Child of Prophecy

The flames licked at the buildings, and the screams of the people resonated through the cold air, slicing through the girl’s thoughts like a knife. She glanced at her reflection in the shattered glass on the ground, and she could see the fire burning just as brightly there. Tears were spilling down her sun-browned face, making her eyes look greener than ever. Her red hair whipped in the chilling wind, and she hugged herself in a desperate attempt to keep warm.

An older, worn-looking boy tugged gently at her arm. He would have been in his early teens, and it was obvious from the green eyes they both possessed that they were brother and sister. He looked down in concern at his younger sister.

“Come on, Ronnie. It’s going to be okay now.”

The girl shook her head fervently. She was around ten years old, and watching the destruction of the place that was once her home had mentally scarred her forever. Her parents were gone, everything was gone…

Right now, she hated pirates and everything about them.

“No it won’t. Nothing will ever be the same again, Eddie.”

Edward Sparrow clutched his sister Veronica’s hand as they both glanced over at the fire. It was so far, yet so close. The distant screams were like a chorus of the damned, and though Edward winced when he felt Veronica’s nails digging into the flesh of his palm, he didn’t pull away. He was thirteen now; old enough to be able to look after his little sister.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Veronica turned away from the destruction that gripped the town, and let her brother lead her away. There was silence between them – neither of them knew what they were supposed to do now.

“I’ll become a blacksmith,” Edward muttered fervently, more to himself than his sister, “I’ll earn money for us…”

Veronica squeezed his hand comfortingly. “You’re too young, Eddie. You’re not old enough yet. Dad always said…”

Edward released her hand, turning to glare down at her. Veronica seemed to realise she’d said something wrong, and her lips parted into a gape as she witnessed her brother’s maddened grief take hold.

“Dad’s dead, Veronica! He’s dead! It doesn’t matter what Dad said, because he’s not around anymore.”

The tears formed in Veronica’s eyes, but she fiercely blinked them away. She was determined that if Edward wasn’t going to cry, then she wouldn’t either. She tilted her chin up boldly, looking him in the eye.

“What about our cousin, then? Surely Jack can help us?”

Edward shook his head disgustedly, concealing the loathing he held for their adult cousin. Jack Sparrow was a filthy pirate captain, and Edward hated him. He hated him because it had been pirates that had done this, pirates just like cousin Jack.

“We’re on our own now, Veronica.”

They didn’t know how long they walked, but dawn still hadn’t broken upon the weary pair as they came across an old cottage by the seaside. It was decrepit and looked as though it had been abandoned for years.

Veronica glanced over the ocean with something like longing deep within her green eyes. She didn’t want to be a pirate, but she’d always loved the sea. Her father had been a sailor. He’d practically lived on the ocean. Perhaps that was why Veronica felt like it was a part of her.

“Come on, Veronica,” Edward’s voice was tinged with impatience, “Let’s see if we can find anything in this heap.”

Edward explored upstairs, while Veronica entered the kitchen. True to Edward’s word, cobwebs wreathed everything in their delicacy, and Veronica brushed them away as she searched for something, anything that she and Edward might be able to use.

She stopped when she saw the tapestries on the wall. She saw the pictures of ships with black sails – pirate ships – and then she saw a huge and terrible beast. The beast’s tentacles wrapped around the ships, dragging them down to watery new depths…

A hand clapped down on Veronica’s shoulder, and the young girl gasped and whirled around.

It wasn’t Edward standing behind her. It was an old, wizened woman. Her beady eyes inspected Veronica carefully, and her voice was a crackly whisper, “What are you doing in my house?”

“Edward!” yelled Veronica, unable to restrain herself.

She pulled away from the old woman’s touch, but the old woman smiled kindly at her.

“Oh, don’t be afraid, child. I mean you and your brother no harm.”

“How did you know…?” Veronica was unable to comprehend how the old woman knew about Edward, when he was upstairs.

As if on cue, Edward ran into the kitchen, green eyes blazing as he pointed their father’s rifle at the old woman, who seemed completely unafraid.

“Put that toy down, boy,” she said, her voice gentle, “You don’t want anyone to get hurt. I see your sister likes the pictures?”

She gestured to the tapestries, and Veronica observed them once more.

The old woman gripped her by the shoulders and shook her. Edward moved forward, the rifle still pointed at the old woman, who seemed quite mad.

“Listen to me. You don’t have much time, both of you. You, child, are the key. Never forget that.”

The old woman released Veronica and stepped back into the shadows, seeming to disappear. Edward lowered the rifle hesitantly, moving towards Veronica, who looked completely astonished, her green eyes wide.

“Ronnie? Are you alright?”

Veronica recovered herself and nodded slowly. “I’m fine. I think we’d better get out of here.”

The old woman’s talk of being the key had baffled Veronica completely, and much as Edward had dismissed it as insanity on the old woman’s part, Veronica wasn’t so sure. There was a ring of truth in the old woman’s words, and Veronica was determined she’d solve the mystery sooner or later.

They sat on the edge of the cliff, watching the waves crashing, unforgiving, on the rocks below. Veronica could see the sails of distant ships, and wondered where they were going and why. When she and Edward were younger, they used to make up stories. They’d play games, pretending they were sailors or pirates.

The time for games was long gone. Since the pirates had come and burned their town, all the games had come to a dramatic halt. Edward and Veronica Sparrow were going to have to grow up fast indeed if they wanted to survive.