The Awakening of Eve Rose // ONC 2024

Chapter One

Most children feel like they're disappointments to their parents at some point. I happened to know for a fact that I am to mine. What makes it worse is that I'm adopted. Not only was I a mistake to my birth parents, who gave me away like an old used blanket, but to my adopted parents—I am 0 for 2.

"Evelynn, dear, you have to make it to your sister's graduation," Mom whined through the phone.

"Wow Mom, not even a hello this morning," I smarted-off, feeling exhausted. My fuse was short. She was rehashing the same argument we'd been having for the last two weeks. It didn't matter to her that half of my department at work was out sick with the flu, and I was working mandated overtime. At least for the foreseeable future, I had no hope of getting time off approved.

"Evelynn! Don't use that tone with me. You've always been such a troublesome thing. You have never been grateful to be a part of this family," she hissed.

Her words stung like they always did. It wasn't easy being the adopted child of Mark and Mary Rose. They never let me forget that I wasn't actually one of them. I held no illusions on where I stood with my family. In fact, I knew that had my sister Jane, their biological daughter, been born first I would not be part of the Rose's.

They were perfectly normal. God-fearing and hardworking. Everything an upstanding southern family should be. And I was on the outside looking in. I never managed to get the hang of it.

I sighed. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate the home or life they had offered me. I only wished that they loved me, the child they bought and paid for, for the person I was. Instead I felt like a defective product that they had lost the receipt to and couldn't return.

"I'm just tired, Mom. The ER is super busy and I am only one of the few who haven't gotten sick."

"I know but isn't there anything you can do? It would mean so much to your sister."

"I'll try to switch with someone but I don't know if it is possible," I replied, hoping this would appease her.

"Don't let us down, dear."

"I'll do my best, mom. I have to get ready for work now."

"Fine, I'll tell Jane to expect you," she said, her voice returning to it's normal whiney tone.

The phone clicked and went silent.

"Love you too, mom," I whispered into the dead line.

Tossing my phone onto the nightstand, I flopped back onto my pillows, throwing my arm over my eyes. What I wouldn't give to be what Mark and Mary wanted. I tried. I really tried. But nothing I ever did was good enough. Every little thing I did was strange and weird to my family.

A memory of my childhood swelled up like a leviathan out of the sea.

I was standing in the rain with my arms stretched out at my sides and my face turned to the sky. I enjoyed the sensation of the wind whipping against my skin and the rain hitting me. It felt raw and cleansing.

Mom yelled at me from the front door. "Evelynn, get in this house now! The neighbors are staring!"

Her and Dad spent the rest of that stormy day telling me that normal children stomped in puddles and ran in the rain. Normal children didn't stand still. They wondered what was wrong with me.

I did too.

From enjoying books and gardening to long walks in the mountains. My family found it all strange. While I loved the quiet beauty of nature, they loved amusement parks and shopping.

The alarm sounded from my bedside table pulling me away from the painful memories and to the shower.

As usual I spent far too long in the scalding water of the shower, giving me no time to actually put myself together. I rushed out of the door, with barely enough time to make it to work, as my wavy dark hair stuck to my scrub top. The sun shone bright and high and the sky and I fought the urge to turn my face upwards to soak it in. Another habit that my parents fought hard to break. Normal people can enjoy the sun without looking up at it, my dad's voice rang through my head.

My eyes fixated on my feet as I walked the rest of the way to the hospital. The plastic bag, full of whatever I threw in it for lunch, crackled as it bounced on my arm.

***

The best thing about working a busy triage desk in the emergency room is that the twelve-hour shift flies by. With no gap in patients, there is no time to wonder how much longer you had or check a clock. Or, more important, time to think about the depressing call from my mother this morning. It is the only welcome thing I have found about this flu season.

The snot, coughing, and lobby full of sick and upset patients and families, I could do without.

"Ready to turn it over?" John asked, tapping the back of my chair.

"Yes," I answered, exaggerating my excitement. I tapped my badge on the little black magic box that would sign me off the computer. I pushed away from the desk to reveal the stack of triage forms near the keyboard. "Good luck."

"Ugh, looks like I'll need it," he said, as he plopped down in my vacant seat. "Be careful going home. I'll never understand why you agreed to do the three to three."

"Me either," I sighed, gathering my belongings.

Weaving through the full parking lot, visitors and patients trudge past me toward the ER door. They huddled together in small group, shuffling quickly, away from the darkness. But while they ran toward the bright hospital light, I left them behind willingly. Another difference between me and normal people. I didn't mind the darkness. I found solace in it.

I shook my head, as if I could shake these thoughts out of my mind. I needed to be normal. I wanted to be normal. I just had to remember my parent's teachings.

Nearing the last row of cars and the edge of the hospital lights my senses tingled. Goosebumps covered my skin as I cross my arms protectively over my chest. Rustling sounds to my left caught my attention.

Probably someone going into the hospital.

Even as I told myself, a pit formed in my stomach—something wasn't right.

A shadow emerged from between two cars off to my side and stalked toward me.

"Hello," I called out as my heart rate sped up.

The shadow crept closer without saying a word.

"Can I help you?" I tried again.

The shadow said nothing.

My senses screamed as my stomach twisted into knots. I tensed my legs and prepared to run. The shadow was almost on top of me. Its slight form became more visible as it neared.

I backpedaled toward the safety of the hospital lights. The shadow kept its pace.

A shrill voice erupted from the shadow. "John, where are you? Riley is in the ER. No, I don't know what is going on!"

I let out a breath as the middle-aged woman passed me talking into a set of earbuds.

I wanted to laugh at myself. Today really messed me up. My muscles relaxed as I started back on my path home. I cleared the last row of cars and wanted to laugh even harder at myself. I walked a few feet to the crosswalk and smacked the button. The countdown started almost immediately, and the traffic lights turned yellow.

I counted with the light. Three, Two, One.

"Hello, little witch," a husky voice whispered in my ear, as large hands wrapped around my arms.

A static charge zapped through me, and the world went white.