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Chapter 10
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2022-08-04 02:49:57The cafe's lights were all off, the curtains were drawn, and there were no signs that anyone was inside. Sophie's Aunt Cara had originally owned Cara's Cafe, but she left a long time ago. She wanted a better life; she wanted to do more than just own a little shop. Now it was just Sophie. She had wanted to be a painter and studied Art History at a school in France, but when the cafe was given to her, she didn't want to sell it.
The metal steps up to the apartment clanged loudly with each step Arder took. At the top, the door was already slightly ajar, and the sound of the radio drifted out into the open air. Arder left her shoes outside and pushed the door open wider before slipping inside."Sophie?" Arder called, not seeing anyone.The apartment fit Sophie's personality perfectly. Her many paintings covered all the walls of the small space. The numerous art books she owned were scattered across the coffee table along with her dirty paint brushes. It wasn't exactly tidy, but Sophie wasn't known for her organizational skills."Arder, is that you?" Sophie yelled from one of the back rooms."Yeah, where are you?" Arder replied, walking through the living room. Sophie's apartment had an open kitchen/dining room connected to the living area, although it was not exactly much of a living area anymore. The room had a small couch and desk for her laptop, but the rest of the space was taken up by her two large easels. The larger easel had a huge canvas with a dark oil painting of the sea, where an empty canoe floated miles away from a rocky shore. Sophie had been working on it for weeks, and in Arder's opinion, it was one of her best works.There were three doors at the back of the apartment that lead to Sophie's bedroom, a bathroom, and the spare room. Sophie walked out of the second of the three, a towel wrapped around her head and dried oil paint on her clothes."What happened?" she inquired, seeing Arder's tired expression."Can we sit?" Arder asked in reply, walking back over to the couch. Sophie quietly sat next to her, ready to listen."I went home and she did it again. She wouldn't tell me a single thing. She didn't even care when I told her I would leave," Arder murmured, shaking her head.Sophie leaned forward and hugged the younger girl. "Looks like we're having another sleepover, huh?" Arder laughed in reply and Sophie let her go."Coffee?" she offered. Arder nodded and waited silently for her to return.She had stayed at Sophie's many times before this; she had slept there more times than she had at Lexie's. Arder trusted her employer, who was always happy to have Arder around.After the coffee was made, they sat on the red velvet couch and watched movies on Sophie's laptop. It was around eleven when they both decided to go to bed.The guest room was already made, so Arder just got changed into the clothes she had left in the dresser on a previous night and tucked herself into bed. Just as she was falling asleep, she heard a beep as the room flashed with light. Recognizing the sound, Arder leaned over and picked her phone up from the side table.Are you going to come home?The message was from her mother.No, and don't bother talking to me until you're ready to tell me something.Arder typed out, promptly pressing send before she could think better of it. She wanted to know who her father was, and even her mother couldn't keep her from the truth forever.No reply ever came back from Aubrey. Arder didn't mind, as she knew her mother wouldn't answer. But she also knew that her mother would have to tell her eventually.Related chapters
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The warm morning air brushed over her skin as her eyes fluttered open. Streams of light came through the slits in the open blinds that no one had bothered to close. Arder rolled over in the bed, hiding her eyes from the brightness. She guessed that school was probably about to start, yet she wasn't in any hurry to get up. When a loud knock sounded throughout the apartment, the redhead moaned in frustration and let her feet find the floor. "I'm coming," she yelled to whoever it was. She pushed her hair out of her eyes and started towards the front door."Lexie?" she mumbled, seeing her friend outside. She wondered how Lexie had known that she would be at Sophie's, and if the girl had gone to Arder's house first. Leaning over the railing, Lexie stood looking down at the roads below. Swinging the door open, Arder wrapped her arms around herself. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she greeted.Lexie looked over her shoulder and made her way inside without waiting for an invitation. "Sophie
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Everyone except Arder had left the classroom. She tucked her bulky green binder into her bag and zipped it shut. The hallway was still cluttered with people pushing and shoving their way through, but there was one thing that stood out. Grey was standing on the other side of the hall, staring directly at her through the sea of bodies. Arder made her way across to where he was. "Don't you have class?" she questioned.He nodded before stating, "I need to tell you something." Arder studied his expression, trying to figure out what he was talking about."What is it?" she asked. Her eyes widened as a thought crossed her mind. "Is it about Cyrus?" Grey shook his head. "Can we go outside?" She hesitated, unsure of what this was about. Curiosity taking over her, she obliged and followed behind him.Outdoors, the wind had stopped blowing. Arder could still feel the grip of winter in the air around her, but she wasn't cold. She jumped up onto the frozen concrete wall and sat down."Arder, you
