"RAIN OF FIRE" by Sarah Ryniker

STORY LAST UPDATED ON 21/04/2002

Rain of Fire Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

CHAPTER FOUR

I woke up confused and dazed. I looked around a very familiar hospital room, however. Damian sat by me, a worried frown creasing his forehead. I groaned and sat up. "What's going on?" I asked. I remembered the asthma attack, but nothing else.
    Damian came over to the bedside quickly and sat down, taking my hand in his. "Are you okay?" he asked, instead of answering my question.
    I took a deep breath and then nodded. "Yes, I am okay now."
    "Good. I was afraid. You've been out for hours!" he cried, holding tightly to my hand.
    "Where is everyone?" I finally asked. Why was Damian the only one here when I was supposed to be visiting my family? Didn't they care about me?
    "Lila and Karen are taking care of Julie. Celeste and the others are all off doing their own thing. Celeste hates you more now."
    I shook my head confused. "Why does she hate me more now?"
    "Karen was forced to tell everyone the truth about you. You being only her half sister makes her hate you more itself. But that's not the reason." He positioned himself so he could be more comfortable. "Karen called the cops on Michael. He was taken to jail. Chances are he'll get a few years in prison."
    The bastard was in jail? My lifelong tormentor? I almost cried out in happiness. Please, God, I begged silently, please, let him stay there. Don't let him out.
    "He had tried to kill me!" I cried, remembering everything now.
    "And he nearly succeeded," Damian said. I shook from his words. I could have died? He could have killed me? Oh my God! "Karen saw what was going on and called out for me to help. I beat the hell out of him, Phoenix. Then when I saw you, I was so damn scared." He sighed and looked away. Then looked back to me. "But you're okay now, and not dead. Thank God."
    We left the hospital a day later. They had kept me in overnight to make sure I was all right. Overnight, however, decisions were made without me. Decisions I never thought would be made.
    It was decided that if my father were sentenced to a few years in prison, Julie would stay with her rightful mother. I knew I truly had no right to say no. I had no blood relation to the baby girl. Yet I felt a loss in me a week later as my father was sentenced. Seven years in prison. Julie would stay here.
    As would Damian now. I had all of my stuff packed the day I was leaving. I waited at the train station and Damian waited with me. I felt so miserable as they called my train number. I was losing two important people in my life. How could this happen?
    As I picked up the two carry-on bags I was taking with me, Damian got up to help me. I turned to face him. "No, Damian, please, don't help get rid of me. You've already helped take that little girl away. You're also taking away our friendship as well. But you've done so before, haven't you? Karen is divorcing my father. I hope the two of you live happily ever after," I said coldly as I walked away, not facing him, not letting him see the hurt in me.
    I rode the train home, and when I got off and saw Ella and Jenny standing there, the sight of the two lightened my spirits. Jenny may dislike me, but we were family all the same. She couldn't deny it. She had missed me, and being able to blame stuff on me. Maybe she didn't hate me after all.
    I met up with them, giving both of them a big hug each. Jenny looked absolutely shocked as I pulled away. "What's wrong with you?" she snapped.
    "I'm just so happy to be home, Jenny, that I realised I missed even you!" I cried. We all got into the car without another word.
    Jenny ran into the house when we got home, but Ella and I sat out in the car. She got out of the car and held out her hand. "Let's go take a walk, Phoenix," she said, obviously knowing I would need to talk.
    We walked through the garden, neither saying anything at first. I was just comforted by her presence. Finally, she broke the silence. "I'm sorry that Damian and Karen decided that they would give it a try and be parents to Julianna. I know how much you love that baby."
    I shook my head, willing the tears to go away. "It's no big deal, I guess. I suppose my heart knew that going back there would be a mistake. I just didn't listen to the warnings."
    She nodded. "It's not a big deal, Phoenix. It's truly time that you just relax and not worry about anything. You don't have to be a mother now until you have your own children. That's a good thing, sweetie."
    I smiled at her. "I know. Everything will be all right. I am willing to forget and go on." I smiled wider. "They asked me to stay there, too," I told her.
    "Oh? Why did you come back then?" she asked. I could tell she now feared that I would decide to go back, and I had only come to tell them all good-bye.
