A Monster's Wings | SBI AU

11

Evangeline

"Where is my violin?" The morning sun is now shining into her eyes, awaking Evangeline from her slumber. The first thing she notices is her satchel, misplaced several feet away and soiled with mud.

"Hm? It's not there? It must have fallen out while you were running away." Dream awoke with a start, seconds after she asked the question.

Evangeline squints her eyes, Dream must have known that it was her prized possession, her last piece of Marshall.

"Are you sure?" She scans the area, searching for a hint of the gleaming wood.

"You don't need it now anyway. You're with me, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"Look at me, you don't need it anymore. You don't need anyone anymore. Are you going to help me take this land, or stand in my way because you are too weak to move on?"

Evangeline's eyes trail on the ground, trying to ward off tears. While looking down, she sees the sun shine on a little shard of wood.

"You smashed my violin..." Realization hits her like a ton of bricks.

"I had to, okay?" Dream's voice shakes her, the anger showing a more terrifying side of him that she hadn't seen before. "I was trying to help you! I had to destroy it to make you forget about them! You are the reason they are in danger. I was just trying to make you see that! Because of you, your family will die. It's all your fault!"

Evangeline falls, letting the sorrow overcome her as sobs shake her body.

Flashback

"Marshall they saw me, they saw me, they're gonna kill me!" Loud sobs alerted the man, who was kneading a lump of dough. Marshall felt panic grip his heart, but hid it from the girl as he held her face in his hands. "It's gonna be alright, I'll protect you." Evangeline's crying was interrupted by the bakery door opening to reveal one of the girl's dad.

"Get away from her! She's a freak!"

"She is not a freak, she is my daughter!" Marshall stood as tall as his bones would allow and hid the girl behind him. The man clearly didn't care, as he pushed the baker to the floor and gripped Evangeline by her arm.

"Marshall!" She called out. The man pulled her into the street, where other curious villagers had already started to gather.

"Take it off," he ordered.

"What?"

"Take it off, show us your wings."

"I- no- wait!" The man was driven by fury and ripped the corset off the girl himself. By instinct, Evangeline's wings spread out, almost protectively. A hush fell over the ever-growing crowd that didn't last very long.

"She's a monster!"

"She'll murder us all!"

"Kill the freak!"

Evangeline shrunk into herself, suffocated by the eyes that were shifting from surprise, to fear, to anger.

Evangeline

She can't even look up as arms encompass her. "Shhh it's okay," The voice comforts. "I can make it all ok."

A/N So... are we feeling the angst yet? I regret to inform you that next chapter is the last one so... brace yourselves. I'm proud that you woke up today! I'm glad you are reading this! On that note, eat if you haven't, shower if you haven't, and brush your teeth. Brink water too. You are doing your best and that's enough! I love you!