Prelude
June 29; 7 years, 7 months, and 7 days before
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The moon was high in the sky. Not a single cloud floated overhead, trying to diminish the moon’s silvery beams of light. The wind blew gently outside an open window, carefully carrying the quiet croak of frogs and the staccato chirp of the crickets.
Neither of those things woke Renata up.
The wind blew into her room and danced through her chimes. The wooden striker hit the ligneous tubes; a hollow clink echoed through her room.
That didn’t wake her up either.
Her old wooden floor creaked and groaned as Doryn tiptoed into the room. Renata stirred awake, used to Doryn’s late-night visits, but there was something different about tonight.
“Doryn?” Renata called out, but Doryn didn’t respond. Her gaze was focused on the open window. Shadows covered Doryn’s face, making it hard for Renata to make out her expression.
“Doryn.” She called out again. This time, Doryn looked at her. Doryn’s mismatched eyes were glistening with tears. Cautiously, Doryn slipped under the covers, moving herself closer, and tucked herself in the crook of Renata’s arm.
“They’re haunting me.” She whispered into Renata’s neck. She spoke softly, like the wind had taken her voice. “They’re punishing me.”
Renata carefully wiped the tears away from her beautiful eyes. Doryn sniffled, her body shaking. Renata pulls her closer and leans her head on Doryn’s.
Renata doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t know what to say. It was nothing that she’d ever had to deal with before.
Doryn abruptly pulls away and sits at the edge of the bed. “I got out,” she spits out. “They didn’t. Their shadows haunt me.” She turns her head toward Renata. “They left me.” Her body shook as sobs escaped her lips. “How could they leave their daughter behind? They knew I was in the woods, but they never came for me.”
Renata moved to the edge of the bed and cradled her friend in her arms. “They didn’t leave you behind.”
“I should’ve known better than to run off in the woods in the first place. But I did. So, as a final punishment, they left me. I was never the favorite anyway; Toryn was. Even Moryn and Loryn got more attention than I did. I was the black sheep.”
“Doryn,” Renata’s hands cup Doryn’s face. “They loved you just the same. They left you so you could have a chance to live. Your sisters are never going to live, but you will.”
Doryn pulled away and looked down at the ground. Tears fell steadily from her eyes, but she seemed more or less content.
“Will you ever leave me?” Renata shook her head. “Promise?” Doryn held out her pinky. Renata wrapped hers around Doryn’s.
“I promise.”
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