'An Unexpected Winter', Chapter 10 from the Irish fiction novel: We Come Back: Vol. 1
Find all currently posted chapters through the Table of Contents at the bottom of the page!
An Unexpected Winter
The next morning, I woke up confused,
not quite sure how I had landed in my bed. My eyes were swollen from crying. I sat up, wondering how long I had been asleep. I spotted Trix asleep on the chair at the end of the bed. I woke Trix and rung for Andean. Looking out the window, I felt this morning a new sense of determination. I was going back to the last place I saw him. I wanted to capture the memory forever.
As soon as Jon had established that Aubrey and he were not within earshot of anyone else in the household, they began to discuss their plan of action.
“What are we to do father? I cannot bear the way life feels as if it is no longer moving forward. It makes my blood run cold.”
“I cannot bear it for much longer either, Aubrey. I think it’s time to make a trip to the council. We can find Jack, but not as quickly as they can.”
“Father, what are they to do? They cannot change the past.”
“Maybe not, however they can give him a position that would ensure his presence in Astraea’s life…” he trailed off waiting for Aubrey to catch on to his intentions, before having to spell them out.
Aubrey opened his mouth for a brief moment, as if to speak, and then closed it. His eyes widened, and he began to pace, speaking quickly.
“Can they do that? What chance do we have?”
“A fool’s chance.
I will not give up without a fight.”
They stood in silent agreement, preparing for what lie ahead. At breakfast, my father made an announcement.
“Aubrey and I have decided to answer Keeper Kaiden’s call; we will be leaving today for the Distant Shores.”
“Why does Kaiden require anything from either of you?” I coldly asked.
“Astraea…” my mother started.
“Raea, I…” Aubrey tried to find the words to express his grief.
“Save it Aubrey. You guys do whatever it is that you do, I really don’t mind, it’s not like I need either of you here,” the bitterness of those words cut my father and Aubrey so deep, that neither could reply.
“Now, if I might be excused mother? I am going for a ride on Starling.”
“Of course, dear. Trix is going with you? Isn’t that what you said Trix?”
Trix barely missed a beat, “Yes, well at least I wanted to go for a ride, and wondered if you cared for company?”
I narrowed my eyes.
I knew they both had made some form of an agreement, silent or otherwise, to not let me out of their sight. I loved Trix, and my mother, and felt a sense of safety in their concern. In my peripheral vision I could see my father and Aubrey leaving the room. I loved them both so much that the pain of their influence in Jack’s decisions felt like a betrayal that I was not yet ready to forgive. I didn’t know what they had said or done, but clearly it was not in my favor. ‘Perhaps it would be better with Trix’s company,’ I thought to myself.
I shook my head, agreeing in Trix accompanying me. Trix smiled, and followed me out to the stables. Aubrey had taken her aside and shared with her his father’s plans, and knowing what they were capable of, she hoped everything would be alright in the end.
Starling trotted, and whinnied excitedly upon seeing me approach the stables. I nuzzled against Starling, finding comfort in the familiarity. After we had both climbed aboard our horses, we took flight across the bridge. The palace and grounds were even prettier from above, Trix noticed. When we landed, she was not too shocked to see the prism, the bridge to Earth. She stared at me, wondering when we were going to speak again. ‘Perhaps she assumes I will follow her through the prism, without having any knowledge of her plans?’ she thought to herself.
Rightly so it seemed, as Trix stepped into the prism, silently behind me.
When we had landed in the trees
outside of Jack’s estate, I took a deep breath, and prepared to reveal my plans to Trix.
“Trix, I want to paint and frame this place. If I do that, I can find it exactly as it is in my memory in my painting at home, and then, maybe it will feel less like a dream. Maybe then, I will know he existed for a purpose. Then maybe, I can look at the painting at home, and remember what it felt like to be with him, just for a moment…” my voice trailed off into a whisper.
Trix started to object, but one sharp look from me silenced her. Every step through the trees along the path we had walked triggered memories. Every few feet I had to stop as I painted and lean against a tree, completely consumed in a memory at each time. His eyes so close to mine, his head pressed against mine, his breath on my face, it all caused my heart to break, and my eyes to water. Illuminated within the darkness, glowing as dim as an ember, my heart slowly froze. Painting a path through time and air, crystallizing every memory in a frame forever, I touched each tree with tender love.
As we emerged from the forest,
I could see Farenton looming in the distance. It appeared to be closed up. There was no light, no music, and no noise of any kind coming from within. It was as if all of the light had left with Jack. I took a moment to sit at the fountain before painting it. I felt a few tears drip down my face while I remembered the way Jack had told me about the angel on his ceiling. If I had been an angel, than I had been an angel of death. I hated myself, for the events I had caused. I stood up and continued painting along the path towards the house.
Trix followed behind at a safe distance, she didn’t want to interrupt the process. She had not been to Earth nearly as often as Aubrey and I had. She herself was not a season, but rather a creator of animal species, specifically reptiles, whom had been brought to the palace from the dragon constellation around the time Aubrey and I had been made seasons. Seeing Farenton now, she thought it was quite a beautiful estate. It seemed sad and dark at the moment, but she could picture it in its glory. She could see the pain I went through with every step, yet it appeared to be something I needed to do. It was because of this need and only because of it that Trix didn’t try to persuade me to leave.
Every stone step towards the terrace balcony brought a new memory. The skirts of my dress drifted from step to step, as if each moment it rested on the stone it clung to what once was. My fingers lightly touched the railing as I climbed higher. Trix could swear smears of blue light sparked along the stone where my fingers had been.
Follow me @frolickinraptors!
Join the #onehumanbasket poetry movement @robyneggs!
Table of Contents
Good read. Waiting for the next edition. :)
Glad to hear it! Help yourself! Here it is: https://steemit.com/fiction/@frolickinraptors/an-unexpected-winter-chapter-10-2-from-the-irish-fiction-novel-we-come-back-vol-1
Best,
Frolicking Raptors
P.s. Followed you!
That's great! Thank you.
Following you back. :)