𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄 - 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

3 - A New Beginning

The five members of the Order were now gathered around a small dining table, speaking in hushed whispers with Julius Angevin's parents. The girl was standing in the living room, refusing to rest on a chair. She also chose to be as far away from Julius as possible. The dining room was across from them, so she was very aware of the many glances directed toward her. The boy was told to wait with her until further instruction, a command she greatly disliked. Already sweating from the unusually strong heat that filled the house, the girl was growing so impatient she felt she was about to burst.

The room was almost blinding, its bright shades of sky blue were extremely foreign to her. By standing amid these stunning colors, an unnatural ambiance presented itself to her. Everything about the room was warm and...happy. The off-white couch held vibrant crimson pillows that contrasted beautifully with the blue walls. Light poured in from large windows, providing a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. This was practically a new world for the girl, and almost too much to bear. Her eyes squinted heavily, unaccustomed to the amount of brightness. It was as if she had been woken up and a hundred lights were shining in her face.

Suddenly she felt very vulnerable and turned to see Julius staring at her. Startled, he gave a small jerk and looked away, embarrassed. Quite uncomfortable, the girl turned her back and shot him a disgusted glare.

Minutes passed and she still felt on edge, a combination of fear, confusion, anxiousness, and distress warped her mind. She found herself continuously glancing at the adults and fiddling with her fingers in an attempt to calm her nerves. So much had happened in the past two days, it was difficult to wrap her head around it. She began to pace back and forth, recalling the disastrous events from the last forty-eight hours.

The night was calm. It was no different than any other evening. Mothers kissed their children goodnight, sending them off to sleep. All would wake up the same as they were hours before....or so they assumed.

The girl had been up for hours, insomnia and anxiety preventing her from resting. She spent her time staring idly at the ceiling and contemplating her life. Footsteps broke the terrifying silence that hung over the household.

She froze.

Any noise or movement from the children resulted in many bruises the following day. No one dared to rise from their beds.

  She knew her siblings well, and the only people who would be up at this time were her menacing parents. Instinctively, she shut her eyes and pretended to sleep.

Her rapid breath refused to slow as she heard the creaking of floorboards.
Fear paralyzed her as she waited, all senses alert for any sign of movement. The footsteps seemed to draw nearer...or was that just her imagination? Assuming the worst, she braced herself to face the wrath of her parents.

  The noises grew fainter, but to the girl, they were fast approaching. She raked her mind, thinking of all the things she could have done wrong. Panic and fear coursed through the petrified child, causing tears to form in her bloodshot eyes. Time froze as a few seconds stretched into prolonged terror. Her heartbeat was so loud she was sure her parents would hear it if they weren't coming for her already.

Everything went silent. The pure quiet was somehow more frightening than before. After a moment of deep consideration, the girl raised her head and peeked out the bedroom door. She had a view of the entrance hall and was able to see if anyone left the house. Movement alerted her again, but this time she listened intently. The rhythm of each step and amount of pressure placed on the floorboards couldn't be her father's heavy strut, nor her mother's slow stalk.
One of her brothers was prowling the house.

  The bed gave a massive groan as she leaped from it, causing the girl to clench her fists in annoyance at her stupidity. She proceeded with immense caution, greatly aware of the consequences if she were to be caught.