A Dark Choice
by Hailey Wong 6E
The final story assignment of 2024-2025, starting from the Create an Emotion lesson.
Moonlight shone on the barren fields, illuminating the crooked trees that dotted the landscape. Dry leaves crunched and birds scattered as heavy footsteps thumped the ground. A shadow of two girls flitted over the ground as the midnight breeze whispered in the air.
Laura stood on the barren field among the crooked trees, golden hair fluttering in the soft breeze. Her best friend Eclipse was doubled over, sweat pouring down her forehead, panting hardly. Laura took no notice though. The Teller’s description of his vision about her was still haunting Laura.
Last night, in her dreams, a misty figure ascended from the sky. It was the Teller.
“I am your ancestor, Laura. I hold the secrets of stars and your future in my hands. I was sent from the stars to warn you.” The Teller told her. His transparent fingers guided Laura towards a blanket of mist. He had waved his shimmering hand.
“Fire is going to blaze through your world.” Words were etched in the mist, created by the Teller. “You will have to go through a challenge of trust, as everyone would seem to be your enemy.” The prophecy left Laura pondering.
The Teller raised his hand and flames suddenly bursted around them. Smoke swirled and billowed around them, clouding her view. An unknown figure in the haze lunged for her, but the Teller shifted the scene. Then, Laura yelped in surprise and dismay as she saw Eclipse and her family collapsing, as if under control.
“Do you understand what price it would cost if the prophecy came true?” The Teller asked softly, then faded into nothing. The last thing Laura heard was a whisper: “Your destiny is in your hands…”
“Laura!” A voice snapped Laura out of her absent-mindedness. “Have you forgotten that we are escaping from the Flame Bringer Iskra? She’s probably tearing apart the city searching for you for all I care! Oh, why did The Flame Bringer think she was tangled in your prophecy?” Eclipse fretted.
“Of course I haven’t forgotten!” Laura retorted. The Flame Bringer was a destroyer of life. She recalled from her mind. She did not know why the Flame Bringer thought she was involved in the prophecy. Maybe she is the fire that is going to blaze through my world. Laura guessed. But why?
Vivid images of Iskra tore through Laura’s mind. She remembered when Iskra the Flame Bringer, a slender woman, tore through her house, her ebony fingers sparkling with the power of flames.
Wisps of smoke surrounding Iskra, herself cackling at the destruction she caused. Coughing at the acrid smell of smoke, she and Eclipse hid from the chaos as embers crackled around them.
Then they just ran, running away from their fears, worries, and dangers. Laura hated the Flame Bringer Iskra for separating her family and her, and also filling her world with terror. Only what she didn’t know was that her fear and anger fueled her undying determination to confront Iskra.
Laura was whipped back into the present as a shiver crept up her spine.
“Laura, be…behind you…” Eclipse was chattering in fear. Laura gulped. What was her friend afraid of?
Sparks in the air made Laura fear the worst.
“You don’t think you can escape me, do you?”
The Flame Bringer Iskra loomed behind Laura. Eclipse screeched in terror. Iskra let out an evil laugh, her gaze murderous.
“You will never live to tell your story, Laura.” Iskra hissed.
“No!” Laura said. She felt confident once the Flame Bringer was actually here, knowing that she could confront her enemy. “I won’t let you destroy my life anymore! I have lived in fear of you since you wrecked my home! This is not going to happen!”
Iskra summoned a blazing inferno, trapping them.
“Can you just shut up?” Iskra snapped. “This is your fate. You can’t change it!”
“Never!” Laura felt a fire burning inside her. “I need to know why you have a grudge against me!”
“I thought it seemed obvious! You always get the most attention from everyone; I am just merely a shadow behind you!”
“What? You don’t make sense!” Laura interrupted.
“Never mind.” Iskra growled. “You’re just slowing the process of me killing you.” She held out a bony hand, fizzing with magic.
As Iskra stalked towards Laura, she felt her determination drain out of her. Goodbye, Eclipse. Laura closed her eyes.
But no pain came. She opened her eyes into a slit, and found that Iskra was hesitating. Then Iskra’s legs buckled, her eyes glazing over.
“What’s happening?” Laura yelped.
“I thought I couldn’t trust her.” A voice appeared behind Laura; it was Eclipse.
“I’m so disappointed,” Eclipse continued. “She broke my rules again, thankfully I stopped her.”
“Eclipse?” Laura froze, a lump growing in her throat.
