#5 Half-Sisters

I take a deep breath, and open my hands again, slowly. I count to three. One, two... A flame appears in the middle of my hand, making me smile. I check my weird watch, but it's still beeping green. My body temperature is probably still on the normal spectrum... I try to focus on the flame dancing in my hand. It doesn't look like a normal fire. It's dark red, almost an odd shade of pink, burnt pink. I put my hands closer together, and slide it from one palm to another. My heart is thumping in my chest.

I'm getting the hang of this. There is no smoke this time, just a warm, cozy little fire bouncing between my hands. I can't help but chuckle a little bit. It feels different from the fire I provoke when I'm angry. This one isn't dangerous... I try to bring it closer to my arm, the one without the bracelet. As expected, I don't get burned from that. Even my body hair is just fine. To me, this flame is barely warm. I look around me and grab a dead leaf close to my knee. I'm sitting down in some meditation pose, and my back is starting to ache a bit, but I don't care. I take another deep breath and bring the dead leaf to the flame. As expected, it starts to burn right away, until the little ashes fall in between my legs. So that fire doesn't burn me, but it's still hot for anything else. I should have asked Benjamin what colors were the flames from the fire they found me in, but I haven't seen him since.

I sigh and decide to practice a bit more. I try to have it change position, flipping my hand over. Now, it's on the back of my hand, but it's hard to control. I frown and focus to push it to the extremities of my fingers... As soon as I try to split it, most of the fire dies down, but I manage to have it go all the way up to my index and thumb. I frown. Yeah, maybe the roof wasn't the best idea to practice handling fire. There's is too much wind here. I put my thumb and index together, and the fire goes into the little circle in between.

Why am I fine while doing this? No pain, no headache. My burns are healing just fine too, and more importantly, no voices... I just don't get the voices. What the heck was that? This was my first time actually having this kind of hallucination. Before that, there was always something like a shadow, inside my mind. Now, it's outside too. I let out a long sigh. I'm never leaving this place if they find out I'm experiencing that crap more and more. I wish there was another witch around to teach me what the hell is wrong with me...

"Mara! Finally, I find you!"

I jump and extinguish my fire right away. I get up and turn around to find Bonnie, her arms crossed on the doorstep of the rooftop's exit.

"Bonnie!" I exclaim.

I hadn't seen her in days, I'm excited just to see her red hair flying around and her frowning freckles. She looks annoyed, shaking her head.

"You have a freaking tracking watch on you and you still make me run all around the hospital to find you!"

"Sorry... I needed some fresh air, and they won't let me into the park again, so..."

"You could open your bedroom window, you know!"

It's my turn to frown. So much for fresh air, those damn windows barely open enough for me to let my arm out! I walk up to her, trying to hide the fact that I was practicing my fire handling.

"It's been a while," I say while walking back inside with her.

"Sorry. My older brother suddenly asked me to come and help them at the Children's hospital, they were swamped, all the kids gave each other the flu..."

"Oh..."

I hesitate, biting my thumb. Should I tell her about Benjamin? After a while, I remember Kelsi's words. If I want honesty, I'd better make the first step myself...

"I met... Benjamin."

She nods, but doesn't stop walking. We are now getting down the empty emergency staircase to get back to my bedroom floor, and it's awkwardly quiet in here. For some reason, I don't like close spaces like these. There would be room for ten people on each floor, but it lacks windows and air circulating, I don't like it.

"I know, he told me. As usual, he couldn't stay quiet..."

"...Why didn't you tell me? About... the other witches, and your older brother?"

Bonnie stops, putting her hands in her white blouse's pockets, and turns to me. I see her search for the right words, licking her lower lip.

"I thought you might feel... too pressured. Everything that happened here happened... before you, Mara. Those witches are dead now, and you're not them. I thought you might feel bad if you knew what had happened. It's not that I have anything against you because of... my brother's loss. Everyone knows this is a weird situation. We never expected another witch to show up, we don't know what to expect from you, either... I also have to watch what I say, I'm under orders."

