Aria by Ariele Sieling

Author:Ariele Sieling
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fantasy, scifi with magic, future fantasy, futuristic fantasy
Publisher: Ariele Sieling, author
Published: 2022-09-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

They recognized my mother.

They recognized me.

They'd helped me. Fed me.

And now they were dead.

I couldn't stop the thoughts churning in my mind as I ran and ran and ran, a three-year-old held tightly against my chest.

They recognized my mother.

They recognized me.

And now they were dead.

But they hadn't tried to kill me. They didn't ask me where she was. They had only offered kindness, food, and a safe place to spend a little bit of time. But the fact that they knew who I was when I didn't even know who I was...

Part of me worried they were only playing some long game to earn my trust, only to betray me later. But I didn't really believe that. Not after Galen's violent violation of their home. Not after he murdered Gil and Meri. I held Gary more tightly. The child was crying now, but I was relieved that nothing close to us seemed to be burning—just the house behind us, smoke billowing into the sky. The ringing of her magic had softened too. Now it was more like a dull, sharply toned drone in the background than the harsh clanging from before.

Fire trucks screamed in the night, their sirens a warning—to others that there was a fire; to me, that a sinister darkness waited for me, no matter where or when I found myself.

As soon as I stumbled out of the tiny, strange neighborhood, I slowed, my heart racing. I didn't want strangers to notice us, and a woman and a child racing through the streets was certainly noticeable, especially since Gary hadn't stopped crying since we left. I was thankful I at least had the opportunity to wash up at Gil and Meri's house, and hoped that now, carrying Gary, I just looked like a poor mother with a sick child.

I passed a convenience store on my left, wishing I had money. I could buy a stroller or a toy for comfort. Gary had stopped crying a few minutes before, but the child's face was still pressed into my shoulder, tiny hands gripping my shirt.

A thought struck me. The neighborhood where I met Gil and Meri—I had never heard of it. Not in any of the future times I had lived in. Did the entire thing burn down?

I glanced behind me. The plume of smoke had only grown larger.

"Daddy!" Gary screamed and burst into tears again.

"I'm sorry," I replied, not knowing what else to say. I didn't even know what to say to a child on a normal day, let alone one like today. How was I supposed to explain to a three-year-old what was happening when I didn't even understand it myself? And how could I get her to understand I needed her to be quiet?

A woman passing gave me what I hoped was a sympathetic look as I bounced Gary and tried to soothe her.

"Shhh," I murmured, "it's gonna be okay." Except I was lying, and I was pretty sure Gary knew it.

At least the hiding spell had protected us from Galen.

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