In The Dark Of Night

Chapter Sixteen - Mirror

Chapter Sixteen

Mirror

Holy water cannot help you now

~Florence + The Machine, Seven Devils

The world beyond was a quiet one.

Brushes of a long forgotten summer ran lightly over the green-blue fields of wild flowers and homey, smoky cottages, a fading memory of better years. 

The sun above shone stoically, as though it would rather be on the other end of the horizon than in the centre of the sky.

The birds, as silent as their environment, hung low in the trees, watching the day trudge on, neither chirping nor moving an inch as the seconds ticked away.

When the earth ripped apart, spewing three teenagers from its lips and into the soft patches of daisies, not a thing acknowledged their presence. 

With a shriek, Faye stumbled back to her feet, hands flying wildly as she sought to steady herself, green eyes wide with apparent shock and fear as she turned this way and that, as though not quite believing she was alive and well.

Beside her, Wynella remained on her knees, chest heaving and black hair in her face, as she wiped it away, the green-vine tattoos on her dark legs twisting and writhing in panic. 

Only Cale, all calm demeanour and perfectly positioned dark hair, remained unmoved by the entire experience, casting his golden eyes over the sleepy field and puffing town they'd been spat out next to.

Around his neck, his chain glimmered in the sunlight.

"It's cold..." He sounded aloud, almost to himself, as the girls managed to get their bearings and flank him on either side.

As he said it, breeze whistled through the field, causing the daisy-plants to stir and Faye and Wynella to wrap their arms around themselves and give a shudder. 

"Wh-where are we?" Faye managed to choke out, rocking a little closer to Cale, green eyes peering into his face. "None of this looks familiar." 

Again, Cale's eyes swept the scene. Faye was right - nothing, not the birds, the field, the village or even the sun held the tiniest inkling of familiarity. 

Still, Cale couldn't bring himself to care.

"It shouldn't be this cold..." He said again, voice indifferent, but golden orbs flashing. "Not with the sun still up." 

"...Don't you feel that?" 

The two turned to see Wynella bent among the flowers, arms outstretched, hovering over them. Her shoulders were hunched and a veil of her hair was blocking part of her face from view, but the slight tremble to her hands gave away her hidden anxiety.

"Feel what?" Faye snapped, irritatedly, when Wynella didn't elaborate.

Only then did she turn to face them, and it was then that they saw that it wasn't only anxiety - but fear - clothed in her eyes.

"The flowers... the grass... The nature here... It's all dead." 

There was a beat of silence, filled only by the chilling, howling wind that swept through the field, making goosebumps rise of the skins of Faye and Wynella.

"That's... that's not possible." The amber-headed girl began, eyes darting down at the nearest patch of flowers beside her - beautiful assortments of blues and whites and greens, looking as healthy as ever in the midday sun. 

"How can everything be dead?" Cale added, eyes hard.

But the look on Wynella's face didn't change for the better. In fact, her shoulders dropped and her lips went a little white and her pupils dilated - as though from breathing the very air, she too was losing life.