The Shadow's Hold

Epiphany

As time went on, you felt emotionally weaker by the second.

It's not that Yoongi was the sole reason for you to enjoy life, no. But he had been the spark to make you appreciate feeling again.

Even if it pained you to admit how intricately he had infiltrated your mind and shaken your protective shield.

He cracked it open for no reason at all. Now you were dreading the days, the hours, the minutes he wasn't by your side.

Everything felt lesser. How can someone increase or decrease your life's glow like that?

Nobody should have such power...

CeeCee wasn't talking to you either. Well, you weren't talking to her. You knew she was giving you the space you always needed when your brain was overwhelmed.

But right now you hated space.

You hated feeling alone because you drove yourself to that point. You knew the emptiness was your doing.

CeeCee was your best friend, your sister. You loved her. You missed her.

You missed Yoongi. You—

Yoongi was—

You were afraid to even mouth the words. Words you couldn't comprehend. Words you weren't sure were the right ones to even use.

Their meaning was frightening beyond anything else.

Finally sitting down to do some inner work, you went back to the basics.

Feelings are so complex in its foundation. What even triggers them? What initiates such events?

Going back ten years...

...when you met CeeCee for the first time.

It was an awfully chilly night, humid, uncomfortable to be out. You were on your way back home from school, hurrying up to warmth when you saw a figure laying down on the concrete pavement.

With your sixteen years of age, approaching a stranger on the street should have been an unthinkable thing, yet something drove you to reach out.

Laying there, all covered in bruises was a girl just like you.

Her ebony skin tone was barely visible under all the leaves and dirt covering her.

She was shivering, lips pale blue and she was crying for help.

It broke your heart to know it could have been you if your circumstances were different, less fortunate.

Not even thinking twice, you helped her up and brought her home.

Your parents were mortified when you arrived with an almost corpse hanging from you.

They were harsh at first, saying they understood your need to help but you couldn't just bring "strays" home, not considering the dangers out there.

Of course they were right. But never about CeeCee.

She had pneumonia and a broken spleen. They took care of her, provided everything she needed, mom and dad still on the fence about your engagement to a stranger.

They pitied her of course, but were afraid for you, for them. They wanted to contact several institutions, so she could be taken to a foster home.