From tears and ash

Chapter 2

Like usual, Ellia awoke early and went to gather firewood. She built the fire and laid the pot above it. There was enough left for Fynn to have a large bowl, but she would need to go out later and buy some more food for herself. Fynn must have slept in as he hadn't appeared at the usual time to eat before going to work. She pours him a bowl and goes to feed the animals. It's probably best if he gets some more sleep. He must be grieving.

She also discovered that they needed more food for the animals. The grass didn't grow fast enough on their patch of land, so they needed extra supplements. If she can't afford them, she might just let them go into the field next door. That field belongs to the village. Its grass was far too long anyway, and no one ever came this far up the hill. She ponders this as she walks back to the house. Deciding that she will have to ask Fynn his opinion.

The bowl remains untouched. If he needed a day off, Ellia hoped he would tell her, so then she could (happily) make some excuse about him contracting an infectious illness. They could live without his income for a day. She would just pick up a double shift to make up for the monetary loss.

Ellia knocks on his door, sending a scatter of peeling paint onto the floor. A lukewarm bowl of food rests in her hand.
"Fynn, you awake? I have food."
He doesn't reply. Though she can hear sheets rustling. She pushes the door open with her back to give him time to acknowledge her coming in before she turns to face him. She wouldn't want to embarrass him by walking in on him getting changed.
"If you dont want to go in today, I can tell them... Fynn?"
The room was empty. The wooden floor worn where Fynn would walk to bed and to the wardrobe. The bed was still made from yesterday, layered with blankets. Though the open window made one of the lighter sheets move occasionally.

"Fynn?" She calls again, as if simply saying his name would make him appear in the room, where he was supposed to be. She places the bowl down on the bedside table and sees his wardrobe door open a crack.
"Fynn, i swear to the gods if you jump out at me now. It'll be the last thing you do." She laughs as she pulls open the doors, only to find them empty. Not only was he missing, but his work overalls were too.

Now, she tries her best not to panic. Rational thoughts tell her that he went to work early, but the voice belonging to her 12 year old self tells her that he has left her too. He didn't even leave a note. He always left a note. So she sets out to find him, wearing the first thing she could find, the dress from work the night before. As she marched down the hill, she thought; if he was just at work, then they could laugh about how panicked she was, for no reason. If he wasn't... well, she didn't want to think about that.

The village centre was busier than usual. People stood gossiping, eyes followed her. Strange, she was used to not being seen. She reached up and felt the curve of her ear, confirming it was still a curve and not a point. Then why were people staring? She found out why soon enough.
The mines. It was the entrance to the mines people were gathered around. "Fynn?" She broke into a sprint, pushing people out of the way. She had tunnel vision. She needed to make it to Fynn. Someone's hand went on her shoulder, "Honey, I wouldn't." Ellia didn't care. It wasn't Fynn. She needed to find Fynn. She kept scanning the crowd for his tousled hair, his tall form, his kind eyes. She finally made it to the front of the crowd. She stopped then.

In front of her was the mine entrance, which was normally a large cave entryway supported by many beams and planks of wood. But now, it was nothing but rubble.
"They were lucky work hadn't started yet." A man next to her said to another. She felt a wave of relief. No one was in the mines. Fynn will be safe. She turned away and began searching the crowd again. "Fynn?"
"Ellia?"

The woman who had tried to stop her before was now next to her. Ellia didn't look, continuing to search for Fynn, "Im sorry, I can't talk. i need to find my brother."
"That's what im trying to tell you, honey."
Ellia looked at her now. Looked at the wrinkles on her face, the concern in her eyes. She looked to the womans hand, as if it would be holding Fynns, guiding him back to her.
"Trying to tell me what? Where's Fynn?"
"He, well he..."
The old lady's eyes looked over Ellia's shoulder towards the mine.
"Honey, dont look."
Ellia whipped her head round, the old lady's words lost to her.

Sure enough, there, on a stretcher was Fynn. Dust and blood coated him, but she recognised the tear on the knee of his overalls, having re-stitched it often enough. "Fynn!" She ran to him, the men carrying the stretcher placed it on the floor, stepping back to give her space. She wondered why they were giving her space? They should be taking him to a doctor. She kneeled in the dust next to him, keeping her eyes fixed on the rip in his overalls, something she could fix, terrified to look up and see something she couldn't.

"You ripped your trousers again. Im going to need to teach you how to sew." She tried to laugh, as if it would make this all some cruel joke. It came out as more of a chocked cry. She finally looked at his face, "Fynn..." Her shout now a whispered plea. There was no reply. His beautiful blue eyes stared up at the sky, unmoving.
"Someone get a doctor!" She shouted.
A silence, only so heavy because of the number of people that carried it.
She held Fynn's hand, "It'll be okay."
Her body turned towards the crowd, "Are you all deaf? someone get a doctor. We need to save him."

Pitying faces stared back at her. She locked eyes with the woman from before, and she shook her head. Her message was clear. He was gone. A tear fell from her chin onto Fynn's cheek, exactly how her own mothers had. "Someone..." She couldn't see through her tears, "someone please save him." The hand in hers was no longer as small as it once was. Now it swamped hers. Instead of clammy, it was cold. She had failed. She hadn't looked after him, the only thing she had to do.

"Fynn? wake up now." She could hear the crowd dispersing behind her, the entertainment over for the day. "You said you wouldn't leave, you promised." No response, she hadn't expected one, but she had hoped nonetheless. A hand was on her shoulder again. "You need to let him go, honey. They need to move his body."
His body. They needed to move his body because he wasn't alive. He wasn't alive. He was dead.
She leant over him and kissed him on the forehead. The way her mother had said goodbye to her, the way she was now saying goodbye to Fynn. The only one she had had left. As she removed her hand from his, she realised that she was alone. So very alone.

Strong but soft arms helped her up and led her away. Away from her little brother.