Sometimes, the ones closest to you can become your greatest tormentors.
As I stood in the empty shell of my childhood home, echoes of laughter twisted into something sinister. The faces of my biological parents flashed in my mind—monsters who had filled my life with fear instead of love.
I hear my alarm beep and groan in annoyance as I reach out to silence it. Opening my eyes, the sun's harsh glare brightens my room, pulling me from my thoughts. After a hot shower, the mirror fogs up, and I wipe it clear to see my reflection. My black hair falls around me, long and lifeless, and I can't help but feel a wave of dissatisfaction. It's dull and heavy, a constant reminder of my parents' love—too precious to change, even if I wanted to. As I finish wiping away the steam, I catch a glimpse of my amber eyes, momentarily distracting me from my thoughts.
Leaving my room, the echoing corridors replay my footsteps. The endless photographs lining the walls do nothing to muffle my echoing footsteps in the empty corridors. I walked past my favorite picture, and my parents embraced me in a bear hug, as I looked so happy. I wanted to relive that moment because I was the happiest I've ever been.
As I left the house, I pulled out my phone. My phone charm swings left and right. This adorable phone charm features a playful bunny design, with one half in sleek black and the other half in crisp white, creating a charming contrast. I was about to put on my headphones as I walked to school, but then I heard a familiar voice.
"Vanessa!" she yelled, it was a friend of mine, she was that one person who had happiness radiating off of her. She was always smiling at me. Her brown hair glistened as the sun's rays shone bright at her, and her blue eyes, they're like the ocean.
She quickly ran to me and started walking beside me as we entered the school.
"Sephira," I nod simply.
"Can't I get a hug or a good morning, Vanessa?" Sephira lets out a dramatic sigh,
"Good morning Sephira," I said in a deadpan tone. I glanced at her then continued walking. I had never been good at conversation. I could hear the students talk when we strolled through the halls.
"You know, you should socialize more. It's quite sad that I'm your only friend in this school,"
"More like you insisted," I replied, "You wouldn't stop pestering me if I haven't said yes,"
Sephira gasps.
"I'm offended. Vanessa, I'm not a pest!" she exclaimed.
"It was either a bug that annoyed me or befriended the bug," I added.
"And that was your choice and you chose to befriend me! So it isn't my fault after all!" she pouted at me.
"Let's just head to our classroom, Seph." I grabbed her and ran while holding her hand so we could eventually reach our classroom before the bell rang.
Luckily we reached class on time, and as always Sephira was greeted by our classmates. She is after all known by many in our class. I suppose it's due to her personality, how can anyone stand her? I mean, she can be annoying the majority of the time, but sometimes I wonder why I still stick with her. Is it because she still sticks with me even if I push her away? Or is it because she doesn't want me to be lonely, well being alone was never new to begin with. The classes were boring as usual, I glanced at Sephira, she seemed to be exhausted from all the talking. She kept fidgeting with her pencil as she waited for the time to pass.
After five periods or so our lunchtime started. The students rushed out to finally get away from the lecture our teacher gave. I didn't bother to wait for Sephira as she packed up for lunch, despite that she managed to catch up with me.
"Vanessa, you pack up real quick! Do you want to get away from me that much?" she asked playfully.
"Don't you have other friends? Why can't you just eat with them instead of me? They must be dying to eat with you." I replied
"I do have many other friends, but I wanna eat with you today!" She explained
"But you always eat with me Sephira." There was a moment of silence until she broke it
"I know, but I don't want you to be alone. Plus I created a goal for myself!" she continued.
"Then what is your goal?" I asked her. She had me hooked, she rarely sets any goals. So her goal may be pretty interesting since all her goals were.
"Well I've never seen you smile! No matter what I did, you seemed to be only more annoyed. That's why the more I learn about you the more the chances of me making you smile one day!" Sephira grinned at me.
Until we bumped into someone, her smile faded which I hadn't noticed. I apologized but when I glanced at Sephira, she was silent all of a sudden, terrified. I couldn't figure out why that was until I noticed I bumped into Derek.
Derek was this popular guy with blond hair and green eyes. I couldn't understand what people saw in him. He tried to pursue my friend, but he was rejected. Derek though was very persistent and kept trying, eventually then leading to stalking her. I would say he was obsessed. It bothers me as it makes Sephira uncomfortable.
"Watch where you're going!" He paused before looking at us "Ah if it isn't my dear Sephira and the quiet kid, what was your name again? I forgot since you weren't important" He laughed, as I noticed Sephira tense up at that ridiculous pet name. He never knew when to quit. It was annoying and amusing, but not this time.
"Derek, still as cocky as ever" I hissed. He had a smug look on his face, raising a brow at my retaliation. He seems surprised to say the least, nonetheless unbothered.
"Oh I remember now, your Vanessa right? Too bad you're not as pretty as your name. It's very undeserving, to be honest" He sneered.
