Worlds of Waves and Shadows

Twenty Seven

Kaenisa woke up to the annoyingly loud buzz of the alarm, running her hands over the bed.

Her bed.

She absorbed the familiarity of her room, something she had previously taken for granted.

But now that Kaenisa had been forced to spend a while away, in a strange place, she had come to realize just how precious it was.

Swinging her feet off the bed, she stood up, relishing the softness of the rug between her toes before heading to the bathroom.

It was funny how she felt nothing but numb. Probably because she had only about five brain cells left after all the information her mother had casually decided to reveal last night.

Walking into the bathroom, Kaenisa splashed the sleep away with cold water, changing into activewear.

Stepping out, it was evident enough that no one was awake yet.

Though she couldn't really blame them.

School had forced her to be an early bird, and then the habit had just stuck.

But sleeping in on weekends was a welcomed pleasure. She walked out, and for a moment, just stood there, closing her eyes, absorbing the serenity of dawn.

The sky, which had just begun to turn blue, was streaked with blazing red of the rising sun, peeking out from the east.

Boy, did it feel good to be under an actual sky for a change. But Kaenisa had definitely NOT missed the heat which had already begun to takeover the day.

Sighing, she began to stretch before moving on to the track around the house, aiming to complete a forty-five-minute jog.

Soon, the wind had started to caress her cheeks, breezing through her scalp as Kaenisa picked up the pace.

The feeling of freedom had already taken root, spreading through her body like growing branches.

Even if it was just for a little while, Kaenisa felt like she had managed to outrun all her demons. All the things that wouldn't let her sleep.

The faster she ran, the freer she felt.

So, she kept running, trying desperately to escape the clawing fingers of every thought that pushed her further into the chaos of her mind.

Kaenisa ran until she was sprinting before realizing just how out of breath she was.

Slowing down, she finally came to a halt, noticing her goal had been reached, a good seventeen minutes ago.

Kaenisa headed back inside and upstairs to her room, noises arising from the kitchen, indicating that breakfast was underway.

Walking into her bathroom, she began to fill the tub, more than ready to immerse herself within the rippling coolness.

About half an hour later, Kaenisa entered the corridor, dressed in floral, two-piece shorts set, to see Rolan coming out of his room, groggy and dishevelled.

His hair could easily be mistaken for the crow's nest on the tree outside her window.

"Rolan, get dressed." Sarina called out from behind him.

"Fine..." Rolan groaned, heading back inside.

Kaenisa rolled her eyes at the fact that they both walked out of the same room but refrained from calling them out.

Before going to the dining room, she stopped by the Mandir.

Almost every Indian household had one, a small temple or a shrine where they said their prayers. Kaenisa was not exactly the religious type, but she liked to pray at the feet of Ma Durga's deity every once in a while.