I wake up with my legs barely able to move, my arms are sore, and my whole body is just sweating...
Every night for the past 2 weeks I've been waking up with nightmares. Where it feels like a normal day. My dad passed away in his sleep and sometimes I can't sleep because Im terrified. One day I drifted off to sleep and It felt like I was out for hours. But once I woke up my mother was by my side holding me.
I was screaming at the top of my lungs that even my siblings were on the other side of my door. Thats not what worried me it was my whole body was on fire. I wasnt sweating but my body became tense to the point my mother was scared for me.
This was going on for two months. I never went to work, nor have I stepped out of my room. My best friend Amity came to visit from time to time trying to make me feel better. My mother didnt think I was getting better, but she didnt know what to do.
Days passed and she just gave up. I said to myself many times I must move on and got up.
My coworkers were getting too protective of me. They didnt think I was in the right state of mind to work. But I warned them that Im fine dont worry time for business.
6:00 am
Fuck, I always wake up late I never have time to eat breakfast, I scold at myself struggling to put my jeans on. I pace down to my bathroom and I rush to brush my teeth and do my makeup to set my green eyes shining. I take my last minute to look at myself in the mirror and sigh. My golden hair is frizzy it's not perfect, but I can manage to put it up in a strong ponytail. I'm finally finished getting dressed and there was one thing on my mind, My father.
I walk out of my room and into the hall frustrated. I didnt stop until I heard my brother Aidens voice coming from his room.
"Am... Amity, can you come here please?" My big brother Aiden asks.
I stammer to his response, He's the only one in the family that calls me Am, and I despise when he does. I knock on his bedroom door and walked inside. His room is across from mine, he has his walls painted a shade of sky blue from when he was a kid. A king-sized bed and a desk where his computer is well arranged.
Aiden is sitting on his bed staring down at what looks like a box.
"Yes?" I scold.
As much as I dislike my brother, he's very handsome. He has his dirty blond, oily hair coiffed for the menacing of his face. The way his eyes are a pitch-black leaving a terrifying feature. And that's not all, he gets it from our dad.
I remember one day; we were a happy family. Mom and Dad would be making breakfast while Aiden wakes me up to do our morning run. Xander and Harmony are my little siblings. They're usually playing outside with Bubbles and Dodger. We were a happy family but then my Dad started going to the hospital. And after that night when they took my Dad to the ER, He didn't return. My mom started crying and from there I already knew what happened.
Our life changed. My mom began to pick up extra shifts. She is never home and always stressed. My brother Aiden started bullying me. I became depressed, and I would take care of Xander and Harmony.
Everything changed.
"Would you take this gift, I'm tired of looking at it." He rolls his eyes, and I saw his soul.
At first, I got used to the fact of how he treats me but sometimes I wish he would treat me like his little sister. I look at the box and I look back at him. I've had worse days with him when he's throwing stuff at me or completely insults me. If he's trying to be nice, I wont believe it everything he does there's a game involved.
I take a quick look at the well wrapped up box again making sure this isn't one of his games. When I manage to grab it, it falls onto the tile floor. I look up from the dropped box and see my brother's expression change. He looked furious from the way his eyebrows narrowed.
"Damn it Am do you always have to be a little brat." He yells.
I don't even say anything there's been a point where he scares me speechless. Without any of us saying anything for a while I pick it up. After a few seconds of silence, he starts to speak.
"Get out! open it later or throw it away I don't care."
And that was all, I gripped the box in my palms putting it close to my chest and walked outside his door.
I left his room in frustration I had to steady my breathing as it increased. It was 6:45 when I looked at my phone. My gut growled in response. I was going to be late for work once again.
For the past week when I started going back to work, Ive been extremely late. But as usual, I wasn't surprised. I rushed down the steps, immediately grabbed my red silk purse that's by the kitchen counter and put the present inside. Ill stop by my favorite place to grab a snack, I shrug.
"Hello, Welcome to Mc. Donalds. How can I help you? The lady asks through the microphone.
"I would like a mocha Frappe," I say.
Anything else? She politely responds.
No, that would be all.
Your total will be 3.15, Drive up to the cashier. Thank you.
I have two cars ahead of me. By the time I get to the cashier, it is 7:40. I give the elegant lady my debit.
My phone rings seconds later showing a text message from my employee Aila.
Good morning Ms. Marin. I'm sorry to call this early part of the day. But I can't make it to work, I'm having a family crisis and Maya will be filling in for me for my absence.
I roll my eyes from the annoyance of the text.
I look up to see the cashier is trying to grab my attention. She hands me my debit along with the receipt. Once they are both in my hand I drive up to the next window. When I finally get my mocha, I start rushing into traffic.