    "I told them that this is my home now, and I don't want their out of control life." I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "You're my family now, Ella. I don't need them."
    "Are you positive you feel that way, Phoenix?" she asked. I knew she was just scared that she could lose me back to the madhouse that had once been my family.
    "Yes, I am. I've never felt more like a stranger in my life, not even when I first came here."
    I knew Mitch was happy that Damian was gone, but I couldn't hide from him the fact that I missed him. I feared hurting Mitch's feelings by telling him what had happened when I had been there. I mean, nothing had truly happened, not even a kiss. Yet something had happened, a spark had hot through both of us. There were feelings between Damian and I. I had felt it and so had he. At least that is what I thought, until I heard Mama was divorcing my father and her and Damian were going to give it a shot and raise Julie together. That was what broke my heart the most.
    "You miss him, don't you?" Mitch asked me one day, while I sat in the library just staring out the large, floor-length windows.
    I jumped, shocked by the sudden sound of his voice. "Miss who?" I knew he was talking about Damian. I was just trying to play stupid.
    His eyes were darker than I had ever seen them before as he looked at me, disgust written clearly on his face. "You know damned straight who I am talking to, Phoenix. I knew he'd charm you. I can see it in your eyes." He shook his head as if he couldn't believe my actions. "I warned you, but I knew it was pointless to do so. You couldn't help yourself. Just like your sister and Karen couldn't help themselves, neither could you."
    He began to roll out of the room, but by this time I was angry beyond words. How could he sit there and be angry with me for developing feelings for Damian? Just because he was jealous, he had a right to treat me like this? I didn't think so.
    I walked up behind him and spun his chair around to make him face me. "Listen here, Mitchell Branch, I am not going to let you treat me like some whore just because you're jealous! I won't allow you to make me feel as I've done something wrong when I've done nothing!"
    He just smiled as if I was a complete idiot, and shook his head. "You're only trying to defend yourself against something that's obvious." He shoved my hands off the arms of his chair. "I'm not treating you as a whore. I'm just telling you, Phoenix. You were a fool and now you're hurting because you didn't listen to me. You were my friend. I thought you trusted what I had to say and my warnings. I guess not even you can resist a man's charms, right?"
    This time I let him leave. He had hit where it hurt and he knew it. I hated him for knowing my feelings and thoughts. I hated knowing that I couldn't hide the turmoil in my heart from him. He was my friend, sure, but he had become somebody that I didn't even know. He was so jealous it was disgusting. I used to love having somebody know and care about me that much. Now he was using that against me because of his anger over the fact that for once I didn't listen to his warnings.
    Yet, my heart knew he was right. All this time I was convinced I was immune to some man's charms and I hadn't been. I had fallen for Damian just as the other women in my family had. Just as they had let themselves fall under Damian's deadly charms, I had. It scared me to know that I could be charmed in such a way. I had always been convinced that I would love when I trusted. I certainly didn't trust Damian. So what exactly did I feel for him? It wasn't a question I felt like delving too far into for the answer. The answer frightened me.
    The thing with Damian being on my mind constantly faded quickly. Soon he was far from my thoughts. Sadly, so was Julie. But she wasn't my daughter. I had other things to worry about other than love affairs and children. The past was a major thing to think about. I still had a million questions about my mother.
    I also had questions about Ella and Grandfather Gerald. I watched them drift even farther apart daily. Not that they had ever been close, but Ella was drifting into herself and into the past. Sure, she looked like Ella on the outside, but she was so vacant. She looked empty and sometimes she would slip and forget the time and place. She would be young again, best friends with my mother and Melanie. I worried about her immensely.
    I worried even more after passing by her room one afternoon to see her sitting on her bed, crying. I was about to go in and talk to her when she looked up towards something or someone. "No! You can't make me marry you!" she screamed. She was so shrill and upset I jumped. Yet when I turned at more of an angle, I saw no one there.
    My eyes widened as I watched her scream and fight with an imaginary person. "I can't believe you're doing this to me," she snapped.
    She shook her head vigorously, the tears shimmering on her cheeks flying across her face madly. It frightened me to see her like this. Suddenly she stopped shaking her head and she spotted me. At first I thought that she was recognising me and realising what she was doing. Then her eyes opened frighteningly wide and her mouth opened in shock. "Rachael? Rachael? What are you doing here? You're dead! No! No! It wasn't my fault! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
    I ran then. I didn't know what she was talking about, but it had my heart racing. I wasn't Rachael! I was Phoenix! But I feared saying anything. All I could do was run from the room, not turning to look back.
