Suddenly, a painful wince left her mouth as she was dropped onto the floor, her skin making contact with the cold floor. Although she avoided eye contact, she could see her backpack being dragged away from her.
Tears flowed down her cheeks when she...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Alina's eyes fluttered open when she heard shuffling in the room. Still tired, she reached over for a pencil on the end table, ready to defend herself from the intruder. It had only been 2 days since she moved in permanently with her Grandma after her father had been arrested. She quietly got up from bed to investigate the noise when suddenly something bounced across the room. Alina shrieked out loud and bounced back onto her bed, her eyes wide.
"Whatever little goblin thing you are, just know that I will not hesitate to stab your eyes out with my knife!" she threatened, turning the pencil around so the sharp lead was facing away from her. Stepping on her tip-toes, Alina walked to the other side of the bed, adamant that whatever she saw was hiding down there.
A short scratching sound could be heard under the bed and in surprise, Alina dropped the pencil, the pencil clanking against the wooden planks until it finally laid on the ground silent. As if her bedroom was a crime scene, Alina scanned the room before bending over to pick up the fallen weapon.
Her fingertips touched the pencil when suddenly a small, furry creature pounced from under the bed, darting towards her body. With a silent crash, the creature placed its paws on her shoulders, a small "meow" escaping its mouth. She opened her eyes, watching as Leon got off her and walked back under the bed, continuing his scratching.
She sighed, getting up from the floor and dusting off her shorts, Alina walked over to the mirror. A frown emerged as she pulled on her bottom lip, wincing slightly from the pain. She pondered in front of her mirror for a while, not sure how to cover or make her swollen lips less obvious. Of course, her father had to give her one last blow to her lips when he heard the police knock on their door.
Not wanting to think of that day anymore, Alina walked over to her closet, each worn-out fabric holding a precious memory to her. She flickered through them, deciding to wear a hoodie with a large, red marvel graphic plastered in the middle.
She saw Leon from the corner of her eyes, his paws slapping at the pencil that was still on the floor. The cat jumped when he heard a strange growl coming from Alina's stomach and she giggled, kicking the pencil under the bed and walking downstairs to find her grandmother.
With every step she took, the sweet aroma of tea grew stronger along with her growing desire for food. Leon ran past her, meowing at something on the grey couch.
"Hey, lil guy."
Alina's eyes lit up and a smile emerged onto her lips, knowing too well who's voice that belonged to. Following in Leon's 'footsteps,' she ran towards the couch, jumping onto him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Luc!" she beamed, earning a chuckle from her long-term best friend. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer into his body. He crept his fingers up to her head, ruffling her hair which was somewhat messy.
"Looks like someone missed me?" he smiled as Alina nodded, her eyes trailing one of his many tattoos.
"When did you come?" she asked, cheerfully. Lucifer got up, Alina still in his arms, and he walked them to the kitchen. Carefully, he placed her on the counter and moved away to grab a bowl of chopped-up fruits. "Eh, just over 10 minutes ago," he said, popping a piece of mango in his mouth, "I can visit you more often since we live closer now," he continued after swallowing the fruit.