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Grey felt horrible; he was sick to his stomach. Everything about this girl made him want to stay. He wanted to throw away what he was told to do, pretend it wasn't the reason why he met her.He could feel her tears staining his shirt. In his eyes, the truth about her father wasn't a big deal, but that obviously wasn't how she saw it. Grey had so much more to admit to her, but in that moment he knew it would break even the strongest of spirits.He moved his hand up to Arder's head and stepped back to look at her. "We should go," he said, brushing her bright hair away from her face.She too stepped back from the embrace, seemingly embarrassed. She nodded and started towards the back entrance, wiping the tears away in the process. "Grey?" she asked, once they were outside."I can take you back to school," he told her, scanning the yard to make sure they were alone."Could you take me to the cafe?" she asked, following his gaze around the property. The short oak trees surrounding them
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Arder felt torn apart, as if someone had taken a part of her. Her mother took her entire life and called it a lie, she missed who her mother use to be. This wasn't the woman who raised her. That woman would have told her a long time ago and she wouldn't have been so harsh.Arder crossed the Cafe grabbing Lexie's attention. Lexie smiled at the sight of her and stood up. "Where were you? I couldn't find you at lunch," Lexie asked. She was clueless of what was going on and Arder debated telling her a lie. The lies were building up all around her, like infinite walls she could not break.She sunk into the chair opposite Lexie and tore a piece of one of the pizzelles that was on the table. She sighed, it was her favourite dessert and she had been craving them all week. "I went home," Arder said vaguely."Why? Did something happen?" Lexie questioned. Arder tugged her wild curls together and tied them back behind her head into a short ponytail."I talked to my mom," she admitted. Lexie stare
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The clouds blocked the moon creating a dark shadow, everything felt pointless in that moment. She didn't know why she was walking to the factory, all she knew was there was no where left to go. The abandoned buildings on the street looked beautiful with the shadows dancing across them. They had uneven levels that created an artistic feel to them and the glass that littered their front lawns were like the loneliness that Arder felt. She took a moment to sit on the curb next to one of them, and just watched. She could see the silhouettes of the few birds flying across the sky and a tipped over metal garbage can rustling back and forth. A woman wearing a bunched up jacket and only one glove looked up from behind it. A few gray hair strands peaked out from under the light blue hat she had over her head. Arder jumped up and continued to walk, not wanting to disturb her further. "Arder?" A voice asked, making her jump. She spun around to see Grey standing in the middle of the street.This
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The weather the next day was like that single moment before it starts to rain. The window was fogged over from the small heater Sophie left in the guest room, and all Arder could see was the dark sky. "What time is it?" Lexie asked, turning over and covering her face with the blankets to block out the light. Arder smiled, thinking about how late they stayed up the previous night. "It's almost nine-thirty. We should go help Sophie," she replied. She walked away from the window, an odd feeling that she couldn't quite decipher overcoming her. She shook it off and walked into the bathroom to get changed. Choosing dark green jeans with patches over the knees and a plain white shirt to wear under her leather jacket, she yelled, "Are you up yet?" over her shoulder.Arder could smell the scent of fresh coffee wafting up from the cafe, and she quickly ushered the other girl into the bathroom to change next. "Okay, just give me a minute," Lexie said."I'll meet you downstairs." The smell of
Last Updated : 2022-08-11The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 17
Arder felt like she was drifting through a dream and that she would wake up at any moment. Sophie was yelling, but it was all background noise. And then the sirens came, slowly getting louder and louder, waking her up to the reality of what happened. Her mind was screaming, and her fist clenched around the knife. This was what killed my best friend. The phrase ran through her mind at a million miles per hour, and it destroyed her. "What do I do?" she asked Sophie. The flashing lights of the police cars were fast approaching, and Arder was the one holding the murder weapon.Sophie shook her head. "Just give it to me," she instructed. She snatched the knife from the redhead's hand and ran out the back door, only to return moments later. "There was no knife. You never saw it," she said, eyes wide and hands shaking. They were committing a crime, and they both knew it. Arder nodded from her seat on the floor. The image of Lexie's broken body just steps away was the worst she could think
