The Aziza Chronicles: Awakening

Chapter 1 (unedited)

I fought through an onslaught of exhaustion, sipping a mug of my mother's good coffee. The expensive kind she doesn't even offer company. I didn't want my lack of rest to be noticeable. I had been deprived of sleep lately and it was starting to take its toll. Ache splintered across my body. A constant assault weighing on me like a harsh gravity. Thankfully an expert use of makeup hid the bags under my eyes.

I wore a cream-colored lace dress. The soft fabric traveled down my arms creating semi see-through sleeves. It was tight above the slim brown belt but loose and flowing below and it stopped just below my knees allowing my legs to feel the cold air's embrace. I fixed my hair so the curls framed my face, bringing the strands in front of my ears.

Dressing to impress for the first party of the year was a high school ritual. You had to look good in order to set the tone for the year. It also prevents waves of judgment from the hierarchy. It was unspoken but legally binding. High school is both spiritual and political; if you don't conform you're screwed.

I glanced into the mirror, just for a moment, to do a last minute check. I was fidgeting with the coils of my hair, annoyed with how much I cared, when there was a sudden movement behind me.

My eyes widened, fear swelling as I saw a man's form in the glass. I wanted to turn and run but found my body iced with fear and curiosity. He began to move closer, quickly and violently. I turned to face him although my every instinct told me to run. His piercing red eyes rushed at me, I shut mine as two hands slapped on my arms. The burning force of the assault tightened my lungs, forcing them to fight for air. My arms felt like they were breaking under his tightened grip.

The pain left me as quickly as it came. I opened my eyes and the man was gone. I sat on the edge of my bed, trying to regain my breath. I was hesitant to get up and look around for a way to understand the insanity I had experienced, out of fear that the man might still be there. But I did it anyway.

I dragged myself up to my feet and looked around, slowly, trying to prepare myself for whoever might be there. There was nothing. I was alone. My lack of sleep was starting to make me see things. My nightmares were bleeding into my waking life, and that was scarier than anything I could imagine. I shook it off as best I could and made my way outside.

Chris leaned against his car, in the same tee-shirt and jeans he'd worn to school earlier, making me feel way overdressed. The night sky supplied a nice backdrop for him: at this moment, he looked like he could be an advertisement for overpriced cars. Expensive cars were rare in Green Haven, and Chris took advantage of his. It was a gift from his uncle, who lived in New York, running a fancy car dealership. The car made Chris a hero within our school. Personally, I never understood everyone's fascination. It was just a car. But it was nice to have a friend held in high esteem.

He impatiently tapped his foot as I struggled to walk in the shoes I'd borrowed, which were a size too big. "Come on, we still have to grab Hanna," he said, opening the back door for me.

"About that, you have to promise you won't make fun of her," I commanded as he began to drive the short distance to her house. "Her sister completely took over, and she's not exactly looking like herself."

"I really don't care," he told me. "I just want to get there already!"

We arrived at her house and patiently waited outside. Before he could start complaining, there was movement at the house.

Hanna emerged clad in a white, sleeved dress which was gorgeously embroidered with gold that glittered as she walked. Her long legs extended freely underneath the short, round skirt that swished to-and-fro with every step. The gold sequin heels that her sister included with the dress were almost blinding. The illumination of the full moon, reflecting off of the gold detail made her glow in the night. Her blonde hair was framed around her face in a short, wispy bob.