Sage Rose Parker, a seventeen almost eighteen year old girl getting ready for college with her two friends.
Having the world on her shoulders and her past in her mind she's down to break.
An alcoholic as a mother and an abusive father in jail didn'...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Monsters ====================================
Do you remember those stories, the ones you were told as a kid? The ones about monsters hiding under your bed or lurking in the closet, waiting for the lights to go out? They made you so scared you begged to sleep in your parents' room or kept a nightlight on, hoping its glow would keep the shadows at bay.
But eventually, you grew up. You learned that those monsters weren't real. They were just figments of your imagination, nothing more than stories designed to spook you.
Or so you thought.
Years later, you realize that monsters do exist, but they aren't the kind that hide under beds or creep in the dark. They're far worse. You find them in the people who are supposed to love you, in the ones you trust most. They don't come with sharp teeth or claws. They disguise themselves with gentle smiles and familiar faces.
And the scariest monsters of all? The ones that hide inside your own head. No nightlight can chase them away. No amount of running will protect you. They follow you everywhere, whispering in the silence, lurking in every corner of your mind.
The truth is, you're never truly safe. The monsters never leave. ~~~~~~~~
Come on, Ezra! Aren't you excited to be back?" Elijah's voice bursts through my thoughts as he bounces on his toes, barely able to contain his enthusiasm.
I drop my bags onto the old, worn couch with a thud. "Not really," I mumble, glancing around the house that I once called home. It looks the same, but everything feels different. "I didn't exactly want to come back here."
Elijah pouts as he follows me toward the stairs. "Oh, cheer up. I'm sure you'll run into your girl today," he adds with a mischievous grin.
I pause on the bottom step, turning to glare at him. "What girl?"
He flashes a knowing smile. "You know who I'm talking about." His grin widens as he watches my expression.
"Not really," I reply, brushing past him and heading up the stairs. When I reach my old bedroom, I push open the door, taking in the faded blue walls and the familiar clutter of childhood memories. I hadn't set foot in this room for years, and yet it feels like I never left.
My eyes drift to the nightstand, where a framed picture of a woman sits. I walk over and pick it up carefully, dusting off the glass with my thumb. Her raven-black hair falls gracefully over her shoulders, and her dark brown eyes sparkle with a warmth that I can barely remember. Her smile is gentle, almost serene, as though she's trying to reassure me that everything is okay.
But everything wasn't okay.
"Your mom was such a MILF," Elijah remarks, peeking over my shoulder.
I whip around, nearly dropping the photo. "Say that again, and I'll slit your throat," I growl, my fingers tightening around the frame. I tuck the photo into my pocket, casting one last glance at the room before striding out.
"Come on, I was just kidding," he whines, trailing after me as I head back downstairs. "Why couldn't I come with you to the new school today? You know it's going to be boring as hell without me."
I roll my eyes. I gave him some excuse earlier about registration paperwork not being processed in time, but the truth is, I needed some space for once. "You'll be there tomorrow. Don't be such a drama queen."
Elijah huffs. "And what am I supposed to do all day while you're off being the mysterious new kid?"
"Anything that doesn't involve annoying me," I shoot back as I grab my car keys and head out the front door. "Just don't scratch my car."
Elijah scoffs. "Like I would do that! You're such a jerk."
I smirk as I climb into the driver's seat, the familiar scent of the leather wrapping around me like a warm blanket. The drive to school is filled with Elijah's rambling about how unfair it is that he's stuck at home for one more day while I'm graced with the "privilege" of attending high school. I tune him out, my mind drifting back to the last time I walked those halls. Everything was different back then. I was different.
As we pull up to the school, Elijah gives me a long, suffering sigh. "Fine, go be a loner. But if you come back with even a scratch on this car, I'm telling mom."
I snort. "Good luck with that." The bitterness in my voice catches even me by surprise. I push it aside and climb out of the car. "Don't wait up," I call over my shoulder as I slam the door and walk toward the entrance.
Time Skip
The fluorescent lights buzz overhead as I stare down at the crumpled map the receptionist handed me. I can barely make sense of the thing, and every hallway looks exactly the same.
"Great, I'm lost," I mutter under my breath. As I turn the corner, I finally spot the classroom I've been searching for. I knew that.
Taking a breath, I push open the door and step inside. A dozen pairs of eyes instantly swivel in my direction, scrutinizing the new kid who's just walked in unannounced. The teacher, an old man with thinning hair and a tweed jacket, turns to face me, raising a bushy eyebrow.
"And who might you be?" His voice grates with the impatience of someone who's dealt with teenagers for far too long.
"I'm Ezra. The new kid," I reply, shoving my hands into my pockets.
"Ah, yes. Ezra Jones," he murmurs, checking a note on his desk before looking back at the class. "You can take a seat next to Sage. Sage, raise your hand."
I scan the room until my gaze lands on a girl sitting in the far back corner, her blonde hair catching the light from the window. She looks up, her blue eyes meeting mine. There's a flicker of recognition in her expression, but it's gone as quickly as it appeared. Her hand lifts lazily, and she turns back to the window as if I wasn't worth the effort of a second glance.
Sage. It's been years, but I'd recognize her anywhere. The memories hit me harder than I expected, leaving me momentarily frozen. I force myself to move, to walk toward the empty seat beside her.
As I sit down, I cast a quick glance her way. She doesn't look at me, her attention fixed on something far beyond the classroom walls. For a moment, I consider saying something, just to see if she'd remember me, but the words get stuck in my throat.
Instead, I stare at my desk and let the silence settle in, my mind racing with thoughts I haven't allowed myself to think in years. The last time I saw Sage was before everything fell apart, before life got complicated.
Does she even remember me?
Or am I just a ghost from her past, one she's already forgotten? ==================================== END OF CHAPTER 🤓
Ayyy hi guysss
I'm gonna start writing the next chapter for Dark angel tomorrow I promise it most likely will be posted tomorrow night if not then the day after
The playlist for this book will be posted tomorrow and warning y'all in advance most of the songs are from my playlist but if you do have some song suggestions let me know
Bro also fun fact yk? I've had this book in my drafts since last year in October and bro 😭 I was re reading it and the way my writing changed is crazy it was sooo baddd and some of the plot changed too
Oh and i completely forgot to do Elijah in the characters so tomorrow I'll add him there 😀
Anywayyy I'm gonna go watch anime now so I'll see y'all next chapterrrr
