𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐲 | A Zodiac Story

1. bustling

The lonesome, terribly cold morning of Thursday welcomed Cancer with open arms. She managed to kick off her covers in the night so cold bit at her arms and legs. The welcoming arms greeting her weren't reciprocated in the slightest.

A small groan sounded from the girl as her alarm chirped painfully and annoyingly in her ear. Hesitantly, the girl sat up in bed. She rubbed tiredly at her eyes, forcing the sleepiness out of her.

The alarm continued, and Cancer sluggishly moved to turn it off. She fumbled around in a half-asleep daze before successfully disarming it.

She swung her legs off her bed and stretched them out, her joints popping in a concerning way. Cancer jumped onto her feet, forcing herself to wake up and head downstairs to grab some breakfast.

The empty feeling in her stomach was the domino that triggered her daily routine. It growled with hunger and Cancer felt a twinge of embarrassment as she went downstairs.

Brightness flooded her vision as she entered the kitchen, fluorescent lights an unwelcome sight. Cancer's mom stood at the sink, scrubbing away at a yellowing Tupperware container.

"Hey sweetie," she singsonged, looking up to the doorway at the sound of her daughter's footsteps, "I made you some scrambled eggs today. Help yourself."

Cancer sounded her "thank you"s through a yawn as she shuffled to the stove, picking up a plate laid out and scraping some eggs off a frying pan onto it. She grabbed a fork and sat at the island.

Her mom tutted a bit, casting hesitant glances towards Cancer. Suspicion aroused, Cancer stifled a sigh and bit.

"What?"

Cancer's mom placed the Tupperware in the sink hands slightly trembling. From the scrubbing or her apparent nerves, Cancer didn't know.

"A girl at your school," her mom started, pausing, "Orion Reilly, she uh..."

Cancer glanced between her plate and her mom, making a gesture that motioned for her to continue.

"She was found dead, in her room. It was on the news this morning. Stabbing was the apparent cause of death."

The clatter of a metal fork dropping onto china was the only thing Cancer's mom heard in reply. Her daughter's face was distorted in a mixture of disturbance and shock. Quite literally speechless.

Her mom waited in a bated breath, but picked her previous statement back up after a minute when Cancer didn't reply. "Did you know her?"

Snapping out of her daze, Cancer cleared her throat and grabbed her fork again, picking at her food incredulously. "Not particularly."

"It's okay if you don't want to go in to school today," her mom continued, voice high and tight as if she were nervous, "one of your peers has tragically... uh—passed away. Totally understandable, and I wouldn't have any problems with it at all—"

Cancer swallowed another mouthful of egg before cutting off her mom. "It's okay, I'll go to school."

Cancer's mom also swallowed, eyes wide and questioning. "Are you sure?"

"One-hundred percent."

Her mom nodded and glanced back at the Tupperware in the sink before making her great escape to her room.

Cancer finished up her breakfast and continued her morning routine, stalling for time as always before heading out to the garage to hop in her mom's car at the sound of the horn. The woman in question shot another concerned glance at her daughter.

"You're being awfully casual about this. It's not everyday someone gets murdered, especially in a small town like this."

Cancer shrugged. "It's scary and kind of hard to believe. But I'm not ready to tank my attendance yet."