Sarah Abbot meets the Black Flames

The day was bright, clear sky, not too windy. As Sarah walked down 27th street, she stared down at the gray vacant sidewalk ahead of her. Noticing every detail starting from the tiny rock fragments that resembled small discolored sea shells, to the dark treacherous cracks carved only by the hands of nature. She often concentrated on meaningless things to keep her mind off of anything that upset her. Earlier that day, she found out that the package she had mailed to her father in Panama was not sent due to insufficient postage. Her Father had left for three weeks for the wedding of Sarah’s great aunt, and she being 17 was left to fend for herself.  Sarah idolized her father. He was the only person she was truly afraid of. And because of this she held great respect for him. The package she sent him had contained an old cloak that her father had forgotten. He had called her the previous night saying that he needed it urgently. The cloak was a dull gray. Its former brilliance diminished by time. Only the string threaded around the hood seemed to stick out. It was made up of a shiny gold fabric that’s glow possessed a life that could almost reach out and grab you should you stare at it long enough. Sarah’s Father took the cloak with him every time he left the house for more than a few days, which was often due to his work. Suddenly, the ground begins to shake around her. “Earthquake?!”, she thinks to herself, immediately falling to the cement. But upon reaching the ground she realizes its stopped shaking. In-fact, when she looked around she noticed everyone around her was acting as if nothing had just happened. “How could they not of felt that tremor? Am I losing my mind?”. Now people were starting to notice Sarah laying on the ground and began giving her funny looks. Embarrassed, she quickly rushes to her feet only to be met with the sound of a huge explosion followed by the screams of a large crowed. Then Sarah realizes, “My house! It’s just around the corner…..that explosion it couldn’t have….” Sarah quickly picks up the package and rushes to the corner. Her face is greeted by a scorching heat. Black and green flames dance along her building, seemingly avoiding the surrounding buildings attached to it. Sarah panics, the house she has lived in for 12 years was being torn down by a terrible flame and no one around seems to even notice. But wait, she had heard a scream. “Were did it come from?” she thought to herself. And then she noticed, the black and green flames were moving in strange patterns around the house. Sarah rushes to the window dodging the flames and sees what can only be described as a giant black snake engulfed in black and green flames. It slithered around her Father’s den devouring everything it touched with its flame. Its bright red eyes, which seemed to also be on fire, glanced around the room quickly. The snake let out a huge cry and began ravishing his desk, the large mass of flames now almost completely consuming the room only fueling the snake’s power. Sarah finds tears falling down her face. Quickly she looks down at her hands as she backs away from the building and falls to her knees. The package was torn, exposing the dull gray cloak. She begins to stare at the cloak intensely. She finds herself saying “this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening.” She starts examining the bottom of the cloak, noticing that three threads on the left side were loose. Again she repeats “this can’t be happening”, as she moves up to the center of the cloak. She found a thin white cloth stitched to the inside. And on the cloth was a name sowed in gold, Samantha  Abbot. It was her Mother’s name. Then Sarah chest became tight and she couldn’t breathe. The only existing picture of her mother is in the den! She immediately stands up and rushes blindly to the door. She grasps the knob, the heat welcomes her hand seemingly griping to it, tearing flesh from her palm as she turned it. The door fly’s open, happily the black and green flames accept the new source of oxygen. Sarah takes a step toward the door. The dancing flames denied her entry quickly turning into small black snakes biting at her arm. The sudden attack startles Sarah. Causing her to throw cloak from its package and into the flame consumed door way. “My mother’s Cloak!”, she yells at the top of her lungs tears now completely covering her face. Her horror was met with surprise as the cloak fell to the embracing flame. The demon flames slowly crystallized as it repeatedly attacked the cloak. The crystal glowed a bright green and then shattered into dust. The once inflamed door way was now completely free of the black and green flames grasp. Sarah rushes to the cloak and embraces it lovingly. As she held the cloak she felt warmth very different from that of which the fire gave off. The sting from the burns on her arms had stopped and she finally stopped crying. “What is this sensation?” she says to herself. She runs the cloth through her good hand. “Oh no, the picture!” Sarah covers herself with the cloak and heads through the doorway. As she moves through the hall, flames like pealing wall paper hung from both sides. Despite their best effort the black and green flames were powerless to stop her. Leaving a trail of sparkling crystals and dust, she swiftly moved to the door of the den. It was a covered in a black slime. The slime seemed be the source of the flames around the door. Being careful to touch only the handle with the cloak she try’s the door. The knob quickly crystallized and then shattered into dust. “What!!!?” yells Sarah. “what am I supposed to do now?!” Left with nothing Sarah begins urgently rubbing the cloak over the slime covered door. The black slime begins to crystallize, turning a foggy empty white. Slowly the door is taken by the crystal. Until there is nothing but a clear solid crystal left. The door shatters and Sarah storms in. She looks around preparing for the embeddable encounter with the black snake.



