Born In Flames

by Candace Knoebel

  Oh my god.

  “It’s not supposed to rain today,” he said, suddenly worried. His eyes grew in horror, pleading for it to be untrue. I felt a drop of water land on top of my head and then another on my forearm so I quickly put my half-eaten sandwich back into its baggie and signaled for Fenn to get off the sheet.

  Mr. Creepy’s words replayed, “And when she’s harmed by your ignorance…” I shouldn’t have listened to Fenn. I should have followed my gut and chased Mr. Creepy down. The fear of the unknown was like a crushing weight.

  “We need to hurry before the rain breaks,” I rushed, trying to steady my trembling hands as I threw everything back into his pack. Thunder barreled off the hillsides in the distance.

  “It’s going to be okay, Rory,” Fenn said, remorse shading his tone as he moved to help me up onto the horse. I waited for him to mount and then took off for the barn. Not even ten minutes into the ride, clouds opened up and let us have it. I looked back to see worry written all over his face. I don’t know if I was trying to assure her or myself, but I leaned into Snow, whispering to her that everything was okay.

  We were racing time, trying to beat the inevitability of lightning that Mr. Creepy had predicted. If only we had just listened to him. Just as I glanced back for comfort, a lightning bolt landed about twenty feet in front of us, thunder echoing off the hillside, amplifying the horrifying sound.

  Snow reared back, and it took everything in me to keep a hold of her reigns. The fear-filled neigh pierced my heart as Fenn cried, “Rory, hang on!”

  “I’m trying,” I yelled back, doing everything in my power to regain control of her. I didn’t have time to panic. She was still jumping and weaving her head to and fro, my hand full of her mane. I whispered soothing sounds into her ear, trying to calm her and my frantic heart. With a jarring thud, her hooves slammed to the ground.

  Snow skittered right to left in a dance of nervousness. It was as if she didn’t know which way to run. The rain fell harder, distant thunder still echoing through the darkened sky. I tried with all my might to hang on, but my grip was slipping from the rain. Then another lightning bolt sounded, cracking off to my left, lighting up the darkened sky in a brief burst. Flames shot out of the tree it struck like an inferno brought to life.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off the fire as Snow screamed and reared again, this time throwing me onto my back and knocking the breath out of me as I slammed onto the ground. Massive hooves plunged towards me, and even though I tried to roll away in time, I got nicked in the forehead.

  “Snow,” I moaned as stars danced in front of me. It did no good. She had taken off in her panic, racing away as fast as she could. Pain lanced my forehead, and I reached up to find a line of blood wetting my fingertips.

  I heard an awful lot of hissing and popping behind me so I glanced back over to the fire and turned to it, enthralled by the orange familiar. The flames felt alive, burning through my core and I wanted more.

  Forgotten was the horse that ran away, forgotten was the blood sliding down my face, and forgotten was Mr. Creepy’s warning.

  I should have felt panicked because Fenn had dismounted his horse and was crouched down beside me, saying my name over and over and touching my head, apologizing incessantly. But panic didn’t set in. Instead something else stirred to life, waiting to seek its moment.

  I wobbled forward and tried to sit up out of Fenn’s grasp. I wanted those flames. They roared again, as if acknowledging my desire, the burnt orange color lighting up around us.

  Suddenly, as if my will became reality, the ground rippled in a wave, and as the wave rolled past me, Fenn was thrown backwards, away from my side.

  The moment I felt the earth shudder beneath me, something changed. I stood as a line of flames raced towards me along the grass, breaking right before they touched me and looping around me in a large circle. The rain-drenched hair that was stuck to my face magically dried. All of me was dry, like it had never even rained to begin with.

  I stood slowly, hearing Fenn’s footfalls as he yelled out my name, running to where the circle was still open. I needed to get back to him before things got out of control like before, before I blew something up. Something like me.

  But I could control these flames. It was an irresistible urge, one that I didn’t want to ignore. As the realization sank in, the flames roared to life again, as if agreeing with me. They danced in a perfect circle, untouched by the falling rain.

