Hellfire On The Other Side

Chapter 7

"AH!!!" "Clara!" Clara blinked a few times and was back to reality. She still heard her screams echoing in her mind sometimes. There was a sudden sting in her cheek as she fell to the floor. She looked up to her father, he had been trying to grab her attention. "My apologies father..." she mutters standing and bowing her head to him. He put his hand on her cheek, studying her. "The time will have come as soon as the sun rises tomorrow, are you ready?" he asks. "As, ready as I'll ever be..." Clara replied. It had been four months since she saw Claytin and even more importantly, Shane. There was no sight of him at all past the four months and now, tomorrow was her birthday, and the day she pledged herself to the church. Frollo asked her a few more questions before untimely deciding her to leave her alone to do last-minute studying before bed. Going over to her desk, Clara opened her Bible with notes scribbled all over it, where there had been empty space was no filled in with notes. Clara grabbed her purse to move it aside when a picture fell out, her and Shane, her now ex-best friend. She didn't have any friends now. Maybe you could count Claytin as one but after tomorrow, they too were as good as done. "Why did you listen to me, Shane?! You never listen! Why did you have to start now!" Clara thought. She regretted putting the dagger to his throat, she regretted threatening him but he had basically called her blind, stupid. The address to Dr. Facilier's grave was still on the back of it. Was there any point now? If she wasn't friends with Shane, then her original plan meant nothing. "Best not to think of Shane now, I have studying to do, and a church to pledge myself to..."

"Place your hand on the holy bible!" The Archdeacon told her. It was the next day, morning. All she had to do is place her hand on the Bible, repeat after the Archdeacon and she was pledged to the church, not hard at all. Her father stood behind her to the side, watching. She could feel his eyes on the back on her neck. She placed her hand on the bible and looked up to the archdeacon, a blank expression plastered on her face. "Go ahead and give a smile!" someone shouted. Many people had come to witness, press, the public, it was an important day, the daughter of one of the most feared villains pledging herself to the church, following in his footsteps. Many people didn't like it, were scared of it, but they came anyway. They wanted to see it, watch it. Sighing Clara tried to smile but even though her brain said to, her heart did not, and her expression stayed the same. Time seemed to slow as she heard echos in her head. She heard her screams of pain, she heard her crying, she heard Claytin begging her to run away to be with him but it was all overpowered, overpowered by laughter. She heard the echos of her laughter in her head and she heard someone else's laugh, Shane's. She might love her boyfriend, and miss him like crazy but she missed her best friend even more. He was there for her through thick and thin. He made sure she got home before getting caught when she was too drunk to walk. He was there when... he knew she was making a mistake. Clara tried to remember the last time she laughed, the last time she smiled but the only times she smiled and laughed were four months ago. She hadn't smiled once in four months! She hadn't laughed! She had just studied! She just thought about today! What she was going to do and not once did she ever even crack a small smile! Why?! And then she heard another echo, the answer... "Shane! Wait up! You promised you would wait for me!" That was a few years ago. Was he waiting for her now? Was he keeping his promise? Did he miss her like she missed him? Has he smiled over the past few four months? Did he think of her every day as she did him?! Did he want nothing more than to even see a glimpse of her? Did he want to be best friends again? Time came back and it hadn't even been five seconds since she spaced. She slowly took her hand off the Bible and muttered under her breath, "I have no reason to smile..." "Clara, what was it you said?" The archdeacon asked obviously confused. "I'm so sorry! I forgot something! I have to go grab it quickly! I will be right back! I swear!" Clara lied. She quickly ran out of the church ignoring the gasps. She knew her father would have his suspicions, he would send a guard to follow her, she had to be stealthy, luckily years of sneaking to see Shane came in handy. She got to her room and closed the door. Using a chair, she blocked it off, hoping it would hold long enough. Clara quickly undressed from her formal outfit and replaced it with a simple purple dress, a black cloak, and black cargo boots. She took her dagger and put it in its strap on her cloak. Taking her purse, she shoved it in a black duffel bag. She had to get out of Paris!