Aurora (A Statera Novelette)

Aurora - The Dawn of Light

He removes his hat to bow his head in acknowledgement of the compliment, but he pauses at my smile. With a slight tilt of his head, he squints his eyes as if to better scrutinize me. Caught off guard, I back up a step just as someone calls my name from the lights by the gatehouse.

"Aurora, over here!" A young girl waves her arms next to a chauffeur.

"Oh, that's me!" I say to Mr. Augustine, waving my arm back toward my cousin, Adelaide. Turning back, I notice the gent's eyes have widened considerably, and he seems to have paled up.

"Ms. Sinclair, please if I could have a moment," Mr. Augustine attempts to delay my departure.

"Mr. Augustine, are you quite alright?" I ask, concerned about his coloring.

"Yes, yes, my dear. It's just... your name. What did you say your full name was?" he spurts out, almost in panic.

Surprised by his question, I begin to grow uncomfortable at his sudden change in manner. I look toward Adelaide and begin to step away. "My name is Aurora. Aurora Sinclair. I'm so sorry, sir, but I don't want to keep my ride waiting. Perhaps I'll see you at the museum sometime?" I call back with a wave.

I do my best to shake off the strange farewell as I move briskly toward the gatehouse to my waiting cousin. "It's so good to see you, Addie!" I move into her welcoming embrace.

"You too, Aurora! I'm so thrilled you could make it in time for the wedding!" she says, ushering me into the car while the driver packs away my luggage.

"I wouldn't have wanted to miss your big day! But I suppose I lucked out at work with the timing. It must've been meant to be!" I shrug. "Thanks again for letting me stay while I'm in town. With the housing shortage, I was having a hard time arranging a flat," I point out.

The driver gets in and we're whisked away, into the night.

"Oh, I wouldn't have had it any other way! There's still so much to do, and so little time. And I can't wait for you to meet my Mikey! You'll absolutely adore him," Addie insists.

It's so rare to see my cousin light up like this, she's usually so quiet and reserved. This man of hers must really be something.

"Now I have an important question to ask you, dear cousin," she grows perfectly serious. "I wasn't sure if you would make it or not, so I've been holding off. But... will you be my maid of honor?"

"Oh, Addie! Absolutely!" I exclaim and we both squeal with delight.

Addie is almost the only family I've got left after the war. We were always close as children, spending our summers on holiday visiting each other's families. But when we both lost our parents, and I lost my older brother in the horrors of the war, we leaned on each other to get through.

"I've asked Broderick to walk me down the aisle," she says, reading my face to know where my mind has wandered.

"Oh, he must be getting so big! I haven't seen your little brother in ages!" I smile, thinking of how the young man must be nearing finishing secondary school. "How's he getting on?"

Addie opens her mouth to answer, but her face transforms into a look of horror.

In an instant, everything changes as Addie screams for the driver to stop. In the panic, I'm not quite sure if the tires or my lungs are the source of the deafening screech. The piercing noise is cut off, and my world changes at the sound of the sickening thump-thump.

The car comes to a halt, but it's too late. There's no mistaking what that noise meant.

With a quick glance to make sure Addie is okay, I jump out of the car.