Mad Ember

9: Flashbacks

Josiah started to throw bigger items at her. One was a piece of scrap metal that made a nasty scrape against her leg. It wasn't until he threw a large rock at her shoulder that caused her to fall down, down, down. She landed awkwardly on her leg resulting in a shrill scream to escape her lips. It was definitely broken.

David pushed himself off of his truck, walking over to his current nuisance that he had to call daughter. If anything, she was simply an inconvenience. Now was not the time to have a child her age. She looked up at him with pouty lips and tears in her eyes as she clutched her leg. Great. Another mess to clean up.

Ember let out a sharp cry as her dad grabbed her arm, pulling her harshly up from the ground. "If you had listened with your head, and just did what was told of you, this wouldn't have happened. Next time, you listen." He tossed her back on the ground pleased with his words.

'That should do it.' he thought to himself. David looked over at his son, who was staring at Ember like she had two heads.

"Son, collect her and take her home. I'll finish up there. I'm tired and need a beer." Josiah didn't say anything but quickly rushed over to his sister, who was crying into the dirt. He looked her over frantically.

"Josi it hurts." Ember whimpered. He nodded, crouching down to her level, and gently scooping her up in his arms.

"I-I know. I'm so sorry." He said gently emotion filling his throat. Ember nodded leaning into her brother's warm chest. "It's going to be okay, Ember. I'm so sorry, you're going to be okay."

"You're going to be fine."

"Please don't cry."

"Ember."

"Ember I'm sorry."

"I'm so sorry."

I slowly awake, shaking the dream... well, the memory from my mind. That hasn't happened in a while. I sigh, sitting up. I know that Josiah wasn't to blame, he was just the puppet. My father was. It was fitting for my sleep to be ruined as well as my state of calm from earlier that night, nothing good for me lasts long. No, I'm not trying to throw myself some pity party, I'm just stating the facts.

Thinking about last night, I try to remember what had made me feel so content. I can't put my finger on it. I just remember feeling at ease for the first time in a long time, and I want the feeling back. I make a plan to go back to the quarry. I feel the best there, so it has to be something tied to it. My mind still thinks about Corban; How I instantly thought of him when the smell of spruce, earth, and cinnamon encompassed me.

The smell is addicting, and wherever I go I'm subconsciously searching for it, I look at my hands when I feel a sting and notice that I was clenching them. I sigh and shake my head with a scoff. I can't think about that. I need to distract myself.

I look outside and see that it's lightly raining, but the day is anything but gloomy. This is a good kind of rain. This is the kind of rain that heals the earth and revives everything, this is the kind of rain I used to dance in with my mom.

"Mom! Look at me!" Ember laughed as she twirled in fast circles in the driveway. It had been raining all day, but somehow the sun was still shining. It caused Ember to jump in joy as she looked outside. She was so excited to jump in the puddles with her new green rain boots.

When she told her mom, Chloe, her plans, she had suggested that they just go jump in the rain while it was still here. Ember had never done that before and was excited about the new experience. She ran outside with her green boots clumping around the entire way. They were two sizes too big, but her parents couldn't help but buy them, they were perfect for Ember, and she would grow into them.

Ember twirled with her hands in the air pretending as if she was on a massive stage in front of thousands of adoring fans. Ember loved the spotlight. If she had a chance to shine in the face of others, she would take it and do it with the giddiest smile on her face. The crowd, of course, loved her. Everyone loved little Ember Genevieve Walter, she just had a magnetic personality.

Chloe ran to her daughter and threw her above her head. Ember laughed, causing her dimples to peak out for the briefest moment, they were a rare occurrence. She argued with Josiah for the longest time that she had them, but he said that people with dimples have them whenever they smiled, but that wasn't the case with Embers. She said that they were shy and only came out when she was super-duper-duper happy, and at this moment, she was, and her dimples showed it.

Chloe was in awe of her daughter. She couldn't understand how such a little girl could hold so much joy in her body. She was damn proud. She set Ember down and looked at her with a bright smile.

"Do you know what we need?" She questioned. Ember shook her head.

"Music." Ember was now even more excited because that meant that her mom was going to put on her favorite song. Chloe quickly ran back into the house and grabbed the little radio that David had bought her for her birthday last year. She didn't even have to check what CD was currently in it because she already knew.

She set the radio on the porch away from the rain and pressed play. Immediately "Three Little Birds" started to play. Chloe ran back to her daughter, grabbing her small hands, and the two danced in slow circles with bright smiles on their faces. They were soaked to the bone, but they didn't care, not at all. The two sang the song loud and off-key; Chloe secretly hoped the entire neighborhood could hear them.

"Don't worry about a thing. Cause every little thing, gonna be alright."

"Singing'..."