Until The Tides Split

Prologue

June 14th 1898

It was a quiet day in London, England. The soft winds blew through the now blossoming tree's, making the leaves rustle and the pretty pink, white, and red flowers dance to the rhythm of the wind. The only sounds were the wind, the occasional chickadee, and maybe even a squirrel. Though, eventually, all that serenity must melt away.

"Tag! You're it!" A woman giggled, before running off. She lifted up the skirts of her lilac purple dress up just a little bit to run properly, making her pale brown hair fly into either her face or behind her. The young maiden looked to be in her early twenties, with a radiant white smile, and glowing tanned skin. She was much shorter than the woman that soon followed after her. This woman wore a pale green dress, her curly black hair pinned up underneath her straw hat. A slightly yellowed smile shone through her black skin, as she watched the shorter woman run off.

"Elizabeth! Slow down!" The tall black female shouted, directing this to the running girl who was presumably called Elizabeth. Elizabeth quickly came to a stop, looking back at the one who called her name. "Come now, Julia! Maybe it is not I that is running too quickly, but you who is walking too slowly!" Elizabeth retorted, earning an even greater smile from the taller dark skinned female.

"You're much too insensitive, Elizabeth. I walk at just the right speed for a lady. It is you that runs like a wild animal. No wonder you're not married yet!" Julia and Elizabeth shared a laugh together, both covering their mouths as it was very rude to show the whole world the inside of your mouth. "You aren't married either, Julia, so don't go picking straws with me!" This caused yet another burst of laughter from the woman, Elizabeth ending hers with a sigh.

The petite tan girl's smile faded into a small frown as soon as she had glanced down at her necklace, which had a small clock dangling from the chain. "Oh, Julia. I must leave you now. Papa would be awfully upset if I wasn't home by supper." Julia nodded in understanding, before she took a small step towards Elizabeth, and carefully cupped her hands in her own. "I understand, Beth." she whispered, before leaning down and giving the much smaller girl a kiss. Elizabeth didn't seem to mind, as she smiled into the kiss for a second, before pulling away with somewhat flushed cheeks. "Now, run home love. I'll see you tomorrow, yes?" Elizabeth nodded, quite excitedly, biting her bottom lip.

She slipped her hands out of Julia's, before running off, her skirts flying behind her as Elizabeth waved to Julia. Julia stood there for a few moments, sighing in content with her hand hovering right over her heart, before eventually leaving in the opposite direction to go to her own home.

***

"How dare you go out against my order to go to the park with-- With some negro! I thought I raised you better than this!" Elizabeth's father yelled, causing some of the floral paintings on the wall to shake. Elizabeth was seated on a sofa in the far corner of her bedroom, face buried in her hands as she sobbed violently. Her one beautiful lilac dress was stained with rum and was torn here and there, and her straight pale brown hair was now a knotted mess, uneven as well. "Not only did you go to the park with her, you allowed the beast to kiss you! Do you know what that means if that were to get out to the press?! I would be ruined!" Her father continued to scream, only making Elizabeth sob more.

She slid out of the sofa, onto the floor, before she crawled over to her Father's leg. Clawing onto it for dear life, scratching up his nice business pants just a bit, she looked up as him, tears streaming. She was an ugly crier, this is true, and it didn't help that her lipstick had smudged a bit. "Papa, please!" she cried, reaching up to his arm only to have her hand smacked away. "I swear I will not go out with Julia anym--"

"Julia?! You know that thing's name?! How many times have you been to the park with it?"

"... I've been sneaking out for half a year to see her." Elizabeth replied, her voice shaking violently like her form. Elizabeth's father was stunned for a moment, the information processing, before his eyebrows furrowed, his forehead wrinkling horribly. "I'm calling the police." was all he said, before he kicked Elizabeth off of him and stalked out of the room, slamming and locking it behind him in the process.

Elizabeth flew back a bit when she was kicked away, but soon scrambled herself up and ran to the door, banging her fists on it. "Papa! Papa no! Julia didn't do anything wrong! I wanted to do it all! Please, Papa, don't do this!" she screamed until her throat was dry and aching. She banged the door one last time, slowly sliding down it to the floor where she began to cry even harder.

"Julia..." she croaked out. "Julia." she repeated, realizing that after this she most likely wasn't going to see her beloved Julia for a very long time. A sudden fatigue hit her as she seemed to finally realize how long she was crying. She shut her eye's slowly, pouting. The last thing out of her lips before she succumbed to the darkness of sleep being, "Julia..."

***

Julia arrived home, the sun just beginning to set. Immediately she saw her mother frying up some fish, humming an old song she learned from when she was my age, or at least she says. I walk up to her and give her a small kiss on the cheek, grinning at the smell of the food. "Welcome back, Julia. Did you have fun with Elizabeth?" Julia's mother asked, reflecting her daughters smile. "Yes, Ma. She didn't freak out today when I gave her a little peck too!" Julia hummed, going to have a seat in a slightly splintering wooden chair. Most mothers would find Julia and Elizabeth's relationship horrifying, but Julia's mother actually loved the idea of their relationship, and even asked to meet Elizabeth to see who her daughter fancied so.

"Oh really, baby? That's a step up! You seeing her again tomorrow? I would love to see her again." Julia's mother spoke, as she flipped the fish with a simple wooden fork, causing some of the oils from the fish to pop. Julia nodded quite excitedly, chuckling. "Yes, Ma. Will we have enough fish left for her tomorrow? She says it's 10 times better than what her maid makes!"

"Yes, baby. Of co--" Suddenly the door of their house broke in half, falling to the floor. Two men from the nearby police station raced into the home and grabbed Julia by the arms, dragging her off the chair, making it clatter to the floor. Julia was shocked, dazed, as she noticed her Mom lunge from the stove to grab hold of both of her legs, pulling Julia back towards the home.

The police tugged harder, making Julia's mother fall over with a groan. Julia cried out, tears threatening to fall. "Ma! Ma!" Struggling in the officers hold, she winced in pain but didn't stop. Of course, her efforts didn't work very well as the men were much stronger than she. "What's happening?! Where are you taking me?!" she screeched, the police men only pulling her harder out of her childhood home. Right beside the door was... Elizabeth's father? She had never met the man, but had spotted him stalking her and Elizabeth.

He took a step towards Julia, his face very stern. "Julia. You are being sent to Canada, where you can never attack my daughter ever again. These men are going to be taking you to the next boat, and you're leaving London forever." Julia gaped, her mouth hanging open as she was dragged into the back of a police cart. Once the doors closed, she snapped out of it and peered through the bars. "I didn't attack Elizabeth! I did everything with her consent! Everything! I did nothing wrong! Let me go!" she pushed and pulled on the doors, making them rattle but they never opened.

As the horses began to lead the cart away, Julia saw her mother run out of her home and attempt to run after the cart, but only to be stopped by Elizabeth's father.

She screamed, tears streaming down her face. She never stopped screaming either.

Not when she was boarding the boat.

Not when she was in the middle of the ocean.

Not when she had even landed and was told to get off the boat.

So she screamed on the boardwalk. She stayed there and screamed, tears all dried up and no longer willing to fall.

So here she was. The Canadian Screamer.