EMBERS : the umbrella academy [2] [COMPLETE]

DAY 365

     A YEAR HAD NEVER PASSED SO SLOW. The worst part was, Carla couldn't recall any distinguishable things that had happened.

     Days rolled into weeks that rolled into months that rolled into a blur of a year.

     Every day seemed to be like the previous. She would try to sleep surrounded by other squatters in order to stay safe, but that wasn't always possible.

     Those nights where Carla was alone, she would get very little sleep - too paranoid due to Day 47.

     It kept her awake at night, the haunting flashes of what happened to her when she had tried sleeping in a deserted alley alone.

     The pain she felt, the pure panic, the undescribable feeling of being filthy, no matter how hard she scrubbed at her skin.

     That night had changed her for the worst - Carla was aware of that fact at least - and even eleven months later, it still haunted her every resting moment.

     Surviving by herself had been rough. She had moved around Dallas every few weeks in order to remain a shadow to most.

     Stealing food was the easiest way to access a meal, and Carla found herself forming new habits; slipping a pack of cigarettes into her pocket, a bread roll under her large shirt, a tin of some sort in the waistband of her trousers.

     She rarely got caught, but when she did, she simply outran whoever was chasing her.

     During the year she had spent on the streets, Carla had rarely spoken to anyone, and she had used her powers only a few times.

     Although she had moved on from wearing her pink rubber gloves, Carla was still wary about her abilities, especially due to what happened in 2019.

     She had unlocked a completely new part of herself, and while it was incredibly liberating, it also caused the apocalypse.

     She couldn't risk hurting innocent people, or being seen and consequently locked up by the government or something.

     Carla walked down the street, her boots heavy on her feet. They weren't the combat boots she was used to, and they were a size too big, but they were far better than the bowling shoes she had arrived in.

     She spotted a small convenience store and walked inside, roaming the aisles as casually as possible. Grabbing a pack of Marlabo's, she shoved them up her sleeve, before moving on to the bread section.

     There was a small loaf that caught Carla's eye, the crust a golden brown, and surely she could treat herself to a larger meal this time-

     She had grabbed it in attempts to hide it under her shirt, when a voice called out, "Hey!"

     Carla startled, and she instantly bolted from the store, pushing a man out of the way in her haste.

     "Come back!"

     She didn't listen, instead running out the door and down the street as fast as possible, clutching the loaf to her chest.

     Her feet slammed on the paving as she weaved between concerned pedestrians, heart pounding in her chest.

     She whirled a corner-

     "Shit!"

     Carla knocked straight into two figures, stumbling to the floor, the loaf flying from her grasp and falling on the paving.

     "Bloody hell," a woman's voice said cheerfully from above her, a distinct London accent in her tone, "Are you okay?"

     She looked up to see the two people she had crashed into, and paused. They were rich.

     The woman had platinum blonde hair curled in tight ringlettes, and was wearing a dress made of what appeared to be an expensive looking silk.

     She wore a corset over the top of her dress, cinching in the waist, before layers of tulle and chiffon fell around her legs in a large skirt. Carla noticed the diamond necklace that glinted against her neck, catching the light as it shone.

     The man was standing a few inches taller, with a greying moustache and hair parted down the middle, wearing what seemed to be an equally expensive suit.

     His pocket hankerchief was the same shade of ruby as the woman's lipstick, and he was holding a cane in his left hand, the top of it made from engraved silver.

     "I'm sorry," Carla breathed out, instantly fearing that they would use their power to have her arrested, "I'm so sorry."

     Upon seeing her face, the pair looked at each other with expressions Carla couldn't quite decipher.

     "Not to worry, love," the man was the first to break the couples strange silence, also speaking with an accent, "You're the one who fell. Are you okay?"

     Carla paused, "Uh, yeah. I think so."

     Her gaze drifted to the bread, that had fallen in a puddle and she couldn't hide the slight cinch of her brows.

     The couple exchanged another look, before the woman spoke up.

     "You're not from around here, are you?"

     Unsure how to reply, Carla hesitated for a second, "Not really."

     "And you're here by yourself, aren't you?"

     Scared, Carla just nodded dumbly.

     "Well, we can't have a lovely lady like yourself living in such a way, can we, Quentin?"

     The man - Quentin, she assumed - smiled at the woman fondly.

     "Not at all, Marie," he agreed, before turning to Carla, "Would you like to come back to our house? We have a spare room - several, actually - and can give you a proper meal and clothes. Only if you want to, of course."

     The woman, Marie, looked down at Carla expectantly, outstretching her hand for the girl to take, "What do you say?"

     From her spot on the floor, Carla noted that Marie's hands were clad in fishnet gloves. She regarded it for a few seconds, considering everything.

     Even if these people weren't to be trusted, Carla had enough faith in her powers to defend herself. She coild probably burn them each to a crisp if needs be.

      But she was desperate, really, and their promises were sounding more than tempting.

     Carla reached up and clasped Marie's hand, getting to her feet.

     "Sounds like a plan."

     Quentin and Marie shared an excited grin, and the former shrugged off his outer jacket to drape over her shoulders.

     Marie smiled warmly at Carla, and as the teen walked off, she started to see the sun peek through from behind grey clouds.

a/n: look at me posting every night    😌💅 ur fav could NEVER.

n e ways GUYS we've met the wilsons im so EXCITED!!! they were supposed to be minor characters at first, but i literally fell in love with them so wanted to incorperate them into the plot a bit more

in order to decide what their backstory would be, i literally wrote eight options on a piece of paper and spun a pen so whatever it landed on would be what i wrote lmfao im very professional 😹

i really hope you guys end up liking them and their roles throughout the fic!

much love!!! MWAH!