Hide and Love

"I can't stay here. I'll get you killed."

Elise's eyes widened at Klara's words, and she leaned back against the wooden wall of the shack they had been hiding in. A cool breeze lifted the ratty curtains out into the night air, sending a chill up both their spines.

"Klara. You're not making any sense."

"You know what I am."

"What?" She frowned, trying to recall something that would have made her say such a thing.

"You know about my father."

Elise dropped her jaw, and a small noise escaped her lips as she recalled that night so many years ago. The night she had seen her brother die - and Klara's mother as well.

"Are you saying-"

Klara nodded, tears filling her eyes as well. "Yes. My father is a demon. He killed your brother... And he will kill us both if he finds me."

Elsie stood up from where she sat on the bed, her hand gripping tightly into the wooden frame for support as she tried to process what was happening. It felt like a kick to the stomach, and she fell back down onto the edge of the bed, knees still on the floor.

Klara walked to her side and kneeled down next to her friend, cupping her face in her hands as she looked into her eyes. "Please understand," she whispered softly into Elise's ear, their lips almost touching each other's cheekbones. "It was an accident that night. My father never wanted to hurt anyone but himself."

Elise shook her head in disbelief, unable to tear herself away from Klara's gaze despite how much she wanted to turn away from it all and hide somewhere safe where nobody could ever find them again. She remembered that night so clearly too - that fire engulfing everything it touched as if it were alive itself, spreading fear across everyone who saw it until finally it reached their house, devouring everything inside and taking with it two lives that had only just begun living theirs. Her brother had only left home for a few hours before returning with a girl he had met at town, his face gleaming with glee as he showed his sister his newest treasure - a ring one of many promises he had not yet fulfilled but would be sure to do so within merely days of meeting the woman who would become his wife. And then he was gone without warning; his life snuffed out before him could even blink twice in shock at what was happening around him. The memory of it all was enough to make Elise choke up again all over again despite having lived through it once already - but this time was different now that there were two lives at stake instead of just one; two people who loved each other more than anything else in the world but were being prevented from doing so by forces beyond their control or understanding.