Nanowrimo Part 4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

/--------------------Servante de Feu------------------/
~Yet everything is so fragile here on Earth. ~
from “Servante de Feu”[1]

“Enfin, fin. Alors, donc. Desolee, maman[2]…..” Anne mumbled to her parents, dried tears.
“Ne pleure pas, ma cherie! Dites a moi en Anglais pour ton papa aussi[3]” bid Anne’s mother, donning a navy blue dress matching her daughter’s, arms wrapped around the lachrymose teenager.
“Was it regarding….” Began her father, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Yes!” Anne interjected before stuttering, “Let me start from the beginning.”

She described, briefly, her experiences with Shiina, culminating in that fateful day, which was a week ago yesterday. And, after several tense moments, Anne had built up the internal courage to describe the events of that day.

“The English teacher had confused me during class, so I waited to speak with her after class. Alice, this girl in my class, was in front of me, and she headed outside. With the teacher, I discussed the reading, as it was a bit beyond my understanding. And. And…..outside, I found this girl Alice waiting for me. She glared at me like death…and said, ‘I know what you are. A monster, at best a demi-human. I’ve been waiting for this confrontation for a while.’”

Her white beret, tilted forward, was in danger of encapsulating her stricken visage.

“Going into an aggressive whisper, finger pointed at me, she said, ‘I’ve seen your kind once, when I was much younger. In the park near here, a girl scarred me across the chest. But it came from her hands, and not something normal. I couldn’t get a closer look, but the fires she spread, and the ones you spread, are the same! Maybe you are that person, that person who endangered my life. You disgust me, you and your unapologetic face.’ Alice stomped on my foot with the power of the Earth itself and walked away, not looking back. The tears…were delayed but the pain is so palpable…And the teacher never witnessed it.”

“We’ll tell your teacher!” her dad said.

“But…that won’t stop her…” Anne muttered.

“High school was supposed to be the end of this,” her mom said with a look of horror.

“Well, I will do everything I can. I wish this could go away more easily, but…confide in your friend more. She’s your best friend, right?” her dad added in a vain effort to be reassuring.

“Th-thanks, papa….I want to, but it’s tough…”

Running her hands through Anne’s hair, Beatrice sought to relieve the tension in her daughter’s being. But everything is so fragile, especially Anne’s self-confidence at that very moment.

Across town, Shiina was concerned. Why is it hard to talk to my mom about this? After all this time…maybe I should…

“Oh, kaa-san[4],” Shiina spoke to her mother, who was entering the bedroom cautiously.

“Yes, Shiina?” responded Sanae, a tone of slight delicacy.

“My friend isn’t who I think she is…but not in a bad way.”

“Oh, Anne-pan[5]?  I know you’re concerned, but she seems splendid. What’s wrong?”

“She-she’s a dragon…but a human…Sorry, you probably don’t believe me,” Shiina said, squirming.

“Do you mean she can breathe fire?” Sanae asked, right hand placed on Shiina’s shoulder.

“From…her hand,” Shiina muttered as she glanced down, cheeks bright red.

“You should be proud of such a talented friend, Shiina,” Sanae whispered as she embraced her daughter. “I’m glad that that is all that was wrong.”

“Me too.”

“Tell Anne-pan she’s welcome anytime, okay?”

“Mm…okay.”

/----------------Desoriente[6]------------/

A cruel breeze rustled the leaves scattering them about this way and that a young girl, hands outstretched, coated in red, her maroon muffler in her bare hands, and breath visibly apparent. Truly, it was a foggy day. Reaching forward towards the escaping figure, desperate for contact, a contact that could not be made, color rushing away even faster, as the breeze froze her. Cracks appeared across her…

A cold sweat formed a swamp on her forehead; with a shudder, Anne awoke to a differential of sun emanating from her window, obscured by clouds. It was not, however, as chilly in her room as in the dream.

Was that it? What I thought I had forgotten…Or am I just imagining it? Um, um…was she that person…who I almost killed? How terrifying to be reminded of it now, after all this time. Such frenzied thoughts raced across her mind. That dream…that dream…how is that not the simple, brutal reality? Widened eyes, hands held to her throbbing temple, a discomfort elongated through her spine and into her head.

