The teen stood up, “I’m not hungry, I’m going to bed.” She left before either of them could speak. Hot tears pricked at her eyes. While climbing the stairs, her mind began to wander back to the strange girl she met.
Lilith.
A spark of hope shot through her.
Atropa went into her unfinished room, looking a bit homely now. She took a new picture. It was the same, only the flowers she picked lined one of the window sills and she had found her nightstand. Atropa let the picture fall into the pile on the floor. She sat on the edge of her bed.
A new thought then occurred to her. She quickly sifted through the photos and found the one she took of Lilith, though it was deformed, it made her smile. Flopping on her bed, photo against her heart, she snuggled under the black covers. A smile was plastered on her face as she slowly drifted into unconsciousness. For the first time in years, she didn’t have any nightmares.
Chapter IV: School
Atropa looked out the car window. She frowned, there were kids filing into the school. A shaky breath was sucked in and released, it had been awhile.
“Don’t cause any trouble,” her mother reminded. She reached over and moved Atropa’s hair so it was more in her face. “Keep your eyes down, be quiet, and don’t start any fights.”
Atropa growled, “I understand.” She got out the car, slamming the door, and walked to the decrypted building. It was a large house that was turned into a school in the 1890s. ‘Small town,’ Atropa thought as she walked through the large double doors.
There were other teens, some against walls, and some in tight-knit circles in the middle of the hall. ‘Nothing’s changed,’ she thought and decided to find the library. Pairs of eyes began to flicker in her direction, all filled with curiosity. It was easy to spot someone new here. She had to keep reminding herself that.
Atropa found the library and smiled. She opened the door and a blast of smells hit her, first was the books. The smell of old pages and canvas covers made her feel at home. Next was the wood of the desks and shelves. Their earthly scents grounded her. The room was nearly silent besides the buzz of the lights. She knew this would be her sanctuary.
Atropa walked through the room, stopping in the center. She gazed over the space. Identical desks were surrounded by shelves pack with literature. She couldn’t wait to read and study here. With a grin, she rummaged through her bag, pulling out her camera. A sharp ‘click’ rang out. She began to flick the photo to life, tucking the final image safely into a folder.
She decided to find something to read during class. Her fingers danced along the spines of different books as she tried to pick something that would hold her interest. Looking through the many titles, she pulled out one she had never seen before but a blue eye staring back at her made her scream, “Jesus tap dancing Christ!” Atropa made the book fly back into the slot and accidentally hit the person on the other side.
“Ow! The fuck dude?!”
“It’s your fault for scaring her.”
“Whoever said words can’t hurt you, was a lying bastard.” An ash blond boy came around the bookcase, rubbing his red face.
Atropa gasped, “Oh God, I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean-”
Another ash blond appeared, “Don’t worry, he deserved it.”
She stared at the two. Twins! It was the twins she had seen. Her fake blue eyes blinked, “Whoa, it’s like seeing double.” The two boys stared back.
The hurt one laughed, “Yep, twinsies!” He waved his hands in the air. His brother smacked the back of his head. “Ow, you’re such a douche.” The unhurt twin glared at the other and pointed to the girl. “Oh, sorry,” he turned to Atropa, “Hey, I didn’t mean to freak you out like that. I’m just constantly curious and you’re new so.”
“You’re such a dick!” the other screamed.
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
‘Click’
The twins stopped their arguing to stare at the girl. “Did you just take a picture of us?” they asked in unison.
Atropa chuckled nervously, “Sorry, you two were just too cool not to get a picture of. I’ve never seen identical twins before.”
One looked at the other. The hurt one smiled, “Oh, come on. You have to get a nicer one than that.”
“Yeah, take it again, we’ll even pose this time!” the unhurt one smiled and grabbed his brother. “Cheese!”
Atropa giggled and took the picture. After the photo had developed, she flicked it to life. The twins looked over her shoulder to see.
“Aw, that sucks!” one whined.
Atropa frowned, the picture was distorted. She hoped her camera wasn’t going bad. “Um…I don’t mean to be rude but,” Atropa stared at the two, “who are you?”