    I slammed into the library and leaned against the door. Mitch was sitting by the big windows and he turned around quickly, stunned to have somebody come in so dramatically. He looked like the old Mitch to me, concerned about what was wrong. And I definitely needed to tell him.
    He rolled his chair over to me quickly. "What's wrong? What's going on?" I shook my head and put my hand up. I needed to catch my breath before going into that. I walked over to one of the many chairs and sat down and breathed deeply. He came over beside me and stroked my back gently, trying to calm me.
    Finally, after using my inhaler a few times, I could breathe again. "Oh my God, Mitch!" was the only thing I could utter. What I had seen had chilled my bones. I quickly calmed myself again and breathed deeply. "She was just sitting there on the bed talking to herself and saying the most strange things!" I was still breathing heavily and having a difficult time telling him what had happened, what I had seen.
    "Okay, Phoenix, you need to calm down and explain to me what's going on. I can't understand you." He was concerned about what was wrong, but I knew he was also intrigued. What could possibly make me this way?
    I nodded and began telling him everything that I had heard Ella say and how she had reacted when she saw me. His eyes went as wide as I imagined mine had been. "My God! There really is something wrong with her. I don't know what to do."
    "Me either, Mitch. I was so scared. I've never seen anyone act like that and Ella is always so cool and calm… I just never expected something like that from her!" I cried. I was scared for her. Why was she going crazy like this? And why had she said my mother was dead? She told me she believed that she was alive.
    "I don't know what's going on, Phoenix. But we do need to get her help. I think I'm going to talk to Gerald about getting a doctor to come out and see her. And if he doesn't, then I'll get one," Mitch assured me.
    Two days later, after fighting with Grandfather Gerald about it, we didn't have a choice but to call an ambulance.
    I was sitting in my room, fuming about Grandfather Gerald being so against getting help for Ella when I heard the shrill, fearful scream come from Ella's room. I was the first to arrive in her room. Jenny was next and both of us stood there, too stunned to move. Neither of could move. All we could do was stare; both too scared to move even an inch.
    Ella sat at her vanity table, screaming as loud as possible and pounding her vanity table mirror. The mirror was in pieces, the glass lying everywhere, and yet she still pounded at the glass. It was as if she wanted to destroy the glass until she could no longer see her image. She just pounded and pounded with her fists. Her tiny fists and wrists were bloody, but I didn't think she could feel any pain. Her hair was in wild disarray, and her face didn't have a stitch of makeup on. Her skin was an unnaturally pale yellow colour.
    "Oh my God!" I murmured. I turned to Jenny, finally. "Go call an ambulance right now! I have to try to calm her down and I'm stronger than you." Jenny nodded and quickly ran, trying to flee from the horrendous scene in front of us.
    I rushed in the room after that and tried to talk to Ella. "Ella, come on, you need to calm down. Tell me what's wrong." I tried to negotiate reason with her but when she looked at me, she got that look of horror on her face again.
    "I'm so sorry, Rachael! I'm sorry! I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. I couldn't! Please, believe me! I loved you! You were my best friend. Please! Don't hurt me! I didn't mean it! I didn't! I swear!" As she said this, she rose from her chair with a long shard of glass in her hand and took a step near me. Tears were running down her cheeks, making her eyes red and puffy.
    I took a step back when she tried to stab me with the piece of glass, but she let out a growl of frustration and anger, and before I knew it I was pinned against the wall. I cried out in shock at her outstanding display of strength. She aimed blindly, trying to stab me. I twisted and moved out of her way, but the glass still caught me a few times. I was cut across my shoulder and on my arms, wrists and hands. I was only cut on my wrists and hands because of my struggle to get away.
    Just when she had me where she wanted me and I had nowhere to move, though, Mitch and Jenny came in. Jenny screamed this time, shock and fear written all over her pretty features.
    Mitch wheeled himself over to me faster than I had ever seen him wheel around in his chair. He grabbed Ella by the back of her hair and slammed her back against the bed. I took a deep, yet agonising breath. That's when I realised she had got me across my right side. And I was bleeding heavily.