I work in an office, it's decent I should say. I'm the one who designed the building from scratch.
The floor has a mosaic tile when you walk in and a water fountain in the middle of the lobby. The walls are full of classic books most of them are ancient. Through the years of my reading, theyve collected dust.
Most people have their own office, but the newbies have a partner. Some employees Ive recruited based on knowledge and self-experience. Most of them had no experience at all. Those employees passed my interview from the way they wanted to change the world for kids.
Employees mark their shift at 8:00 am if it's past 8:45 they are late, and I will be sending them home. All my employees have keycards.
I only have one trusted Assistant Manager shes been with me since I was a freshman in college. We both studied in the same academy which was great. Her name is Emely Stones and she enters at 6:45 am. No later nor earlier exactly at 6:45 am.
Oh, and I almost forgot key holders, their names are Aila and May. Also, Im in charge of this company.
I park my small red convertible in the back-parking lot. Theres only one parking spot which my car is parked. The rest are filled with big white SUVs. We use Vans for our kids safety. Our back of the building is for kids to feel safe to come inside.
There's only one building and it has its features. The building was designed to have 8 floors being the top floor, my office.
"Good morning, Ms. Marin. Every morning either Maya or Aila greets me. They have a key to open the office, but they prefer to wait for me to open it for them. At work, I have a different mindset. I put my professional look on and my fun and games hidden in the back of my head. I fumble inside my purse to find the keys. When only 2 seconds I grab them and insert them into the knob. "Good morning Maya, did you have breakfast yet?"
Maya is young for everything she has accomplished in life to be in a program like mine. Shes only 19 years old and she's already 2 years in college; online. She has dark ombre, curly hair. Her eyes are my all-time favorite they're a light grey with a bit of gold in them. She's very pretty and her work is outstanding. Im happy to be working with her.
Some of my employees are interns, some are part-time, some are in training and the rest are full time. I work with any. As long they set their priorities straight, they are amazing employees. I always make sure my staff and clients have something to work with. They always have something to do.
7:30 pm
Todays day wasnt at all busy. Only a few new kids came in for help. Most came on their usual appointments. The rest was okay. "You're okay with closing tonight?" I ask Maya. "Yes, Ms. Marin."
Without another word, I clean my desk and walk outside the building to my car. The ride home was like always jamming to my favorite station on Spotify. When I finally arrive home my phone rings receiving a message:
Hey, Amity meet me at Smith way grove...something important—L.
Once I reach inside my house I walk upstairs to my room. I grab a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and my converse to have ready for me when I get out of the shower. Before I hop in the shower, I send a text:
I'm going to take a quick shower and I'll be on my way —A
I turn on the water and doze off to the music of the steam. Rinsing my hair with the sweet scent of my almond and shea butter shampoo. I grab my body wash, pouring the right amount onto my damped skin. Finally finishing off with conditioner and I'm out the shower. I get dressed fast for I could head out in time.
My clock reads 9:03 pm I took my usual 40 minutes to shower. I start to walk the pavement to Smith's way. I don't take my car only because I prefer to walk when I'm headed that way.
If youre wondering Lilah and I have been best friends since the age of 5. We grew up together her problems became my problems and my problems became hers. Growing up was hard considering I was alone without my dad. Ever since me and her were nicknamed the troubled kids. We left home a bunch of times and explored the world side by side. Our first adventure was when we left to go to New York.
Amity, pack your stuck were going to see our famous Liberty Girl. Lilah says barging in my bedroom door.
I pause my Netflix and look her direction in confusion. Yes, Amity lets go our flight leaves at 4. And its only 2:30. She grabs me by my arm and hurls me into my bathroom. Now shower and get dressed and I will pack your bag.
We were only 14 then.
I couldnt think of living without her. If I didnt have her by my side, I wouldnt be able to become the person I am now. We taught each other so much.
Every night after work we meet at Smith way. If it was to talk about our day, or if we either wanted to get away from life for a bit. That was our favorite destination to go.
But one-night Lilah and I were goofing around with some witch books and you wouldn't believe what we found.
A portal.
"Lilah open your eyes."
"What is that, " Lilah replied wide-eyed.
We both were standing two feet apart from the door. It was glowing and it appeared out of nowhere.
"Let's go inside." Lilah said.
The place looked amazing like a fantasy world created by us. From that day forward me and her always went disguised.
I finally arrive and walk towards the bench we meet up, It's foggy for a night like this. As I get closer to the bench, there's a bright red light coming from the seat. I take a step forward and find Lilah's cell, take it into my palms and the screen turns on with a message: You want Lilah? Come find her.