A Look into the Past and Future

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. Flurries of ash fell diligently covering the already ash covered ground just as it has for the past 10 years. Mount Narroux had been steadily erupting for the last 15 years, but 10 years ago it had turned for the worst when the pressure that had been building in the underground caverns, that connected all the other volcanoes in Kaglesh, had finally spewed into the air. There was just too much built up tension that it sent the nation into a volcanic winter.

Aimee was born in the midst of the volcanic winter eight years ago and has only ever known her home and the connecting tunnels to the trading post. She was born a lot smaller than the rest of her cousins and friends making her the smallest in her community. Despite being born the smallest she grew to be the tallest in her little group of friends. Other than this she looks like a normal elf; she has long pointed ears that grow at horizontal to her head rather than out and up, she has her father’s bright green eyes, and her mother’s long silvery locks. What really sets her apart from her friends is her thirst to know more about everything. She longed to know more about the world before the winter, but with no end in sight everyone in her life had decided it was best not to fill her head with any hope.

She would sit for hours at the window watching the flurries gently fall to the ground thinking of all the different things people used to do when they were allowed outside. Some days she would be joined with her great-grandfather, Theo, who would sit in his beloved rocker, and they would silently stare out the window. The only window in the house that wasn’t boarded up was in her great-grandfather’s room.

The room was covered in a sickly, pastel green wallpaper that was fraying and curling in some places, grey doilies covered the dresser and end tables, the carpet was a dingy, beige color from all the foot traffic that took place over the years, Theo’s rocking chair sat in the corner near the window and yellowing lace curtains covered the nailed shut window. It was not an attractive room, but it was Aimee’s favorite room.

Theo was one of the few older elves that was still alive in the community, and it showed. His pointed ears drooped slightly, from aging and the years of battle he had seen, one had a chunk missing from a particularly nasty battle he had, his once nicely tanned skin was now paling more and more as the days go by, his long white hair sat over his shoulders at all times so it was easier for his grandkids and great-grandkids could braid it, but the most notable feature of Theo’s was the three long scars he had on the side of his face.

He didn’t have much longer to live, not with the emphysema ruining his organs, and while he missed the world he lived in before he was content with just reliving his memories staring out the window of his family farmhouse watching the flurries with his great-granddaughter until his time comes. That was until one day, they were the only two home looking out the window, as usual, and Aimee had decided to finally ask her burning question.

“Grandpa?”

“Yes Aimee?” Theo wheezed taking in a shallow breath.

“Will you tell me about our family?” Aimee sat back in her chair in order to look at her grandfather, “From before the winter.”

Theo sighed as he continued to rock and look outside, reminiscing on his life from before.

“It all started when I was a boy,” He wheezed as he threw caution to the wind and told Aimee the story of her family.

Theo was just an average 16-year-old boy, he worked diligently on his family’s farm, went to school that specialized in training the young teens for the Royal Army, and prayed that he wouldn’t be drafted for any war. It was a day like any other. Theo was tending to the cows making sure they were fed and milked, before he did the pregnancy checks. His brother, Elliot, was grooming horses and their father was shearing the last of the sheep while their mother was inside making lunch.

Theo was just walking out of the barn when he spotted Sophie walking up the dirt road with her parents. He smiled as he watched her approach his home. It was known to everyone that they had a crush on each other except to one another, yet they were not hiding it, they were just too shy to work up the courage to take their friendship to the next level. The wind blew particularly hard that cause Sophie to hold her hat down so it wouldn’t blow away. Her long black hair whipped around her face despite being in a braid, her cheeks flushed a light pink, and her shawl billowed behind her. She looked ethereal in Theo’s eyes.

Theo rushed to meet the family at the door with his parents. He was just nearing the door when they were just paces away.

“Hello Sophie,” Theo breathed out smiling down at her like she hung the moon and the stars in the sky.

“Hello Theo,” She returned a shy smile of her own.

“Would you like to take a walk with me?”

“Of course.” Theo offered her his arm which she happily looped her own arm with his. They started on their way towards to the paddock to watch the horses run. It was a silent walk until they were just far enough away from the prying eyes of their parents Theo had gained enough courage.

“Sophie, would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner tonight?”

“Yes, of course.” A wide smile appeared on her face as she faced him eyes glinting with happiness.

This was the beginning of Theo’s life. One date became two, two dates became a steady of stream of weekly date nights, and soon enough they had been dating for a handful of years when Theo had got down on one knee and proposed.

Theo had inherited his family’s farm, after Elliot had bought his own farm after being wed to his husband, giving Theo and Sophie their own place to begin a family of their own. Theo had overtaken all the heavy farm chores while Sophie did some of the lighter chores. They had a formed a pleasant routine for the two of them while they had accustomed to living together in preparation for their married life until the winter months. It didn’t take long for the two to fall into a comfortable routine with one another again in the winter and when they did, they had dove straight into the wedding preparations.

