Celestial Changes *HF* Part 1
By Siren
Celeste Alexander stood atop the grassy hill, mesmerized by the beauty of the clear October night; outside of the small town of Windsor, North Carolina. It was Halloween, her birthday, and also the night of a major meteor shower. Her father had known how much this event had meant to her, and thus had bought her a high-powered telescope and a camera fro her. She knew it was a very pricey gift and she felt a little bad tat he had spent so much on her, even when he probably couldn't afford it.
She loved her father so much, they were inseparable. There was no need for him to be a parent; she was so mature and sensible for a girl of 17. They were the best of friends. She had had only one complaint living with him. She despised her stepmother. She found her to be snobbish, cruel, and jealous of her. Celeste got so much of her father's attention, but then, they had been through so much together. He wanted to protect her from the things people said about her; and from the prejudice directed at her and her mother. She had no friends. People seemed to fear her.
She was a beautiful girl. Long, red hair, a beautifully delicate face and a slender build. However, her grey eyes and elfishly shaped ears, and her quietness made people brand her as strange and as an outcast. Her father seemed to be the only one who loved her.
Her attention turned skyward as the jewel streak of the first meteor fell. There was a moment’s pause before the event sent another glimmer and another. The amount of activity slowly increased until the sky was ablaze with an unearthly beauty. The wind picked up and blew her flaming red locks about her face. Still, no cloud dared obscure this heavenly wonder. She aimed the telescope's camera into the heart of the shower. She never wanted to forget this night.
She sat there in awe for nearly half and hour, until a glimmer of light reflected off her telescope lens. She turned, thinking the shower may have become broader than expected. She froze, her heart seeming to stop. She was paralyzed with fear and anguish. Down the hill, nearly a quarter mile away, she saw her home, consumed in flames. Fire trucks were only just starting to arrive. She got up to race forward, but stopped dead as four large creatures approached her. They were large, nearly seven feet and built. They were human in shape, but that is where the characteristics ended.
Their bodies were wrapped in what appeared to be dried roots; even their faces had this look. This covering dangled from them in places and was frayed and tangled in others. Their only true facial features were their eyes, which seemed to be swirling fogs of blackish red light. Their hair, as it were, was loose strands of more rooty substance. One of the creatures stood out from the others. In the dim light she could see that it dangled something from its massive claws. The creature stopped nearly 15 feet in front of her, the 'leader,' as she had dubbed it, became surrounded in a glowing blackish, purple glimmer and Celeste found herself facing her mirror image. The twin smiled maliciously as it held up its trophy, the severed head of her stepmother. Celeste felt sick to her stomach as the creature again took its true form out of the dark swirling fog. They moved forward, the first reaching out to her as it dropped its package. Her hesitation was only a moment before her legs seemed to propel her away of their own will. That was fine with her.
She ran down the other side of the hill and into the forest. Behind her, she heard the cracking of leaves and branches, proof of the pursuit. In the darkness, she could not see her way. She stumbled, fell, but recovered quickly and dodged away as one creature made a leaping grab for her. She felt thorns tearing at her arms and legs, and more than once she had run face first into some spider's web. Her attackers never fell back, they were always just out of reach. Her heart pounded so hard that it drowned out most other sounds. That is why she never realized she was so close to the flooded river. She didn't realize this until she fell over its banks. She screamed as she hit the water, for it was cold. She was dragged under by the swift current and quickly became disoriented as to which way was up. She was desperate for air when the current pushed her up. She began gasping and choking and was sucked back under. As she was tossed about in the dark water, her head was forced violently into a rock. The last thing she remembered was a dark glimmer in her mind's eye and warmth wrapped around her like a blanket. So peaceful. So real.
Dad? She thought.
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Celeste awoke with a start. She could barely catch her breath. She was drenched with sweat. Her tattered clothes felt sticky and stray strands of her fiery hair clung about her face. A cool, stiff wind blew against her, sending chills down her spine.
It was only moments before she remembered were she was. She lowered her head in despair.
Will they never stop haunting me?
It had been nearly 6 months since that nightmare had taken place, but it played out in her mind in horrid, clear detail. She would always remember that fateful Halloween of 2000. IN one night she had lost everything. She had awakened the next day, her head throbbing, but her thoughts as clear as crystal. She had guessed that the creature had made sure that she had been seen to murder her father and stepmother. She walked into town, careful to conceal her ears, which were sure to immediately identify her. As she passed by an electronics store a sick feeling washed over her. She had hoped she was wrong, but a newscast showed her house in flames with her picture in the upper right hand corner. They called her dangerous and made reference to her mother's insanity, implying that Celeste too, was of less than rational thought. She saw people within the store watching the newscast. Thankfully, they were so preoccupied with the story that they didn't notice her. Celeste took it as a great gift and left before they lost their initial shock.
She had made it out of the town without recognition, and thus began to make her way farther west by way of out of state truck drivers.
She ended up in Cleveland, Tennessee and had decided to stay. She tried to get a job, but her appearance was undesirable and she feared what might happen if anyone found out whom she was.
I mean really, like the cops would believe my story. Perhaps I am crazy. She thought.
From then on she lived on the streets, getting food and shelter in any way she could. Tonight she was sleeping in a park in downtown Cleveland. The bench wasn't very comfortable, but it was dry, more than she could say for the ground. Thankfully, the weather was starting to warm. The days were pleasant, but the nights still required more covering. There was a homeless man who had chosen the park over some alley or open ground. A car passed by, and on the other side of the street was a girl. Celeste froze, seeing that the girl was just watching her. She thought it was odd that the girl's hair was silvery white. It shimmered in the streetlight as if it were metallic.
Celeste got up from the bench and turned to walk away.
"Where are you going?"
Celeste jumped, startled that the question had come from right behind her. She turned, the girl only feet away from her.
"Why do you care?" she asked warily.
The girl seemed to smile just slightly, but it looked as if she knew something. Perhaps she knew who Celeste was.
"I want to help you.,” she said matter-of-factly. "Your different...special."
Celeste felt fear rise up inside of herself.
She knows. Oh! God she recognizes me!
The look on the other's face changed, as if sensing her terror. She reached out as she started to say something, but Celeste no longer listened.
“If you’ll just come with me…”
“NO! I didn’t do it!” Celeste screamed in terror.
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Siren
Grey Paladin
Insanity Fairy