THE CATALYST (UNEDITED)

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

She stared at the movement of the water from afar, as surfers battled against the waves like gladiators on an ever moving field, some victorious, others...well, not so much.
She took in a deep breath, as the smell of the sea brought back memories, trying to steer her beating heart to the redeem of it’s flow was useless, as it drew her instead to memories she hoped to one day fade away.

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She had been working for miles, putting as much distance as she could between her and the horror she’d been trapped in for months.

She was freezing as her arms went around herself in hopes to find a sense of warmth. How had she washed up to the shore? She didn’t know, the last thing she remembered, was drowning in darkness.
Starvation pushed at her, rendering her famished and as her belly muscles clinch, and unclench, at the slight thought of a warm meal to eat, she cried out in anger at the bad luck she had always had to endure.

It was late, or maybe too early, the moon held no light, not that she was complaining, it was both a welcome relief to be covered by darkness and a painful one to have no sense of direction as her feet greeted every pumped and raised platform.

Her eyes where gloomy from exhaustion but she was sure the roads where clear of pedestrian, although, she’d seen vehicles pass by a few times, it wasn’t an option as she was ill willing to take any chances and get trapped again or worse, taken back there. She’d been grateful they hadn’t realized she pulled a death con on them, she still can’t believe her plan worked.
For a moment she felt bad for the others she’d left behind, she had to get help, they had no time.

She walked a mile longer maybe two, she wasn’t sure, before stumbling upon houses.
She’d subconsciously taking roots that had led her too a quiet suburban neighborhood, all the houses looked exactly the same, like it usually does, white painted houses with the touch of burgundy, or so she thought, except for the decorations and garden placements. She had not the slightest idea where she was or could be. The only sound audible was the barks of dogs and the night air singing as it brought along the singing of birds. It was too cold a night for even the crickets.

As she passed by the front of these houses, she made very sure to avoid those ones with vicious dogs, she didn’t like dogs, she’d had her far share of them and never where they friendly, at list not to her.

She came to a halt in front of a random house, the exhaustion beginning to feel a little overwhelming. It was quiet, no dogs barked, of which she was thankful for, no sound came from the inside, it felt... familiar.

She had intended to have a little bit of rest on it's front porch and be on her way, but then she tripped on the stairs and as she caught herself by the handle of the door, it came open.

Every part of her went on high alert, she had been through so much to develop trust issues.

'This could be a trap!' Her brain kept telling her. She hesitated for a moment but the cold and hunger seemed to bite harder and the need for a warm place overrode her panic. With all sense of rationality gone she found herself walking in as quietly as she could.

It was a lovely home, it smelt foreign and rich, pictures of the residents family decorated the walls, a boy with baseball pants and a happy smile, wrestling a man in a field with a woman holding a picnic basket in one arm and dangling a white handkerchief in the other, caught her eyes, they looked happy.
She stood there a while, fantasizing on how things could have been different, if she was the boy in the picture.