Prologue: First light after the Fall
I…am alive. The thought came to her the moment she opened her eyes, a thought that had welcomed her every morning after that night. Part of her couldn’t believe it, part of her didn’t want to believe it. Especially with what waking up on that day meant for her.
I wish I were dead. She smothered her face on her pillow, trying to make that wish a reality.
Get up Mazekien, we’ve got a job to do. The annoying voice of her brother echoed in her mind, a voice she couldn’t shut out no matter how hard she tried. Her face moved off the pillow as she inhaled a large gasp of air.
“But I don’t wanna go to school!” She whined, making a mess of her blankets as she rolled frantically on her borrowed bed.
Then you leave me no choice, dear sister. Mazekien’s legs kicked off the soft warmth of her blankets, exposing her skin to the cruel cold of the autumn morning. Winter approached.
Without her permission, her body rolled off the bed, landing on the floor with an unceremonious thud. “Noooo, Marcus please…” she begged as her body stammered its way to the bathroom, her mind too tired to resist her brother’s control.
They reached the bathroom, standing under the shower while still fully clothed in her thin fabric pajamas.
“You don’t have to do this Marcus, I’m up.” She argued, knowing full well what came next.
If that is the case, then stop me. Her right hand moved for the valve with nearly no push back from Maze’s weakened control.
“Let’s just think about this for a second; you already got me out of bed and into the bathroom. All you need to do is give back control of my body and we’ll both avoid getting doused in cold water.” She bargained, watching a singular drop of water tease its exit on the shower head, before dropping itself to the stone tiles. Garnering a flinch as she imagined her whole body getting drenched in the cold droplets.
The thing about your demons is that they’re bound to catch up one day. Marcus recited the very words that wound her up in her situation. Away from her parents, the friendships she thought would last forever, and her status as the face of Rosemary High.
“I’d rather see you stand up and face them than run away.” She recited the second half of that verse, her muscles relaxing as she gave up full control to her brother.
Good, He started as he moved her right hand to twist the valve over to the coldest setting. The water rumbled through the pipes, and she looked at the shower head knowing there was no turning back.
It’s time to wake up.
A/N: Welcome back readers of Vol 1 and new readers alike. This is the start of Act 1 of Volume 2 and honestly I wasn't planning on working on it so close after finishing Volume 1. Note that you don't need to read Volume 1 if you want to understand this Act. Future Acts will though, so if you finish this Act and enjoy it consider reading through Volume 1.
Enjoy!!
Alright, we’re back into this! Let’s see you cook, Pin 😉!
There’s so much heart in your work. You write as if you know your characters personally, every line feels like it’s written with love, not just creativity. The balance between light and sorrow, between what’s said and what’s left unspoken, is masterful. It’s rare to find a story that feels both comforting and powerful at once. Thank you for sharing something that truly comes from the soul.