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Arder hadn't left Sophie's guest room in four days. The colour that was once in her life was gone. She had never woken up during the night because she was never asleep. Everything seemed pointless: every breath, every word, every blink of the eye. She couldn't even rely on Grey, who had never returned her call. "Arder, I'm going downstairs," Sophie called through the door.Arder didn't reply. She just sat silently, staring out the window. The sky was a light blue, and it seemed like a perfect day to be outside. At least, it was for everyone else-- not a single part of her wanted to leave the room. "Your mother's coming over today," Sophie said. Arder looked behind her at the closed door."Why?" she asked. There was no answer for a few moments, making her believe that the other girl had already left. She turned her attention to the phone on the desk in front of her. No one had called, not even Lexie's other friends."She said she wanted to check on you," Sophie finally responded. Ar
Last Updated : 2022-08-17
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There she was. Grey stood at the window to the cafe, looking inside at the girl behind the register. He had been standing there for a few minutes, but still hadn't managed to convince himself to go inside. It had been months since Grey was gifted this second chance where he could continue his life as a human, yet he still didn't know if he should talk to Arder.He was terrified that he would ruin her life more than he had already. Most of all, he was petrified that the girl he knew didn't want to see him again, even though this version of the girl that was inside wouldn't be able to remember him to make that choice. He alone had to decide if it was the right choice to walk back into her life again. He knew who she was and he loved her, and yet she couldn't remember any of it. Was it worth starting over? Grey shook his head. He was being an idiot. Of course it was worth it. His real fear, what terrified him beyond belief, was the possibility that she might not even want to know him.
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She was still falling.Arder had no idea how long she had been unconscious, maybe seconds, maybe hours, but all she knew was the darkness that surrounded her.Then there was light. Just a circle of brightness, slowly expanding to her right. Then an arm reached from the light and grabbed hold of Arder's wrist. "Hello?" Arder calked out, however nothing could be heard over the howling wind that continued on even as she stopped falling.Arder looked to the light and the hand holding her suspended in the air and made a decision. Whatever was at the end of this fall gave her a dark, terrible feeling. She was going somewhere awful, and this hand and the person it belonged to was her only hope. Arder grabbed on to the wrist of her saviour and they began to pull her into the light. It's going to be okay now, Arder told herself. Whatever it was that gave her such a horrible feeling about what was at the end of this fall, gave her a hopeful feeling about her saviour. Arder finally reached
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It came quickly and suddenly. One moment Grey was kneeling in front of her, a concerned expression covering his face, the next it was black. The darkness was surrounding her and it was as if it was squeezing the breath out of her lungs. Gasping for breath, Arder fumbled around in the darkness. "Hello?" She called out, "Is anyone there?"Then the all too familiar man emerged from the shadows, and slowly the room began to light up around him. She was lying on a cold, wet stone slab in the middle of a cave. Water dripped off the rock ceiling and landed on her forehead."Cyrus?" She asked, seeing him move towards her."We need to get you out of here," his low voice whispered. The few strands of light shined through the ceiling, revealing his face every time he stepped under one. Everything was happening so quickly, and she didn't even know where she was."Where is here?" she asked, getting off the concrete slab she woke up on. The room reeked of something rotting and it was much too dark
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Hours had passed, and it was now morning. Grey sat atop a building, staring down at the girl lying dead on the road. Her blood was still pooled around her small figure, and it had just started to stain her already red hair. She looked almost peaceful; she was beautiful even while dead. But Grey couldn't wait a second longer for her to wake up. His mind kept replaying the image of her sitting up off the road and finally becoming who she was meant to be. Except, it still hadn't happened. She was supposed to have woken up hours ago."Grey." His father's voice interrupted his thoughts. Grey merely glanced over his shoulder at the man before turning back, worried he would miss it. He needed to see her get up. It was the only way he would ever forgive himself for what he had done."What?" he growled, still angry at his father. He didn't plan on forgiving him for a long time. After all, he had made him kill someone."We need to get farther away from here," Cyrus said.Instead of turning arou
