Chapter 1: the boy in the fog

Chapter one: The boy in the fog

"Au revoir petit papillon ". It was the last thing my mother said, before flames engulfed her. She did not speak French but that one line was something she always said. I was her little papillon, always.

That night no one knew what happened but suddenly a spark and the house went up; middle of winter which meant for easy fires, and the light consumed the house so fast the only person who was saved was little eight year old me. It's been six years since then and I've come to grow and know the village around me. It's a small village distanced from any trade routes or other villages. Many houses were old and barely holding themselves together, while very few were new. The grass overgrown and the streets very empty, you'd say it was abandoned.

I slowly strolled on a narrow dirt path as the fog teasingly wrapped itself around my ankles. It was a cold winter morning the fog curling and wisping throughout the village like a white blanket. The trees bare and blackened from the seasons change and the cold so bitter it felt as though it were biting you. I continued slowly walking towards a small lake finally coming into view. Frost settled on the top of the lake and the water was unbothered by movement or sound. The silence buried into me as I took a steamy breath, my thoughts speaking loudly.

Mother Sagorian would be mad that I went out on my own, but I needed freedom from watching the younglings… 'Such a small village and yet so many child orphans' I thought as I cupped my hands and buried them into the icy water. My teeth chattered because the only clothes on my small skinny. Body was a thin pale-blue night gown. My eyes focused on my hands as I pulled water to my face, then suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw a black figure move from across the lake. The fog was beginning to lift and reveal the grassy plains and forest beyond the small lake.

I looked up and standing staring at me was a boy. His green vibrant eyes stared into my pale blue eyes. His crimson lips letting out breaths, he stood still like a deer who heard a noise. His skin so pale it was almost as white as the fog. All was silent and not even a rustle of leaves… "It suits your eyes" he said, his voice soft and gentle but had a scary side attached to it as though he were about to kill me. Suddenly a familiar voice calls my name and I look behind me to a new appearing figure in the fog. "Lyra!" screamed an old screechy voice coming closer and closer. I looked back towards the other end of the lake but he was gone.

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"There you are Lyra, the younglings need tending!" Her horrid voice tried to sing-song "tending" but just created an ear ache. Mother Sagorian appeared from the fog wearing a deep navy dress that swayed to her ankles, her dark curly hair unwillingly held back. Her light brown skin looked pale in the morning fog. Her brown eyes showed evil and her lips smiled kindly, she was someone dangerous and very few people saw that in the village.

She forcefully held her hand out her long crooked fingers trying to reach me… She closed and opened her fingers to gesture me to step forward. Something urged me not to move, something urged me to turn and run… Beyond the lake… Beyond her reach. I pushed away my urges and stepped forward, her hand now rested on my shoulder. Her fingers stretched and then suddenly four sharp pains dug into my shoulder and I began to be pulled back toward the village. I looked up to her as she dragged me toward the orphanage. I wanted to scream and yell but her grip was silencing. Buildings came into view and the fog was lightening and lifting. Mother Sagorian muttered something with gritted teeth making it impossible to hear.

I moved my eyes to a large building we were nearing and suddenly I yanked my shoulder away from Mother Sagorian, shock hit her face and then quickly changed to anger. My body froze in fear and every nerve stood on edge. Her eyes glared into mine anger flaring; her hand swiftly struck me her nails cutting my cheek. Bright scarlet drops began to trickle down my face and a million prickles pricked my eyes. Tears began to roll from the pain but we did not break the stare. The salty tear touched my new bleeding wounds and began to sting the cold causing it to hurt more. I looked down as my hand lifted and hovered over my cheek.

Mother Sagorian put her hand on my shoulder and pulled me toward the orphanage. We climbed the three steps leading to the entrance where two old heavy mahogany doors sat closed. She took both hands and pressed the doors open with a creek. It revealed a warm fire and five little kids sitting on a rug not too far from it. A tall girl got up from a chair in the dark corner of the room and quickly walked towards Mother Sagorian. Her pale blue night gown dragged behind her a bit as she walked, her blonde hair plaited neatly. Her pale skin made her look ghostly her eyes looked as though it had fog in it. She stopped in front of Mother Sagorian and quickly glanced towards me sending me a shiver and then back at Mother Sagorian. "The smoke room for Miss Lyra… Thank you Bellivia" Mother Sagorian said sternly.

Bellivia looked at me and grabbed my shoulder that was now sore from Mother Sagorian's nails and pulled towards the dark corner where her chair was. Next to her chair was a stairwell that went up and down… Up led to our rooms and down led to the smoke room.

The smoke room was a room that was dark and cold and was full of coal for the fires. Most importantly there was always smoke in the room, no one in the orphanage could explain, there were just spook stories of why.

Bellivia pulled me down to the smoke room and stopped at the door. It was also mahogany but was framed and rimmed with iron. She struggled to open it and as the door slowly opened the smoke began to pour out and reach for me. Its fingers curled and it wafted around both Bellivia and I. She pushed me in and shut the door, the room dark and quiet. The smoke invaded my lungs like a deadly disease and I began to cough. My chest stung and my cheeks pain stayed only getting worse. My eyes fluttered closed as my body collapsed in pain. I lay on the ground barely breathing the taste of smoke in my mouth. I closed my eyes… The smoke like disease consumed me and I couldn't do anything to stop it….

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