Chaos In The Flesh

Chapter 19

Beep. Beep. Beep. Anomaly detected. Section 5121315144.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Anomaly detected. Section 5121315144.

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Wednesday, December 7, 5:37am

Cassie flinched as she opened her window. The smallest creak would send the dogs into a frenzy, and this was not the morning to start a fight between her and the dogs. Cassie's mother would probably side with the dogs again anyway.

After gently flying through the window, Cassie's feet grazed the wooden floors and she carefully let the rest of her body follow.

She laid on the bare floor, bloody, muddy, dirty, hungry, and cold from the open window. Cassie had no time to eat or change as she scoured the state and its neighboring borders for any signs of Momus or his lackeys. She also had to help the Kent's, speak to Lois, fix up the church's field...

"You know," Donna said. "I'm starting to wonder if you enjoy getting your ass handed to you."

Cassie groaned as she picked up her head. On the other side of her room, sitting in her dark yellow bean bag chair was Donna in a pair of jeans and a large YALE navy blue sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and she still wore her short black boots.

She must've just walked in.

Cassie let her head fall back against the wooden floor as the cold air from the outside washed over her. The sting of the air didn't nearly hurt as much as the sting of her sister's words.

She was trying. Trying to be faster, stronger, better.

That's all she was ever trying to do.

"How many times are you going to bruise yourself until you realize that maybe you should call me?" Donna pushed. Cassie closed her eyes but Donna's voice still echoed in her head. "Amazons don't let pride outweigh their intellect. You should fight smarter, sister."

Cassie bit the inside of her cheek, holding back a retort. Thank the gods the light wasn't on, or else Donna would see tears rolling down Cassie's cheeks right into her ears, practically drowning out all of the outside noise.

"Cass, this threat is turning into something more than you can handle," Donna's voice hurt to listen to. "Obviously you weren't ready for such a project. Hippolyta gave me the option of sending someone else if I thought that it was going to be too much for you, and I'm starting to think this to be true."

Cassie's heart hurt. Her soul ached. Her pride was shattered.

She was trying. She was trying so hard.

She was still adjusting to this new world. She was still going through the sleepless nights and the nightmares. The mental cages that held her back that were so tight, Cassie couldn't focus and think, but here she was.

Still trying, still trying, still trying.

Why couldn't her trying be enough for once?

Why couldn't she be enough?

"I'm going to give you another chance," Donna said quietly. Cassie heard her rise from the bean bag and walk over to the open window. It creaked loudly as Donna climbed through it. "I love you Cassie, but you need to prove yourself and hurry up to do it."

And just like that, Donna was gone.

Cassie remained on the floor and let the tears roll and collect in her ears. She was starving. She was so tired. Her bones ached, her head throbbed, her muscles shook, and all she wanted was a good cup of tea and a good book.