Chosen One Gone Wrong (Villains & Monsters #1)

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Super short chapter. It does mention things like drinking and a bit of self-loathing. Please proceed with caution. Love you. -Rae

Her legs were sore from running.

Exhausted, she crumbled to the ground, desperately gulping down air into her deprived lungs as she glanced at the shadows behind her. Above being afraid, she was hurt and tired. So damn tired and in so much pain.

She ran from it for years it seemed, trying to escape its cold, inevitable grip and ignore its constant, taunting whispering. But it never let up. It always chased her, waiting for her to crumble and waiting for her to stop.

And when it caught up to her, she didn't scream, cry or thrash.

She closed her eyes and finally gave up.

-----

Her body was hot, even despite the mini burn-out she had earlier. Sore, but hot. She felt the ice in her veins working to cool her down.

Slowly, Daija opened her eyes and sat up from her bed, stripping off the heavy layers she put on earlier. The clock on her nightstand read a little after five o'clock. She was only asleep for a couple of hours. Despite it being cloudy, the evening sky was still visible. The snow was still falling heavily, but the winds have slowed down drastically.

When she was just in a bra and underwear, she sighed as she rested back against her headboard, reaching beside her bed to grab the bottle of wine she left there, only to frown when she saw that it was practically empty.

Whatever. She needed something stronger anyway.

Two extra bonuses of catastrophic powers: You last really long during sex and your tolerance for alcohol is through the roof, she thought as walked to the bathroom.

She swished some mouthwash in her mouth to get rid of the weird taste in her mouth. Still, she felt that pent up energy, even though she had the biggest outburst of her entire life not even a few hours ago. She put her hair into a quick ponytail then went back into her room to put some different clothes on.

After digging through her closet, she found her winter boots that were good for walking in the snow, and a jacket that was best suited for winter. Once she was ready, she stuffed her wallet and keys into her pocket before leaving her apartment. She decided to leave her phone.

-----

She knew that she didn't need the jacket, but walking outside without one would make her look suspicious. As she walked on the sidewalk, she took in the chill on her skin and the thick snowflakes that fell from the sky.

Some of the people of downtown Kunross were out and enjoying their unexpected snow day. In a field, children were running around and laughing as they threw snowballs, some with their parents. She watched as a young boy giggled as he made a snowman with his mom and dad.

As he unfastened his own scarf to put it around the snowman, he struggled because of the height. His dad lifted him up -- and placed a kiss on his cheek while he did -- so he could adjust it better, and his mom laughed as she tenderly brushed the loose snow from his face. Both of them stared at him with so much love in their eyes.

They saw him as their son, their adorable baby boy, and not a project.

The sight of it bruised her more than she thought it would, and she put her hood up as she continued walking, reminding herself that such a thing was never meant for her.

She heard her father's voice in her head, "Project C is a failure and therefore she is fucking useless." then her mothers, "It's always going to be painful for you. I want you to remember this every time you think you deserve anything other than that."