Persephone Villania and the Army of The Dead

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞: The Screaming Crow

ㅤThe sun glared down at Persephone Emmity. She glared back.

ㅤExasperated, she covered her pale face with both of her hands and buried it into the pillow, knowing well that sleep would soon slip out of her grasp and that her clock was seconds from screaming at her hoarse. However, she still hoped with each bone in her body that it wouldn't happen. 

ㅤEvery morning — like clockwork — the wooden man-shaped clock strutted out of its tiny house and woke her up without failure. I mean, who wouldn't wake up when someone's shouting useless facts about themselves near their earshot? It's been like that for a few years now. 

ㅤ"Rise and shine Persephone, time to wake up to my handsome face. Come on, you slacker, I know you love seeing my gorgeous, picture-perfect, fatally symmetrical face. I have so much I want to tell you about *my* day!" The clock beamed, "I think my teeth are perfect—it looks so white you can compare it to snow," a groovy voice resounded uncomfortably close beside Persephone's ear. "You should start working on your sleep schedule if you want to look as fabulous as me one day. I know, I know, you won't ever be this gorgeous—but you can try! I would love to see you fail — I mean try. (Don't tell your mum or father I said that.) According to my *'vast'* knowledge on body stuff, good sleep can make your thinking thingy work better."

ㅤPersephone scoffed. She did not seem to be more enthusiastic than she was moments ago.

ㅤ"WAKE UP!" He pulled on her fingers and bit her ear. "Arr nuud," he pulled harder "rou to way up!"

ㅤ"Shut up. I'm awake, John," she mumbled through her hands. Persephone grabbed the tiny man by the torso and flung him down the floor. Her hands flew back to her face immediately to protect it from the way-too-bright sunlight.

ㅤJohn put a hand to his chest and gasped dramatically, "There is no need for such brutal actions this early in the morning. A handsome, young, genius, and talented alarm clock like me does not deserve such insensitive, brutality!"

ㅤ"Of course, there's a need for brutal actions this early when you still haven't gathered enough tolerance for wooden midgets," she muttered sulkily, loud enough for John to hear.

ㅤ"Alright then," he said starting to make that bitter face. "Make sure you wake her up, they said, don't worry, she's a nice kid, he said," John blew a wet raspberry. The doll-like alarm clock then proceeded to stomp away and shut itself in a cupboard, muttering as he did so. Bits of what the doll was saying in the cupboard can be heard along with an "I don't have enough tolerance" which was said in a disturbingly dumb voice.

ㅤRolling her eyes, she thought 'every single day, he gets more and more self-absorbed and I can't believe it. This must be some sort of world record he's doing. I wonder what's the title... Hmm, World's Stupidest Man? No, no, he's not a man... Maybe World's Most Selfish Woodwork? Yeah, that's right, it suits him perfectly'

ㅤ"I can hear you," Persephone said, bored with the doll's antics.

ㅤ"I can hear you," the doll mocked loudly inside the cupboard using increasingly stupid voices.