Epics of Noche 1, Anchor

EON CH 51

MARY'S CHILDHOOD.

1774, SEPTEMBER 26th MONDAY 12:57pm.

Mary held Alice as she wailed.

"Tap crying Mary! Wah does a pickney haffi feel stressed about?!"

Mary narrowed her eyes as her mom's words echoed in her head.

"Yuh nuh know ow much mi sacrificed fi you?!"

Mary pulled Alice in closer.

"It's ok Alice."

"MARY! Dis a nuh ok! Mi raise yuh betta dan this!"

"I'm here for you Alice."

"Yuh wi neva become a docta wid grades like this!"

"I love you just the way you are Alice."

Mary held the sobbing girl tighter.

"You don't have to try so hard for me." Mary muttered.

"But... Noche." Alice whispered.

"Nevermind the blonde bitch bruh." Mary said, "Its ok. We're together."

"Yuh fada an mi no longa together Mary..."

Mary shut her eyes. Memories resurfaced in her mind.

Long, long ago... Mary remembered entering kindergarten for the first time. The faces of the kids all revealed the same thing. Shock. It could have been due to her solid black eyes, or the holes on her neck, or maybe the fact she was currently biting her thumb. Regardless, Mary hid behind the teacher's skirt.

"Alright everyone, this is our newest classmate." She looked to the child, "Would you like to introduce yourself?"

"H-hi... I'm Mary."

A kid raised his hand.

"Yes Johnny?"

"Hey is she a vampire?!"

Mary looked at the blood dripping down her thumb. Terrified screams filled the room.

Later that day, Mary waited for the bus under the shade of a tree. A little girl approached.

"Mary, can you go into sunlight?"

Mary scowled as she walked towards the bus. Something hit her face, bursting into thousands of sparkles. Her eyes to slammed shut and mouth filled with dust. She tried to wipe the glitter away as the plastic bag drifted to her feet. A heavy impact on her back knocked her from her feet. Grey sidewalk replaced blue sky as waves of heat rolled up from her skinned elbow.

Silhouetted by the sun, the little girl lowered one arm, but kept the other up to point and giggle. The boy that had been hidden behind Mary joined in laughing.

"Look! She sparkles in sunlight!" He shouted.

They ran away giggling. Both their images wavered and blurred as tears fell onto Mary's bleeding arm.

When Mary got on the bus, all the seats where taken except for one. The seat at the very back of the bus. The ratty, ripped velvet chair with a sharp metal spring poking out. On the seat was a silver cross and a few cloves of garlic. Mary swept them aside and stayed silent the entire ride home.

Mary stood on the empty sidewalk, no person visible for miles, before the bus's smog filled her lungs with its departure. Fire ate away at her throat with each cough, while ants crawled under her skin. Her anxiety was high enough, but being unable to breath shot it up tenfold. She regained her breath as the smoke dispersed, revealing the dying cat on the side of the road.