Jaded ||| Johanna Mason

eleven

Jade only wanted to be left alone when she was done with her tour. She wanted to delve into her new habit of day drinking and be alone. At least when she was alone no one else had to see how tormented she was.

Her mind tormented her relentlessly. It had a habit of forcing the memories she wanted to forget to the forefront of her mind.

But only a week after the tour, Jade was approached by Domitia and Odius. They knocked on her door. She didn't answer.

They walked inside anyway and were hit by the stench of pure alcohol. There were open bottles everywhere inside and Odius shook his head.

Jade was only sixteen. Her birthday happened only days ago but no one knew that. She hadn't said anything.

She was destroying her body already. Jade wasn't eating and she was drinking too much. At that rate, the girl would kill herself from alcohol poisoning.

Domitia and Odius found Jade in her living room passed out on the couch. Odius stood over her with his arms crossed.

"We don't need her. I don't want her, not when this is what she's doing," he commented gruffly, still unhappy with his newest Victor.

"Yes, we do. She was a good actress, a good hunter, and a good fighter. Lenna was lucky, Enobaria is a dog on a leash, and Brutus hardly has two brain cells to rub together," Domitia replied. She was always the responsible one.

Odius sighed and uncrossed his arms. He looked around until he saw a vase from old flowers that had been thrown but there was still water inside.

He picked up the vase and walked over to Jade. Domitia was too late to stop him as he dumped the whole thing onto her face to wake her up.

Jade felt like she had been shocked as she jumped up off of her couch. The cold water woke her up but she was confused and saw two figures standing in her house.

As she jumped off of the couch, she grabbed the knife she always kept close and began swinging. The knife was to feel somewhat safe. It helped keep the flashbacks at bay when she had a weapon.

And Jade started swinging.

She almost nicked Odius but as they both yelled at her to calm down, Jade finally realized who they were.

"What the hell?! What are you doing?" Jade questioned angrily. Water was dripping off of her hair and into her face, which dribbled down onto her clothes.

"Trying to keep you from poisoning yourself," Domitia said as her wise eyes studied the young Victor. "Get dressed. We need to show you something."

"And why would I do that after you just dumped water onto me?" Jade asked the two mentors. She was hungover, unimpressed, a moody teenager, and suffering from PTSD. She could argue with them all day.

"Because we—" Domitia began as Odius gave her a look. She rolled her eyes. "—I am not going to let you sit here and poison yourself. I don't care if that's what you want but I'm not letting it happen. As much as you would like to ignore it, some people care about you. So go take a shower, wash your hair and get ready," Domitia explained, standing with her eyebrows raised and her hands on her hips.