𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺.
𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘁...
All Ivy has ever known is hiding. Since the day she was born, she has stayed hidden behind her m...
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Ivory
The sound of waves crashing against a snow-covered bank filled my ears. I sat at the end of a rickety old dock over a huge sparkling lake. I would say it was the biggest one I've ever seen, but I don't really have anything to compare it to. The sun rose high into the sky over the snow-capped mountains on the horizon and pine trees scattered the landscape as far as the eye could see.
I'm not sure how, why or when I got here or what happened before. It was all fuzzy. I'm not even sure if any of this was real. It could be all in my head. It probably was. Mother would never let me leave the wards. I felt at peace, though. I'm not sure why, but it felt like home.
But that feeling only lasted for a moment.
"Ivy!" a familiar voice called from behind me. I turned and my heart leapt into my throat.
"Mom!" I stood up on shaky legs and ran. For a moment, it felt like the world was crumbling around me and the dock just kept getting longer and longer. The world around me darkened and shattered like a picture frame. My pulse quickened and my lungs burned. Why can't I reach her? I felt tears burn in my eyes as I sprinted faster and faster. My chest constricted and I screamed.
"Mommy!"
I stumbled over the uneven boards, scrambling to get to her. She looked so far away. I needed to apologize for what I could not remember. I just knew that I had to. One of the boards caught my foot, and I tripped. Reaching out in front of me, I braced for impact, but none came. Instead, I fell into the warm embrace of my mother and father.
"Mom! Dad!" I cried. I suddenly felt so small and frail. My heart burned and my stomach rolled as tears poured down my face. "I-I'm so sorry."
"We love you, Ivy. I hope you know that." my father said, his voice as gentle as a feather. His green eyes were misty, and he wiped away the tears that refused to stop.
"My darling girl, I'm sorry... I should have told you everything." My mother cried and embraced me, brushing her lips against my temple.
Tell me what? What was going on? I didn't understand. I looked back and forth between them. They looked so sad. Why?
A bright light emerged from behind them and they started to fade.
No!
"No! Don't leave me! Come back! Please! I'm sorry!"
"Don't leave me all alone!"
"Please!" I choked.
"I'm sorry!"
I bolted upright, clutching my burning chest, gasping for air. Where am I? What happened? My eyes stung with salty tears as I rubbed them and blinked through the pounding in my head. I sat in a small cot with a tan woolen blanket. The room looked like our small wooden cottage, but it wasn't my bedroom. As my eyes passed over the dresser that sat across from me, I froze, catching my reflection in the mirror that was positioned next to it.