    The paramedics and some other people came in. I really wasn't paying much attention because the pain in my shoulders, arms and side were so severe. A couple of paramedics helped me onto a gurney, and I was taken to the hospital where I ended up with ten stitches in my left shoulder, seven in my left, five in one cut on my arm and fifteen in my side. When I went home, my body was killing me. Mitch kept checking on me, though I assured him each time that I was fine, just in a little bit of pain. He was really overly worried.
    Ella was taken to the nearest "behavioural centre". It was something they called the mental institution to soften the blow of what it was. All they could tell us was that something in her conscience had been weighing heavily on her for a long time and it had just taken over her mind. They put her on tranquillisers and continued to humour her. She wasn't getting any better, and the doctor doubted that she would ever leave the world that her mind was in. The tranquillisers calmed her down to where she wasn't going crazy, but she still spoke to people as if they were there and all of them were from the past. Especially some girl named Rachael, according to the doctor.
    It frightened me how she talked about Rachael so often. It wasn't the fact that she talked about her. It was the fact that she talked to her and how she talked to her. What she said was frightening. It was almost as if Ella had something to do with my mother's disappearance. But why would she? Everyone knew that Ella loved my mother. They had been best friends. Even Mama had said so.
    Even if Ella didn't know us, Mitch and I went to see her. Though more often than not, I didn't get to stay in there. Even on her tranquillisers she became crazy, throwing tantrums and apologising while trying to attack me. Only she wasn't attacking me. She was attacking Rachael. I couldn't hate Ella for her attacks. I just didn't understand them and it hurt. She had been a good friend to me, somebody who cared and understood. Or so I thought she understood.
    Mitch always left there so upset. Though his mother hadn't been motherly towards him his entire life, she was still his mother and he loved her a great deal. She had never been mean to him. She had more or less ignored him. But she had still loved him. Admired him. Jealous of him, I thought. Jealous of the fact that in spite of living under the same roof as all of them, he had a choice to be there. And he had his own way of escaping when she didn't. The house, and the people in it, had finally driven her completely insane.
    After Ella had been in a week without really any change in her, I began to worry. I knew doctors often told you that people who had little chance of recovery had recovered all of the way. It was something that I had been hoping for. But as a week past, I began to realise that Ella was never going to be the same again. Never would she stroke my hair lovingly and be caring and understanding to my feelings. I had never realised how much I had come to depend on her. She had become a good friend.
    Even though what had happened to Ella wasn't a good thing, it had brought Mitch and I back to being friends. We didn't talk about Damian or Julianna. We pretended as if they didn't exist. I had missed his friendship. Damian had torn it apart by coming. Mitch and I had just seemed to drift apart, when before we had been close. We had become friends right away. We were two outcasts that just didn't seem to belong anywhere in our families. It seemed to draw us together. And I was thankful that we were back to being us again.
    The things Ella had said were something that ran through my mind like a wildfire. They brought about horrible nightmares, too. Ella made so many attempts to attack Rachael; I couldn't imagine that she had never done just that. What if she was the true reason for her disappearance? It bothered me to think that way after hearing Ella speak so highly about her. I had never assumed Ella would want to get rid of her.
    I tossed and turned wildly in my bed a few weeks later. I wasn't having an easy time sleeping at all. The nightmares kept coming and this one had been the most frightening.
    At first it was my mother out in the garden with Ella. Ella was normal, friendly. They were talking about something, but I couldn't quite hear what they were saying. But suddenly I had become my mother. We were the same person, talking normally to a friend when Ella's eyes began to glow with a jealous rage. She began yelling and screaming, much the way she had the other times he had attacked me. Then she pulled a butcher knife from somewhere and began chasing me with it. Just as I had fallen and she was about to stab me, I woke up. I sat upright in my bed, looking around. Fear was still pumping through me. It had been so frightening.
    After that, I was unable to get back to sleep. Thoughts plagued me constantly. And all of them were suspicions that Ella had something to do with my mother disappearing. I now had little hope that she was alive. If she was, she had been running from Ella. And if she wasn't, I was almost positive Ella had something, or even everything, to do with her death.

Rain of Fire Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

Back to Home