Sparks and Embers

yelo and CeeVee

The air reeked of smoke and blood. Margaret crouched low, chest heaving as she gripped her wand tightly. She grunted with every step as she clutched at her bleeding side. Somewhere behind her, shouts echoed through the streets. They were close, too close.

She could still hear the screams of her sisters, the sea of flames burning everything in its path. She should have fought, but she ran.

Guilt was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Gripping her wand tighter, Margaret darted into the woods.

The river’s gentle murmur accompanied her trail, guiding her along its path until she finally spotted a small wooden hut. A thin plume of smoke curled skyward; whether it was a friend or foe, Margaret had no choice but to take a chance.

-

The silence of the forest was absolute. It was something that Emery, who lived alone, had grown accustomed to. Yet the insistent rapping on the door shattered the said silence, a jarring intrusion that sent a shiver down her spine.

Bang!

Emery’s scream pierced the air as her front door suddenly came flying. Outside, Margaret stood, heaving and trembling, her wand pointed at Emery. “Don’t ask any questions or else…”

-

For months, their arrangement teetered between an uneasy truce and begrudging tolerance. Emery had grown accustomed to her roommate’s personality, albeit cursing Margaret under her breath.

One evening, over the faint crackle of fire, Margaret asked. “Why do you stay here in the woods? It’s no place for someone… normal.”

Emery paused mid-stir, “I like it here. It’s quiet. Peaceful.” She then continued stirring. “I’m just sticking to what I’m good at.”

“That’s it?” Margaret scoffed. “You hide here because you’re afraid. Aren’t you just a coward?”

Emery flinched but smiled tightly. “If being a coward means staying alive, then fine. But you’re the one eating my soup, so you’re even benefitting from it too.”

Margaret stared at her, seemingly about to retort, but only looked away.

-

Emery jolted to the sound of heavy marching surrounding the hut.

“Margaret! You need to go!” Emery whispered, pushing the dinner table to reveal an underground tunnel.

“What about you?” Margaret hissed, “I can’t leave you here!”

“They won’t hurt me if you’re gone.” Emery flicked Margaret’s forehead lightly, “Now, go!”

Emery rushed to cover the tunnel when soldiers forced their way in. At that moment, Emery kicked an oil lamp down, setting the wooden floor alight.

The night’s air prickled Emery’s skin as she ran. Not once did she look back; instead, she slipped through the forest with ease.

“Margaret!” She called out, seeing a figure emerge from the end of the tunnel. Emery felt her heart race from the adrenaline, a smile blooming on her lips.

And then her ears rang, her vision spinning as she lost strength in her legs.

“Clear the area!” Margaret quickly crouched low, watching the soldiers kicking up dirt and ash before walking away.

Margaret ran to Emery’s side, dropping to her knees as her hand fumbled to press against the wound blooming on her chest.

“You… you came back.” Her voice was barely a whisper, a flicker of sound against the roaring thunder in her head.

“Stop talking,” Margaret hissed, her voice shaking. For once, the spells that used to be at the tip of her tongue eluded her. And yet, as she gazed at Emery’s eyes, it was locked onto Margaret’s.

“You hate them… but not everyone is them…” Her lips twitched in the faintest of smiles. “You can’t… burn the whole forest… because of one… bad tree.” Even as her eyes began to dull, she whispered, “You’re more than… the monster they made you to be.”

For a moment, Margaret didn’t move. The echo of her words reverberated in her chest as Margaret’s grip on her wand weakened, landing with a soft thud.

A sharp crack pierced the air — Margaret flinched but didn’t flee. She sat there, gently closing Emery’s eyes, a faint smile lingering on her darkening lips.

Margaret pushed herself to her feet, her throat tightening as Emery’s words echoed in her mind. She stepped forward, her boots crunching softly against the forest floor. Leading her deeper into the forest, her destination uncertain and vast.