Chapter 1: Nothing But Ashes

London, 1881

Celia heard the roar of the London Express train engine seconds before her eyes had found it. She silently cursed herself- there was not a doubt that she would'nt make it, especially on her own scrawny little legs of hers, yet she couldnt stop herself from racing to the train door that was just about to close as the train had already started forward.

"Wait!" she cried, "Stop the train!" She knew shouting would do her no good, but that was the way Celia was- doing before thinking. She then felt her face flush. Many of her surroundings were staring at her with absolute disgust. how unproper, staring at a woman like that! they should be ashamed!

Celia only had a moment to give thought about the rudeness before she leaped onto the train from the platform. She landed on her bottom with a thud. For a moment she was still with shock, she never had been capable of leaping like that before. She quickly struggled up- her bottom felt sore- before anyone would notice a lady on the ground looking like a mad woman. She leaned down to grab her parasol and luggage bag from the floor, but the luggage bag came up with a ripping sound that resulted in many of her belongings falling out. Cursing herself again she gathered up all her stuff and went off looking for an empty compartment.

"Escuse me ma'am, may I 'ave your ticket, please!"

Celia whirled around to find a short, stubby man with a frighteningly large red beard. the conductor, she realized.

"I- oh well yes of course, sir, forgive me."

The conductor only grunted in response as he took her ticket, marked it off, and handed it back to her. Celia then resumed to her search of a compartment. Unfortunately, many had already been full excluding one in the very back with-as she got closer realized- only one gentleman occupying it.

She slid open the compartment door and froze. The one man who sat by the window, Celia noticed, was extrodinarily handsome. His curly hair was dark brown- almost black. He had sharp cheekbones and full lips -too full- for a man. But it was his eyes that gave Celia's heart a flutter, they were a bright sea-green color which was very unusaul but strangely attractive. In fact, all of his features seemed- well perfect. Celia stood there for what felt like a good few minutes staring at him with her mouth slightly open. She was dumbfounded, no words escaped her lips.

"Well, I hope you don't plan standing there all day," said the boy, " It does get quite stuffy in here when you leave the compartment door open like that."

Well, Celia thought, his attiude is definetely not a breathtaking as his looks. Celia, very consious of how stupid she must look stepped inside the compartment and slid the door close.

"I hope it would be no trouble if I joined you," she blabbered "My name is Miss Celia Clay you see, all the other compartments are full, so with no disrespect, would it be alright if I stayed here?"

"No, I suppose it wouldn't, that is unless you continued blabbering off like that. It does tend to annoy me sometimes." he gave her a smirk, "My name is James. James Cadmon."

Celia took the words like a slap in the face. A complete srtanger telling me to shut my mouth, how rude!

Celia, still looking taken aback, opened her mouth for a retort but was interrupted when a screech came from the door of the compartment. She looked up, unwillingly, from Jame's face. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she saw the figure who had just stepped inside of their compartment.

He looked exactly like James were it not for his deep-blue eyes that pratically glowed like a sapphire. His skin though was much paler, though he still had the same muscular bulid. His expression, she noticed, looked rather like he was amused, though Celia wasn't quite sure what was funny. They of course were twins, she realized.

Really James, again!" Charles laughed, "Though I must say, I thought you preferred the brunette type."

"Ah Charlie, decided to come back after all, I didn't realize how long it took to check our tickets," James studiously ignored Charles' previos remark, "Oh and this is Ms. Clay who apparently decided to join us as well. Though it is possible that she just couldn't resist my captivating charms, you see." he grinned, "It happens quite often with young ladies quite like you, Miss Clay, if I do say myself."

I may murder him, Celia thought. She looked back and forth between James and Charles. She then suddenly realized how stupid she looked.

"Your Twins!", unfortunately this was the only thing she managed to get escaped from her lips.

“Really, I haven’t exactly noticed before.” James’ sarcasm couldn’t have been any clearer in his tone, but then he added, “But then, again Mum always said that I was the good-looking one─ the ladies man, in fact.”

Charles only rolled his eyes and sat by next to his brother.

“Please do excuse my brother, Miss Clay, Mum also said that he was a pain in the ass.”

Celia giggled, “So I’ve noticed.”

James only glared at them both but before he could say anything back Charles shushed him and turned to face Celia.

“So what brings you to England, you are from America aren’t you, I detect an accent.”

Celia abruptly jerked her head to the window suddenly very interested in the trees outside. It was true, she was from Virginia. She had come to stay with her father in Wales since her mother had just recently died from a spreading disease called smallpox. She had no other family or siblings to stay with so she had to come to live with her father for now. She had only been to Wales one other time, but that was when she was five. Currently, she was sixteen. Yet she could still remember the early blooming daffodils in her father’s front yard and the rocking chair on the porch that he had sat in and watched her play in the grass.

Celia was suddenly aware of both boys staring at her. She could just imagine what they were seeing, a plain looking girl with straight hair, freckled skin, and gray-blue eyes. Not pretty at all, she thought. If only she could have large brown locks like many girls had. She wouldn’t have minded being blonde either. It was very hard to blend in with other people if you had bright red hair like her.

“Yes, I’m from America, Virginia to be exact. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. My mother had recently passed away so I’m headed off to Wales to stay with my Father.” She said, “I have nowhere else to go.”