"Selena Whitewood's orders?"

"Yeah," she nods. "Selena is doing her best right now, but... It's complicated."

I can't help but roll my eyes over. I feel like I've been served the same damn excuse over and over again yet no one really explains anything except for "it's complicated!"

"Bonnie, what the heck is going on? I get no one is happy to see a witch in Silver City after what happened, okay? I really get it. However, I also get that there's a lot no one tells me. I am basically hidden here. Even my own family..."

"Mara, I promise we will tell you things when we can," she says, resuming walking. "But your family is also a bit on edge with us, okay? And now that you mention it, your older sister is here. That's why I was coming to get you."

I stay stunned a couple of seconds before running after her, almost in shock.

"Amy? Amy is here?"

"Yes, she is waiting for you. She just showed up out of the blue at the reception when I was starting my shift, I ran to get you... Why did you have to hide on the freaking roof!"

I apologize, but we are both almost running downstairs. Well, more like walking as fast as it's allowed in a hospital. My heart is going crazy again, making big jumps in my chest. I haven't seen Amy in at least two weeks, and she finally shows up out of the blue. I'm stressed. Our last conversation was not the best... Is that why she's here? She's mad? We have a seven years old difference, but I feel like she's miles above from me, an authoritarian figure by excellence...

I'm insanely nervous. I didn't have time to check how I look in a mirror or at least tie my hair or something. I probably look like a damn mess. When we arrive at the entrance, I keep frantically looking around. Bonnie ask the receptionist, and apparently, my sister was already taken to my bedroom. Oh, crap. I don't wait for Bonnie and hurry back upstairs.

I arrive so fast that I almost wreck my face on the floor. I somehow manage to just fall on my knees in front of her, though I don't feel any less stupid for that. I hear her sigh in front of me.

"What are you doing..."

She walks up to me, and one second after her pointy shoes appear under my eyes, she grabs my arm and helps me up. Amy is much taller than me. I think even for a woman, she's really tall. She has a nice long and toned build. I get back on my feet, a bit embarrassed, to face her. Compared to my horrible hospital gown, she's wearing a perfect burgundy ensemble that looks like it just came out of the latest collection of a high couture store.

Even her hair, unlike mine, is gorgeously shaped in a tight updo, her curls perfectly tamed falling on her shoulders. I probably just look a big frizzy mess...

"S-sorry," I say.

I probably looked much more confident over the phone. Amy is gauging me from head to toe with an unhappy expression.

"Why is your gown so dirty?"

Crap, I forgot I sat on the roof. I try to wipe a bit the dust away, but it's way too late. Amy put her hands on her hips.

"Clarissa, you can't just walk around like that. I flew all the way here to see you, why do you look like that?"

"You took a flight just to come to see me?" I ask, flustered.

"Who else do you think I have to see here?"

I swallow my saliva, a bit embarrassed. Damn, I didn't expect her to show up after our conversation. Moreover, she has perfect makeup and looks after a flight, while I'm in here all day and I can't even manage to keep myself clean and tidy... I feel like a freaking toddler caught doing something bad! I nod and go grab some water to have an excuse to walk away from her.

She crosses her arms though, her black eyes not leaving me a second.

"So?" She says.

I nod. I wanted her here, so now, time to get your thoughts in order and ask, Mara...

"I... I want to get out of here. Of the hospital."

"I already said no. You don't need to. If you need anything, you can tell me, I'll have it delivered here. Proper clothes, for starters."

"It's not about some damn clothes!" I exclaim. "Amy, I need my life back. No one is willing to talk to me at all, help me understand what happened or what's going on. Why won't you leave me outside? No one tells me a thing!"

"There is nothing you need to know about Silver City," she replies. "You were only leaving here for a year, Clarissa. I already allowed your flatmate to come here when you asked. What else do you need to know?"

"What about before, then?" I ask. "My life before Silver City. Where did I live, with whom? Why did I come here at all if this isn't where my life was? Why is it that no one in my family cares but you!"

