The Neverseen's Last Resort

65

Sophie

Sophie had instantly regretted it the second she saw Keefe's eyes, already glossing over with tears. But it had been too late. Before she'd had the chance to open the door and apologize, the sound of stifled sobs could be heard, though silenced just as fast at the sound of the Ruewens' footsteps climbing the stairs to Sophie's room. 

And Sophie, hearing their footsteps and figuring Keefe must've already leaped away, scrambled into bed and prayed they wouldn't want to talk. She was so done with the day, and craved a night of dreamless silence. No drama, no worries, and no fights. Just. Silence. The thought floated around Sophie's mind, taunting her. But eventually, after hours, she found sleep. And while it was filled with bone-chilling nightmares of creepy figures in cloaks and white eyes that watched her every move, it was sleep nonetheless. And for that, Sophie was grateful. 

When she awoke the next morning, it was to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. Sophie extended her limbs in all directions, letting out an unnecessary yet somehow relieving groan as she stretched. Getting up, Sophie found her hair sitting atop her head like a bird's nest, tangled and knotted. Her eyes were shadowed and baggy, and she was paler than ever---that she remembered---but at least she was alive, not thanks to the monsters that had plagued her dreams. 

"Morning, kiddo." Grady beamed as Sophie made her way into the kitchen, not bothering to fix her appearance beforehand. Except for her bedhead, at least. That had to go. She hoped breakfast would give her the motivation to dress afterwards, but then again, when had she ever been so lucky? In the end, she'd probably have to force herself to do it, no matter how groggy she felt. 

"Good morning," Sophie mumbled, not sure how polite the Ruewens expected her to be. Though she was their daughter, she was still only adopted, and wondered if Old Sophie had been expected to be so polite. Considering her current personality, she figured Old Sophie must've obeyed every rule the Ruewens set, not wanting to upset them. So Sophie did the same. 

She sat down at the dining table and waited for both adoptive parents to seat themselves before she even moved to serve herself, which was in the most smallest of portions. She didn't ask for seconds, she didn't complain, and she ate everything off her plate---though the last part wasn't hard at all considering how delicious the meal was. Of course, she mentally slapped herself. Edaline and Grady already knew Sophie, so they knew her favorite foods. 

"Did you sleep well?" Edaline asked Sophie, her own eyes hinting at the late night both Ruewens must've had. Sophie swallowed her bite and shrugged. She was already dealing with enough drama; worrying the Ruewens would only add to everyone's stress.

"It took a while," she mumbled, only half telling the truth. "But I eventually fell asleep."

The couple shared a look, their expressions telling Sophie they were onto her. However, much to Sophie's appreciation, neither parent addressed that topic and finished their meal in silence. Sophie picked at her food, waiting until Grady had set aside his fork as to officially end the meal and dismiss everyone. 

"Why don't we all gather in the living room for a moment?" Edaline suggested. "I'm sure there's lots to catch up on---for all of us," she added, meaning the words for Sophie, who nodded. 

"The council has requested a meeting, and I don't know when I'll be back," Grady excused, taking everyone's dishes. "But you two can start without me, and I'll catch up later?" 

Edaline's hopeful smile fell, but she nodded. "Alright. Don't do anything too stupid without letting us know, okay?" 

Grady's smile went unreturned, and he laughed it off in an attempt to spare himself the awkwardness. It didn't work, and he disappeared into the light before anyone else could speak. The silence was killing her. Edaline lead them into the living room, where Sophie paused to gawk at the high ceiling with a glittering chandelier and pristine, soft-looking furniture. Edaline seemed to found her reaction amusing, seating herself in one of the armchairs. She nodded to another chair, and Sophie seated herself in an uncomfortable but formal-enough position.