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The cold winter wind rushed through the broken window of the abandoned house. Arder shivered, backing further away from the shattered glass. The breeze blew her hair into her eyes, and she quickly pushed it away. Her dark red hair was like a fire burning in the darkness, a beacon glowing brightly for her hunter to find.She looked over her shoulder for the millionth time, feeling paranoid. He could be anywhere-- lurking in a dark corner, waiting behind a closed door, silently standing behind her-- and she wouldn't even know it. He was too quiet. Too good at this horrible game.She stepped into the light cast by the moon, quickly climbed out the window, and landed on the side of the deserted street. The old factory loomed in the distance like a far-off memory of her old life, and she shivered again. This time though, it was not because of the cold night; the tainted memory is what caused goosebumps to form on her pale arms.Something warm slid over her shoulders and she almost screamed
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The factory door burst open but Arder made no move to go see who it was. She stayed hidden in the sea of boxes for the off case that it wasn't Grey. Her hands started to shake so she clutched onto the crate underneath her. "Arder?" A deep voice called out. That was a voice she knew for sure. She stood up and zigzagged her way out of the room until she was standing in from of him. He was out of breath and almost looked nervous. "What happened?" Arder asked. "Did he follow you?"Her entire body was shaking at the idea of being caught. Arder was terrified of what would happen to her and to her family. What would she tell them?"I'm not sure. I left him at the house," Grey said, looking past her. He shuffled from foot to foot, as if he was nervous about something. "What's wrong?" Arder asked. Something seemed off about him and she wondered what had really happened back at the house. "Nothing," he assured. "I'm just thinking about what we should do now."That was what Arder was thinking
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They had sat in the abandoned house for hours now. Arder was becoming restless, she couldn't take just waiting any longer. She felt like she was just waiting to be found. The sky had just started to darken, and Grey had fallen asleep on the torn up couch. Sitting in the empty house, there wasn't much else to do. Arder walked down the narrow hallway that had the backdoor at the end, and stopped at the closed door next to it. Out of pure boredom, she decided to look around. Inside the room was a bedroom that seemed to also be an office. There were all the normal things such as a bed and dresser, but then also a desk. It had a layer of dust across it, with papers and pens scattered all around. Arder sat down in the chair that was left with it, and picked up one of the pens. She dragged it across a small ripped paper, for the chance that it still had ink. After drawing a few invisible lines, the ink slowly started to appear. With nothing else to do, she decided to just draw for awhile.
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Standing up from the couch, Arder backed away from Grey. "You mean I would be like you?" She asked. He looked to the ground, almost ashamedly and nodded. "I need some air, I'm going to go see if they have a backyard," Arder said. She watched as he ran a hand through his hair, before forcing herself to walk out the back door. Arder kept telling herself that he had a part in this too, that he had lied and known who killed Lexie all this time. Still, some part of her cared about him, and that scared her. Outside the house was an old porch with steps leading down to a small backyard. Even though the grass was all dead and brown, it was still fresh air, and exactly what Arder needed. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing nerves. She knew what they had told her was true, it was all true. Though she still felt like it was some sick joke. She sat down on the edge of the porch and let her legs dangle down. "Arder?" Grey asked from behind her. He crossed the porch and sat down nex
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Arder jumped out of her chair and backed away from Cyrus. She glanced over at Grey, begging him to look at her. Finally when he did look up from his magazine he looked to his father instead. She knew she was the one who had been doubting him, that she had thought he knew who killed Lexie. Maybe he had known, but without him on her side she felt ganged up on. "And how do you plan on doing that?" Arder demanded. Cyrus hesitated before he opened his mouth to speak, "Well in the past, trauma was what had triggered it." He took off his suit jacket and laid it across his desk. "That oddly enough, hasn't worked with you."Arder thought about what he had said, wondering what he meant about how it didn't work. She now understood what he was, and for some unknown reason to herself, she believed it. Knowing the necklace wasn't from her father broke her heart. She had worn it for so long that it now just felt silly. It had been a symbol to her, one to always remind her of her father. Except now