Tossing her brilliant red towel across her bed, she slipped her dress on, bringing the zipper up two-thirds of the way. A few moments of searching revealed her tights, periwinkle blue but interrupted with minor tears. The brush could hardly contain her hair. It sprung up, a forest only tame in portions. Dashing down the stairs. Picking up the backpack, already prepared for the day. Sitting in the car, making pleas for mom to come down and start it. And, doing those pleas again. Walking into the school entrance. With dazed eyes, uttering an “Owchie!” Entering class, scarcely a moment before start.

“Brothers Karamazov ending,” she breathed at Shiina, taking her seat.
“Aah. Sh! Shhh! I haven’t finished it yet…It’s time for class,” Shiina said, hiding her face with her hands. “Wait,” looking down before responding. “You look…messy. Bad dream?”
Dashing her teary eyes away from Shiina’s gaze, Anne nodded.

Standing at the park, beneath the gazebo. Emerald flames shooting across her vision, swirling around her. Something stirred deep inside, and her vision turned to fiery red, morose blue, and serpentine green. The scent of rain struck deeply into her nostrils, the sound of rain beaten into her ears. The sight of the miniature forest having become purple. In this haze, appeared a swift claw, scaled and reptilian, intent on the attack. Vasoconstriction throughout her body, appearing oceanic to self-perception.

An hour later, she awoke – no, that is incorrect. Anne returned to an awareness of her surroundings, present once more in her living room, finally awake to the questions proffered by her mom. Back home, without realizing it.

“Desolee[7], mere[8]…I was distracted by this turn of events…” Anne stumbled out.
“De rien[9], Anne. Have you figured out the situation? Have you told Shiina?” inquired Beatrice.
“N-no….”
“Please figure something out with her. I told your teacher, but she did not think anything was wrong. So please…”
“Okay, mere…”

/-------------------Au coin de feu[10] ----------------------/

Truly, a foggy day. Desperate for contact, a contact that could not be made, color egressing, the breeze freezing her, reaching towards that escaping figure. A cruel breeze rustled the leaves scattering them about this way and that a young girl, hands outstretched, themselves covered in red, her crimson scarf in her bare hands, and breath readily visible in the cold air. Searing streaks across the sky, as snow fell down, laughing at the ground that expected sticking. And that person fleeing, fleeing from what could only be a monster. A shattering sound echoed throughout the world. Fog…seething in ice, of the invisible variety. Cracks appeared around her, and she was coated in a blizzard of nothing.

It was not, however, as frigid in her room as in the dream. A devastatingly cold sweat formed a swamp on her forehead; with a shudder, Anne awoke to a streak of sun emanating from her window, unobscured by morning clouds. From her dream, she had fallen onto the floor, the best explanation for the pulsing pain throughout her back.

Such frenzied thoughts raced across her mind. Again? That person whose blood is on my hands? How terrible. So it’s my fault. My fault. Mine. MINE. My own. Nobody else…Another day to worry. Can I make it right? Widened eyes, hands held to her throbbing temple, a discomfort elongated through her spine and into her head. That dream…that dream…how is that not the simple, brutal reality?

With dazed eyes, uttering an “Owchie!” Entering class, scarcely a moment before start. Searching, and finding her forest green tights, free of minor tears. The brush that failed to halt the veritable keratin sea, springing up as if resisting. Sitting in the car. Dashing down the stairs. Picking up the backpack, pleas for mom to start the car. Again, and again, and again, and again. Full-length white towel tossed into a laundry hamper, and wearing a dress, remembering the zipper this time. Walking into the school entrance. Entering class, and watching everything unfold in the recesses of her mind.

“Brothers Karamazov,” inquired Shiina, noticing Anne taking her seat.
“No not today…” Anne responded dejectedly.
“Bad dream again…?”
“Should I just tell you about it?”
“If you would like,” Shiina responded, shifting her body towards Anne.
Explaining it briefly without letting on the real concern. That was the goal. But…
“So something is immensely stressful. That’s difficult. How can I stop it…” Shiina pondered.
“You don’t need to do anything” insisted Anne unconvincingly.
“But I will…so tell me more after class,” Shiina stated, switching to a whisper towards the end in deference to the lesson about to begin.

