The Forgotten Children (TToA: The Burning Maze *SPOILER ALERT*)

The sky was clear.

There were no clouds, no thunder, no nothing. Yet the girl on the beach wished with all the might of her aching heart that some sort of disruption might shake this calm. A flash in the heavens, a crackle of electricity in the air, a growl of stormclouds. Just anything, anything that might tell her that it had all been a dream, that she would see him again, well and whole. 

Please, she begged, please.

Her silent petition hung alone in the air until a gentle breath of wind whisked it away.

Her heart was heavy. 

She thought she knew pain.

Yet this fresh heartrending, relentless, agonising misery clung stubbornly to her chest, weighing down every bone in her body, forming new yet well-known tears at the corners of her swollen, colour-shifting eyes. Well, colour-shifting, yes, but for the last three days, a dull red had rimmed those once-sparkling orbs, born from endless nights of tears. 

Above her weary wet eyes swept locks of dark hair. It had grown long and sleek once upon a time, but now it barely brushed her shoulders. The tips were rough and uneven, as if the barber had showed up with a pair of blunt scissors and a blindfold. A hurriedly twisted plait swung from one side of her head. 

She wore a plain orange t-shirt, which fluttered quietly in the passing breeze. There was a time where it would have been thoughtfully tucked into the pair of denim shorts that left her knees and calves bare, but that time, much like the time of waist-length, looked-after hair, was long past. 

  

That slight gust of air travelled on, leaving the girl alone on the beach. 

Just her and her broken heart.

She shook her head. Did I really love him? Do I wish I could go back and take it all back?

Alas, no answer sounded.

 

She shut her eyes. Her body trembled, and a single tear slid from beneath her eyelid. 

Never again...

A beloved face swam in the blackness in front of her. All those perilous adventures, those shared dangers, those treacherous quests. Did she regret it? Did she wish she could go back and live through it all once more, just so she could see his confident eyes, experience his smile on her, hear his quiet, assured voice?

 

She didn't know.

 

She. didn't. know.

  

All she knew was that it was her fault, her fault, her fault. She should have died. They should have stopped, discussed it and come up with a solution. This shouldn't have happened. She shook her head again. Why? Why did he do that? Why did he have to choose? Why couldn't he-

She clenched her fists as pressure built up in her glistening eyes. She missed him. That was it. SHE. MISSED. HIM. She missed seeing face, listening to his comforting laugh, joking and having fun with him. And she would miss him tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that.

She would keep missing him, every single day, for the rest of her life.

 

Did that mean she still loved him?

But... she herself had come to that decision. Months ago. She had thought it was the right thing to do. It had all been too rushed, too fake...

Hot tears spilled down her face.

What did all that matter anymore? He was gone. She would never see him again.

 

Suddenly, her legs buckled beneath her, and she crumpled onto the sand listlessly. Dark patches dotted the grains where her tears fell. Her hands came up to veil her face, and it all flooded out. She had cried, yes, she had cried, on the first day, and on the second.

Yet every day that she left behind only served to add to the unbearable agony buried inside.

Would it ever end?

 

She wanted to scream.

To stand before the great ocean waves, to glower up at the unbelievably serene sky, and scream.

How could you let this happen?

Was this the fate of their kind? To battle their way to survival, never granted a day of repose, and end up stabbed, or shot, or mauled, as forgotten children?

If this was indeed her future, she did not wish to satisfy the Fates.

 

A tremor overtook her.

Her tears abated.

Slowly, quivering, she got to her feet.

As if in a daze, she took a step, followed by another.

The tranquil tide crept closer and closer. Soon, the current lapped at her ankles. Her face was damp, but she made no effort to dry it. Kaleidoscope-coloured eyes stared dully into the endless sea.

 

Waves stirred in the distance.

 

Calm as ever.

 

She took a shaky breath.

Two more tears fell into the ocean, joining their salty brothers, but this time, no sobs shook her shoulders. 

 

She took another step.

 

Another.

 

Anot-

"Piper!"

Blinking, the girl turned.

A man stood on the shore. "Piper." He held out his arms. "Come back."

She stared.

"Come back." His voice quavered. A whisper escaped his lips. "Piper. Please."

 

Please.

 

With a rush, Piper shot back towards the shore. Her feet sliced through the resisting current, her arms lunged forwards towards the man. Reaching him, she flung herself into his embrace. He staggered back a step or two from the impact before steadying. One arm circled the girl's waist protectively; the other held her head to his chest, fingers caressing her choppy hair.

Piper sank against him, arms clutching his middle, as if she would never let go. Tucking her head beneath his chin, she buried her face in his shoulder. So strong, so reassuring.

 

More salty drops welled in the girl's eyes, and she squeezed them shut. Unfortunately, the action did naught to stem the tears. A flood rushed out, rolling down her cheeks and dripping off her trembling chin, drenching the man's shirt. It would not matter in a few minutes, however, for the heavens would open and pour out their own tears.

So there they stood, the father holding her daughter tight, clinging to the child he would never forget.

 

The sky unleashed a downpour.