Tap… tapp…tappp. Hm, he’s glaring at me again. I must be tapping my pen again. I don’t mean to. It’s just since… The Reaper. My anxiety is getting the best of me. I still don’t know who is going to be taken from me. It sucks knowing about it. I give him an apology smile, and he frowns at me. I guess an apology smile can only work for long. I can’t blame him for getting grumpy about it.
My AP English class wraps up, I stop at my locker to grab my bag and coat then head to the office to sign out for the day. It’s really nice that I only have one hour at high school to attend. I am glad I signed up for all the other college courses that I did. Sure I miss out on some Senior year things, but it’s fine. It gives me more time in the darkroom. I enter out the backdoors of the school to go to my car, and the brisk winter cold nips at my face and hands. I should have worn my gloves… It’s still a little icy out so I carefully move across the school grounds, across the driveway to the small school parking lot. I have a bad feeling about today. Maybe it’s just uncertainty still of who it will be or the fact that The Reaper wants to make me into one of its kind. A shiver runs down my back as I get in my car and start it.
I drive the short distance home. It’s Monday so I don’t have any classes today. I have some reading for Old English, going over some Seer notes, and stuff for my advanced photography class. I’ll probably just do those later, maybe I will see if Dad wants to play cards before doing some reading. I continue the car ride home, listening to the radio and singing along to a few of the greatest hits of now.
When I get home, I go through my normal routine of being greeted by my rare and best friend, Ember. She is a Dracu Drani Dragon. Boost, whom she loves to tease and bully, follows behind her for pets and loving too. He is a Pita Dragon and a super playful one at that. Ember has very soft furry scales. She is a rare breed, a very stubborn breed too. However, she is the ying to my yang. Pita scales are smooth, like a polished rock. He’s a big, goofy guy. They both are house dragons, special breeds made to be pets or protect smaller spaces or family members, like a simple home like ours. I embrace them both, then pet them telling them how happy I am to see them and what good dragons they are before I release them into the bitter cold for them to go potty.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
I put my things away in the coat closet, and walk through the dining room to see my Dad is not at the table. It's unusual for him, but then the last few days he’s been a bit off. I continued to the stairs to my room to put my bag there. My parents’ bedroom is open, which is a little odd because they usually keep it close since Mom doesn’t like the animals in her room. Maybe Dad just went in there real quick or something. I turn to go into my room and book my book bag in there.
“You who ARE YOU!?” exclaims my Dad. I’m probably going to have to call Mom at work, this won’t please her. Especially since she was at the hospital just last night for him and they sent him home saying he was fine, but obviously, he is not. I frown.
“Dad, it’s just me,” I reply back in the most calm, level-toned voice possible. What does he mean who am I? I am his favorite, his only princess… how could you forget me?!
“I don’t know you, get out of my house!” He exclaims, starting to spiral into a panic.
“It’s me, Lil, Dad… Leila,” I plead with him. But he is becoming more agitated with me being here. I need to call Mom, something is wrong. Fear gnaws at all my skin, crawling on it, submerging into the depths of b as I go outside to try to get ahold of my mom.
Fear is screaming within me, as I try to reach her. The silent screaming, as I am placed on hold by the secretary. This is what the banshee’s cry was about… He’s going to be taken from me.
“This is Rae Layla. How many I help you?” My mom answers.
“Mom… It’s me, Dad needs to go back. Something really wrong…” I reply trying not to break into tears, holding on to all the fear gnawing at me.
“Fine. I’ll be there soon,” she sighs before hanging up.
It’ll be okay… It’ll be fine. Everyone will be okay.
“Will it though, tick tock, soon the time will be up,” claims The Reaper with an eerie laugh. “I will leave you with a gift after this one, you won’t be mine yet, but not too long you will see it all.”
He touches my forehead, a faint light appears, and then he fades away as I turn pale. And I drop to my knees in the snow and start silently screaming into Ember’s fur. It hurts.