It was raining as the car drove slowly into the city from the north. The traffic wasn't heavy but Aubrey still drove cautiously, she had precious cargo of her two siblings in the back seat and she also dreaded returning to the city. All these things made her progress slow, she often stopped at rest stops along the way even if no one really needed anything, with everything that had happened over the last three years, she didn't expect a warm welcome.
The ambient light of the GPS revealed features that were tired and stressed, looking far older than her 22 years of age should. Her eyes,which normally ranged between a vibrant green or a golden hazel were almost black in the pale light, and were also bloodshot from the long nights of work and too little sleep. The steady pattering of the rain on the windshield threatened to lull her into a sleepy stupor but she fought it to reach her destination safely. Her new apartment wasn't that far away from the old one they used to live in, but it was close to the school her sisters would attend so that was what she picked.
Finally the GPS announced that she had arrived at the destination and she looked up at the building with trepidation. It wasn't in bad shape, but she wished she could afford to live somewhere nicer, for her sisters' sake. A quick glance in the back seat told her that her sisters still slept deeply, as they had through most of the car ride here. Aubrey envied them for a moment, their ability to sleep without worry or care, to dream sweet dreams that were not filled with darkness or flames.
After gently rousing her sisters they gathered their belongings and made their way inside. Fortunately, though it was sparsely furnished, everything seemed clean and well taken care of. Aubrey let out a small sigh of relief when no rats or cockroaches scurried off when she turned on the lights, and she saw no visible damages or issues with the small apartment.
A slow walk through the rooms revealed two small bedrooms and a single bathroom with a shower tub and a tiny kitchenette tucked into the corner with a fridge and a small stove. It wasn't much, but it was adequate and safe. Aubrey helped her sisters set up their beds in the room they would share and tucked them in for bed with a swift kiss on their heads. They looked up at her with trusting eyes that told her they believed she knew what she was doing and that they would follow her lead. The blind faith hurt her heart but she smiled at them anyway and closed the door softly.
Aubrey leaned against the door for a few moments and wiped at stinging eyes. 'You can do this, You have to do this.' She told herself firmly, it was the only thing to do, keep moving forward if she stopped moving everything would crash around her. Aubrey made her way into the bathroom and ran cold water over her wrists until she felt calmer. Afterwards she splashed some cold water on her face, and when she glanced up, someone else was looking back at her.
With a jump she realized it was her own reflection, at least partly her own, the vision in the mirror looked powerful and sure of herself, nothing like the wilting woman who stood alone in the bathroom with water dripping down her face. The other woman's eyes shinned with determination, and judgment.
'How dare you leave, and for so long! There is work to be done!'
A strong voice seemed to exclaim from within her mind. Aubrey rubbed her eyes but the figure refused to go away, glaring at her from the mirror.
“I had to, it was the only way to protect my family.” Aubrey replied out loud. Great, now she was talking to herself...
'What of those needing protection here?' The voice exclaimed.
It was always worse when you started answering yourself, but Aubrey knew that Fortuna wouldn't be sated, and that by leaving for three years she had potentially crippled her powers, but it was hard to care when her sisters lives were the ones in Jeopardy.
“The rest of the world can hang for all I care.” Aubrey told her reflection firmly, however it was merely her own eyes she stared into now, tired and strained.
If only she was just hallucinating from lack of sleep, but she had felt the growing power in the pit of her stomach ever since she crossed the border into Destiny City. She had seen flashes of OTHER things as she drove as well, hoping desperately that it was all just a mistake, and that things had changed, and she was no longer needed. She was already so needed at home, how could she take on the weight of an entire city, of worlds.
Seeing Fortuna in the mirror only seemed to cement in her mind all the reasons she had for leaving and as she lay in bed she couldn't help but remember instead of dream:
It was December, a week before Christmas and a big storm had rolled in, It was unusual to get so much snow so early in the year but her siblings were happy because it meant no school and fun days playing in the snow, but all it meant to Aubrey was that she was unable to work or go to classes and she had to spend all her time at home with her parents.
