Phase 1: runaway (part 1)
☕️
My brother weakly exhales squeezing his eyes shut as the cold air leaves his dead lungs, his eyelids hiding himself from the world but for a moment, not wanting to take another step but nonetheless forcing himself to. He gazes at me with a kind look in his eyes, a kind look beneath all the pain and injury. His eyes are a tired wooden dam trying to hold in the tears.
“Evie, please, a few more steps we’re almost at the campground” -🥝 my brother pleads.
“Syd I’m bleeding” my whole body aches
“We can’t die from bleeding out that I know of” 🥝
“Well hurrah we’re fucking invincible. Do you know how rare it is for babies classified as female at birth to get that particular trait?”
“I’m 102 years old Guinevere I will never know all the statistics about our culture.”-🥝
“And nor will we we get to explore any more of Cosina Thana..”
“Did you want to stay there the rest of our undead lives? I’m glad to be out”🥝
“Yeah well Jenna, Kali-“
“Are sick what’s your point?”-🥝
“oh Novaline, midnight, Adrienne , Andre, Fawn, Rodger..”
“Roger the hell does this have to do with Rodger”🥝
I shrug trying to move past the fact I included Rodger.
“I feel guilty leaving Kade Jenna and Kali behind..”
“Kade decided to stay with them”-!🥝
I see a fire pit
“look we’re here at the campsite”
“Finally”- 🥝
We sit close to the fire pit in silence. I show him my arm, bruises and burns all over. He draws a circle around the rip in my skin with his finger, I feel a tingle as my injury heals. Obsydian then stands up, rubs his hands together, then picks up a twig and snaps it in half, fire sprouting from the inside of the twig the small fire burning like a match… When Obsydian and I looked at each other we knew we weren’t strong enough to fight, and all in all we had to escape. Our younger sisters were sick and our younger brother stayed with them to help them cope. We had to leave a lot behind. And before any humans can find us running away for survival. We used our power at a hideout and found a smaller abandoned castle and it’s in the middle of nowhere in a Forrest so we’re escaping to the castle.
I look over to my brother sitting on a wood log next to me he’s looking at the ground. I wonder what he’s thinking.
“Don’t read my mind.”-🥝
“I just care-“-☕️
“I know you care, Evie”-🥝
“I saw our father burn in a fire today.” Ignoring the dislike of the nickname he used. -☕️
he slouches uncomfortably, he hesitates but he complies.
“I miss Jade, I miss our siblings our-“ he winces then swallows as if there’s anything but emptiness and air in our dead lungs “and our- parents…” He shakily inhales the cold fall air. I’m not one for affection and neither is he but I still tilt my head to the opposite direction in which I’m sitting next to him, allowing him to lean on me. He takes the chance to un-shield. Syd leans his head on my shoulder.
I looked at the ground the silence piercing our ears. The conversation ends.
… ( a few minutes later) …
“Today was certainly “in-tents” -🥝
“Wowwwww you’re lucky I’m too exhausted to kick your ass” I attempt to give a fake rise to the edge of my lips, falling immediately unable to mask what I feel.- ☕️
“It wasn’t that bad”-🥝
“Yes it was. Sleep well” I avoid eye contact-☕️
“Not possible in these tents Eve”-🥝
“Yeah yeah”-☕️
We pack up the few things we have and set off walking again. The night sky used to be starry and bright and comforting but now it seems like it’s all faded, I miss the stars.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about.. the thing”- ☕️
“I’ll get over it, Eve” -🥝 he replies, his voice a little groggy, he seems more calm about finding out about my secret boyfriend than I thought he’d be. Especially considering who it is..
Point of perception: Obsydian Ebony -
Back a few minutes 🥝
My back aches and my whole body hurts but I don’t regret healing any neighbors or my siblings, they mean everything to me. I couldn’t save my parents, I had to choose between saving them being crushed by an abstract sculpture me and Jade created or saving the twins from burning to death… as the thought continues to rot deep in my head I feel a heavy Pitt in my stomach. Why couldn’t I save everyone?
Guinevere speaks and snaps me out of thought
“I’m sorry i never told you about.. the thing until now” -☕️ I look at my younger sister in her eyes, it’s a kind of look she’d have when she took one more blood juice box then she was meant to when she was younger. I hold her closer to me as we walk. I look in her black eyes, she forgot to put in her red contacts.
“I’ll get over it Eve, it’s not that big a deal” -🥝 I try to smile reassuringly. “You made a mistake”-🥝 I continued.
She shoves me off from the hug, I take a step to the side to give space. Her eyebrows drop a dead look in her eyes, I said something wrong and didn’t know it. She mumbles something.
“Only you and Kade know”- ☕️ she looks away
“Wait what are you talking about?”-🥝 I grow confused
People in scene
Guinevere (No color since it’s her pov)/☕️
You’ll see >:)-red/🍷
Kade- brown /🫘
Point of perception: Guinevere Ebony
Two days prior ☕️
“Why has everyone been.. so panicked these past three days?”☕️
I question as his arms hold me. I gaze into his comforting dark red eyes. His irises remind me of a nice warm fire, not one from burning in the sun, though the fire might’ve started that way it doesn’t burn like that anymore.
“Oh Gwennie you don’t know?” -🍷
my eyes dart away as I nod my head.
“There’s been an attack to Evanwyn ..”-🍷 I feel my emotion drain from my face.
“So the war has started?”☕️
“Yeah we don’t know when we’ll be hit but it’ll probably be soon”-🍷
“You’ve been more.. affectionate”☕️
“Don’t know when I’ll be around you again” -🍷I frown and lean onto him.
