Celeste's Arc

Chapter 1 of 23

Celeste's teeth would not stop clicking. She stood barefoot on a strange shore in her wet sleeping clothes, ten years old and alone. The sea had split her family's fishing boat while she slept. She had woken already in the water. Now she needed to get home, but first she needed to live through the night. Her father's voice came back to her, steady as it always was on the water. If you ever get lost, shelter first, then food. The wind pushed through her wet braid. Her skin had gone from cold to numb, and numb frightened her more. She looked for high ground and found only trees and sand. She was already turned around. The sun sat low, and she could not tell which way she had walked. A small red crab scuttled past her foot. It did not run from her. It moved with purpose, sideways, up the slope toward the tree line. Celeste had watched creatures her whole life from the deck. Animals knew where dry ground was. She followed it. The crab led her to a building. It leaned against the dusk like a tired old man. Broken shutters hung crooked. A hole gaped in the roof. A faded skull-and-swords sign creaked over the door. She should have been afraid. Instead she noticed the flowers growing along the front wall, bright red and pink and orange, blooming out of the ruin. Something living still wanted to be here. That settled her. The door hung off one hinge. She pushed, and it swung inward with a groan. Inside smelled of salt, dust, and old smoke. Overturned chairs lay across the floor. She waited for someone to shout. No one did. The place had been empty a long time. Celeste stepped carefully through the dark room. Against the far wall stood a large stone fireplace, cold but whole. Beside it sat an old wooden trunk with iron bands and brass corners. She worked the brass latch with stiff fingers. It clicked open. Inside hung a heavy coat. Dark red, tall-collared, with rows of brass buttons. It smelled clean, which made no sense in a place this ruined. She did not stop to wonder. She pulled it out and dragged it around her shoulders. The hem pooled on the floor. The sleeves swallowed her hands. It was warm, and warm was all she wanted. She climbed into the empty fireplace and pulled her knees to her chest. The stone blocked the wind at last. The clicking in her teeth slowed. Through the roof-hole she could see the first stars. She was safe for tonight. But the coat was clean, and the trunk had been latched. Someone had cared for this ruined place. Celeste closed her eyes and did not yet ask who. Sleep took her before the question could.