Walking out of the classroom to meet Shiina, Anne stumbled backwards, having unintentionally met resistance. As few people were still around, she was caught off guard by this sudden movement. Next moment, she was standing on her toes, held aloft by the top of her dress clenched in another’s hand. Alice’s lanky arm, pale as Anne’s, had grasped tightly. Alice’s brilliant blonde hair had lost its neat conformation. Alice’s face had distorted into a frown. Alice’s mouth opened.

In contrast to her prim wool blue cardigan, her words were coarse. “A-after thinking about it more, you certainly caused all this. Maybe it’s because of your carelessness, or you were trying to hurt me, but that experience has haunted me all along. But seeing you this often makes the wound sting all the more… So maybe I’ll show you…the harm you caused…”

Anne massaged her neck, her posture poised to dodge any future insults. But her foe was distracted, undoing the first couple buttons. A tense few moments. And then, there it was, a bodily mark. That same volcanic gray extending upwards, a tendril reaching the base of her neck. Glaring, hands at her side but shaking, Alice shouted, “Do you see now? Since that day, my body has been blemished. And it’s your fault! It’s your…fault…”

“Desolee[11]…Desolee…That wasn’t my intention…hic[12]…I was young and didn’t know how to control it. Hic. I’m sorry. I’m sorry…Sor-ry….hic…”
“It’s still,” Anne paused to wipe her moist eyes on her sleeve, “all…your fault. I can’t forgi--…” She trailed off, unable to finish that statement.

Both had succumbed to tears. A brush of auburn hair appeared in front of Anne’s face.

Shiina proclaimed, “Stop this! If you’re both hurt, then that ties you together…we’re all human, and what’s done is done. Maybe that scar is…terrifying because it is permanent, but it’s a part of both of you. You’re…connected…So please don’t fight…”

The teacher walked by this odd situation – of Shiina shielding Anne with her arms, and defiantly glancing at a now-silent Alice – and ignored it, casting aside even the faintest notion of professionalism.

The following day, Beatrice, on behalf of Anne and with the support of Shiina and her parents, lodged a formal complaint against the teacher in person. A wrathful tone, but ultimately a precisely cold and polite tone that caused the office secretaries to cower slightly. As if an electric blue aura exuded radially outwards, encapsulating the physical space itself.

“Please ensure that under no circumstances this can happen to my daughter again. And reprimand that teacher for failing to act like she should and protect my daughter. With an environment like this, Anne cannot learn properly! Which is why she’s here. Thank you for being so cooperative. I hope that I can count on your future help.”

After uttering these lines, Beatrice bid Shiina ‘au revoir’ and drove Anne home. Hopefully the healing could now happen.

Back to present time.

“Shiina, thank you,” said Anne as she stepped around her friend. Alice held her bookbag strap tightly in her hands, hands positioned to strike at any moment. Anne winced, blinked briefly, and stepped towards her foe. Fortunately for Alice, Anne was a firm believer in the Geneva Conventions.

This may have sounded odd from a girl who had just finished sobbing, one anticipating to be hit in the next moment. Anne spoke, a slight sniffle hanging on her being, “C’est ma faute[13].. Hurting you deeply…it may not be something forgivable, or something that allows atonement. But, from the depths of mon coeur[14], my heart, I am sorry, beyond any false promise of forgiveness. I fully accept your humanity, and we can move past this.”

“Ngh…” Alice said, collapsing onto the floor. Standing up, shaking, her eyes lost their fiery edge, unable to maintain clear focus on the girl standing across from her, and from Shiina to the side. Tears drained down her blonde face, her hair now fully disheveled, and she walked away, legs taking on a partial limp.

Softly, “Taihen desu[15]….Trouble…” exited from Shiina’s mouth after Alice disappeared.

That evening was a relaying of information, in preparation for Beatrice’s battle. Unlike her daughter, she did not as strongly believe in the Conventions. After all, she was full French, and would not be obeying the Swiss anyways.  From that point, the difficulty had been resolved…At least, one would hope.