Whether it was the holidays or the weather, her father was in the worst of moods, and spent all of his time in front of the tv with a beer in his hand, yelling at those moving about the house. Her mother simply sat in front of the window and stared outside, completely oblivious to the world around her. Meanwhile, Aubrey was running all over the house trying to keep things clean and get dinner going, but she had felt a cold coming on so she moved far slower than normal, and tended to drop things and burn the food she was trying to cook, angering her father further.
Finally by the end of the third day of the storm she was so sick she was unable to leave her bed. Bethany and Kari did what they could to help but even together they were not able to keep their father happy as he slipped further and further into his anger and depression. It wasn't long before the sounds of plates shattering could be heard throughout the apartment building. The girls ran to Aubrey's room as she had taught them and hid under the bed with headphones on so they couldn't hear what was going on as Aubrey pushed herself out of her bed and tried to stand ready to face her father. She had her dark mirror compact in her hands, but she didn't call for anyone yet, she felt she could handle it.
As the door flew open, Aubrey knew she was outmatched, her father was beyond all reason, and she could barely stand with how weak she was from the flu she had been fighting. In her state she couldn't even make out what he was yelling at her, how it was her fault her brother died, how she was good for nothing, how she shouldn't have been born in the first place, how he wished she had died in that car accident instead of Jared. His harsh words brought tears to her eyes, something she swore she would never do before him, instead of placating him it seemed only to further enrage him. Soon he was pummeling her, screaming profanities and more accusations and all Aubrey could do was take the punishment, feeling in the darkest part of her heart that she deserved it.
Suddenly there was no more pain, Aubrey glanced up and blinked the blood out of her eyes to see strange men in uniform in her house, they were holding her father against the wall as he struggled to get at her, to kill her if need be if only that would stop the pain, or bring her brother back. Someone handed her a bottle of water, and wiped the blood off her face with caring hands, but she saw nothing, heard nothing but the words repeated over and over again, the flames in her eyes. Her mirror compact fell out of her hands as they tended her, a small crack ran along the surface, as if it was a reflection of how her life was shattering.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital, her sisters were there by the bed side and told her of what had happened. A neighbor, finally sick of all the yelling and the bruises she could see on the children called the police, and having caught their father in the acts of domestic violence they had imprisoned him. Their mother was seen as an unfit guardian so they were to be sent to live with their grandmother on their mother's side until such time that a better guardian would come along. Aubrey didn't see their mother, didn't get a chance to ask her why she let these terrible things happen to her children, only packed up their belongings in silence and left Destiny city to go back to Salem.
The three of them were happy there, without their parents around they were finally able to grow and live without fear. Bethany and Karrigan thrived on the small ranch, taking care of the animals soon became their favorite past time while Aubrey enjoyed riding the horse and attending classes at the local college. She soon received her bachelors degree in Mathematics and was set to transfer to MIT in the fall when tragedy once again struck her family.
Their grandmother, for whom Bethany was named died suddenly, they found out later that she had long suffered from cancer and was in the final stages of it when the three came to live with them, but she never revealed that she was sick, and it seemed as if they would live together forever.
After the funeral it didn't take long for a social worker to arrive. And though Aubrey fought for legal guardianship of her siblings, her parents also fought to regain their children. Their father claimed to have been in AA and through counseling and strong will he was now drink free for two years and wanted to make amends with his surviving children and have his family back together. Aubrey didn't feel like people could change that quickly and she fought as hard as she could to deny his right to take her sisters back, not wanting what had happened to her to happen to them. Most of the money they had received in inheritance went to hiring a lawyer to try and gain legal custody.
This was the reason Aubrey returned to Destiny City, the trial was to be held in a few months and she had to provide a steady home and work for her sisters in order to even be considered as a legal guardian. However the moment she returned everything that had happened with her awakening returned to her and she wondered desperately how she would juggle everything that was being demanded of her between the trial and the DMC.
Aubrey woke in the middle of the night in the unfamiliar place and shivered in the sudden cold in the room. She reached into her duffle bag and pulled out one of the few possessions she treasured. A small wooden music box that she had purchased from Jett so long ago. She cranked it as far as it would go and set it open on the floor next to her letting the quiet sounds of moonlight sonata lull her back into a dreamless sleep.
