ȶɦɛ ֆɦǟɖօա ɮɛɦɨռɖ ʍɛ

ᑕᕼᗩᑭTᗴᖇ Oᑎᗴ: ᘜOOՏᗴᗷᑌᗰᑭՏ

ω૯ คՆՆ Һคυ︎૯ ค ઽҺคძ૦ω, ც౮੮ ੮Һค੮ ძ૦૯ઽՈ'੮ ɱ૯คՈ ૯υ︎૯Րע૦Ո૯ ८คՈ ɿՈ੮૯Րค८੮ ωɿ੮Һ ੮Һ૯ɱ, Ո૦੮ ע૯੮.

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I had always been an outsider. Born in a sleepless city of slums, I had never quite fit in with the other children my age and found myself on my own, a lot. In a place where everyone else was a stranger, I stayed a stranger myself. So when I was finally accepted into Vanderbilt University, I was over the moon. After years of rejection, I finally had gotten something that no one could take away from me.

I packed as soon as I could, rushing to catch my flight. My father had wanted nothing more than to send me to college, since his family didn't have enough money to get him into college. Seeing his little girl leave on a plane to go to college was an experience that also almost made him tear up. And he never did that. He just smiled sadly, waved at me one last time.

My mother and younger "sister" however didn't care. My mother had left me and dad when I was only 6-years-old. She had an affair with her boss and ran off with him. Soon after, one night when my mother went to sleep, he abandoned her in a cabin that resided in the mountains. Not too long after, my mother found out she was pregnant with my younger "sister", December.

Throughout the years, I always had to compete with her for the littlest things. Mostly because mother wanted December and me to, "Have a better connection!". Which was never going to work, especially since we have nothing in common. She loved pink, while I loved blue; she loved being the princess, while I was the righteous and honorable knight.

At times, December was also a bit of a brat. Constantly begging for toys even though she already had thousands. Or she would whine about not having enough chocolate in her breakfast. Mother even brought her high heels when she was only 5-years-old just because she asked for them! And whenever December didn't get what she wanted, there would be hell everywhere she went.

I'm so happy I won't have to see her anytime soon. It's not that I hate December, I'm just angry that she's the spawn of my mother.

When I finally landed, it was practically a maze to get through the airport. There were hundreds upon hundreds of people rushing to get to their flights. Line had formed inside a Starbucks that ended nearly 20 meters outside. And others were simply dozing off or lazily walking around in circles while waiting for their flight.

There was also a woman freaking out on an employee over her 'lost' luggage with a group of people surrounding her while recording the interaction on their phones. How strange but unique of a start to my, technically, new life.

Whilst hurring to the baggage claim so I wouldn't miss my suitcase, suddenly I saw a figure in the corner of my eye. It looked like a man with somewhat gray but nearly white eyes. He also seemed to tower over the bystanders walking past. I turned my head and he faded into the surrounding air with his eyes locked on mine. I stopped and continued to stare at the spot where he was previously standing. I shivered as I felt a cold, large hand caress my shoulder.

"I've missed you, darling~" It's touch is cold yet warm at the same time. It felt somewhat comforting in a way; like a hug from your favorite uncle or grandparent.

I heard a voice to my right, "Hey, you okay?" The touch quickly vanished away.

Glancing over, the voice belonged to a dark-skinned girl with short curly Mohawk with small blue strands in between. "Sorry, if I'm being invasive but you seem tense. Or like you've that your parents were in a car accident with a semi-truck." Her voice had a light Nigerian accent to it.

"Oh it's fine, I'm fine." My response sounded more like a question rather than a statement.

"If you say so. Anyway, my name's Iyawa, you?" She tilted her hand to the left a little and offered her hand. I looked at her hand and back at her. To my brain, this screamed danger and held up signs covered with big red x's. Father always told me to keep my guard up and not talk to strangers.

Even so, Iyawa seemed nice and around the same age as me. And plus, what's life without a little danger sometimes? I grasp and shake her hand, "Mine's Anais." She curled a brow, "like the cartoon Anais?"

"Yeah, and my cousin's half-French so my dad thought it'll be nice."

She hummed, "Nice."

°•- (っ'-')╮=͟͟͞͞)ꐦ°᷄д°᷅) -•°

'Huh, I expected it to be bigger.' I thought to myself as I stood in the doorway of my new dorm room. But then again, I've never even seen a dorm before, yet alone a University dorm. I began unpacking the three suitcases and bag I flew over with. Occasionally, I'll see a black shadow flash past me and disappear behind me.
   
"You've forgotten all about me.~" The mysterious and deep voice echoed throughout the dorm. The same voice from before. I spun around and saw…nothing. Maybe it's just my imagination? New place, new people, I'm bound to be at least a little paranoid. Yeah! I'm just paranoid…right? Right, totally.

"Is that what I am now? Just a figment of your 'imagination'? That's quite rude to say about someone, darling.~" The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Especially when they're right behind you.~"

𐂂✐𓁹𐂂✐𓁹𐂂✐𓁹𐂂✐𓁹𐂂✐𓁹

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𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 𝟿𝟺𝟽
ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ɴᴏᴠᴇᴍʙᴇʀ 21, 2023 ᴀᴛ 9:56 ᴘ.ᴍ.

ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴠᴀɴᴅᴇʀʙɪʟᴛ ɪs ʀᴇᴀʟ, ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇᴄᴛ.

ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ɪs ʙᴀsᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʟɪғᴇ (ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇsᴛ)ᴀᴜɴᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴀs ʙᴀsɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇᴅ ғʀᴏᴍ ʙɪʀᴛʜ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴘʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ ᴅᴀʏ. ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ʜᴇʀ sɪɴᴄᴇ ɪᴛ's ᴍʏ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs ғᴀᴜʟᴛ ғᴏʀ ʀᴀɪsɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀʏ.