Flames and Starlight

31🌘

Peter

I laid stiffly on the couch in Mrs. Cremer's living room, staring up at the ceiling. I couldn't possibly fall asleep after everything that had happened today.

I thought of what happened with Laura and her family, but I mostly thought of my parents.

If my parents were still alive, then where could they be? Would they be able to escape? Would they be okay?

I tried not to think about the fact that there was a huge chance that they weren't alive, that they weren't okay. I couldn't think about that, even though I knew deep down and from a logical standpoint that the chances of them being okay and alive were slim to none, but I still clung to the hope that they were out there somewhere. That was the only thing I could do.

I thought about them all night. I ended up sobbing again. I did my best to be quiet so I didn't wake anyone up but it was hard. I'd never felt such crippling sadness before in my life and I had no idea what I was going to do if I never found them or found out what happened to them.

I thought about the last thing I said to them but couldn't remember. I cursed myself for not appreciating the time I had with them, for not treasuring every moment I had with them. If only I had known, I would've hugged them and told them I loved them and thanked them for everything they ever did for me.

My mind involuntarily went to Eason. My hands clenched into fists and I felt like punching him over and over until his face busted open. Fury shot through me as I thought back to him telling me that my parents were dead, that they would never come back.

I wanted to unleash all my rage and grief onto him and Caius, to make the two monsters who turned my life upside down pay and suffer.

The tiny, logical part of my brain told me that it was unfair to be furious at Eason, that he wasn't the one that did that to my parents, but I couldn't help it. The way that man walked in and acted as though he was my long-lost father and I should be happy to see him even though he and the woman who gave birth to me gave me away.

I never gave much thought to my birth parents all my life. Mom and Dad had offered to research and look into them, for me to know about them, but I refused every time. While I had a happy childhood and my parents were wonderful, there was still underlying anger about my biological parents gave me away like I was nothing. I figured since they had no interest in me, I would have no interest in them.

Eason came in and acted as though he had a right to be there - which he didn't. He had none at all. He didn't get to give me away then come back in my life and think he was entitled to be in it. No. It was not going to happen.

Before I knew it, the sun was rising, and everyone got up not too long after. From the looks of everyone, it looked like they hadn't gotten much sleep either and their moods seemed like they hadn't improved at all. I desperately wished Mrs. Cremer was here; out of everyone in Laura's family, her grandmother seemed to be the most level-headed and decent one, and I didn't want to be around any of these people any longer than I had to be.

I thought of my own family, of how every morning it was full of pleasantness and it was nice to be around them. I wondered how Laura was able to handle being around these people and not lose her sanity. I felt sympathy for her that she had to deal with this.

They stumbled into the kitchen for breakfast. I didn't join them; I didn't think I'd be welcomed and other than a few glances, they didn't acknowledge my existence.

I stayed where I was by the window, waiting for Mrs. Cremer to come back. I wondered if Laura was coming back or not, though I doubted it was unlikely. She probably joined the Moonblood Clan to get away from her toxic family and thought that was the only way to get out.