“You’re my everything-“-🍷
someone bursts in I turn around and Kade pauses there, he’s who came in, obviously. He ignores who I’m cuddling.
“It’s coming right for our house.” -🫘
my eyes widen in shock and I stand I look behind me and down at Rodger(🍷). In this moment I know I’ll have something better and longer to say in retrospect but I don’t have it now. These could be my last ever words to him and all I can say is-“No I’m not”☕️
I turn back and I give him The black beaded bracelet that was on my wrist and I leave. My dad gave me five a few years ago and told me to save them for moments like this.
Point of perception: Obsydian Ebony
Three months prior to the attack
Obsydian - (his pov) 🥝
Andre - 🐦⬛
Midnight - 🩵
Adrienne - 💟
Mini Bonfires have a certain allure to them, especially when they are intentionally lit, a sentiment to which I can deeply relate. There's a fire within me, a fire that I hold in my heart, and the only way I can seem to manage this overwhelming feeling is by pouring it out onto paper with pen, by expressing it through my writing. Which is fancy for saying I vent to a lined notebook. The others around me, they are aware of the depth of my emotion, but I refrain from externalizing them, to keep them contained within me.
As the clock strikes 11:59, post meridiem, Adrienne and Midnight prance around the dense dark trees, the two scanning the ground as they look for the perfect sticks and twigs to add to our bonfire. Meanwhile, Andre, cautiously stays close to me. He hasn’t ventured more than 6 feet away from me, or anyone for that matter, as if tethered by an invisible rope. His closeness doesn't bother me though, instead, it brings a comfort to the quiet forest around us.
“HOLY FUCK” 🩵💟 the girls said in unison me and Andre look behind us and speed over, Andre immediately scooping Adri up before processing what happened
“HEY” 💟 Adri’s nose scrunches as she shoots Andre a pissed off pierce.
Midnight is on the ground and dirt, still as a statue. Her dark messy hair splays down her back. She looks up shooting me a death glare she dramatically and slowly arose.
“We found a kitty!!!” 💟 Adrienne smiles mischievously, Andre quietly sighs and drops her. Midnight appears behind Andre suddenly as if she teleported, she hugs Andre from behind.
“We think the fur monster is a boy?” 🩵
“Let’s name him Larry!!”💟
“Lars for short”-🥝
Midnight smiles.
… a few days prior to the attack…
I turn my gaze towards my sister. Guinevere meets my eyes for just a fleeting moment before her own eyes dart downwards, unable to hold my gaze. Her shoulders droop slightly, carrying weight of what has happened begrudgingly on her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Syd," ☕️ she whispers, her voice barely audible.
"She's just a child, M," 🥝 I respond, my voice heavy with disappointment.
"I tried, I really did," ☕️ she insists, her tone pleading for understanding.
Suddenly, I find the words tumbling out of my mouth, "Lars is a girl." -🥝 The statement hangs in the air between us, like a punch that's been thrown but hasn't landed yet.
“She’s pregnant..”-🥝 the crunching of the grass and leaves on the ground as we continue to trudge through these dark and dense woods grow exponentially louder after I finally spit it out. Those measly little words I’ve been dying to tell my little sister pounds in my chest. I gaze at her understanding in my eyes.
Her eyes scream enraged I hadn’t told her, yet embarrassed for not knowing earlier.
..present day, a few hours after the attack..
“Only you and Kade know”- ☕️ she looks away
“Wait what are you talking about?”-🥝 I grow confused
“Oh”- ☕️ she mumbles, shock, confusion and a bit of relief enter her face.
“It’s nothing”- ☕️ she avoids eye contact
“Bullshit, you wouldn’t be hiding it”-🥝
“Roger and I..” -☕️
“what? went on a date? Cuddled? Fucked?”-🥝
“Uhh” -☕️ she looks away nervously hiding any other emotion
“I was joking you actually did it???”-🥝
She hides her face, extremely embarrassed.
“It was consensual right? If it wasn’t I’ll kill him with my bare hands”-🥝
“There was consent from both sides don’t worry” -☕️
My anger boils down as I process this, for a second all I care is that Roger didn’t abuse my little sister in the worst way imaginable. I abruptly stop and gently hug her. “Did he treat you well?”-🥝
“Yeah”-☕️
“If he makes you happy and doesn’t hurt you or any of us… then love him and I won’t stop you”-🥝
“I thought you’d be furious-“ -☕️
“Did I ever imply I wasn’t?”-🥝
“At both of us..?”-☕️
“Yes, but the last thing either of us need right now is sibling bickering so we will get back to this later”-🥝
“Okay… I’m sorry”-☕️
I nod, accepting her apology but not forgiving her just yet.
“What if we can’t find this place Syd?”-☕️
“We will find it”-🥝
“What if-“-☕️
“Listen to me Eve, you can ask me anything and I’ll give you an answer. We will be fine.”-🥝
“What if you overwork yourself get sick and die while we’re still on our way to the castle and we’re in the most dangerous part of the woods?”-☕️
“..”-🥝
“..”-☕️
“Then I’ll die a virgin”-🥝
Guinevere is silent then bursts out laughing
“You still have yours?”-☕️ She still chuckles, i blink not reacting. “I thought you and Jade~”☕️
“Oh dear Roz, pish posh, virginity is a patriarchic social construct to make people feel guilty for loosing theirs or still having it. It’s a load of bullshit.“-🥝 my neutral face sours in annoyance
“Someone’s getting awfully defensive!!”- ☕️ I flick her shoulder lightly.
“I can’t help being sex-neutral”- 🥝I look in her eyes.
“That might change once you do it”- ☕️ she smiles mischievously looking back at me, I look forward.
“Doubtful”-🥝
…end of part 1…
