From the Ashes: The Awakening by S. FrankensteinSUMMARY: Dead and buried in my grave, I awake inside my coffin, born again into the world.I gasped, coughing on my first breath of smoky air as my eyes focus on the one spot of light – the faint flame burning on the scorched wood inches above my sweating face. As I stared at it, the burnt wood groaned and collapsed, burying me in dirt. By some instinct I began to struggle, clawing my way upwards thorough the loose baked ground.
"Take my hand!"
Someone grabbed my arm, a good strong grip. I held on as they pulled me out to lie coughing on the grass, wet with early morning dew.
A man knelt down beside me, brushing the dirt from his hands.
"Humans don't remember their birth," he said, a strange grin on his face in the early morning light as he pulled me upright. "Lucky bastards. Here, have a sip of this."
He held a metal flask up to my lips, spilling brandy in my mouth. I choked.
"Drink it, don't breathe it!" he scolded me. "You'll have the locals down on us. Can you stand?"
He shoved his shoulder into my arm pit and helped me up, then with one arm around my waist he began leading me away.
"I would have been here sooner but I only just got word," my savior said cryptically as we stumbled past the headstones. "I've clothes for you in the carriage. Can't have you tramping about in the nude, what would the neighbors say?"
"Who..." I managed.
"Your first words already?" he said, pausing to stare at me with a strange look of surprise – and hurt. "Mother would be so proud. My name is Dillon. Ring any bells? No? Well, not to worry about it. Here's the carriage."
It was just ahead, a massive black shape in the morning's first light, whispy clouds snorted out of the horses.
"Sir!" someone new cried out, darting forward. He paused to stare at me in shock.
"Toby!" Dillon hissed, nodding towards me. "Give us a hand to the carriage!"
"Yes sir, of course sir," Toby said, coming around to my other side and draping my filthy arm over his rough wool-clad shoulder. Together they half-carried me over to the carriage where Toby opened the door and helped me inside.
"I'll be right back," Dillon said. "Toby, watch our friend here, I've just need to take care of something back there and we'll be off."
"Off sir?" Toby demanded, turning to stare at me again.
"Yes Toby. I'll explain this later. Won't be a moment!"
Dillon turned back the way we came and vanished into the gloom. Toby stood by the door in uncomfortable silence as birds began twittering in the trees. The first glimmer of sunlight broke over the horizon as Dillon appeared, carrying a dirty shovel.
"Everything's fixed now," he grinned, handing the tool to Toby. "Head for home Toby."
"Y.. yes sir."
Dillon climbed inside and sat down beside me.
"I know you've got questions," he said, "But we need to get far away from here, just in case. Just try to be patient."
"Who am I?" I asked.
"Just one of those difficult questions," Dillon sighed as the carriage lurched into motion.
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