They both laughed, “Poor thing.” The unhurt one bowed, “I’m Darren.” “And I’m Erin!” the hurt one wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “So, what’s your name cupcake?”
The girl replied, “I’m Atropa.”
“Oh, pretentious,” Erin commented. “I think you mean creative,” Darren bit back. “Wait!” Erin looked to Darren. They stared at each other, glancing at Atropa every once in a while. “Great!” Erin cheered. He asked her, “Hey, you know Lilith, right?”
Atropa nodded, “Yeah! Do you guys know her?”
Darren grinned, “Yep, she’s our big sister, technically.” Erin nudged him, “Come on, she said to bring her.” Darren nodded, “Come with us, you can come see the strings room.”
Atropa shrugged, “Okay.” She walked with them, seeing the halls beginning to fill with students. It was twenty minutes before school was supposed to start. They moved through the corridors, chandeliers hung from the ceiling and a uniformed look was beginning to appear. “Hey, are there issued uniforms?” she asked to pass the time.
Darren shook his head, “No, but some people just want to dress like that.” “Inconsiderate jerks, always in the God. Damn. Way!” Erin shouted when they came upon a circle of teens obstructing the narrow hall. The group jumped and quickly moved to the side.
Atropa saw a girl glaring daggers at her. She ducked her head and quickly caught up with the twins. Soon the sound of a violin began to trickle through the halls. Atropa recognized the piece, she wandered into the room in a daze. “The Devil’s Trill,” she whispered. Her friend used to play for her. It would lull her to sleep on nights when her mind refused to shut off. Her eyes closed and the notes became clearer.
The music abruptly stopped. A soft voice praised, “That’s exactly right.”
Atropa blinked her resting eyes and saw Lilith. She was dressed in a white tank top and black canvas pants. She didn’t know how the girl could get away with such an outfit. The taller teen shook out her messy hair. “I guess Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum found you, huh?” she placed her violin back in its case. “I guess they’re good for something.”
Atropa nodded, she felt as if talking would break the beauty around her.
“Hey!” Erin roared, “We brought her, you don’t have to be such a bitch!”
“What’d you say?!” Lilith lunged at him, gripping him in a headlock. She shook the boy around and ruffled the blond hair.
Atropa was a bit terrified at the rough display. Erin seemed to be trying to fight against the hold, to no avail.
“They do this sometimes,” Darren explained with a reassuring hand on the teen’s shoulder, “This is pretty toned down actually.” He didn’t seem worried, so Atropa relaxed as well.
“Say it, say it!” Lilith demanded.
“Uncle! Uncle! Let go, you crazy cu-”
“Wrong answer!” Lilith constricted his throat more.
“Okay, okay! Sorry, madam overlord!” Erin struggled more before screeching, “I am but a worm, have mercy!”
“That’s right,” Lilith chuckled and pushed the boy away from her.
Erin stumbled but found his balance again. “Jeez, you screwed up my hair.” “Here, I’ll fix it,” Darren offered.
Atropa couldn’t help but laugh. It had looked painful, but Erin didn’t seem that affected by the choking. She wondered if all siblings were like that. Arms wrapped around her shoulders. Something was resting on top of her head. She twisted a little to see it was Lilith’s pointed chin. Atropa was shocked, she hadn’t noticed the girl moved behind her.
“Sup buttercup?”
“That was way too cheesy,” Atropa snorted and took a step back. Lilith’s face seemed, different. It was only for a moment but Atropa caught the changing features. A shiver wrecked her body. Something was in those fiery eyes. Something old and knowing.
It was oddly familiar.
“Hey, you alive?” Lilith poked one of Atropa’s plump cheeks.
The daze was quickly lifted with the contact. Atropa nodded and gave a shy smile to the other, “I just zoned out is all.”
“Really? You looked like your brain flatlined,” Lilith rested a hand on her hip, “Hey, class will start soon. Give me your schedule real quick.”
