20 Oct 2024, 00:08
The Weight of Shadows
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| xxxxxxxx | Silence. Heavy, thick, unbearable silence. Crushing her like those monsters she read about, deafening her as if someone covered her ears, climbing inside of her, rotting inside of her. Staring at her hands, she was still. Maybe if she didn't move at all, maybe she would wake up, and realise all of this was just another of her bad dreams. What am I doing here ? Two days ago, Elena had witnessed what she thought would be the end of her family, a huge fight that had taken place in the Thornes' House, between her grandparents and her father. She couldn't really understand the trigger of this disagreement, but it had resulted in her in this car with her grandparents, a peace offering to prove they do care about her. A burden. Regina made it very clear. They both thought their granddaughter was an idiot, that they could say things without her understanding. But she did. And it hurt more than she would like to admit. I don't need them either way. Lies. She tried so hard to win them over, and she failed everytime. Imperceptibly sighing, she shifted on her seat, winning a warning glance from her grandmother. "Stop fidgeting," she spat. "It's as if children don't know how to behave anymore these days." Those last words were added in a scoff, exchanging a knowing gaze with her husband. Gaze Elena did caught. They had been waiting for so long. And the couch was not even that comfortable. The mansion made Elena uneasy, nervous. The cliff on which it was standing was breathtaking, but the manor muffled her senses, and brought back that familiar feeling in her stomach. Apparently, they were here to visit a family's friend's library, information that made Elena's eyes sparkle when Alaric told her. Yet there they were, waiting. Elena didn't know anything about etiquette, but it must have been very rude, given by how indignant Regina looked. Is it because I'm here ? Her grandparents had made it very clear that her simple presence could already cause trouble, but that they didn't have a choice. She was supposed to stay silent and invisible. Not seen, not heard. A ghost. I can do that. Finally, a loud rumbling was heard on the other side of the wooden doors. All three of them getting up, they watched the large panels open themselves, revealing an imposing man and a child. Alaric immediately walked over to him, extending a hand. "Ah, Renatus !" He laughed while shaking his hand firmly. "Long time no see, old friend." The man - Renatus - had wavy black hair, with small silver strands on the sides, and deep blue eyes. Elena shivered when those sapphires landed on her, his expression immediately dropping to pure disdain. "Alaric," he smiled, but that smile didn't felt authentic. "I didn't know your family was so... open minded." Venom. Venom dripping from his mouth, venom that made Elena's eyes sting. Blinking a few times, she looked at Regina for help. Rookie mistake, she immediately cracked a cold laugh. "Our son's daughter. You remember, him, don't you Renato ? He insisted that we spend time with her." Very clear message, then. Looking down at her shoes, she felt every gaze in the room on her. Stupid, she felt stupid in that pretty blue dress, with her pretty hair and her pretty words. Her grandparents made it very clear that she imposed herself on them. Could she even call them her grandparents ? Or her "father's parents", as they called her. Looking up, fighting the tears, she met cornflower eyes. Mocking cornflower eyes. The boy's expression could only be qualified as smug. With straight black hair, he stood taller than her, he was maybe a couple of years older. He stared at her, across the room, condescending. |
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Last edited by Elena Clark on 4 Dec 2024, 15:23, edited 5 times in total.
| ❝ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧-𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤, 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥.❞ ☘︎ STAFF ACCOUNT ; ᴍᴀʟᴀɪᴋᴀ ᴏᴍᴇɴᴜᴋᴏ |
16 Nov 2024, 13:11
The Weight of Shadows
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tw !! slight use of violence / mean words / panic attack
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| xxxxxxxx | The young girl stood straighter, as the man's viper eyes scanned her, disdain clearly marking his traits. Elena was still young, but she learned to discern when insults were disguised as compliments, or advices. Venom was dripping from his mouth, and she dug her nails into her skin as it burned, sinked all over her. Keeping her mouth shut, she only stared back, a spark of defiance lingering in her eyes. She felt a sense of pride as he talked about her father, it was a radical change from the terms her grandparents speaks of him and his wife. That spark quickly shut down, replaced by a burning sensation. She knew better than to raise her voice, but she couldn't stop her fists from clenching. Hearing the same story many times doesn't make it more enjoyable. Her anger got caught in her throat when Renatus's gaze fell on her. He had the type of eyes that freezes you into place, like thorns stretching around you, depriving you from speaking. Not lowering her eyes, she couldn't help but have a spark of fear as she stood his gaze. She knew too well what he thought of her. I'll prove him wrong. I'll prove them all wrong. Her teachers said she was gifted for her age, but she intended to be far more than just good. Determination flood in her veins, and would carry her to the very top, until she looks down of them with the same disdain they first gave her. She had a storm raging inside of her. Her fingers twitched as the large wooden doors closed behind the adults, trapping her inside. Surprisingly, it