Harridan
I: Darkness Rising

Kieran was shaking profusely in the passenger seat. The way she had been shaking for the entire dead silent drive. Magnolia killed the engine then bolted out of her car and towards the front doors. Sobbing, she all but leaped into his arms. Kieran looked down at her hands and peeled off her glove. The darkness was filling her fingers, and it made her cry all over again. She glanced out the window to see him and Magnolia coming her way, along with the flashing lights of the tow truck. The yellow lights’ brightness highlighted the contours of the huge house behind them.

She let herself out of the car, making straight for the tow truck, and ignored her mother and him. The trucker casually set the motorcycle in the double drive and Kieran paid him for his services with her helmet covering her blackened hand. She could hear Magnolia’s pedantic explanation with the man’s interjections to make sure they were okay. The smell of fire followed them from their house to this one and Kieran exhaled her deflation.

“Rie,” Magnolia called, raising her hands. With ballerina-like grace, she signed: this is James. "James, this’s my daughter, Rie,” Magnolia added out loud with a forced chuckle, failing at lightening the grim atmosphere. James held his hand out to her, but Kieran only pouted at his outstretched hand. “Come on,” Magnolia egged on, “you still have school in the morning.”

James shot her a weak smile as he welcomed them inside his house that was far too big for one person. The immediate thing that hit Kieran was that the foyer was rich with the scent of lavender. Everything was so pristine and sterile, even the mahogany banister that led them upstairs. Magnolia had an arm around Kieran while her and James’ conversation was muffled on Kieran’s ears.

The house was enormous, on the outside, and gargantuan on the inside. Magnolia brushed the huge curls out of Kieran’s face as they reached the top of the stairs. Feeling how cold Magnolia was a shock to Kieran and she looked to see how pallid her mother was. Nonetheless, the nurse held her composure and staggering smile. Her blonde hair was a contrast to Kieran’s bottomless black curls.

“Could I use the bathroom,” Magnolia whispered, though the abrupt sensory return made Kieran bristle.

“Of course, Maggie. You don’t need to ask. You live here, now,” James replied making Kieran do a double take. Magnolia kissed Kieran on the temple before darting elsewhere. James turned from her to Kieran and rested his hands in front of him. “Your room’s down here,” he continued then made further down the passage.

He made nothing of pushing the door open for her. Kieran’s stiff shoulders brushed passed him to take in the sterile hotel room. She looked around weakly as she set her helmet and backpack on the grey and white bed. More lavender filled the room, not matching the grey and blush pink colour scheme. Kieran eased her shoulders, wiping away her tears. At snail’s pace, she peeled of her motorcycle jacket and cast it alongside her helmet. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The bedroom was very Blaine-styled room lost its charm from the blackness tinting her skin more and more. The decorative pillows and the blanket that was in the same blush pink would have driven Blaine up a giddy wall. She looked to her bare hand to see the darkness spreading down to her palm. She tucked her hand closer to her chest.

“If you want,” James began, making her go rigid, “you can decorate the room...” Kieran spun on her heel and charged to the door “... however you want and--” she slammed the door shut and leaned against it. The streaks of tears and eyeliner messed her face worsened with a sniffle. Kieran pursed her lips as she sucked in a breath.

She heard Magnolia’s specific footfalls return along with James’ sigh. “Hey,” she whispered. “Don’t take it personally. She’s a bit of a hermit.”

“I’m not,” James answered coolly. “I can only imagine how world-flipping this is. Not just meeting mom’s new man but abruptly moving in with him?”

Kieran sniffled then took off her other glove to see the darkness equally spread over her hands. It came together in a black misty ball that hovered over her palms. That same power that escaped her and blew up their house. Kieran relived the blaze on her skin, trapping her and Magnolia. Tears ran through her closed eyes, hearing the blood-curdling screams; smelling the char; the blur in her vision. Swiftly thereafter, there was nothing, nothing at all. It made her blood boil and her eyes burst open. The shadows that encapsulated her hands now matched her eyes:

Her irises and her sclera were completely black.

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