Dying Fire

Chapter Seven

“We go on and on about our differences.

But, you know, our differences

Are less important than our similarities.

People have a lot in common with one another,

 Whether they see that or not.”

~William Hall~

Calex rushes home, not bothering to hide his actions from passersby, until finally he’s home. Excitement keeps him going through the door without pause, filling the silent space with noise.

            Arriving home early as he is, the sun nearly setting outside, Calex sets the cloth sack on the counter and opens it in a hurry. He pushes aside the bread and fruit, the slivers of meat, despite the growling of his stomach, and grasps the bottle of medicine. Muttering Araine’s instructions, “Once she wakes, have her drink a bit of it. Once she wakes, have her drink a bit of it,” he kneels next to his mother, seemingly sleeping peacefully. He’s not thinking, caught up in the hopefulness of the object in his hand, when he shakes her shoulder, rousing her.

            It’s a horrible mistake.

            She flails weakly, her hoarse voice screaming as loud as she can in a deranged whisper, beating Calex back until she can no longer reach him. The bottle is clutched in his hand, top still closed tight, shocked. She’s still screaming in a loud whisper, eyes closed. It doesn’t sound like she’s trying to say any actual words, but only the guttural sounds of a confused animal. There’s no strength in her blows, but the emotional pain is worse than anything for Calex.

            He moves closer tentatively, watching her relax, not waking. It must be nightmares, he thinks, but it only makes him more determined to give her the medicine. “Once she wakes, have her drink a bit of it,” he mutters, reaching out once more to shake her awake.

            It’s the same reaction as the first, but instead of moving out of her reach, he wrestles with her, trying to subdue her without hurting her, but the task is more difficult than he previously thought. She continues to flail, screaming, the entire situation grinding against his nerves, making his breath ragged and emotions overwhelming. She lands a lucky blow in his neck before he can restrain her, pinning her arms to either side and shaking her as gently as he can.

            Ione continues to scream, living in a nightmare her son can’t fathom, eyes shut tight in the terror. He starts shouting for her, calling her name, but it doesn’t penetrate the haze. One arm slips from his grasp and hits him across the jaw, and he rolls away from her, clutching the bottle, making sure none of it spilled.

            Rubbing his neck and face, Calex settles into a corner, watching Ione sleep peacefully once again. He waits hours for her to wake, mind drifting to thoughts of Araine. Despite of what had just occurred, he smiles, remembering the story he had told her to make her stop crying. As he watches Ione and wonders, reminiscing, Madline closes the shop later than usual.

            She takes longer to put her products away, lock the doors, and put the gate back in place. It isn’t exhaustion, the wearing down of an old body that makes her move slower, put more thought into her actions. It’s foreboding, as she watches Araine bustle about the shop helping her, a smile on her face, happiness evident.

            Madline will be taking that happiness away from her tonight. But it can’t wait any longer. The girl is old enough now, she supposes, to realize the truth of her care-taker’s mortality and perhaps truly understand the responsibility of being the Eternal Flame. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean Madline must accept it herself, or willingly go through with this discussion.