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f i f t h y e a r
It has been weeks since the semester started and Adeline had no plans of returning. She couldn't even imagine what was being said about her, what horrid stories had been passed through notes and whispered in hallways. She didn't care though, she wasn't ever going back there. Adeline wasn't sure what her life would become, whether she'd be on the run for the rest of her days, hiding away like her uncle does, or if she'd find her way back within her parents hold, serving their cause she cares so little about.
Pathetic blood wars.
Adeline stayed in bed, the branch outside her window hitting the glass as if trying to gain her attention. Eventually, the rhythmic sound spurred a restless sleep. When she woke, she was outside. The air was cool and the leaves damp beneath her.
It was a cloudy day, the sun hidden behind a grey sky. With a lurch, Adeline noticed how similar the colour was to Ryland's dead gaze.
She sat up, leaves sticking to the old sweater she had on. Arthur's house was behind her, the back door wide open from where she must've exited. She was in the forest that the backyard led to. The trees covered her from any eyes the house may have. Adeline wasn't sure whether this was real or not. She stood, leaning on a tree for balance. Her body was weak, she couldn't remember the last time she ate a full meal.
Her hand caught on a small, broken branch on the tree and it tore at the skin. She winced, retracting her hand and inspecting her injury. There was a gash on her palm, black and red blood escaping quickly. Distantly, Adeline noticed the black ichor was far more prominent than it had been before summer.
Real then, this was real.
She could bleed in dreams, but it never throbbed the way any injury would.
Unsteady on her feet, Adeline began to walk. She didn't head back to the house, but further into the woods. The destination was unclear but her bare feet dragged her through the damp woods with a bleeding palm. Adeline didn't know how long she walked for, her body had taken over while her mind was placed into a numb, catatonic state. She heard the rush before she saw it, felt the air grow colder.
The heavy stream came into view when the trees cleared, the icy water rushing dangerously fast against rocks and dragging down kindle and leaves with the current. She hadn't known this was here, hadn't ever seen it before. Briefly, she wondered how far she had travelled.
She walked to the rocks' edge, the texture should have been cold on her feet but barely felt it.
The stream didn't have an end in sight and she thought of where it went to. Adeline looked around, the water was surrounded by dark forest and cloud.
The distant thrum of liveliness had Adeline's blood tingle, but it was barely there.
A dull thrum compared to the usual parade of life.
