The volcano rumbled, and molten fiery lava spewed from it and flowed in streams of destruction. Screams were ringing through the thick black fumes in the air, and children were getting trampled under the panicked stampede. One by one, as the molten rivers reached the marketplace of my village, people froze, grey under the river's cover. I stood my ground, I embraced my end with open arms. Hugging my baby sister one last time, I stayed in my courtyard, awaiting the fumes and the lava, wondering which would get me first. It was the fumes, and my throat felt thick as I struggled to breathe. It was all over. I was glad. I wouldn't have to marry the pastor's son in three days anymore. I could die as free as I was born.
I woke up with a gasp and reached for the water in my mug. It felt so real, I could feel the hot licks of the spreading magma. But it was just a dream. I was here, safe and sound in my bed, lying next to my baby sister. Slipping on my robe, I stepped into the courtyard, and the fresh cold night air calmed my senses down. Smiling at my vivid imagination, I went inside for a restless sleep.
When I woke up the next day, the birds weren't chirping. I peered at the sky, only to find it devoid of birds. Strange. As I stepped out, it seemed like an unusually hot day too. It reminded me of my terrifying dream from the previous day. But that was a bunch of nonsense. The mountain near our village had been peaceful and dormant since before the village had even existed. And I wasn't engaged to the pastor's nasty son. As I walked into the courtyard, my blood chilled at the sight before my eyes. My father was shaking hands with the pastor, and his son stood next to him, concealing a smug grin on spotting me. My father smiled and beckoned me to come closer. "This is my daughter, Aella. Aella, this is a very dear friend of mine, Pastor Emmanuel and his son Arthur. I'm entrusting her in your able hands, Emmanuel, and I hope you'll take good care of her."
I felt the world shatter. Last night's dream played on repeat in my head, and I looked at my father in disbelief. I needed to get out of here.
Instead of smiling and bowing to the pastor like my father expected, I gathered my robes in fists and sprinted away from my house towards the mountain, the one which would rain down death on us.
I reached at last, out of breath. I gazed up at it, safely and far away from it. There was smoke spewing out of it. My worst fears were confirmed. I had to warn everyone.
As I rushed back to the village, people were starting to trickle into the marketplace. My hair was messy and my clothes were dirty and rumbled. I was drawing attention, and people were staring at me. My appearance was dishevelled. My appearance was perfect for making an announcement.
"I want to say something to everyone present here. This is vital! This is extremely important! Pack your belongings, and keep your loved ones close, because in a few hours, everything is coming to an end. The mountain near our village is going to erupt!"
People stared at me, startled. It started in waves. First came the titters, followed by the giggles and the mocking laughter came close by. The crowd was laughing at me. People whispered and gossiped.
"What a strange girl... she must be from the slums, look at the state of her hair and clothes. Someone well-off must have taken pity on her and lent some clothes to her, but they didn't know that people like her ruin every pretty thing they get."
"Don't let her hear you. That's no poor girl, she's Aella Setner, Captain Victor Setner's daughter."
A snicker. "My, my. Captain Setner raised such an unruly wild thing. So disgraceful. Who would marry her?"
"I heard that she was going to get engaged to the pastor's son and she ran away because of that."
"So insolent! That would be such an honourable match. Every girl in the village would be happy with such a good match. She thinks she's too high above it all, huh?"
No... no. This is not how they all were supposed to react. They should have listened to me. They were supposed to believe me. I kept screaming the warning until my voice turned hoarse, but no one would listen. The crowd parted as my father walked towards me, his face red with anger. "Look at what you've done now! What nonsense are you spouting anyway? That mountain has been dormant before our ancestors' times. You have sullied the family name. Now all the Setners will be known for is their disgraceful and crazy daughter!"
Shouting close to my ear, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back home. When I reached home, I was in tears from the pain. He started speaking again. "First thing tomorrow morning you will apologize to Pastor Emmanuel for disrespecting him by running away. Then you are going to graciously accept the engagement. Is that clear?"
I nodded, tears spilling on the floor. It was alright though; it's not like there would be a tomorrow anyway. The realisation numbed my senses. I didn't want to die like this. I wanted to live. I will live. I raised my head and wiped the tears. Fighting to keep my voice strong, I said, "I do not care about whether you believe me or not, father. I am taking my sister and leaving. If you care for your life, then you will follow." I grabbed my baby sister, and before my father could say anything, I was gone.
I travelled fast, with almost no breaks in between. I needed to outrun it all. The volcano, my father, everything. A rich old woman took pity on us and let us travel some of the distance in her carriage. The rest, I walked, or pleaded with horse-drawn carts to accommodate us, which surprisingly worked twice. The journey took me a day and a half. And when I reached safety, I knew it was done. Everyone, everything would have greyed into a stone by then.
I breathed in the fresh air, and my steps quickened. There wouldn't be the comfort of my bed, or the vastness of the courtyard anymore. There would be sleeping among hay on the cattle field, covered with a layer of dirt, callous hands, and long hours. Yet, as I looked down at my sister, I smiled. I smiled and tasted freedom.
A fresh start awaited us.