A Spur of Change

Again and again, I heard everything from the living room. The night was no longer young, and my parents were hurling an earful of words at each other.

“Why are you here? Why did you come back? We don’t need you here", my mother shouted as I peeped through the crack in the door to see what was going on.

“I came back because you needed help with your daughter… no, our daughter. Why are you acting like this now? Why didn’t you kick me out as soon as I got back, Lacy?”, he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

“I guess I was mistaken. I guess I should have left you where you were… in the fucking slums!”, She grabbed a bottle of whiskey and hurled it at him.

A sudden urge pushed me forward. I stepped into the argument.

“Mom, Dad, there’s no reason for this. Everything you’re doing is just hurting whatever relationship you still have.”

“Was there ever a relationship to begin with?”, she snapped before stomping away and slamming the bedroom door behind her.

“Honey, I’m leaving”, my dad said quietly, his eyes piercing through me.

“Nothing new, Dad. Then why is Mom so upset?”, I stared straight back at him.

“This time… I’m not coming back.” His gaze dropped to the floor.

“Why is that?”, I tried to keep a tough front.

“If I told you, you wouldn’t understand. And even if I wanted to, I can’t. All I want from you now is to—”

“To what?”, The pain, the anger, the tears I forced back were boiling over. I turned my back to him, clasping my hands together tightly.

I heard his footsteps approach. I stood there, tense, waiting for comfort. Then he stopped. The silence told me everything. He didn’t have the courage to comfort anyone.

“Leave”, I said, still facing away.

“Isobel, I just—”

“LEAVE!” I stomped with all the strength in my body.

“I’m sorry”, he muttered, closing the door behind him.

The house fell silent, as if no one had ever been there at all.

Fuck… seriously, this life is shit, I thought as I made my way to the bathroom.

The bathroom was where I gathered myself and let everything out. I nicknamed it my safe haven. Sitting on the toilet, I let my thoughts spill freely—until I heard banging on the door.

I wiped my tears and tried to steady my voice.

“Mom, you know I’m in here”, I called, frustration slipping through.

The banging didn’t stop.

I lifted my head from my lap and stared at the door, listening closely.

“I said I’m in here, Mom.”

The banging paused for a moment… then returned, louder and harder.

“Mom? Is that you?” I pressed my ear against the door, trying to catch any sound from the other side.

“Princess, we need to leave. There has been a coup. WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW!”

A man’s voice boomed through the bathroom.

Panic surged through me. I yanked the door open—only to find nothing. An empty room. Silence.

I clutched my chest tightly as thoughts began piling in.

I’m sure heard someone?

It was bright as day though… how's that possible..I'm inside.

I pinched my cheek. Pain shot down my spine and I let out a small squeak.

“Shit… this is real”, I muttered.

I stepped forward cautiously. Panic swelled as I realized the environment around me had changed completely. It was like I had been transported to another world—a better Earth.

A light fog filled my vision. Footsteps echoed somewhere ahead, approaching.

I spun around, searching for somewhere to hide, but there was nothing—just an open space filled with towering trees and a crystal-clear sky above. I rushed back toward where the bathroom should have been, but when I turned around, it was gone.

No house. No door. Nothing.

I tried to run from the approaching footsteps, but within seconds I felt a cold hand grip my lower arm.

“Princess, why are you acting like this? We don’t have much time. We have plans to carry out.”

Princess?I turned slowly to face a towering figure clad in polished steel armor—heavy, rigid, etched with intricate carvings across the chest and gauntlets. It looked as though the armor were part of his body.

My eyes drifted upward to his face. I squinted as if I was staring into sunlight. Sweat glistened along his bronzed skin, trailing down a slender yet powerful neck.

His features were sculpted like a Greek god. His hazel eyes studied me, piercing through my skin as if trying to read me as if he has known me?

“Hello,” he said, giving my shoulders a small shake to pull me back to reality.

I stepped back, inhaling deeply.

“First of all, I’m not your princess,” I snapped. “Second… where the fuck am I?!”

Next~~