Atropa rummaged her bag and found the half sheet of paper, she handed it to Lilith.
“Whoa, fucking sweet!” the Goth pumped her fist in the air, “We’re grouped together, awesome.”
“Grouped?”
Lilith scratched her head, “Yeah, they take twenty-four kids in the same grade and group them in the same class schedules. It’s the easiest system they could think of, back in the day. You know how humans like to keep traditions alive,” she rolled her eyes.
Lilith handed the paper back, “You’re lucky though, you’d probably get lost all alone. The school doesn’t really have any markers in any of the halls. Just stick with me all day and you’ll be fine, ‘kay?”
Atropa nodded, “Thank you Lilith, for everything.”
The other girl just smiled, “Don’t thank me yet,” she gave a playful wink and grabbed her violin case.
The bell rang and the two teens left the room. Darren and Erin had wandered out minutes ago, the pair hadn’t noticed. Lilith laced her fingers with Atropa’s and led her to their first class.
Atropa bit her lip, ‘It’s going to be a long day.’
Chapter V: Castella
Gym, if it was one thing Atropa hated, it was gym. Luckily for her, there was no gym for seniors. The school decided to make it a free period where the teens could socialize for a while before lunch. Atropa followed Lilith through the halls. “So…why the free time?”
“Good test scores, rich kids, little trouble, not wanting to hire anymore staff. I guess they couldn’t think of anything better, you know how people are.” The other students parted as they walked past, most hugging the walls. Lilith smiled, just like they should. “Here we go.” She pushed two double doors open and revealed the makeshift gymnasium.
Atropa looked around, most of the teens were in small circles and others were against walls. She started for the bleachers when she bumped into someone. She gasped, “Oh, sorry!” Atropa was confused, it was like they had just appeared in front of her.
The girl was not satisfied with the apology, “What the hell are you? Are you with them or us?”
Atropa was now even more confused. She saw how the girl kept getting closer. “Neither,” Atropa growled, “Can you move, please?” She stared at the girls bleached hair, with black roots, and bright green eyes. She could see the brown below them though, ‘contacts?’
“Do you know who I am? Do you know who my family is?” the girl’s shrill voice made Atropa’s eardrums ache.
“Listen, I’m new here. To be honest though, I could give two shits about who you are or who you’re with, so please leave me alone.” Atropa moved to head towards Lilith.
“Hey!” a cold hand gripped Atropa’s shoulder, bracelets jingled at the contact. “I’m Castella, and my family owns this house. We forged this town! I need to know who you are and why you’re here,” the girl’s icy grip tightened and her plastic nails dug into tanned skin.
Atropa stared at the limb, wincing at the contact.
“If you don’t want to lose it, I suggest you remove it.”
Atropa’s head whipped behind her to see Lilith. The Albino’s red eyes stared daggers at the prissy teen.
“Or what, are you going to put a curse on me?” Castella didn’t pull her hand away. She examined the new girl. This infestation needed to stop. Her mother may not care, but she did! It was going to ruin the town and it’s image, and she couldn’t stand by any longer.
“Get off me,” Atropa warned. She felt anxiety creep up her spine. Slowly turning her into a ticking time bomb.
Castella sneered, “Or what?” She gasped as her hand shot off the girl and into the air. It was as if someone had grabbed it and flung her backwards. She fell, landing on the hard floor with a loud ‘thud’. She stared up at the new kid and her blood ran cold. A soul crushing force pressed down on her.
She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. Her lungs were starting to burn.
Other teens began to stare in wonder and concern. More and more of them stopped their conversations to watch the display. That wasn’t good. Lilith leaned forward and whispered into the teen’s ear, “Atropa, stop.” She rubbed her tense shoulders, “Let her go.”
Blue eyes widened in shock. The girl relaxed under the gentle touches. Her thoughts slowly turning into white noise.
The crushing weight suddenly lifted and Castella gasped. She saw the sly smile Lilith was giving her, and the dazed expression on the new girl’s face.
Castella bolted out of the gym.