“No. I am the real Flame Bringer. My name is Iskra!” the fake Eclipse snarled. “I lent my powers and my body to the real Eclipse when she was blinded by jealousy. But of course she couldn't control the massive power, and she fainted because of the struggle to control it.”
“No…” Laura mumbled in dismay, tears running down her face. She was numb with disbelief. “Eclipse, why?” She glanced at her unconscious friend on the ground. “You betrayed me…” The thought locked in her mind; her best friend, betraying her? Laura felt that her legs were turning into jelly.
“Now I can finally possess my own body!” With a flurry of embers and sparks, the fake Eclipse transformed into Iskra.
“You miss your little friend, don’t you?” Iskra mocked.
Gazing at the fake Eclipse aka Iskra, a sense of dread gripped Laura. Was the Teller’s vision coming true?
Iskra interrupted her thoughts by sending a stream of smoke that propelled Laura and slammed her into a wall. Laura grimaced as pain pierced through her and everything started to blur.
“What’s happening?” Laura opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Laura appeared in a starry realm. “Am I dreaming?” she thought. A soft yet deep voice spoke. “No, you aren’t dreaming, Laura..”
“The Teller?” Laura gasped. “Why are you here? Or, why am I here?” Questions swirled in her head.
The Teller frowned. “ It is dangerous being here for so long, Laura. Your spirit is hovering from the living and dead. If Iskra decides to hurt you again, you will stay here permanently. Go, little one, I will give you strength to return to the living. Now is not your time. However, I am expecting another person from the living world in a moment…”
Laura thought the last sentence sounded funny or somewhat humorous, but somehow it felt hair raising.
Laura opened her eyes and saw chaos. Fire was blazing and debris was flying everywhere. Eclipse, still unconscious, was slouching on the ground. Iskra, gaze murderous as she stalked towards Laura.
“I have to decide on a punishment for Eclipse.” Iskra said through slitted eyes, fury burning through them. “It would make sense to kill her, but it’s not much of a punishment. I can think of a better one—”
Laura could feel her heart pumping, her hands shaking with shock and overwhelming fear, mixing in anger for Eclipse.
“Which is to kill you.” Iskra finished, her hands molding a dragon with fire. As if broken free from a curse when hearing the word “kill you”, Eclipse recovered from her unconsciousness and bolted upright.
Then everything happened in a second. Iskra, snarling with menace, lunged towards Laura with a flaming dragon at her side, its jaws wide open. Eclipse threw herself across the ground, slamming into Laura, hard. Laura almost felt her life draining out of her. Suddenly, the second disappeared into mist.
“Hide!” Eclipse screamed. Laura gasped. Iskra’s face turned into pure shock as her flaming dragon dragged Eclipse into a fire. The crackling of the fire drowned out Eclipse’s shrieks of pain, as Laura tried to move towards her. Iskra, however, didn’t seem as satisfied with the result though, and her face was shadowed with fear. She fled.
As quick as it had been created, the flaming dragon flung Eclipse into the clearing and left a trace of acrid smoke. Then it sprinted after Iskra into the night.
Laura’s breath quickened as she saw Eclipse on the ground. Thankfully, she was still conscious
“Flaming dragons are angered if they can’t finish their commands on their first try. So it’s basically flipping a coin, and it usually leads to killing their creator. I learnt that during my time in Iskra’s body. It’s just a way of their magic.” Eclipse managed to grin though she was clearly in pain.
Suddenly, Eclipse coughed and shuddered, her breathing suddenly shallow.
“What’s happening?” Laura panicked.
“The wounds the flaming dragon made; it’s spreading too quickly—” Eclipse rasped, pain flitting across her eyes.
“You couldn’t have survived the attack just for this! Stay here, I’ll find help—” The truth suddenly popped into her head. “Oh no…you’re who the Teller was expecting…”
“I told you, it’s too late.” Eclipse whispered. “Iskra was right; after all I’ve done, death is my punishment. But I also survived these few moments for you. I wanted you to know the reason why I blocked the attack. I did it because of you—you didn’t deserve to die because I angered Iskra. I also did it because you’re still my friend, Laura. I hope I can right my wrongs for you. Forgive me, Laura…” Her voice faded, then silence enveloped the two girls.
Laura could only hear the sound of her own heavy breathing
“Oh…Eclipse…” Laura sobbed. Crouching over her friend’s body, her voice crackled with despair and grief.
“I forgive you.”