  A smile painted my lips as I reached out and brushed them with my fingertips. As soon as my fingers touched the flames, a pulsing energy awoke within me. My eyes closed in bliss as I tilted my head to the sky. Pure energy raced through my veins, sparking out of the palms of my hands. It was a rush unlike anything I had ever felt. When I finally opened my eyes, I imagined the flames growing higher and watched in awe as they did.

  “Aurora!” Fenn shouted in desperation. He darted across the field towards the circle and skidded to a stop just as he neared the flames. His face was frightened. “Aurora, you have to jump!" He wanted to pull me away from the flames.

  I couldn’t let this happen.

  Blankly, I turned to face him, and as he tried to throw his arms around me my hand shot out. “No,” I commanded as flames swayed across the tips of my fingers.

  Before he could make it into the circle, the force of the energy pulsing through me had Fenn flying backwards as the flames closed up around me. Their tall warmth now comfortably enshrouded me. I didn’t care to figure out how I was able to do any of it. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I wasn’t crazy, that what I could do was real.

  I touched the flames once again, and my blood shot through my veins with the newly charged energy that yearned to be used.

  “Aurora!” Fenn shouted weakly, “I won’t let anything happen to you!” The flames shot upward, reaching for the sky, challenging him. And then he appeared as he jumped through the wall of fire, the flames licking his skin.

  It was this moment of horror that brought me to my senses.

  He had been burned. I had burned him. He swatted at his skin in panic, trying to douse the flames that ran along his arms and legs.

  What am I doing? I thought in a cloudy haze.

  I looked to the flames and lowered my hands, magically pushing them into the ground. They followed my command, rushing towards me and running up my legs, tracing the lines of my body. I absorbed the fire, taking in the last of the flames as they burned out with a pop of smoke.

  He rushed over to me, pulling me into him. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” His voice cracked as he trembled limb to limb. I watched in profound relief as his skin that had been harmed healed almost instantaneously.

  “I’m fine,” I replied hoarsely, hugging him back.

  “I should have listened. I shouldn’t have been so stubborn in thinking that we could force normal.” His voice burned with regret. “Oh my god, Rory,” he said, shamefaced with realization. “I ruined any chance we had at finding out the truth.” He looked away, deflated.

  Mr. Creepy had been right. Something in me did change. And he’d made it clear we were not to come looking for him.

  I grabbed Fenn’s face and made him look at me. “We’ll find him and we’ll make it right, Fenn. He has to help,” I insisted, trying to make my smile warm and full of hope.

  But what if he meant what he said, I thought as I bit my lip. My head was pounding. “I wish I had your healing ability,” I said, attempting to lighten the mood as I rubbed the pained spot.

  Fenn lightly kissed my wound and said, “I’m such a jerk. Sorry won’t change it, but I am sorry for not listening. We will look for him tomorrow, and I will apologize to him. Come on, let’s get back before something worse happens.”

  With my horse gone, I had no choice but to ride back with him. He had been smart enough to tie up his horse even in the midst of the chaos. He threw his hand out to help me up behind him and we took off, heading for the barn.

  Back in the barn
, we found a drenched Snow happily munching hay and watching us from her stall. Someone must have put her away.

  I shivered as I watched Fenn quickly brush his horse down and throw a chunk of hay into the stall. “Okay, let’s go,” he beckoned, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the barn.

  We had parked on the shoulder of the road so getting to the car meant another jog in the rain. We darted across the yard and practically threw ourselves into the car, anxious for shelter.

  The slam of the car doors brought reality crashing back in. And after a brief moment of staring off into the storm, Fenn broke the silence.

  “You hungry?” he asked, shifting his weight in the seat. Not really, I thought to myself. Not after all of that.

  “A little, I guess,” I said instead. “Do you think it’s safe to drive in this weather?”

