#Vuurduin

[caffeine-high]

Vuurtoren

Fandom: Ordem Paranormal, O Segredo na Ilha

Characters: Bárbara Lima, Amelie Florence, Olivier Florence, Milo Castello (mentioned), Miguel Castello (mentioned)

Tags: Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Isolation, Self-Destruction, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Character Death, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (complete)

Words: 1018 (Total: 6126)

AO3 link

Chapter 3: Vuurduin

Chapter summary

Her days are filled with secrets, with whispers and with chatter. Until finally, her days become filled with the sounds of bells.

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It has been three years since the last time Bárbera saw anyone. The siblings stopped coming by a long time ago. They were busy, had lives and families, and missions, and friends, and everything else. They really could not make any time, that was fine. She had stopped looking forward to their visits a long time ago. Actually stated hoping they would never come again each time they left, with their pitying look back and an unkept promise to come again as soon as possible.

Adrian stopped dropping by as well. He didn’t give any notice beforehand. It’s not like Bárbera was waiting for him, but she did note that he hadn’t been in a longer time than normal, about a week after he missed his first time. She was not too worried though. Adrian has his reasons, and it is not like she needs to talk to him. She has enough conversation on the island. Her friend tells her everything it knows. Sometimes she wonders if it knows everything. Sure enough, around the time when she guesses he should have come by a second time, her friend informs her that Adrian has had a boating accident. A storm came by about two months ago, and while Adrian was out at sea a huge wave knocked him overboard. She is sad to hear this, of course, Adrian was a good friend of hers. But it also gives her a freeing sensation. Adrian was the other last resident of Tipora, and the other Keeper of the Secret. The siblings have forgotten about her, and since there is now only one Secret Keeper left, she can ensure the absolute safety of her friend.

For the first time since the incident at the church, she smiles. A real, genuine smile. Then she laughs. And when there is no air left, she sobs.

For so long she has carried this weight, to protect her best friend, to make sure that no one else would get to it, and now that goal is oh so close. She can’t complete it yet though. While the siblings have not been by in a long time, she must ensure that they will not ever come by again. Her friend would tell her when it was safe. So for now, she waited. And she waited. And she waited.

She spent most of her days sitting with her friend, talking. Only leaving its home when she needed to tend to her garden, or when she needed to hunt something for food. Cooking, she could do over her friend’s flames. They always gave her the perfect cook, and since she started using that to cook she has never eaten anything better. Her days are filled with secrets, with whispers and with chatter. Until finally, her days become filled with the sounds of bells.

It is time.

Bárbara gets up and makes one last round through the garden. Checking if there are any excessive weeds in between the flowers, and making sure that there aren’t any snails in her vegetables. She goes to the beach, where Amora’s memorial is. Long ago she hung Miguel and Milo’s locket there as well. The both of them always liked the sea. She doesn’t put it on, actually hasn’t done so since that one faithful day. Instead, while she climbs back up the hill, she holds it in her hand, and thinks back to when she and Miguel and Milo would walk the paths of this island hand in hand. She takes the short route. As kids they used to be afraid of all the dark beasts in the forest, but trusted in their friendship to keep them safe. Now too, her friend keeps her safe. It protects her, like she protects it.

At the top of the hill, there is not much left of what had been the mansion. They were quite thorough all those years ago, and in the years between Bárbara had transformed this place. There now is a large, spiralling slope down into the caverns in place of where the main hall of the mansion had been. Surrounding it, she had planted daisies, and surrounding those she had allowed moss to grow. Providing her a soft, pillowy surface for if she ever wanted to sit outside.

She doesn’t want to now though.

Instead she walks down the spiral, her one hand clasped around the memories of her childhood friends, and her other outstretched as if touching her current one.

She spirals down, deeper and deeper into the cavern until she reached the bottom. There she sees her friend, waiting for her. She was here just this morning, she has been here every morning for years, but this time is different.

As she walks up to the fire, up to her friend, her one companion, she reaches out. It reaches back. And they embrace.

The flames grow brighter, and stronger. But Bárbera isn’t afraid. This is her friend, she loves it, and it loves her. It has been a part of her ever since that fateful, horrible, wonderful morning at the church, maybe even before that. It has always been a part of her, and now, finally, she is part of it.

The fire burns, brighter, and brighter, and brighter. It towers, and had anybody known to look for it, they might have mistaken the spectacle for a mushroom cloud. No one entirely knows how long it took, but eventually the flame dims.

What is left is not just Bárbara, nor is it just paint, or just fire, what is left is something new.

After everything is said and done there is not much island left, but that is alright, she doesn't need much.