Lilith stared after the retreating girl. Once she left and the teens went back to their discussions, Lilith sighed in relief. She looked at Atropa. “Hey, are you-”.
“Let’s move,” Atropa urged and lightly tugged the other to the benches. Moving was laborious but she made it to the metal seat, collapsing onto it.
Lilith sat next to her, “You alright?”
The teen nodded. “Thank you, for what you did for me back there.” Atropa bit her thumbnail and continued to speak, “People like her are the reason we’ve had to move so much, I got in a lot of fights. I’ve lost control and I...anyway, it really means a lot that you did that for me.”
Lilith was taken aback by the confession. “I didn’t really do much. She ran on her own,” Lilith reminded.
Atropa shook her head, “No, you actually tried to step in and help me. You calmed me down. No one has done that before… no one’s ever been brave enough to try.”
“No offense, but you don’t look like the fighting type.”
“That’s what they all thought too.” Atropa wrung her wrist, “We always had to leave because my parents would get call after call because someone got hurt.” Atropa gave a sad laugh. “That’s pretty fucked up, huh?” tears gathered in her eyes. She continued to bite at her thumbnail. God, Lilith was going to think she was a freak. What if her parents found out she almost fought somebody? Her eyes widened in horror. What if they found out she told?! They’d kill her!
Lilith pulled the girl’s wrist to her. She examined Atropa’s hand, seeing the deep teeth marks. Some faded, some fresh, “You do this a lot.”
The other girl nodded, “Yea, it’s a bad habit. I’ve done it since I was ten. My mother used to-” Atropa stopped, she didn’t want to remember that. Didn’t want to recall the things she locked away and tried not to think about.
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe, you can talk to me,” Lilith squeezed the marred hand.
Atropa whimpered, “It’s just…it’s been so long since I’ve had anyone to talk to.” Tears pricked at her eyes. She wiped them away, “I-I’m sorry. You probably think I’m nuts.”
Lilith hugged the teen. “You’re not crazy.” She kissed the top of the dyed black hair. “You’re not crazy at all.” So much was left unsaid, but she hoped this would provide some comfort.
Atropa stiffened, she still wasn’t used to contact. Her parents had always kept her at arm's length, and other kids normally shrunk away from her. Slowly though, she
relaxed into the hug. She felt Lilith petting her hair and resting a cold cheek on the top of her head. Atropa bit her lip and curled into the touch. She hadn’t been held like this since she was a child. The hands reminded her of the shadow. She hadn’t thought about that thing in years. Since moving here though, more and more memories of it flashed through her mind.
She wrapped her arms around Lilith and sighed. Hugs were warmer then she remembered.
* * *
“Who am I,” Erin put two bagels beside his ears. He made a strange smug voice, “I’m sorry you’re so below me! What, drama? I would never partake in such a thing! Now excuse me while I spread a rumor.”
“Castella!” Lilith laughed, the impression was pretty good.
Erin nodded, “Hell yeah!”
Darren shook his head but a smile was evident on his face. He gestured to Lilith, “I heard you two got in another spat. She went screaming down the halls.”
“She was messing with Atropa, and then fell like a dumbass,” Lilith bit into her apple and turned to see said girl clicking her camera at the scene beyond the window. Wanting to distract the twins from the ‘fight’ she asked her, “Why do you take pictures?”
Atropa jumped at the question, being pulled out of her zone. Three sets of eyes were staring at her. Only two sets held any curiosity.
She looked at her Polaroid and explained, “Well, I’ve never stayed in one place for very long. I always ended up forgetting the people and places, so… someone gave me this camera. I don’t remember their name or face, but I know they loved me and cared for me. I can still hear their voice in my head sometimes, reminding me that I’m a good person. That I’m loved.”
Atropa noticed the sympathetic looks the trio were giving her. She got back on topic, “Anyway, they told me that when I see something worth memorizing, I should take a picture of it. It’s funny, I don’t have a picture of them but I remember that day so vividly. Their voice, their smile, their arms enveloping me in a hug.”
Child of the Morning Star Page 2