CHAPTER FIVE-1349 AVELINA

I can barely feel my feet hit the ground. Not at the speed I'm going. I feel people stare at me giving me looks of disgust. A female isn't supposed to run but at this point I don't care what others expect of me. Denise is far behind me now. Unable to catch up to me, but I don't stop, I can't. She's just told me, mother's about to die. I feel a cold surrounding me, not because of the weather or atmosphere, the fire creates enough warmth that it's a suffocating heat. No, this cold comes from within my very soul as I start to lose myself, I realise, losing one of the last people that means everything to me is killing me not physically but emotionally. 

"Please hold on mother, please, I'm almost there." I race through one of the buildings where the sick are kept to where her bed is.

"Mum?!" Where are you? No no no no, I'm too late. I fall to my knees, tears welling in my eyes when I hear a familiar voice.

"Avelina." A weak sound, barely one, but her voice, at least I can still hear it.

"Mother!" I fall to her bed.

"Oh mother I thought, I thought-"

"Shh my love, it's ok." But it's not, I see that as I look at her.

Denise rushes up to me. About to complain about my running off without her when she follows my gaze to where mother lies. 

"Mother?" She's too late, she's too late to say goodbye, and so was I. Too late to tell her how much I loved her, too late to say everything I needed to say.

"Mother?!" Denise shakes her violently. "Open your eyes! Open your eyes!"

I pull Denise into my arms, "she's gone Denise, she's gone." I feel my own eyes well up with tears as she cries into me. We sit there for what feels like an eternity as we watch as our mother, our mother who had raised us, loved us, is carried out to be burnt. I feel nothing. Like my whole body has grown numb and cold. Nothing is bright anymore, the sun doesn't exist and I can't help but want to fall into the shadows. Shouldn't I be screaming and crying hysterically, or clawing at my chest trying to stop the aching pain? Not feeling as if feelings don't even exist. 

"We need to leave Denise. We can't stay here around the sick, I'm not risking you." I tug her up but she falls weakly back down. Singing I scoop her into my arms and carry her out.

"What now?" She asks, snuffling as I place her back down, she manages to stay standing but sways as if she'll fall over any second now. I don't know, I realise. We no longer have parents both taken from the plague. No other siblings or family members left, it's just us. We're on our own. Her face looks up at mine, she depends on me so much. I can't let her down.

"I'll think of something." I'll have to, or we will turn out like everyone else. I won't let that happen. Come on think, think! Then I do. A plan so brilliant I get mad at myself for not thinking of it before.

"Of course!" I exclaimed without meaning to say that out loud.

"What?" Denise looks at me with such hope.

"Mothers will, she must have something in there that says what we need to do."

"What?" I have to remind myself that Denise is only five so she still doesn't know a lot, she probably hasn't even heard about a will before.

"It doesn't matter, what matters is I have a plan." Let's just hope she has a will. I grimace. No she has to have one, mother wouldn't leave us stranded. So I grab Denise's hand and lead her back to where we'd just lost our mother, to ask if she had left us a will. I smile to myself at my plan. That's when I see him again. At first I don't think he's real, I didn't last time I saw him, though he walked away so fast that I thought it was my imagination, but now, I rub my eyes and look again and he's still there. He had the type of face that stops you in your tracks, he must get that a lot. He doesn't look like the chivalrous, kind, caring, capable, hard worker I usually go for, after all that's what most women want, someone to take care of us whilst we look after the kids and our houses. But this guy, he looks different, like he doesn't follow rules or listen to others, he looks a bit like me actually.  Like he'll fight against everything taught to him. I notice my heart picking up it's pace, my cheeks growing redder as I blush. I never blush like this.

Looking up and down I admire what stands before me. So out of reach yet close enough to see every detail of him. I have to touch my jaw to make sure it's not on the floor as I take him in. Smooth flawless skin like a perfectly done cloth is the first thing I see. He has a well defined face, Jaw sharp and angular cheekbones. He's beautiful, handsome, he looks like a god, crafted from the heavens above. His eyes a piercing blue, mesmerising like I could fall into them and stay there safe forever, he's tall at least 6'4, maybe even taller. Jet black hair sits messily on his head, but tidy enough that it looks like he's done it on purpose. Lips the colour of a rose, the shape perfect enough to kiss. I gaze in admiration at what he's wearing. He wasn't wearing what the other men around us had on, he was different. I've never seen anything like it. No braies, breies, breeks, or breeches like the other men are wearing. His legs are covered with a grey hose stopped at his ankles. I stare at the bulge between his legs wondering what hides behind that grey hose. I'm not like other girls, I never have been, I've never believed in church or that I shouldn't do what I want when I want it. Mother always thought I was a bit strange, especially when I talked about men and how I wanted them to be. The church used to call me "the devils child" which is why we had to stop going. It's not fair, really, I can't help how I am, maybe I'm just too young and when I get a husband to take care of me I'll be different. Of course like most females I want him to be strong and capable to take care of a family, chivalrous and kind. But I also want someone that's dangerous and charming, mysterious, like me. Mother had never really told me much about men and because I wasn't in an arranged marriage yet or any marriage, I hadn't been told anything. Premivere had been the one to give me an idea of what it was like to be with a man, she told me what no one else had, that being intimate with a male is about love. Churches and most people believe that it's just for creating babies, a duty we women bare. I believe that when you do lay down with someone and let them claim you, it will be with someone you love, not for just creating a mini you. His shirt is made of rectangles with gussets at his shoulders, underarms, and hem. Usually made to reduce stress from tight clothing. But for him it's not working. I can almost see what lies behind that clothing, I can almost feel my hands brushing up behind his top as I feel the warmth of his skin on mine, he seems strong, like he could protect me from anything, even the plague. His black cloak hangs down to his knees and flows behind him. How I wish I could be in his arms. His strong, muscular arms. I suddenly feel conscious about my own attire. A plain, simple, tight blue dress with a brown hose. I suddenly wish I had put on something nice. He has nice leather turn shoes. Which of course is pointed most likely stuffed with material to keep the shape. Much like mine, except I don't have pointed shoes.

"Avelina?" Denise says, by the look on her face she's been trying to get my attention for a while

"Hmph, yeah?" I can't look away from this miracle of a man before me, his eyes, lips, body, everything. I hope I'm not drooling. That wouldn't be ladylike or appropriate of me, and that's when he turns towards me and it's as if everything in the world falls around me as I get a full face view of him. For a second I don't think I can breathe as I try to act normal. He can't possibly be looking at me, but he is and he's not looking away. He smiles a full set of perfectly white teeth at me. I watch as his muscles flex as he walks towards me. Wait he's walking toward me! Oh no! What do I do! Act normal, act normal. I stare in shock as he casually walks over to me like I'm not panicking. Coming to a stop mere inches from me, so close that if I move in just a little bit our lips will-

"Hello ma'am. My name is Philip. I hope you don't find my presence a nuisance, I just saw you and had to come over."

I think my heart stops. Breathe I try to remind myself. Breathe. Then everything goes black.