For a split second she thought she saw them exchange a look. Oh, she hated when people did that, as if the other person wasn’t there at all, in this case it was her. Then they continued staring at her as if she had said that she had saw pigs flying and trees that grew gold for leaves. She was just about to tuck her loose hair that had come out of her bun, behind her ear. It was a thing she did whenever she was nervous.

“Well,” James broke the silence, “I guess you don’t know much that has happened lately in England.” He looked like he was trying not to laugh.

“Is their something wrong, Mr. Cadmon?” Celia snapped.

“Nothing, oh nothing’s wrong at all, other than your lack of intelligence.”

She stared at him furiously, also hoping that he would also note her confusion.

“I’m very sorry Miss Clay, but by my understanding no one must have informed you about…” he trailed off.

“About what,” she said alarmed, “has something happened?’

She could see the tension in the set of Charles’ shoulders and the way he took a deep breath before continueing.

The whole town of Wales has been evacuated due to a set of fire burning the place to the ground, some say it was due to a chemical explosion it a factory, but most aren’t sure. You’re going off to a town that is nothing but ashes.”

For a moment, Cecilia looked at him as if he had sprouted two horns on his head. Then as if just suddenly registering what he had said looked at him in horror and shock.

“And you… you expect me to believe you.”

He nodded, and then handed her a crumpled up newspaper from his pocket. She snatched it up and did her best to flatten it out so she could read it. She skimmed it twice just to make sure it wasn’t all in her own head before she went into complete chaos.

Cecilia looked baffled, “but my mother wrote me the letter on November 17th, this says it happened on the 12th.”

“Really, I haven’t exactly noticed before.” James’ sarcasm couldn’t have been any clearer in his tone, but then he added, “But then, again Mum always said that I was the good-looking one─ the ladies man, in fact.”

Charles only rolled his eyes and sat by next to his brother.

“Please do excuse my brother, Miss Grenald, Mum also said that he was a pain in the ass.”

Celia laughed, “So I’ve noticed.”

James only glared at them both but before he could say anything back Charles shushed him.

“So what brings you to England, you are from America aren’t you, I detect an accent.”

Celia abruptly jerked her head to the window suddenly very interested in the trees outside. It was true, she was from Virginia. She had come to stay with her father in Wales since her mother had just recently died from a spreading disease called smallpox. She had no other family or siblings to stay with so she had to come to live with her father for now. She had only been to Wales one other time, but that was when she was five. Currently, she was sixteen. Yet she could still remember the early blooming daffodils in her father’s front yard and the rocking chair on the porch that he had sat in and watched her play in the grass.

Celia was suddenly aware of both boys staring at her. She could just imagine what they were seeing, a plain looking girl with straight red hair, freckled skin, and gray-blue eyes. Not pretty at all, she thought. If only she could have large brown locks like many girls had. She wouldn’t have minded being blonde either. It was very hard to blend in with other students if you had bright hair like her.

“Yes, I’m from America, Virginia to be exact. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. My mother had recently passed away so I’m headed off to Wales to stay with my Father.” She said, “I have nowhere else to go.”

For a split second they exchanged a look. Oh, she hated when people did that, as if the other person wasn’t there at all, in this case it was her. Then they continued staring at her as if she had said that sky turned purple and that pigs could fly. She was just about to tuck her loose hair that had come out of her bun, behind her ear. It was a thing she did whenever she was nervous.

“Well,” James broke the silence, “I guess you don’t know much that has happened lately in England.” He looked like he was trying not to laugh.

“What’s so funny then Mr. Cadmon?”

“Nothing, oh nothing’s wrong at all, other than your lack of intelligence.”

She stared at him furiously, hoping that he would also note her confusion.

“I’m very sorry Miss Clay, but by my understanding no one must have informed you about…” he trailed off.

“About what,” she said alarmed, “has something happened?’

She could see the set of tension in Charles’ shoulders and the way he took a deep breath before continuing.

"The whole town of Wales has been evacuated due to a set of fire burning the place to the ground, some say it was due to a chemical explosion in one of the factory's, but most aren’t sure. You’re going off to a town that has nothing but ashes left in its remembrance."

For a moment, Cecilia looked at Charles like he had sprouted two horns on his head. Then as if just suddenly registering what he had said bolted upward in horror and shock.

“And you… you expect me to believe that?” she said quietly.

He nodded, and then handed her a crumpled up newspaper from his pocket. She snatched it up and did her best to flatten it out so she could read it. She skimmed it twice just to make sure it wasn’t all in her own head.

Cecilia looked baffled, “but my father wrote me the letter on November 17th, this says it happened on the 12th.”

"Well then, he probably ment for you to go to wherever he's staying right now." James yawned.

"And where do you suppose that may be?" She knew that she was never going to get along with the boy, but she could say otherwise for Charles. for two boys who almost looked identical, they both acted so differently, like they were from two seperate planets.

"I think that what Charles wanted to suggest was if you wanted to come with us for now, to help you look for your father." James said.

Charles blushed. "So what do you say Ms. Clay care to come along?"

to be contined....

Authors Note

Hi guys, I hope you enjoyed this piece of writing! It is my first published one to post online. I will be posting more chapters of this as well. I know for a chapter, this was kind of short, though. Thank you!