It was a beautiful fall wedding. The trees were an array of warm colors and falling softly to the ground. There were sunflowers and red daisies dotting the tables. Theo had even made an arch out of the sunflowers, red daisies, pinecones, and red and orange leaves that stood behind them and the pastor. They had small pumpkins lining the aisle decorated by their nieces and nephews.

Within the first year of their marriage, they had their first son, Gabriel. They were over the moon, in their eye Gabriel was perfect and they raised him to be the perfect gentleman they thought he was. Over the course of their marriage, they went on to have another five children—another two boys and three girls. They raised them to be kind and considerate to others and to always be respectful. They were their pride and joys.

Once their children were old enough to leave the home and live their own lives Theo and Sophie had fell back to their comfortable routine, they had prior to having children. It wasn’t like everything was peaceful in their lives. There was a moment when the war was really ramping up and the Kaglesh Royal Army had started drafting able-bodied, healthy males again. Lady Fortune reared her ugly head as the Royal Army drafted two of Sophie’s sons and her husband.

Theo hated leaving Sophie, but he had to obey the summons, whatever his nation needed him to do he would do it. It was the way of the Kagleshi. He may have been up there in age when he walked onto the battlefield, but he had enough life experience to know what needed to be done. The war was an ugly one it dragged on and was one of the most gruesome wars that the Kaglesh Royal Army had seen fighting the mountain dwelling orcs that wanted nothing more than to pillage and wipe out more and more of the towns and cities in Kaglesh.

At the end of the war, Theo and his son, Louis, were awarded medals of valor. Unfortunately, Gabriel was one of many casualties of war and was not going to return home on his own feet. Despite the overwhelming feeling of sadness over the loss of her first-born Sophie was grateful that Tixher, the god of life and death, had spared Louis and Theo. Upon coming back, Theo was able to finally meet the first of his grandchildren and Louis was able to finally have his wedding with his loving fiancé.

Since the war was over Sophie and Theo were able to have a nice quiet life. They helped their children, doted on their grandchildren, and lived their comfortable routine on the farm. Then their grandchildren grew up and they started having lives of their own. Everything felt perfect. That was until the first eruption from Mount Narroux. It was a small enough eruption that people closest to the volcano were able to just evacuate. However, one eruption became two and then it was just a steady stream of molten lava was pouring out of the volcano.

It wasn’t until 5 years after the first eruption that everyone in Kaglesh became worried. While a steady flow was coming out of Mount Narroux the pressure mounted under the volcano and in its connecting chambers that caused all the other volcanoes, and Mount Narroux, simultaneously erupt. This event caused the biggest eruption in Kaglesh. Unfortunately, the big eruption was so sudden that nearly half of the population in Kaglesh were lost to either the molten lava chunks or the sudden high concentration of sulfur dioxide that was in the air. Sophie, their son, Matheo, and two of their daughters, Helene and Celine, were some of the ones lost. Theo and the remainder of his family were able to quickly quarantine themselves in their respective family homes.

“And we’ve been barricaded in this home ever since.” Theo wheezed before coughing into his handkerchief.

“What made the volcano wake up?” Aimee asked tucking her legs underneath her.

“Some say it was Tutias, god of misfortune, finally making an appearance after all our good luck, some say it was Phehuna, goddess of fire and volcanoes after we upset her.” Theo coughed and looked back out the window, “No one truly knows why. It just happens.”

Aimee looked out the window eyes darting to all the little flurries, “Do you think Grandma Sophie is watching over us?”

Her voice was small and timid, but it brought a small smile to Theo’s scarred face. “I do. I think Grandma Sophie, Matheo, Gabriel, Celine, and Helene, are watching over us. I think their love for us is what helped us get to safety as quickly as we did.”

A small movement in the distance caught Aimee’s eye. She sat up and stared hard at where the movement happened. Theo watched on as the flurries began to slow down even more.

“If you ask me,” Theo began, “I think it was Qheulla, the goddess of beginnings, was giving us a chance of a fresh start.”

On the outside, a small, malnourished, grey raccoon hopped along trying not to sink into the thick layer of ash closer and closer to the farmhouse. Every now and again he would stop and begin to dig.

Aimee watched in fascination mouth agape and her eyes wide like saucers. Theo watched Aimee as her eyes twinkled while starring at the raccoon. A feeling of hope swelled in his chest.

“Soon enough, little love, you too will know the outside world.” Theo mused slightly rocking in his chair. A wide smile appeared on Aimee’s face as the raccoon hopped closer.

“Papa!” Aimee yelled running out of the room to get her father to see the raccoon that was just outside the window, “a small rat is outside grandpa Theo’s window!” Her voice faded the farther into the house she went.

“Soon there will be a new outside world.” Theo muttered to himself as he watched the ghost of his beloved Sophie help the small raccoon find the last bit of food on the farm.