Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Journey

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Lyssa sighed as she settled into her seat in the airplane by the window, grateful that her seatmate hadn't arrived yet and she had time to collect herself. Impatiently shoving her dark brown bangs out of her face as they fell in front of her eyes once more, she buckled the seat-belt and prepared for a very long trip to England. Leaning back against the headrest, she closed her eyes wearily, only to open them again as her smartphone buzzed in her purse. Unzipping the bag and pulling it out, she glanced at the screen and bit her lip as she saw the caller.

Her mother was calling her. She must've finally realized that Lyssa had been gone for the last two days.

She hesitated for a minute, contemplating just tossing it back in her bag, but decided to answer one more time before saying goodbye for good. Maybe... maybe she could end things on a better note? Maybe this time, her mother was actually worried about her? Despite herself, she felt a faint hope beginning to build in her heart. Trying to tamp it down before it could grow too big - or even grow at all - she swiped her finger across the answer icon, and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" she answered cautiously.

Her mother's angry voice emanated from the phone, making her wince as the last remnants of her hope crumbled into dust like all her other dreams of her mother ever acting like her mom again. Like the caring woman Lyssa remembered from her childhood.

Like the woman who had disappeared when her father died as if she had never existed in the first place.

"Alyssa Mae Devons, where are you? I just checked my bank account and found that over ten thousand dollars have been withdrawn! What have you done?"

Lyssa pressed her lips together, fighting back the urge to cry for some stupid reason. She'd known her mother would be more concerned about the money than her. She'd known that her mother didn't really care about her at all.

And yet she'd still hoped.

Swallowing down the bitter feelings of frustration and hurt, she forced herself to remain calm, reminding herself that this was the last time she would have to deal with this. She'd sworn to herself that she'd be strong this time, that she wouldn't go back anymore. And after what had happened... she couldn't. She wouldn't.

Hopefully.

"The ten thousand dollars were mine, Mother," she responded quietly, grateful that by some miracle her voice remained steady. "The only reason it was in there in the first place was because you'd convinced me that we needed to pool our money to have enough to survive off of, and I know that you've been taking money out of it for your own things. I didn't even take everything that was mine. You can keep the rest. I won't need it anymore."

"You ungrateful child!" her mother fumed. "After everything I gave up for you, everything I suffered through to raise you, this is how you repay me? Where are you?"

Lyssa looked around, raising an eyebrow at the large wings visible outside the window and all the passengers slowly boarding the plane and settling into their seats. "I mean, it looks like a plane to me, but... I could be wrong," she muttered sarcastically. "So don't worry. You won't have to be bothered about 'sacrificing' yourself for me anymore. Not that you ever did in the first place, so it shouldn't be too hard for you to adjust," she added with just a hint of spite.

"A plane?" her mother repeated shrilly. "And just where do you think you're going that you'd waste all that money on a plane ticket? You know how strapped we are for cash! How could you do this to me? My only daughter - how could you abandon me so cruelly?" she demanded, letting her voice wobble as though she were speaking through tears.

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