Amy makes a sour face and massages her temples with her perfectly manicured nails.

"Because I already told you, our family isn't the type to care about each other, Clarissa. Father doesn't give a damn about what you do with your life, as long as you don't bother him. Even now, I don't know where he is or what he's doing. If I want to know, I read the financial newspaper. Otherwise, I'll just guess he is in one of his places with whichever new mistress he's got, alright? Honestly, I don't care either, and same for our brother, I don't care."

"...What about my mother?"

She looks perplexed for a second and looks away from me.

"I... I don't know who your mother is, Clarissa," she says. "Father never said it. He just brought you home one day when you were seven or eight years old, saying your mother was dead and you were his daughter, and that was it. I spent half my life seeing him and my mother rip each other's throat off over their divorce. I never really stopped to research which mistress of my father your mother was."

I take a second to take it all in. That... kind of hurts, even if I don't remember that unknown mother. Since Amy's skin tone is significantly darker than mine, I always figured we may only have one parent in common, but I never imagined even that was pretty much irrelevant.

I drink a bit of water despite my throat feeling tight, thinking about what else I need to ask. I'm really upset about what she just said, but... I can get upset later. I need to get as much information as I can while I'm here.

"So... I just grew up with you?" I ask.

"In the same house, yes. Father always sent you to one private school after another, and I got my own place as soon as I started working so... We didn't have a happy lunch together every day, basically."

"Then why are you the only one here? How..."

Amy sighs, and leans against my bed, shaking her head.

"I don't know. When you came back from your latest school, father didn't really care anymore about what you did with your life, I guess. I'm not sure what you did for a few months, I think you just stayed home. Then, all of a sudden you called me and asked my help to go study in Silver City. You had never reached out or asked for anything from me, ever. Maybe you couldn't reach our father... I don't know. Anyway, I agreed to help you, and that's how you ended up here one year ago. I found you a place to stay, told you to let me know if you needed anything, and since then, we have exchanged a few emails, and that was it."

A real loving relationship between sisters, I guess... Our family is really messed up. As far as I can tell from a father who doesn't give a damn about one of his daughters being in a hospital.

"You don't know why I picked Silver City?"

"I think you just mentioned you liked their University program... I had no idea it was a city with half of its population being werewolves, you never mentioned it. I never asked either."

This is really not that helpful. If only Amy and I had a better relationship before... I'm slowly starting to realize how much it actually means for her to be here. If we were never close, I'm probably nothing but a troublesome half-sister to her. However, she agreed to be my legal tutor, so...

"I still want to be able to go out. I know you're negotiating with that Luna, Selena Whitewood, but..."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, who told you that?" She exclaimed. "Can't they just shut up!"

"Why didn't you tell me!"

"Because I don't need to tell you, Clarissa! You're supposed to stay here and rest for a while, why are you so adamant about going out?"

"I'm amnesiac!" I yell. "I don't remember a thing about myself! I don't remember you, our family, my mother, my friends! It has nothing to do with whether we were close or not, I'm a complete blank! All I had when I woke up was you and Kelsi, and this freaky thing with fire! How am I supposed to find the answers if you keep me locked up here!"

"My God, why did I ever agree to let you here. You're so stubborn! All I'm doing is try to protect you, Clarissa! You have no idea how many people are furious about a witch being here! I don't know if you should stay here or leave, I don't know why is everyone trying to get to you while you're desperate to make things complicated for me by getting out of there!"

"What do the werewolves want with me, then? Why don't you just share with me what's going on?"

"Because you know something about werewolves and witches, perhaps?" She retorts, annoyed.

"Well, I get why they don't like witches, for starters, the previous ones killed people! That much I can understand! But if I could just..."

"Clarissa, it's not just the previous witches."

"W-what?" I stutter confused. "What do you mean?"

Amy shakes her head and walks up the door to close it. Then, she turns to me with a big sigh.

"I lied, alright? I lied and asked everyone to shut up about it. I... There wasn't just you, in that fire, Clarissa. Three people died."

...what?