  “Sure it is,” he replied as he reached in the back for my bookbag. “Here, dry off with this.” He handed me a towel as he started the car and turned the heater on. I did my best to dry my hair and pat my clothes down before handing the towel to him.

  The air outside had dropped a few degrees as the already setting sun was covered by blackish clouds. I was too tired to change into the extra clothes he had packed.

  We both remained silent as he pulled out and onto the road. I think we were still trying to absorb what had just happened. My eyes weighed heavy and a yawn escaped my lips.

  The vibration of the engine tested my sleepiness along with the pitter-patter of the rain and the swishing of the windshield wipers. The strain of the day along with the riding and the accident wore on my body.

  Leaning back, I closed my eyes and felt myself drift off into a comfortable rest. My head throbbed a little where the horse’s hoof had connected with it, but I was suddenly too tired to care.

  Don’t fall asleep, I kept telling myself, but time seemed to weave in and out. The last thing I heard was, “We’re almost there, Rory.”

  “Okay,” I answered groggily.

  Chapter 7

  Say What?

  I WOKE UP IN MY bed. My legs felt like they had been put through hell, and my first attempt at sitting up didn’t go so well. I laughed at myself for being so out of shape and tried again. Success. I sat up and looked over to the clock, rubbing the ache from my muscles.

  What had happened with the fire played itself over and over again in my mind. I was secretly glad it had happened because it proved to my sanity that I hadn’t made up my abilities. I really could control fire. I just wished I had control over when I could do it.

  I huffed and stood, swallowing the first bit of soreness in my legs. Today is going to be fun, I thought with a snort. I started stretching my hamstrings then reached up to the cut on my head when a small wave of dizziness came over me. No wonder my head was throbbing, I’d been horse-punched. I felt a band-aid covering the wound.

  I walked over to our dresser and looked in the mirror. My fingertip ran over a Strawberry Shortcake band-aid. Fenn, I thought with an eye roll, always the prankster.

  My head was slightly purple and tender to the touch. I grabbed two aspirin and swallowed them quickly, downing the glass of water Fenn must have left out for me. He was passed out on the couch.

  I remembered bits and pieces of him carrying me into our room, but that was about it. I didn’t even think I had dreamed. At least there was no ache to my skin. I wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that I was able to actually connect with the fire. Mr. Creepy would know, I thought with a jolt of excitement. Hopefully he would give us the time of day.

  I crept over to the couch and kneeled on the floor in front of Fenn. One arm and one leg were hanging off the side. He must have been as exhausted as I was.

  A part of me felt bad. He had worked so hard to plan a “normal” day out for us and then reality cruelly crushed his dreams.

  He rolled towards the wall.

  Quietly, I got up and went to grab some O.J. from out of the refrigerator. My throat felt like my own personal desert. I threw on a pot of coffee for Fenn and even went as far as putting cinnamon rolls in the oven. It was the least I could do.

  The delicious smells played their part well, waking Fenn and coaxing him into the kitchen.

  “Mornin’,” he rasped groggily with a halfhearted smile. He stretched his arms above his head, and then let out a huff as he sat at the table. My brain was scrambling, trying to think of the right way to remind him about last night.

  “So…we’re going to stick to the game plan and find Mr. Creepy today, right?” It was the best I could come up with.

  He paused as if I had just cursed at him, and then his shoulders slumped over. “Yeah, Rory. Like he said, we have no choice.”

  My face softened. “I don’t want to ruin your mood, Fenn. I just…I think it’s for the best,” I tried to convince, hoping that he wasn’t too upset with me for bringing it up first thing in the morning.

  He sighed. “It is for the best, and you could never ruin anything for me.” He ran his thumb over my chin as the lullaby I heard the night before last spun through my head. Our eyes met. “Remember that, okay? You are perfect in your own dysfunctional way. And it’s exactly what I want.” With that, he let my face go, breaking our eye contact.

  His admittance to his feelings sank in. I looked back up at him, on the verge of saying to hell with it and stealing that kiss I had been drooling over when, of course, there was a knock at the door.

  Opportunity missed.