I roll my eyes in disappointment, when will this dude ever shut up? "Anything else so 'undeserving' to say, Derek?" I added
"Wow, such a brave comeback. Keep trying; you might impress someone someday." He let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Whatever Derek, you're not worth my time" I shove him aside. I do not want to deal with him right now, thankfully he didn't do anything after. Surprisingly, Sephira and I had our lunches peacefully, without her friends coming over to invite her to join them.
After we finished our lunch, classes resumed. I noticed Sephira taking glances at me from time to time, perhaps she was bored? What can I even do to entertain her? I see the world in black and white, she sees them in color. After another 5 periods, I packed up my things and bid Sephira goodbye. "See you tomorrow Vanessa!" she said as she waved and smiled at me.
"See you tomorrow, Seph," I replied. After thirty minutes of walking, I returned to my dwelling and set my backpack down in the living room. As I passed the different rooms, memories washed over me. In the tech lab, I'd spent hours tinkering with gadgets my parents created. I haven't been in that room in awhile, so cobwebs eventually filled in the empty spaces left. Their bedroom, a haven of warmth and laughter, echoed with stories that filled my childhood. The study is lined with books and dreams. Finally, I reached my room, where their love enveloped me—a stark contrast to the emptiness I felt now, the kind of love I never received from my biological parents.
It had been a week since school started, and I found myself trapped in a monotonous routine. Wake up, wash up, go to school, eat with Sephira, and fend off Derek's persistent attempts to annoy me with his boring insults. Sephira often looked concerned when he directed his barbs at me, but I'd faced harsher words before; she didn't need to know that. Sometimes, I felt the urge to just punch the guy, but I managed to hold back, barely. Finally, the weekend arrived, and I sank onto my bed, the familiar walls of my room closing in around me, a bittersweet comfort amid the chaos outside.
I shot a glance at the necklace hanging in my room—the last gift my parents gave me. They told me it was a priceless artifact passed down to me, though they technically stole it. It had always caught their eye, reflecting their love for gold. I remembered their stories, how they claimed, "This necklace holds great power beyond the human mind; with it, we would be invincible." Though I knew those were just tales, I hadn't worn them, since it reminded me too much of them. I worried about what might happen if I lost or damaged it. Many copies existed, but mine was the real thing. I know these few days have been lonely so far just myself, memories of those who are gone, and this house all to myself.
As I approached the necklace, a strange energy prickled the air, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I hesitated, heart racing, the weight of memories crashing over me—my parents' stories, their laughter, and the promise of something powerful.
The moment I clasped the necklace around my neck, its gold sheen shimmered in the light. Suddenly, it glowed a vivid red, illuminating the room. A rush of giggles echoed, filling the silence with an unsettling cheer.
"Ah, you must be Vanessa, the adopted daughter of Cyrus and Thalia," a voice chimed, light and playful.
I spun around, eyes wide. Two beings floated before me, one draped in luminescent white, the other cloaked in shadowy black. They looked like spirits, flickering with energy, their smiles both comforting and unnerving.
"Who—what are you?" I stammered, grappling with the surreal sight.
"Aren't you a curious human? What makes you think we should introduce ourselves?" The shadow-looking spirit said, but was stopped when the other talked "I am Seren and she's Shade," the white spirit said, her voice melodic. "We fought alongside your parents, in battles you can hardly imagine. We've assisted your parents in many ways."
"Why do you know my name? I don't believe such a thing your saying. Assisting them? That's bullshit" I demanded, anger flaring. "You weren't there when they were taken! Where were you? Where were you assisting them to escape their capture?"
A wave of anger surged through me, each word a sharp jab at the silence between us. My chest constricted as memories flooded back—my mother's laughter, and my father's protective embrace, now replaced by a deep emptiness.
"Do you even understand what it felt like to watch everything fall apart?" I pressed, my voice trembling, tears threatening to spill. My parents are a sensitive topic to me "To stand there helpless while they were taken from me? So you assisting them is bullshit!"
The weight of betrayal felt crushing, my heart pounding like a frantic drum echoing my anguish.
"The police ambush was unexpected, Vanessa. Your parents were powerful villains. We can help you become one too; I promise things won't end that way again. We learned from our mistakes, we underestimated the situation, and your parents assured us that everything was taken care of"
I scoffed "No" this was not up to debate. Even if someone did reassure you, you would still be worried and expect the worse to avoid the situation. "I can't trust you, we just met. Second all I hear is bullshit from your words. You can't expect someone to just blindly follow, I am not an idiot." I hesitated to take of the necklace. Why? I wasn't even sure if they would go away if I did take this off. I reluctantly did but they didn't just go away, so it was pointless. I clasped back the necklace and kept it in place around my neck. However they somehow understood that I wanted them gone.
Somewhere in a world of shadows and void, in one side the other full of brightness and gray. A literal world of a gray-scale, and black and white world.
Shade who spoke as they reentered their world aside. "Don't worry, dear sister," it said, glancing at the white spirit, Seren. "She won't need us now. After all, humans have such fragile minds; we can't overwhelm her with too much information."