She exits the cavern, and makes her way to the top of the hill. There, at the top of her island, in the light of the sun, She lays down.

Curled around the entrance to her friend, with her hand clutched around a small locket, containing memories of lifetimes ago.

And there at the place where the mansion used to be, she falls asleep, content, faintly purring.

<previous / next>

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Notes: I gotta say, I picked the Dutch lighthouses more based on what their name inspired in me, rather than their looks.. What do you mean 2/2 Dutch lighthouses so far are plain red? Anyway, here she is!

Image available as https://www.vuurtorens.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Vlieland-3.jpg

[kospice-od-bundeve]

Waterlandplein - Amsterdam (Netherlands) by Perry Tak Via Flickr: Waterlandplein 16/02/2015 15h49 The new colorful apartment buildings on the Waterlandplein in Noord in the quartier Nieuwendam. Waterlandplein The Waterlandplein is a central square and area in Amsterdam North. South of the IJdoornlaan and North of Werengouw. The square is completed late sixties and consisted of high-rise buildings with shops underneath and in between low single store pavilions. The square is named by a decree on October 30, 1963 to the Waterland north of Amsterdam. In plans for the metro (Metroplan 1968) the perched terminus of the eastern branch of the North-South line on the square was provided. The planned route westwards is still recognizable and undeveloped. The North-South metro line doesn't have a Western and Eastern branch but just two stations (Noorderpark and Noord near Buikslotermeerplein). In recent years (since about 2009) they started to renovate the mall which is largely replaced by new buildings. Six residential towers were built with in total 319 properties and 300 indoor parking spaces. The new towers bear the names of lighthouses; Noordtoren, IJdoorn, Brandaris, Bornrif, Vuurduin and Stenen Baak. The existing buildings (De Kijkduin, De Leeuw and De Admiraal were renovated. The new square has been named New Waterlandplein. [ Source: Wikipedia - Waterlandplein (Dutch) ]

[wanderwonderpharos-blog]

vuurduin lighthouse; postcard: netherlands

other names. Vlieland Lighthouse

what. postcard with lighthouses received

where. Vuurduin Lighthouse: Vlieland, West Frisian Islands, Friesland, Netherlands

postmark. "ZWOLLE 8.VIII.16″; stamp of Netherlands

note. Dutch for lighthouse: vuurtoren

[wanderwonderpharos-blog]

various lighthouses; postcard: netherlands (v3)

the lighthouses.

Paard van Marken Lighthouse (Horse of Marken Lighthouse) [January]

Zuiderhoofd Lighthouse (Walcheren Lighthouse, Westkapelle ‘t Hoge Licht, Westkapelle High Lighthouse, Westkapelle Hoog Lighthouse) [February]

Kijkduin Lighthouse (Lange Jaap Lighthouse) [March]

Brandaris Lighthouse [April]

Vuurduin Lighthouse (Vlieland Lighthouse) [May]

J. C. J. van Spejik Lighthouse [June]

Eiderland Lighthouse [July]

West Schouwen Lighthouse (Westerlichttoren Lighthouse, Western Burgh Hamstede Lighthouse, Westernschouwen Lighthouse) [August]

Ameland Lighthouse (Borniff Lighthouse) [September]

Hoek van Holland High Light (Hoek van Holland Range Rear Lighthouse, Hoek van Holland Rear Light) [October]

Breskens Lighthouse [November]

Noordwijk Lighthouse (Noordwijk aan Zee Lighthouse) [December]

what. postcard with lighthouses received

where.

Paard van Marken Lighthouse: Marken, Waterland, North Holland, Netherlands

Zuiderhoofd Lighthouse: Westkapelle, Zeeland, Netherlands

Kijkduin Lighthouse: Den Helder, North Holland, Netherlands

Brandaris Lighthouse: Terschelling, West Frisian Islands, Friesland, Netherlands

Vuurduin Lighthouse: Vlieland, West Frisian Islands, Friesland, Netherlands

J. C. J. van Spejik Lighthouse: Egmond aan Zee, North Holland, Netherlands

Eiderland Lighthouse: Eiderland, Texel, North Holland, Netherlands

West Schouwen Lighthouse: Haamstede, Zeeland, Netherlands

Ameland Lighthouse: Ameland, West Frisian Islands, Friesland, Netherlands

Hoek van Holland High Light: Hoek van Holland, Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands

Breskens Lighthouse: Breskens, Zeeland, Netherlands

Noordwijk Lighthouse: Noordwijk, South Holland, Netherlands

postmark. indistinct; stamps of Netherlands

note. Dutch for lighthouse: vuurtoren