This Lawless Love [wlw]

Chapter Twenty One: The Awakening

It was strangely cold when Almenira awoke. The hairs on her skin stood up, chilled to the touch, and her shoulders gave an involuntary shake upon opening her eyes.

Shivering, she sat up and blinked out the stinging sensation that greeted her. When her body got adjusted, so did her mind and a blanket of dread that only further chilled her bones wrapped around her.

As a child she always feared Murphy's Law. It was her own fearful superstition equivalent to getting coal from Santa if she was naughty, or bad luck for 7 years if she broke a mirror, or having her feet swept. She feared Murphy's law the most because there was nothing you could do to protect yourself. You'll get absolutely fucked over because well, that's just the way life can go. And the worst possible thing that could have happened to her at any point in her entire life happened about 12 hours ago.

In just 12 hours her already sorry life was ruined. And although ashamed in herself to admit it, the whole night with Claudia seemed like the worst part. She had spent what seemed like hours pouring her soul out through tears and swallowed sobs before she fell into a sleep that was deep and dreamless. She still felt far away from the world and wished that where ever she had cried her soul out to, it would return.

She drew the cotton soft comforter closer and waited in silence for minutes longer. The world outside sounded annoyingly normal. Sighing deeply to her core, she ceased drawing patterns into the sheets and swung out of the bed. The foreign bedroom seemed unwelcoming. It felt like the drawer's, Claudia's drawers, stung her for her audacity. The mirror, Claudia's mirror, mocked her bashful reflection. "How dare you stay among her presence, you irreverent degenerate. How dare you think there could ever be a chance."

But where else could she escape to? If Melhearst wasn't far enough, could anywhere be? She brushed her teeth in the on-suite, which wasn't any warmer than the bedroom, and combed wet fingers through her hair, carefully pulling apart each intricately entangled curl. She braided her hair neatly in two, making sure to grab every stray strand and wrapping them in tightly. Upon reaching the very tips of her hair, Almenira began thinking of what else she could do to waste the day away while she rotted inside out.

The only things she could think of logically doing next was to return all the calls on her phone or she could go out there and face Claudia. So of course, she dried her hands quickly before scurrying back to bed, scrambling for her cell.

Almenira scrolled through the call list highlighted in urgent red. Mom, Russo, Russo, Russo, Russo, Mom, Russo, Russo, Russo, Mei-Song. Relief, almost a foreign sense, flourished within the girl. Each ring that passed unanswered snipped away at the newfound warmth before finally, a frantic hello brought it back full force.

"Oh, Mei..."

"Almenira, oh my God! Are you okay!?"

"I'm okay. I wasn't home at all when it happened."

"What happened?"

"Gas leak, I'm pretty sure." Almenira sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she recollected the words of the fire marshall she was able to hold on to.

"Thank God you weren't there, what the hell! Wow, I need to start going to church more."

Alemenira wasn't sure if then was the time to tell Mei-Song that if one of God's names was Claudia Antonik then she would go right along with her.

"Wait where are you? Why didn't you pick up! I was about to vomit from worry." Her friend continued on, her tone growing increasingly
Chastising now that she knew Almenira lived to see another day with all her limbs intact.