"I know, and I am sure we'll be watching over her. She'll need us one day that I am sure, we'll just have to wait. After all patience is something we have already mastered." Shade said with a smile, her eyes hinted mischief.
Back with Vanessa, she's staring up at the ceiling looking up, recalling and gathering her thoughts on what just happened.
I figured the white one was Seren and the black one was Shade. Great, now I'm officially losing my mind. I must have been alone for too long if my brain is conjuring up spirit-like beings to comfort me!
I turned to the side facing a lamp and sighed. What am I going to do? I just wish my parents were here—alive and hugging me right now. They might as well tell me what those spirits were or if I was truly losing my mind. I began to close my eyes and hope that I am just dreaming after all these things don't happen anyway, it doesn't make sense right?
A few weeks have passed since that encounter with Seren and Shade. Turns out, I wasn't dreaming. Shade greeted me when I woke up. I threw a pillow at her, but it just went through. Staring blankly at her, I felt a strange mix of confusion and intrigue. I assume their trying to get me to trust them, which isn't working.
Talking to the dead felt surreal. They were witches from the 15th or 18th century—figures from stories I never believed in. Witches weren't real. At least, they weren't until they proved it to me.
One morning, as I groggily stumbled out of bed, Shade flicked her wrist. My room erupted in shimmering light, mundane objects transformed into floating orbs of color, dancing in the air. 'See? We're not just figments of your imagination,' she teased, her playful grin disarming my skepticism.
It took me a while to wrap my mind around it, but as I watched the orbs twirl and sparkle, I had no choice but to accept the impossible. Seren, with her serious demeanor, kept Shade in line, making sure the playful spirit didn't get too carried away.
The longer they stayed, the more I learned about them. They had assisted my parents in their villainous activities, helping to steal valuable artifacts and mass cash. Despite being spirits, they brought a sense of comfort to me in this lonely house. A few months have passed by since then, I remember Seren asking, "Vanessa, what are your thoughts on this? I mean, you already know about those activities about your parents."
"I know there are villains, and that's fine because without them I wouldn't have met such loving parents. They were better than… those monsters."
"Oh, do tell. Who are these monsters?" Her voice filled with curiosity and something I am not familiar with
"My biological parents were drunkards and abusers. My house was one of the battlegrounds between Cyrus and Thalia. I remember seeing those monsters die, and I felt a lot of emotions, but…"
"But?"
"I never felt so happy seeing them suffer and die. It gave me a sense of relief." I let out a laugh. "It was enjoyable, to be honest. I loved seeing their desperate faces, thinking I'd help them."
As I recalled their suffering, a twisted pleasure curled in my chest—a satisfaction that felt both foreign and exhilarating. The desperate expressions on their faces ignited a spark of joy within me, as if the weight of years of pain was finally lifting, replaced by a fierce sense of empowerment. I reveled in their helplessness; my laughter bubbled up unbidden, a melody of vindication.
At that moment, I felt alive. Relief coursed through me like a rush of adrenaline, as if I were finally reclaiming the power that had been stripped away for so long. Their cries echoed in my mind, a reminder that justice, however twisted, had finally been served. I sound sadistic, I thought as those words came right out of my mouth.
"Is that so, Vanessa? Why not follow your parents, cause pain and harm, and relive that moment with others?"
"No, I won't allow that to happen. I'm not that crazy or insane… Besides, I don't want to be called a monster. I don't want to be like those monsters."
"Then aren't your parents monsters?" this caught me off guard before I could say more to defend my statement she added. "But monsters are feared and powerful; they wouldn't dare hurt you or mess with you. Like your biological parents, just follow me and Shade, and we'll take good care of you. All you need to do is make a contract with us."
"What do you get in return? I assume it also benefits you"
"Well that's a secret I won't go into further detail but I will tell you this. We get to finish our main goal and you get whatever you want that's within our power we're not that powerful. You won't have anyone to harm you no more, no one to deepen the scars that were made." Somehow it felt comforting. I suppose sometimes the dark can be comforting after all it had its own beauty. Maybe it's because of my parents and their dark past that shaped me into who I am, or perhaps it's the spirits' soothing words. I'm messed up as far as I know, but I don't think it's as bad as it says.
I was tempted to accept, but I snapped out of it and rejected the idea. What the hell was I thinking? I hadn't fully trusted them yet; just because they knew my parents didn't mean I could trust them completely. After all, they didn't help during my parents' capture. I almost accepted something irreversible, something I didn't want to become. The weight of Seren's words lingered in my mind like a haunting melody I couldn't shake off. I looked at the time noticing how late I am going to be if I don't rush to take the bus. I just ran not cutting them off, it may seem rude but that's the least of my worries. I grabbed my jacket quickly hanging from the coat hanger. I was able to catch the bus and make it on time for school.
Once I reached school ground I quickly entered the classroom before my teacher could. I turned my gaze through the window. The sun's rays illuminated the hallway, creating a warm glow that felt strangely out of place. Yet, beneath that warmth, an unsettling chill whispered through my thoughts, hinting that today would be different. I could sense it in the air—a quiet promise that everything was about to change.