Christina's Tale, Part II

---Aaron---

Christina's soft voice narrated her past. "I couldn't sleep because I was too excited, so I went to the kitchen to get some water. I saw fires in the distance through the window, and then I heard shouting. I went and woke my parents up. They seemed very scared. Grandpa and Grandma were awake too. Mom wrapped Charles up in a blanket and gave him to Grandma. Grandpa grabbed some luggage. There were lots of shouting and hurrying, and I was scared, so I ran to the drawing room. I had a hiding spot there, in a small alcove halfway up the wall behind some shelves. So I hid there, and I could see out the window. A line of torches reached our house, and I heard banging on our door. I heard my dad shouting and lots of angry voices.

"I didn't come out because I was scared. And then these tall, big men holding torches and swords burst into the drawing room, knocking over vases and tearing down paintings. They started destroying the bookshelves, pulling out books and throwing them to the floor. They were looking for something. I was so scared they would find me. They didn't look like nice people." Christina clutched my arm tightly, reliving her nightmares. Katherine wrapped an arm around her comfortingly, enveloping Christina in a hug between her and me.

Christina burrowed into our arms before continuing. "After a while, my dad came running in. He saw me hiding there, but he gestured for me to not move. He tried to tell the people to go out, but they just beat him up. Dad tried to fight back—he had a sword and everything—but they just stabbed him and pushed him to the floor. Then one of the men lit a pile of books on fire, and they left as the fire started to spread.

"After the bad people left, I came out of my hiding place and ran to my dad. There was so much blood, and no matter how hard I tried to stop it, the blood kept coming out. I was crying, and telling him to get up, but he couldn't. He could barely keep his eyes open. It was so hot in the room, and the smoke made me cough. Dad kept telling me to get out and find Mom, but I didn't want to leave him there, especially not when he was hurt. Then Mom came and found me. She was crying and coughing, and there was blood on her too. She grabbed me and ran out. I kept telling her that Dad was hurt, that Dad was still back there, but she just shook her head and told me Dad was gone.

"The whole house was burning. Everything was ruined. I saw our plates smashed on the floor, our couches ripped open, and Grandma's rocking chair in splinters. I couldn't understand why those people would do such a horrible thing, just go into somebody's house and destroy their things." Christina took a shuddering breath. Katherine looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Mom was holding me as she ran, and I saw Grandma waiting beyond our backyard fence. We were running through the fruit trees when two men appeared, holding knives. My mom also had a knife on her, and she tried really hard to fight them. Right before they stabbed her, Mom shoved me and yelled for me to run to Grandma. I didn't want to leave her, but the men were reaching for me with their scary grins. I slipped out of their grasps and bolted for the fence. Behind me, I heard Mom scream. It was a dreadful scream. I still hear it in my nightmares. But I didn't dare look back. Grandma pulled me over the fence and started to put me onto a horse. I turned around to look behind me.

"I saw our entire house up in flames. Not only our house, but our neighbors' too. Everyone's houses were on fire. I saw Mom lying on the ground, not moving. The fire made the area really bright. She had lots of blood around her too, just like Dad. I knew she wouldn't be coming with us either. After that…after that, I don't remember much. We rode on horses away from the town for a long time, past the grocery store that I got candy from, past the school I was supposed to attend next year, and past the welcome sign in the front of the town. We went past the river where Dad took us fishing every summer. I don't know where we went. Eventually, Grandpa found the nice place in that valley, and he built us a cottage to live in. We've been there ever since."

We sat in silence. I didn't know what to say. Katherine was in tears. "Oh, Christina, you poor child," she murmured as she hugged Christina. "You poor, poor child."

Christina's face scrunched up, and a few tears leaked out of her eyes. I saw her shell break, and finally the pain and grief over losing almost her entire family came out. She climbed onto Katherine's lap, crying, and burrowed her face into Katherine's shoulder. I scooted next to Katherine and wrapped my arms around her so that I could hug both of them.

"It's okay, Christina," I said softly. "Just let it all out. Kath and I are here; you don't have to be brave anymore."

"You've been so strong, Christina," Katherine soothed her, patting her back lightly. "It's okay. It's okay. Aaron and I will keep you and Charles safe. You don't have to worry anymore."

Katherine leaned her head on my shoulder, comforting Christina as a mother would soothe a crying infant. I wrapped them both in my arms, generating a warm and safe embrace. Christina's sobs gradually subsided, and she drifted off to sleep in Katherine's and my arms.

"Christina is only seven years old," Katherine murmured. "To think that she saw her parents killed before her eyes, her entire life shattered at four years old—no wonder she was able to keep calm when her grandparents met the same fate. She already had been through it once."

"I hope she'll never have to go through it again." I said quietly. "We're going to get her and Charles to Ravenstone safely. We're going to defeat Lord Victor so that there won't be more kids like them, having to suffer at such a young age."

Katherine hummed in agreement and leaned against me, cradling Christina in her arms. To let her get comfortable, I kept one arm around her shoulders and moved my other arm so that I was holding her hand instead. She let me. "I'm so tired, Aaron. So tired of running and hiding and seeing people get killed. I just want to protect those I love."

"Me too, Kath." I gazed out through the window at the moonlight spilled across the dirt village roads. Christina slept peacefully in our intertwined arms. "I don't want fame or power or wealth. All I want in life is to keep those I care about safe."