Flames of Solitude - Volume 1

Jessica entered her mother’s bedroom with an urgent sense of dread. Her first instinct was to search for her mother on the bed. She expected to find her asleep there, but the bed was empty. Jessica moved carefully through the darkness, and inadvertently bumped into something soft, her feet sinking into a damp carpet. In the dimness, she struggled to discern her surroundings.

“Mom,” Jessica called out, her voice quivering, and she peered into the blackness, where the shadows seemed to stare back in eerie silence.

Determined to uncover the truth, Jessica retrieved a candle from the nearby commode, as she had done many times before, and ignited it. The feeble candlelight unveiled the horrifying scene on the floor.

There lay a disfigured body, shrouded in nothing but darkness, as the figure wore no clothes. The candlelight, though, was only enough, to expose the area around the head clearly.

What she beheld was no longer a human face but a horrifying mosaic of flesh, scars, and a burnt scalp. From this grotesque visage, a single green eye stared blankly at the ceiling, its once-vibrant color now dimmed.

Jessica’s lips quivered, and her hand, holding the candle, trembled slightly. The horror before her had not yet fully registered in her mind. It was only when she noticed the puddle of crimson surrounding the figure’s head that the dreadful reality began to sink in.

A pool of blood had formed, saturating the carpet and seeping into its fibers. She glanced down at her own legs and realized they too were smeared with the same gruesome hue. Following the trail, her eyes settled on the source — an ominous knife deeply embedded in the figure’s throat. Blood continued to flow from the wound as if it sought to drown the room.

The realization struck Jessica like a sledgehammer, and her mind, as if trying to protect itself from the overwhelming terror, went blank. There was only emptiness — a void devoid of sound, sensation, or feeling. An eerie silence hung in the air until her emerald eyes gazed upward, revealing the whites as her consciousness faded. Jessica, overcome by shock, lost her footing, falling to her knees and then over the lifeless body of her mother. Even then, she yearned for her mother’s embrace.

Light poured in from the outside world, flooding the small bedroom of a house in one of the many villages within the Kingdom of Kael. Golden rays of sunlight found an unconscious girl lying beside the bed, sprawled on the floor. Her red hair, scattered across the carpet, seemed to ignite with the sun’s brilliance, each strand resembling a flame dancing upon the floor.

The sunlight gently caressed Jessica’s face, coaxing her back to consciousness. She wrinkled her nose and slowly blinked her eyes open. Confusion flickered across her gaze as she took in the unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar surroundings. This was not her room, but she recognized it — it was her mother’s.

Thoughts of her mother sent Jessica’s heart racing, her mind rushing back to what felt like one of the most horrifying nightmares she had ever experienced. Jessica propped herself up on her arms and rose to her feet. She immediately cast her eyes toward the bed, but it was vacant. Her gaze then swept across the entire room, her head turning with it, yet nothing appeared out of the ordinary. It must have been nothing more than a bad dream, she thought, hoping it was true.

Turning around and preparing to make her way to the living room to search for her mother and Melody, she stepped on something. Jessica lifted her leg to see what lay there. On the white carpet, lay a white candle, almost perfectly camouflaged had she not stepped on it. An image flashed through her mind — an image drenched in crimson.

Jessica shook her head vigorously, as if trying to dislodge that haunting image from her thoughts. However, it clung to her mind, refusing to dissipate. If that image had indeed been a product of her dreams, why was the candle on the floor? Why was she on the floor? Perhaps sleepwalking was a possibility.

She picked up the candle and approached the door. Before leaving the room, she turned around for one last glance. Simple was the perfect word to describe the interior — an unassuming double bed, a wooden desk, and a spotless white carpet. That was it — simple.

“Mom?” Jessica called out as she pushed open the bedroom door.

She meticulously searched the kitchen, the living room, and her and Melody’s room, where she found nothing but a slumbering younger version of herself. However, there was no trace of her mother. Where could she have gone? Without help, Meren wouldn’t have been able to go far. Had she called the neighbors for assistance? If so, why had she seemingly ignored Jessica on the bedroom floor, or perhaps she hadn’t even noticed her?

Jessica couldn’t make sense of the situation, but it was still too early to delve too deeply into it. She considered going to the neighbors but ultimately decided to wait for a while. Gradually, she managed to regain a semblance of composure. Yet the haunting images that had flashed through her mind were unlike any nightmares she’d ever experienced; they clung to her, as if she were still trapped in a never-ending bad dream. Curling up on the couch, she silently prayed for her mother’s return, hoping that then, these horrifying scenes would finally release their grip on her.

“Mom... please come back,” Jessica pleaded, her voice trembling on the edge of breaking.

The empty room enveloped her in silence.

A commotion shattered Jessica’s slumber, high-pitched voices from a distance. Her groggy mind struggled to identify them, finally categorizing them as someone shouting happily, and that someone was unmistakably Melody.

Rubbing her eyes and blinking away sleep, Jessica lifted herself from the couch and followed the noise, which seemed to come from the main door.

“Mommy!” Melody shouted, her laughter echoing through the house.

“I’ve missed you too, Melody,” a familiar voice replied.

Jessica’s heart skipped a beat. She would never fail to recognize her mother’s voice, but this time it was different. There was none of the strain or difficulty in forming words that Jessica had tried to adapt to since yesterday. Her mother spoke as she had weeks ago.

Without wasting another moment, Jessica sprinted toward the source of the sound. There, in front of the main door, stood a tall woman with flowing brown hair that brushed against her shoulders. Her arms, unburdened by bandages, effortlessly scooped up her four-year-old daughter, Melody. Meren kissed Melody on the forehead, closing her emerald eyes to savor the moment. When they reopened, they locked onto Jessica’s gaze.

Green met green, and yet, something felt wrong. The detachment in her mother’s eyes clashed with the longing Jessica had held for so long. She stopped in her tracks, unable to find the familiar warmth she had hoped for.

“Jessica, what are you waiting for? Come,” Meren beckoned.

That simple invitation was enough to break the dam holding back Jessica’s emotions. She rushed into her mother’s embrace, tears streaming down her face. So many questions and uncertainties clouded her mind, but at this moment, the longing in her heart eclipsed all logic. Her mother had returned to her old self, the way she had prayed for. It was as if God had heard her plea and granted her wish.

From now on, everything would be back to the way it had been. But as Jessica clung tightly to her mother, she couldn’t ignore the hand caressing her back… It felt so foreign.

Something was amiss, but for now, it didn’t matter. At this moment, reuniting with her mother was more than enough. Jessica held onto her mother as if she might disappear again.