         The light leaves the room. As slime slowly begins to take back the door way, Sarah looks around for some glimpse of resemblance to her father’s den. The room was now covered completely in the black slime and as the last of the light coming from the hall is stolen by the ever growing muck she sees a clump in the shape of a desk and rushes to it. Now in complete darkness she begins feeling around the desk shaped mass searching for the handle to the drawer. She begins to give up when suddenly a small source of light forms at the center of the room. Without looking back she quickly searches for the handle. “I’ve found it!” she thinks to herself. As she grasps the goop covered handle she is met with a voice. “Girl!” says the voice. Sarah freezes. It was no normal voice. It repeats “Girl!!”, Sarah now turns around and sees the source of the light. It was a dull white flame flickering in the center of the room. Glimmering slightly brighter as it said each word the flame begins to speak. “What could possibly drive such a pathetic looking girl to enter a burning building?” Sarah now stands and glares at the flames. “Who are you to call me pathetic!? You, who are just a small faceless flame, have no right to say such things.”. “Faceless?” asks the flame. “How can one so ignorant of spells even notice this flaming building?.... well I guess it does not matter. Allow me to properly introduce myself.” The white flame begins to grow and shine brightly. Slowly an arm begins to reach out from the flame. Followed by a shoulder then a head and so on until eventually a thin pale man with bright white hair and piercing green eyes was standing in front of the white flame. “Hello young miss” says the man. “My name is Arthas Zane. Who may I ask are you?” Sarah, almost startled by his polite manner, replies. “I am Sarah Abbot, and you Mr. Zane are in my house! Not only are u in my house but you’re burning it as well! Why are you doing this!!?”. “Sarah Abbot you say?” asks Zane blatantly ignoring her question. “OH! So your Jacksons little girl! Well then how delightful”. Zane pauses, raises his hand and points his boney index finger at Sarah. “Yooouuu can help Me then.” Zane now shaking his finger back and forth. “ I’m looking for something that belonged to your mother.” Zane now moves closer to Sarah places his spider like hands on both sides of Sahara’s now frozen face and whispers. “Sarah my girl, I’m looking for a piece of gold fabric…” Sarah’s eyes widen as she tries to not glance down at the string hanging from her mothers cloak. “Ah, judging by the look in your eye you know of it!”, Zane now looking much too happy with himself lets go of Sarah’s face and begins pacing back in forth in a childlike manner stops and asks while looking away. “So Sarah, do you know where it might be?” Sarah turns away, and presses the string to her chest. “My father has it.” She mumbles. “He… he likes to take it with him when he leaves the house for more than a few days….. you see…. my aunt is getting married…. So he went to attend the wedding in Panama. He won’t be… be back for a few weeks.” Sarah tucks the thread into the seam of her coat and turns to face Zane. “Now Mr. Zane iv answered your question and I think it would be best for you leave now,”. “Leave?” asks Zane as he begins to chuckle. “Now miss Abbot I knew u were pathetic just by looking at u but I didn’t think you were stupid……. I don’t plan on leaving without what I came for. And you believe me young miss when I say I went through an awful lot just to set up my arrival. No no no NO, I don’t think I’ll be leaving any time soon.” Zane now crossing his thin arms and shaking his head. Sarah pauses, what have I just walked into? This man he’s burning down my house… no it’s not just burning he’s cast a spell on my house? That’s foolish to think such things… But he did say magic… and I have no explanation for whatever the hell is going on….  Sarah’s eyes widen. I’ve got to get out of here she thinks to herself but I don’t think he’ll just let me leave… maybe I can use the cloak? The cloak!! Hes after the string around this old thing…  “Why are you looking for something of my mother’s?” asks Sarah as she slowly circles Zane trying to get close to the now freshly slime covered door way. “Your mother?” asks Zane. “She is of no importance but she did happen along something I need.” “Oh?” asks Sarah. And what would someone who controls fire so well need with an old piece of cloth any ways?” Zane now walking toward the tall white flame in the middle of the room. “My dear child, insulting your own intelligence by asking silly questions I can deal with.” Zane stops and sticks his right leg into the center of the fire. “But to try and insult my own with useless attempts to leave this place is foolish and an action worthy of punishment.” Zane now moving further into the flame glances at Sarah with his piercing green eyes. And as his body disappears into flame he says. “It was a pleasure meeting you young Abbot, is a shame to see you die so soon.” His body now completely gone, Sarah is left alone with the now glowing brightly white flame. Slowly the white flame grows bigger and begins to spin in the center of the room. The heat from the flame now pressing against her face. “Holy shit” says Sarah. She dashes for the door. Covered in slime she franticly starts rubbing the cloak all over the door. Nothing happens. The spinning flame now larger and more intense begins to burn Sarah.  “I’ll be sure to tell your father you had a good death, good by dear Abbot” Zane’s voice now echoing through the room.

Sarah Quickly glances around the room. Now brightly lit by the growing white flame in the center of the room she for the first time can clearly see around the room.