The Rogue World Of Dostira

The Foggy Window

Amongst the chaos, the door-bell rang. The ringing sound making the taste in her mouth bland and eliminating the fog until the window became completely transparent. Heart still battering within her chest, she got off her knees and stood with a lost expression on her face. The door-bell rang again and Audrey slowly walked towards the door. She was slightly panting when her sweat covered hands began to turn the handle. As she opened the door ever so slowly, she stared bewildered at who was waiting on the other side.

"Binko?"

"Hey, I just wanted to..." he began, "is everything okay? Is this a bad time?" he stuttered, looking at her with worried eyes.

"No, I'm just making some tea" she replied, forcing a small smile.

He searched her eyes as if he would find some answer there.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked lightly, as she stepped out aside and gestured for him to come in.

"Sure."

Charlie Binko had been Audrey's neighbour since she was six years old, a family friend but not really her friend. He was tall and slightly muscular with curly blond hair, his eyes a peculiar mixture of brown and green. He had pale skin and very faint scattered freckles that seemed to converge just on the arch of his nose. Most girls would call him handsome and charming, but to Audrey he was just the annoying boy from next door who always seemed to be a pesky perfectionist. To her, he was just Binko.

He walked in slowly as Audrey nervously followed behind. His eyes carefully inspected the small kitchen and payed close attention to the window only a few steps ahead of him.

Audrey held the small kettle over a grey-patterned mug and tried pour with a steady hand, watching the steam rise as the tea bag began to soak and release a liquid mist of dark brown. She walked over to the fridge to grab the milk and as she turned around holding it, Charlie was circling her at a distance.

"Binko, are you okay?" She asked gingerly as she walked towards the cup and added the milk.

"Listen, Audrey, there's something you need to know" he blurted out.

He held his hands up, as if she was a wild creature about to attack, and spoke with an uneasy tone.

"Lizzie was supposed to tell you this morning but I think she forgot because we weren't even sure if you were going to get a letter until last night".

Audrey let out a dry chuckle, expecting Charlie to do the same but his expression remained grave. She knitted her brows, her head cocked to one side, as she waited for him to continue. He took a deep breath before taking a step towards her, their eyes locked on each other as he spoke.

"Do the words solis prodigy mean anything to you?".

Audrey shook her head, she placed the milk down on the kitchen bench making a slight thud and Charlie almost instinctively took a step back.

"Audrey, how do I say this, you're a Phoenix" he said in a hushed and awkward manner.

"No, no, wait let me phrase that differently. You're a solis prodigy which means your home symbol is a Phoenix".

He searched her eyes for a reaction, holding his breath and looking at her with raised brows.

Audrey stood there, a blank expression etched on her face for just a few seconds until a smile crept over her lips and she picked up the milk ready to place it back in the fridge.

"You're a funny one Charlie Binko. But it's really not your best joke."

He exhaled deeply and his eyebrows furrowed as he stood in the kitchen feeling defeated while Audrey continued.

"The one about me having an infectious disease, what did you call it? Oh, the BlueBog! That was much funnier."

She shut the fridge door and reached out to grasp the grey mug.

"But then again, for a nine year old it was more terrifying than funny".

He stood there awkwardly until he let out a casual laugh, and walked towards her. He avoided her gaze and leaned both his palms on the kitchen bench.

"Yep, just playing a little joke" he said while looking past her at the cream coloured wall.

Audrey passed him the mug and he took a small sip before shakily putting it down and sliding one hand through his dirty blond hair. A long moment of silence passed between the two of them until Charlie cleared his throat. Looking at Audrey with reddened cheeks, he gave her a small smile but before she could return it he headed towards the door.

"Thanks for the tea, Audrey!" he said with his back turned to her.

"Binko?" she called as she rushed after him.

He stood at the door and could feel her eyes staring at him, like they were burning two deep holes into the back of his head. He desperately wanted to turn around and tell her everything. He wanted to explain the silver winged pendant he kept hidden under his shirt and what it meant to him, how she would one day get a pendant of her own and how everything she once knew would soon come crashing down because of her bloodline.

"Seriously, is something wrong?" she exclaimed, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

Fighting his every impulse, he opened the door and shut it behind him. While walking away from the house, he reached down his shirt and held onto the pendant around his neck. It brought him comfort, soothing the scorching tension that had spread throughout his body.

Audrey stood at the door lost and irritated. She wanted to run to Charlie's house and demand to know why he had acted so strange. She reached a hand out to turn the door handle but then stopped, dropping her arm by her side and shaking her head as she turned away to head back to the kitchen.

She rested her elbows on the kitchen bench as she looked into the mug that Charlie had taken a small sip from. As she stared at the caramel coloured liquid, she begun to wonder about what Charlie had said, a "solis prodigy" and a "home symbol". The word 'home' puzzled Audrey. If this small house in a town that nobody really knows of wasn't her home, then where could it possibly be? 

↠ Dear Reader, 

If you've already finished the book you are probably confused as to why there have been several new uploads. This is because what you are now reading is the edited version of the book. These next few months, I will be uploading the edited chapters as a lot has changed. I hope you enjoy it just as much as you did the first read. 

Yours Truly, 

Jane.