Ashes

Chapter 1- Prologue

Eloise took careful steps toward the entrance of her new school. She felt so small, compared to it. The girl quietly scratched her wrist, A nervous tick she'd developed.

Pushing her way through the door, she quickly made her way to her first class. Eloise didn't expect to be this early. Only 3 people sat there.

"Hi! Are you the new girl?" A male with ginger hair questioned. She nodded. "My name is Eloise Greyn."

The other two in the room were a female with short blonde hair, who sported a bandage on her nose, and another boy with brown hair like Eloise.

"Chelly, Chelly Barlow!" The girl said, standing up and holding out a hand for Eloise.
She hesitated, taking her hand and shaking it. "My name is Rusty." Said the boy with ginger hair, now known as Rusty.
"Gavin Young. Nice to meet you."

For the next few weeks, they got closer and closer. The other kids didn't like Eloise very much, and called her a witch.

"I don't get it. Why does everyone hate me?" She mumbled, pulling her blanket up to her chin.

She drifted off, and only woke up when she heard sirens outside. It was unbearably hot. The fire alarm was blaring. Her parents, being usually overprotective, locked her door every night from the outside.

She tried to open the door, bit found it locked. Her room had no windows. She tried, over and over, to smash the door open with her shoulder.

She was trapped in a burning house with no way out. She screamed for help, prayed to every god she knew existed, but no one came to her rescue.

She knew she was done. The fire had reached her door now, which blazed with heat. Eloise  stared at the flames, mesmerized.

How could something so dangerous be so beautiful?

The red, yellow and orange flames danced around her room, setting it alight.

She watched as it licked at her clothing. Her whole body soon bathed in heat, and she couldn't help but scream.