What Lies Beyond?

chapter 1...

You're probably a bit confused. Unless, of course, you skipped the prologue, in which case you're probably completely okay. If that's you, by the way, please go read the prologue, it'll make everything make more sense. Or maybe less. Who knows!

Venus is an adolescent, thin, pale, confused, and sad teenager who hates her family and doesn't talk to anyone. Sounds delightful, don't you think? I promise she'll grow on you. Or maybe she won't. She doesn't grow on a lot of people, but maybe you're different. 

Her hair is long and stringy, a light auburn color, one that she dislikes very much. Her eyes are a mossy green with flecks of gold and blue, her most desirable trait. Her face is plastered with freckles, trailing over her small nose and her slightly-too-large forehead and all down her neck and frail body, covering every last inch of her. She's beautiful in her own unique way, even though she didn't always see it that way.

—

Venus awoke late into the afternoon on a typical day. When she finally got her eyes to open, they were automatically dragged back down, the bright sunlight coming through her thin curtains and directly onto her face. Her eyes still closed, she flipped herself over onto her stomach and covered her head with her white sheets, and let her eyes open that way, first adjusting to what light came through the sheets, and then she'd deal with the light above them. After a few minutes, she slowly uncovered her face and sat up in the bed, bunching her blankets around her waist. She gazes at the familiar room, orienting herself. Her tall windows to her right, closet to her left, and desk directly in front of the bed. Portraits of her family members and herself hang on three of the four walls and books upon books are strewn across the floor. She should pick those up. She's not going to pick them up. Her eyes slowly make their way to the far corner of the room, to her door. She comes to the realization that it is open. And... is that?

She yelps as she sees the face of James, her brother's best friend and guard to her castle, leaning against the door frame.

"You," he points at her as she scurries to wrap her long, silk robe around herself, "fell asleep with your makeup on."

She stares at him blankly and proceeds to make her way over to her mirror to stare into her own eyes. Her face is smudged with black streaks of assorted mascara, eyeliner, and whatever else she put on her face the day before. She groans and looks back at the boy who has, apparently, invited himself into her room and is now bending over to pick up one of the books on her floor.

"Why are you here?" She looks at the boy, exasperated. He doesn't lift his eyes from the book.

"I love this author," he says, turning the work over in his hands and smiling to himself. "Nice choice."

"I hate that book," she says matter-of-factly, grabbing the novel from his hands and throwing it onto the bed, making eye contact with him once again. "Why are you here?" she repeats more insistently.

"Where's your brother? He's not in his room."

"How am I supposed to know? Check the garden, he's always out there," she turns away from the boy, opens her closet, and starts rifling through the clothes, trying to find something she doesn't hate. Her mother bought all of them. Eventually, she lands on a long, sage-colored dress to be paired with a decorative corset in the same color.

"Shoot, haven't looked there yet," he pauses, gets an idea. "Care to join me?" He holds out his hand and bows in an act of mock chivalry.

Surprised, Venus turns to the older boy. Again, she is surprised to see a genuine look on his face, as if he might actually want her to come with him. She really did not want to go outside today, but part of her wasn't opposed. She hated that part of her, she hated it so much, but unfortunately, that part of her lingered in her brain for too long.