In a dingy basement lay a sick little girl. She writhed in pain, but no one came to her aid. Her eyes were shut, and she was lost in painful memories—memories that she couldn't remember, but she could feel.
As she lay there, the girl's mind wandered to the fleeting images that haunted her. She saw a glimpse of the warm atmosphere enveloping her like a gentle hug. But the serenity was short-lived, shattered by the bucket of icy water poured over her face. she gasped, her eyes snapping open as the cold water trickled down her skin and brought her back to reality. The girl's eyes darted around the basement struggling to recall why her aunt had punished her again. the memories lingered just out of reach, taunting her with fragmented images and whispers of a life she couldn't quite remember with her parents who had supposedly abandoned her Aunt Catherine's voice echoed in her mind
"YOU'RE LUCKY I TOOK YOU IN, YOU UNGRATEFUL CHILD"
Despite the warmth of the summer air she felt cold as she stared at her aunt who was looking down at her with a menacing look as usual, she tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her back onto the damp concrete floor. The girl's head spun and she closed her eyes, willing to stop the world the world spinning.
Aunt Catherine's voice called out "get up and go prepare breakfast for me and your sister" the girl's heart sank and she reluctantly got to her feet, bracing herself for another day of torture.
She walked into the kitchen and found her cousin already there, with two cups of coffee. She eyed Lexi up and down with jealous eyes, which she quickly masked as sympathy when she saw Lexi looking at her. She smiled and said, "I'm so sorry about Mom, Lex," with a fake smile.
Lexi's instincts told her that her cousin's sympathy was insincere, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
Lexi asked Jessica what she would prefer for breakfast. After responding, Jessica instructed Lexi on how to prepare it, treating her more like a maid than a cousin. With both cups of coffee in hand, Jessica left the kitchen, leaving Lexi to sigh and return to her work.
Lexi's thoughts drifted, consumed by the familiar ache of wondering about her parents. Why had they left her? Had they truly abandoned her, or was there more to the story? The questions swirled in her mind, accompanied by the nagging doubt that had haunted her for years. Did she have any siblings out there, or was she truly alone in the world?
As she pondered these questions, Lexi felt a pang of sadness wash over her. She had always felt like a part of her was missing, like a puzzle piece that had been lost forever. Her aunt's cruelty and her cousin's indifference only made her feel more isolated, more alone.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, growing louder with each passing moment. Lexi's heart sank as she realized her aunt was approaching. She quickly wiped away the tears that had begun to well up in her eyes, not wanting to give her aunt the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
"Aunt Catharine," Lexi said, trying to sound cheerful, but failing miserably "breakfast is almost ready."
"Ah, good, good," Aunt Catharine said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "I'm famished. And I see you've made my favorite breakfast. How thoughtful of you, Lexi."
Lexi felt a shiver run down her spine as her aunt's eyes seemed to bore into her. She knew that look, knew that tone. It was the same one her aunt used whenever she was about to drop a bombshell, whenever she was about to reveal some secret that would change everything.
"What is it, Aunt Clara?" Lexi asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Aunt Clara's smile grew wider, her eyes glinting with malice. "Oh, just a little something I've been wanting to discuss with you, Lexi. Something about your parents..."
"They were never what they seemed, Lexi," Aunt Clara said, her voice dripping with venom. "Your mother was a reckless, selfish woman who only cared about herself. And your father... well, let's just say he was no better. He was weak, and he let your mother walk all over him." Lexi felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. she didn't feel like her parents were those kinds of people the feeling she had of them.
"That's not true!" Lexi exclaimed, feeling a surge of anger and defensiveness. " I'm sure my parents were good people! A-a-and they loved me, and they would never do the things you're saying!" seeing her agitated Catherine's smile grew even wider, and she took a step closer to Lexi, "Oh, Lexi," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "You're so naive. You don't know the truth about your parents, and you don't know the truth about yourself. But I'll tell you one thing, Lexi, You're not who you think you are."
Catherine's eyes seemed to gleam with malevolence as she delivered her parting blow. "And you know what the worst part is, Lexi? You're just like them. A worthless, ungrateful child who will never amount to anything." With that, she turned and walked away, her laughter echoing mockingly through the kitchen. Lexi stood there, frozen, as her aunt's laughter faded into the distance.
The silence that followed was oppressive, weighing heavily on Lexi's shoulders. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of despair, unable to catch her breath. She looked around the kitchen, Lexi gasped, struggling to compose herself as she fought back tears. Despite her emotional turmoil, she mechanically went about preparing breakfast and serving it to her aunt and cousin. As usual, she didn't get to eat anything herself. As she washed the dishes, a small stone wrapped in a piece of paper suddenly flew into the kitchen through the open window. Curious, Lexi picked it up and glanced outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person who had thrown it. But there was no one in sight. She unwrapped the paper and found a cryptic note scrawled on it. However, the handwriting was unfamiliar, and she couldn't decipher the message as it was in morse code.
-.. --- / -.-- --- ..- / .-- .- -. - / - --- / - / --- ..-. .. -. -.. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .--. .- .-. . ... -
She sets the mysterious note aside, her mind whirling with possibilities. She's determined to crack the code, No one knows, but Lexi is She's fiercely intelligent, with a mind that's hungry for knowledge.