a table large enough for three or four plates, Jessica and Melody enjoyed their meal.

"Mhm... It's yummy," Melody exclaimed.

"That's because I made it," Jessica replied with a smile.

"I want to make it too!"

"Maybe next time, I'll show you how," Jessica promised.

"Yaay!" Melody cheered, swinging her head from side to side and kicking her legs under the table. Jessica knew this because her energetic sister kept accidentally bumping her shins.