was at this moment that she noticed that no matter how unpleasant it was, her grandparent's presence gave her a small refuge from this haunting place hid behind pretty walls. The room felt paradoxically smaller, as if the walls were slowly closing, suffocating her. Taking a small breath, she faced the boy left here with her. Inside the lion's cage. Exactly how she felt, small mouse staring at the cat with brave yet frightened eyes, wondering if he's going to play before catching her. A twitch in the boy's mouth gave the answer away, as he casually leaned against a nearby pillar. The silence was heavy, thickening as the seconds flew away. Within her dark blue eyes swirled a mix of fear and defiance - frightened dear looking at the car. Muffling a snicker, Androkinos unfolded his crossed arms, walking up to her. Elena flinched - every single muscle of hers begged her to run away. Yet the blonde haired girl tilted her chin, shooting him a nasty glare. "Still here, little mutt ?" He drawled, voice dripping with mockery. "I thought they'd decided to toss you out with the scraps." Elena's jaw tightened, but her expression didn't wavered. Refusing to let the word sting, she scoffed. "Big talk for someone left behind," she retorted. "Didn't they think you were good enough to join them ?" The spark of satisfaction ignited in her chest was short lived, as Androkinos's expression shifted to something darker. His boots clicked against the marble floor, as he circled her. Nails biting through her palms, she refused to let her heartbeat quicken. But the boy had an unsettling aura, one that invaded you like smoke, making you choke. "Ah, a tongue." He clicked his own, condescendance was the only way to describe his tone. "How precious. I didn't realize half-bloods had a sense of humour." He stopped right in front of her, looking down at the scum parasitizing his manor. "Tell me, little stray, how does it feel to know you're only standing here out of pity ? Or perhaps guilt ?" Snarling, he turned around, slowly pacing around the expensive furniture. Running a hand on the back of a grandfather's clock, its wooden design screaming opulence, he turned his head back with a mocking expression. "You don't belong here. You never will." The words cut deep, and the young girl clenched her fists. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, nails biting down in her palms. "I've heard worse," she affirmed - but her voice slightly trembled. Snarling, he mindlessly tossed a complicated gadget in the air, before catching it again. "From people who mattered more than a arrogant peacock with nothing better to offer than cheap words, all to mask the fact he's desperately trying to prove he's actually worth something." She saw the flinch, the shift, around the middle of her sentence. He froze, putting down the plaything he's been tossing, before slowly turning towards her. Uh oh. Stepping back, the blonde haired girl felt fear slowly creeping inside of her. "Let me make something very clear," he hissed, walking up to her until their faces were mere inches apart. "You can try to climb as high as you want, but you'll always be beneath me. You're dirt, half-blood." She flinched, his words reopening wounds that never got the time to heal. She felt hundreds of hands gripping her, thousands of voices whispering in her ears. Scum, stain, disgrace. Disappointment. Shaking her head, fighting the urge to pin her hands on her ears, she stepped back, breath erratic. A satisfied smile slowly crept on Androkinos's face, as he leaned back. "You talk a lot for someone who's afraid," she said, her voice quieter. "Afraid ?" he echoed, his smug expression never wavering. "Yes," she replied, taking a step forward, fists clenched. "Afraid that no matter what you do, you'll never truly matter. Because deep down, you know your worth is only tied to your name - and nothing else." She spat the words out, years of rage unfolding. The room fell silent. His smile vanished entirely, replaced by a cold, dangerous gaze. His hand shot out, gripping her wrist and yanking her closer. "You have no idea who you're speaking to," he hissed. "I could crush you like the insect you are, and no one would care." He released her abruptly, letting her stumble back a step. "You're nothing more than a stain on your family." The shadows were back, screaming in her ears. Her hand trembled, and her entire body followed. He watched her crumble with a look of triumph. "What's wrong, mutt ?" He asked, voice as poisonous as silk. "Finally learning your place ?" "I-" She tried to talk but her voice broke, and she hated herself for it. Androkinos's laugh was the final crack on the already thin ice Elena's been walking on. Her feet moved before she could stop them, the storm she's been concealing raging. Her boots striked the marble with floor with loud, frantic echoes. "Running away already ? How predictable." His voice seemed to follow her, mocking. She shoved the heavy doors open, rushing in the corridor, breathing erratic. Suffocating, she bursted into an empty room, and crumbled against the cold wall. Tears were strolling down her cheeks now, hot and angry, the opulent tapestries blurring before her. Burring her face in her hands to muffle her cries, spasms kept shaking her small frame. Her thoughts were running wild, and the shadows lingered at her feet. All she could do was cry her anger, cry her desperation, cry her bitterness. The weight of the shadows was heavy on her shoulder, gently whispering abominations in her ear. Freak. |
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| ❝ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧-𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤, 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥.❞ ☘︎ STAFF ACCOUNT ; ᴍᴀʟᴀɪᴋᴀ ᴏᴍᴇɴᴜᴋᴏ |