What Aubrey did not see in the dark of the night was her dark mirror compact and senshi pen nestled safely inside, waiting for her to get back to work.
The ambient light of the GPS revealed features that were tired and stressed, looking far older than her 22 years of age should. Her eyes,which normally ranged between a vibrant green or a golden hazel were almost black in the pale light, and were also bloodshot from the long nights of work and too little sleep. The steady pattering of the rain on the windshield threatened to lull her into a sleepy stupor but she fought it to reach her destination safely. Her new apartment wasn't that far away from the old one they used to live in, but it was close to the school her sisters would attend so that was what she picked.
Finally the GPS announced that she had arrived at the destination and she looked up at the building with trepidation. It wasn't in bad shape, but she wished she could afford to live somewhere nicer, for her sisters' sake. A quick glance in the back seat told her that her sisters still slept deeply, as they had through most of the car ride here. Aubrey envied them for a moment, their ability to sleep without worry or care, to dream sweet dreams that were not filled with darkness or flames.
After gently rousing her sisters they gathered their belongings and made their way inside. Fortunately, though it was sparsely furnished, everything seemed clean and well taken care of. Aubrey let out a small sigh of relief when no rats or cockroaches scurried off when she turned on the lights, and she saw no visible damages or issues with the small apartment.
A slow walk through the rooms revealed two small bedrooms and a single bathroom with a shower tub and a tiny kitchenette tucked into the corner with a fridge and a small stove. It wasn't much, but it was adequate and safe. Aubrey helped her sisters set up their beds in the room they would share and tucked them in for bed with a swift kiss on their heads. They looked up at her with trusting eyes that told her they believed she knew what she was doing and that they would follow her lead. The blind faith hurt her heart but she smiled at them anyway and closed the door softly.
Aubrey leaned against the door for a few moments and wiped at stinging eyes. 'You can do this, You have to do this.' She told herself firmly, it was the only thing to do, keep moving forward if she stopped moving everything would crash around her. Aubrey made her way into the bathroom and ran cold water over her wrists until she felt calmer. Afterwards she splashed some cold water on her face, and when she glanced up, someone else was looking back at her.
With a jump she realized it was her own reflection, at least partly her own, the vision in the mirror looked powerful and sure of herself, nothing like the wilting woman who stood alone in the bathroom with water dripping down her face. The other woman's eyes shinned with determination, and judgment.
'How dare you leave, and for so long! There is work to be done!'
A strong voice seemed to exclaim from within her mind. Aubrey rubbed her eyes but the figure refused to go away, glaring at her from the mirror.
“I had to, it was the only way to protect my family.” Aubrey replied out loud. Great, now she was talking to herself...
'What of those needing protection here?' The voice exclaimed.
It was always worse when you started answering yourself, but Aubrey knew that Fortuna wouldn't be sated, and that by leaving for three years she had potentially crippled her powers, but it was hard to care when her sisters lives were the ones in Jeopardy.
“The rest of the world can hang for all I care.” Aubrey told her reflection firmly, however it was merely her own eyes she stared into now, tired and strained.
If only she was just hallucinating from lack of sleep, but she had felt the growing power in the pit of her stomach ever since she crossed the border into Destiny City. She had seen flashes of OTHER things as she drove as well, hoping desperately that it was all just a mistake, and that things had changed, and she was no longer needed. She was already so needed at home, how could she take on the weight of an entire city, of worlds.
Seeing Fortuna in the mirror only seemed to cement in her mind all the reasons she had for leaving and as she lay in bed she couldn't help but remember instead of dream:
It was December, a week before Christmas and a big storm had rolled in, It was unusual to get so much snow so early in the year but her siblings were happy because it meant no school and fun days playing in the snow, but all it meant to Aubrey was that she was unable to work or go to classes and she had to spend all her time at home with her parents.
Whether it was the holidays or the weather, her father was in the worst of moods, and spent all of his time in front of the tv with a beer in his hand, yelling at those moving about the house. Her mother simply sat in front of the window and stared outside, completely oblivious to the world around her. Meanwhile, Aubrey was running all over the house trying to keep things clean and get dinner going, but she had felt a cold coming on so she moved far slower than normal, and tended to drop things and burn the food she was trying to cook, angering her father further.