/----------------------Sanctuaire de Sangue[16]-------------------------/

Wide eyes, gargantuan eyes even – right now, Anne stared blankly at the white box, laden with pink ribbons, but the dimensions….it was like a Rubik’s cube but larger in magnitude, proportioned the same. Inside was a cake, a three-layer of chocolate with red velvet frosting lining the top concentric circle.

“Pourquoi[17]?... Er…why?” wondered Anne, staring at Alice in surprise.

Alice was dressed neatly, with a white ribbon in her kempt hair, at odds with her red, teary eyes.
“After that incident, I thought more about what we…discussed…Actually, one of my friends told me that my behavior was hurtful and that I was in the wrong. And it hurt deep inside to think that, but I realized she was right. And that you and your friend had a point too…”

Still fidgeting, she tried to rely on deep breathing, before continuing.

“I don’t want to be a hateful person, and to think I got that close scares me. And, well…thank you for meeting me today. And to apologize, I baked you this cake…please accept it.”

“Th-thank you, Alice…It looks wonderful…” Anne stuttered.

“And…to help me get over my fear, could you show me?” asked Alice in a quiet voice.

Removing her gloves, and unleashing the emerald dragon, swirling around both of them, encapsulating in a sea of sparks, as if this was a fireworks festival. Alice’s hands went from clenched to open, arms to her sides, as the glamorous site overwhelmed her senses. And for the first time in years, a bright smile stretched across her face.

“Je suis[18] un servante de feu, n’est-ce pas[19]” inquired Anne with a jovial expression.

“O-oui,” responded Alice unconfidently, as she was not exactly the best French student. Then...”I will show you my scar once more.  The full version…”

Alice unbuttoned the top of her cardigan, until the top of her chest was on display. However, that ashen gray, extending upwards, no longer took on a mark of shame. Here…in this gazebo her scar was now fully a part of her, a mass of fibrotic tissue but still another element of self. Alice too had risen to the rank of “dragon.”

Anne, who had restored her gloves, gingerly hugged Alice, welcoming her to the order. And, Alice, the newly minted supernatural being, explained the scar’s tale.

“So,” Anne offered, “you caught me by surprise, and I accidentally burned you? That’s as I suspected but it…depresses my soul a bit…”

A warm hand placed itself on her shoulder. “I think we need a break from the heavy stuff. How about we eat some cake with your friend?”

That is how they ended up at Shiina’s house, being hosted by Sanae-san. This meant eating chocolate cake with blueberry filling while taking turns playing Yoshi’s Wooly World. Calmly scooping up pieces with her fork, Shiina observed the efforts of a certain blonde girl, blue smeared around her lips, grappling with World 6 in the game.

Startled by the sound of her phone going off, the generic chime bleeping at her, Alice dropped the controller onto the carpeted floor.

“Moshi moshi[20],” quietly joked Shiina to Anne, who chuckled.
“Ah, Karen? Yeah, I’m with them…”
“Did you apologize,” Karen’s voice came out from the phone.
“Mhm I apologized….but it’s a bit awkward…”
“Alice…they’re right there…Are you going to need to apologize again?” came Karen’s snarky response.
“You’re right, Karen…And we’re all eating cake now.”
“Mmm..got it! I hope they like your cake. Tell them I say hi! See ya!” said Karen energetically.

“She says hello,” Alice said to Shiina and Anne, ending the call.
Anne responded, “And we say hello back!”

---

[1] Servant of Fire

[2] Finally, end. Then, so. Sorry, mama.

[3] Don’t cry, my dear! Tell me in English for your papa also.

[4] Mother in Japanese.

[5] Anpan is a Japanese sweet roll. This is a lame pun.

[6] Disoriented

[7] Sorry

[8] Mother

[9] It’s nothing.

[10] At the corner of fire

[11] “Sorry” in French. You should know this by now.

[12] Hiccup sounds.

[13] “It’s my fault” in French.

[14] “My heart” in French

[15] “This is a problem” in Japanese.

[16] “Sanctuary of Blood” in French

[17] “Why” in French – literally means “for what.”

[18] “I am” in French

[19] Along the lines of “isn’t that the case?” in French.

[20] A Japanese greeting reserved for speaking on the phone.