Serendipity

The Bluish Flames

***

Elsewhere rain started to pour with drops hitting the house roof hard, furiously trickling against the metal plate, diminishing the volume of the argument between Lily and Mia's parents.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" The mother of the two girls asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

30 minutes had passed since Mia and Lily left the house to run away. The married couple had been quarreling in the same span of time. Their squabble heated up as the head of the family raised his voice, "Because if I don't, they will grow up selfish and hard-headed..."

Sandra could not believe her husband. Anything, even the smallest thing, just turned into an argument. He would not listen. She never knew the marriage life that she had been wishing for would be a disaster. She no longer knew if he even loved her and the children.

"You don't have to hit them!" With evident hatred in her tone, Sandra swung her accusing finger toward her husband. "Look, I want my girls unscratched, or else, we're done!"

The tall and muscular man was about to argue back, but a knock on the door disrupted them. Sandra opened the door fast, revealing a dumbfounded Mia. The boyish yet fragile girl was just standing there, not speaking. Her dark blue shirt and shorts, soaked. Pieces of leaves and tree branches tangled on her long, wavy hair. Sandra gently brushed her hair, removing the foliage. 

"Where's your sister?" Sandra asked, looking behind Mia. She expected her other girl running toward the door, terrified as Mia. However, she saw nothing but fog, hiding the copious forest of Bielefeld.

"She dragged my sister to hell. I saw it." Mia's eyes began to dilate. "We were walking around the forest and well, we... we..."

Mia's voice trembled as she spoke. Her cracked lips were moving animatedly. When Sandra noticed her daughter's bleeding leg, she knelt down before Mia. Sandra examined Mia's right leg, forcing her petite leg toward her face to take a closer look.

"Honey, can you get the first-aid kit for me?" Sandra called out to her husband. "Okay, just give me a second." Grandolf rushed to the kitchen and scoped the kit hidden from a cupboard.

Handling the kit to Sandra, Grandolt looked at her daughter and mouthed "Sorry, baby." Sandra noticed the gesture, and a genuine smile spread acrossed her face.

"It's all right dad. I know you're just trying to discipline us."

Sandra bit her lip. She knew Mia's best quality trait. Her understanding nature, she wondered where she got that lovely personality. Sandra and Grandolt exchanged a look and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Let me take care of this." Sandra declared.

"I'll go contact someone from the castle." Grandolf always wanted to protect the most important people in his life. He loved his daughters even if he had always been strict to them. He wanted them to be brave and to be capable of protecting themselves. He could not be there for them every time. He had been trying to be a good husband and father, but he might never knew how exactly to do that. 

"Okay, let's do this and we'll talk, once everything is over. You heard me?" Grandolf took a deep breath and mouthed an "okay." 

Sandra knew she could trust her husband about this matter, at least.

Looking back at Mia, and giving her full attention, Sandra realized her daughter must have run fast. She fell on the ground halfway, but stood up as fast as she can, to convey the message to us. She wanted to help her sister badly.

Sandra knew Mia had always been the braver of the two. She knew of her daughter's bravery. But, Sandra knew Mia was holding back her tears.

Sadra hugged Mia while caressing her back. To assure Mia's worries, Sandra kissed her girl's forehead and told her that everything would be all right. Mia bit her lip and slid her small, fragile arms around her mom's waist. Rubbing her face on her mother's clothes, she broke down and cried in the rainy night.

***

"Why are you doing this? Where are you taking me?" Lily struggled from the corpse lady's tight clutches, while she bombarded the rumored ghost with questions, but she never got any answer.

The lady's hand felt cold, like a corpse. Lily tried to break free from the corpse's grip. Throwing her arms and body around, she violently struggled to j******f her hand. It angered the ghost causing her to look at Lily.

Provoking the ghost lady was a bad idea. Her blood-red eyes sent daggers to the little kid's core. The look in her eyes felt as if she had cried drums of blood for years. Her eyebrows arched as if two mountains bumped onto each other. Her forehead wrinkled. When she started gnashing her teeth, it produced an intense noise, sending unbearable vibration into Lily's ears. Lily covered one of her ears, but it did nothing. And, when she looked at her hand, it had blood on it.

"YOU!!!" The enraged corpse roared in the murky forest. Thunder began hammering the ground, and the wind in rage caused the overwhelming rain to slap their faces.

Lily fell on her knees. Lily's eyes shifted from left to right, scanning the area for a chance to escape. Fleeing was not an option. The green-eyed brunette was furious; pounding the ground, specks of mud sprinkled on her face. If Mia was in her position, she would probably be stronger, Lily thought. The small brunette felt ashamed and helpless. She could do nothing but bite her lips while trying to hold back her tears.

The corpse watched Lily in astonishment. The charcoal dress the corpse had been wearing embraced her figure. Somewhat revealing her spindly stature, Lily could not believe she was the person everyone idolized. She looked fragile as if she would pass out anytime.

"Please let go of me. I want to go home."

The corpse cracked her head on one side; a half-baked smirk played across her face. Her eyes smiled with obvious deceitfulness reflected on them.

"Home? Didn't you and your sister run away from home? Aren't you glad I'm helping you out, little girl?"

Lily pondered on what had happened so far. Her eyes widened when she remembered her father hitting her and Mia with a tree branch. She clamped her hands over her ears and began crying. The corpse rolled her eyes. She could not take it. The girl sounded like a howling wolf. Had to play nice, the lady thought.

The rumored ghost bent beside Lily and tapped her shoulder. "You don't have to suffer anymore. So, be obedient and come with me." Lily looked at the corpse, hot tears stayed on her eyelids. "Do you trust me?" The ghost gently wiped the tears away. Lily felt calloused on her beautiful fingers.

"I don't know. I-I--- I just hate our father. He didn't love us."

"I know. I know," The corpse reassured as she caressed her back in concern. Or, at least, that was how Lily perceived it.

"I know you. But, now, I'm no longer sure."

"Of course, everyone here knows me, little girl." The lady stood up, dusting her elegant black dress as if there were real dust on it. She smiled at Lily. 

The walking corpse held the girl's hand firmly and started walking again.

"I still don't think you're a ghost, though. Your hands are cold but..." Lily stopped her sentence midway.

The two of them were now standing before an opened portal, with raging fire laughing and mocking its inhabitants. Lily saw a group of children backing away from the bluish flames. One boy dropped his left arm, protectively blocking the fire from reaching the other kids hiding behind his back.

The ghost did not have to spell it out. Lily knew the place. It was true. The children, spirited away, were thrown into the pits of hell.

***