Siblings of the Deep (Book 1)

Chapter 8: R

Alexa's bow in media center

Alexa's P.O.V (!!!)

I clutched my golden bow so hard my fingers began to ache. I could only watch dully as the she-demon advanced on my friend for the killing blow. I screamed as Mormo brandished her double-sided sword. Mormo grinned wickedly, "At last, retched girl, redemption!"

Merideth closed her eyes, as if accepting her fate. No! Merideth, fight! Run! I willed my thoughts to travel to Merideth. Even if my thoughts had magically reached the daughter of wisdom, she wouldn't be able to do anything. She was too injured. A tear slid down my cheek. Life wasn't fair.

I dropped my backpack on the ground. "Mom," I called, "I'm home!" My mom appeared in the doorway, her warm, grey eyes filled with despair. She was clutching a few envelopes tightly. She smiled, "How was school, my love."

My eyes darted around the room, my ADHD was extremely vexatious. "It was fine, just got into a small fight, that's it."

My mom's eyes filled with worry, "Who was it? Why did it happen? Oh, my love." She broke down crying. I now understood what those envelopes were, bills we couldn't pay. My anger grew for the father I never knew. He could've helped us. But he was too stuck in his own pig-headedness. I snorted to myself; he probably didn't even notice I existed.

"We'll get through this, we always do." My mother whispered, her sobs quieting. My mom was the smartest, kindest woman in the world. She deserved the world, not some jerk like my dad. My mom always told me my dad was a good man; he was just very important and busy. This, in not sugar-talk meant that my dad didn't give a crap about me or my mom.

My mom worked at a fast-food restaurant on Fridays and Tuesdays. On the other days she worked as a rookie journalist. I had told my mom time and time again, 'I could get a job as a newspaper girl.'

She always replied with the same thing, 'Rest my love, for as a child that is all you must do. My worries are not yours, worry not, my love.'

My mom sighed, "Alexa, my dear, go play basketball. I shall figure this out." I gave my mom one last look, and then walked out of our small apartment, shutting the door.

My memory only lasted second in the real world, minutes in the past. Ariel had tears streaming down her face. James was holding her back, his face the epitome of regret. In a desperate fit I pushed Asher away, stringing my bow. I released an arrow. It whistled past. It passed straight through Mormo's heart, she didn't even notice. It impaled itself in a wall.

A sob escaped my lips, it was over. Merideth was gone. Just like Cearo.

I ran out of the door, thundering down the steps of the small, rundown building. I hated the small, one bedroom apartment. Its stone walls, the soft, black couch I slept on every night. I hated the small bedroom my mom was forced to sleep in. She deserved better. But I still took every chance I got to get out of the apartment.

All it reminded me of was my mother's heartbreak. She gave everything to him, everything. He left her with a baby to raise alone. My mom had to drop out of her senior year in college, giving up her dream of being a chef. My mom was never rich, just middle-class, run-of-the-mill.

My mother's beautiful. Her light brown hair cascaded down her back in natural waves. Her grey eyes were always warm and welcoming. Her eyes, god her eyes, so full of heartbreak and pain. The kind of pain you see in someone's eyes when they lost someone...