  I took a quick second to gather myself and waited as Fenn answered the door. It was a UPS man.

  After Fenn signed for the package, he shut the door and tossed it on the table. “It’s for you,” he said curiously.

  “For me? What is it?” I asked, puzzled.

  “I might be strong but I don’t have x-ray vision, Rory.” The two of us chuckled as I handed him his coffee and a roll and then took a bite of my own. Tasty, yummy, cinnamon-y goodness swarmed my taste buds.

  We ate in silence as I stared down the package. It was small, only the size of a letter, and I had no clue what was inside.

  “How’s your head? Let me take a look at it again,” he asked, gently moving a piece of hair that was covering it. “You got a nice bruise there. Very purple, but the knick isn’t that bad. I don’t think it’s going to leave a scar. Your head hurt?”

  “I took two aspirin so ask me again in about thirty minutes,” I replied. I took a quick sip of my orange juice. “I’ll just keep Neosporin on it and maybe sizzle me some Alka-Seltzer.”

  He grinned, stuffing the rest of his roll into his mouth. After swallowing he asked, “You going to open it?” He hinted to the package with his eyes.

  I pulled it towards me, nervousness coating the freshly eaten cinnamon roll in my stomach. What could it possibly be? I anxiously tore it open and pulled out a folded up piece of parchment.

  “My dearest Aurora,” I read out loud, running my fingers over the indented calligraphy.

  I turned it over and questioned how old it must have been. The parchment was stiff, the color of creamed caramel, and sealed by wax. So strange, it was the prettiest red color—like the color of drying blood—and had intertwining dragons. They crossed at the tail and neck with mouths wide open revealing two gleaming sets of teeth. In between them was a round object, a stone maybe? My thoughts flew to my dreams and the glowing blue eyes.

  I hated to break the seal, but couldn’t contain myself any longer. When I pulled the paper out, a key clanged on the table. It was gold and had a three-digit number on it.

  I looked up at Fenn who took it from me and began inspecting it. As I unfolded the letter, careful not to rip the fragile parchment, I read aloud:

  My dearest Aurora,

  Your destiny is not as far off as you

  think. After all, you were named after

  the goddess of morning—a new dawn is

  what you are. You will bring change to

  many a life.

  The key that is en
closed is for a security deposit box. In that box lie clues

  to your return home. It’s the beginning

  to finding out who you really are. And

  what you’re capable of.

  No matter what, I want you to have

  a choice. Remember that you can choose your own destiny, no matter the cost. That is why I sent you to where you are now-to escape those who disagree. No one can take that from you.

  My love and protection is always with you…

  As my lips read the last word out loud, a tiny fire started at the corner of the paper. I reacted by letting go, but before it could hit the table, the paper singed completely, the faint ashes drifting off as if the letter never was.

  Wow.

  I looked up at Fenn and for once I had nothing to say. Could this be from my birth mother? Why would she wait so long to give this to me? What was I escaping? So someone else knows about my powers? My mind was racing with the possibilities of finding my birth parents. “Well, I know what’s next,” he said eagerly. “What?” I asked cheerfully.

  “Get dressed. We’re going to the bank.” I quickly did as he said.

  Bank on Third was the only bank we had in this small town which goes to show how confining and suffocating it was here. I had no idea this place even held security deposit boxes. Then again, I never paid much attention to my banking options besides depositing my check and keeping up my account.

  We rounded the corner of our motel and crossed the street. It was early enough that the traffic was far and few between. Fenn grabbed my hand once we were on the sidewalk and pulled me the whole two blocks it took to get to the bank.

  Once inside, I jumped in the short line, anxious to find what was waiting for me. Fenn threw his arm around me and pulled me into a bear hug. I leaned into the scent of his cologne and took a deep whiff. My eyes drifted around the room, and I noticed a couple sitting in two comfy chairs watching me as I smelled Fenn.

  I jerked my head forward, trying to remain inconspicuous and nonchalant as my cheeks reddened.