Finally by the end of the third day of the storm she was so sick she was unable to leave her bed. Bethany and Kari did what they could to help but even together they were not able to keep their father happy as he slipped further and further into his anger and depression. It wasn't long before the sounds of plates shattering could be heard throughout the apartment building. The girls ran to Aubrey's room as she had taught them and hid under the bed with headphones on so they couldn't hear what was going on as Aubrey pushed herself out of her bed and tried to stand ready to face her father. She had her dark mirror compact in her hands, but she didn't call for anyone yet, she felt she could handle it.
As the door flew open, Aubrey knew she was outmatched, her father was beyond all reason, and she could barely stand with how weak she was from the flu she had been fighting. In her state she couldn't even make out what he was yelling at her, how it was her fault her brother died, how she was good for nothing, how she shouldn't have been born in the first place, how he wished she had died in that car accident instead of Jared. His harsh words brought tears to her eyes, something she swore she would never do before him, instead of placating him it seemed only to further enrage him. Soon he was pummeling her, screaming profanities and more accusations and all Aubrey could do was take the punishment, feeling in the darkest part of her heart that she deserved it.
Suddenly there was no more pain, Aubrey glanced up and blinked the blood out of her eyes to see strange men in uniform in her house, they were holding her father against the wall as he struggled to get at her, to kill her if need be if only that would stop the pain, or bring her brother back. Someone handed her a bottle of water, and wiped the blood off her face with caring hands, but she saw nothing, heard nothing but the words repeated over and over again, the flames in her eyes. Her mirror compact fell out of her hands as they tended her, a small crack ran along the surface, as if it was a reflection of how her life was shattering.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital, her sisters were there by the bed side and told her of what had happened. A neighbor, finally sick of all the yelling and the bruises she could see on the children called the police, and having caught their father in the acts of domestic violence they had imprisoned him. Their mother was seen as an unfit guardian so they were to be sent to live with their grandmother on their mother's side until such time that a better guardian would come along. Aubrey didn't see their mother, didn't get a chance to ask her why she let these terrible things happen to her children, only packed up their belongings in silence and left Destiny city to go back to Salem.
The three of them were happy there, without their parents around they were finally able to grow and live without fear. Bethany and Karrigan thrived on the small ranch, taking care of the animals soon became their favorite past time while Aubrey enjoyed riding the horse and attending classes at the local college. She soon received her bachelors degree in Mathematics and was set to transfer to MIT in the fall when tragedy once again struck her family.
Their grandmother, for whom Bethany was named died suddenly, they found out later that she had long suffered from cancer and was in the final stages of it when the three came to live with them, but she never revealed that she was sick, and it seemed as if they would live together forever.
After the funeral it didn't take long for a social worker to arrive. And though Aubrey fought for legal guardianship of her siblings, her parents also fought to regain their children. Their father claimed to have been in AA and through counseling and strong will he was now drink free for two years and wanted to make amends with his surviving children and have his family back together. Aubrey didn't feel like people could change that quickly and she fought as hard as she could to deny his right to take her sisters back, not wanting what had happened to her to happen to them. Most of the money they had received in inheritance went to hiring a lawyer to try and gain legal custody.
This was the reason Aubrey returned to Destiny City, the trial was to be held in a few months and she had to provide a steady home and work for her sisters in order to even be considered as a legal guardian. However the moment she returned everything that had happened with her awakening returned to her and she wondered desperately how she would juggle everything that was being demanded of her between the trial and the DMC.
Aubrey woke in the middle of the night in the unfamiliar place and shivered in the sudden cold in the room. She reached into her duffle bag and pulled out one of the few possessions she treasured. A small wooden music box that she had purchased from Jett so long ago. She cranked it as far as it would go and set it open on the floor next to her letting the quiet sounds of moonlight sonata lull her back into a dreamless sleep.
What Aubrey did not see in the dark of the night was her dark mirror compact and senshi pen nestled safely inside, waiting for her to get back to work.
Words: 2031
