The Seer of Darkness: The Reckoning Series

Alone

Preface

Loneliness had always been far more intimate than constant company. For in loneliness a person is more able to be content and know themselves. In company there was no solace provided by comforting words.

That was all Annabelle had received in the past month, broken promises and empty apologies. "I'm sorry for your loss." The words had fallen on deaf ears. Her mind was adrift in the sea of tears that coated their caskets.

Besides, loss was too vague a word to describe the emotions she would have to face every day. These emotions were heart wrenching. These emotions were ruthless. They were all consuming. They ate away at your resolve until there was nothing left except the broken shell of the person you used to be.

The mud was slick as her knees connected with the freshly dug grave that her parent's caskets were being lowered into. In that moment she found herself leaning forward, her fingers sliding over the pool of water that gathered on her mother's red cherry wood casket- and wished that she was in there too.

A cold, wet hand gently patted her back through the thick drenched black sweater. "I'll always be here for you if you need anything."

Hot salty tears mixed with the downpour of rain, sliding down her cheeks and into her mouth.

She screamed as a tall slender man in a black suit began dumping the dirt over their caskets, and lunged forward onto the freshly tossed earth.

To her dismay, her uncle lifted her up and held her in a tight embrace, ignoring her thrashing and protests that she wanted to be with them. Even so, he hushed her, telling her that she would be okay.

The voices were a distant echo of a memory. The memory surrounded by so many people that left her feeling more alone than when she was by herself. The one she would replay over and over again, almost as much as her brain would try to peer through the dense veil of fog that left her remembering nothing of the tragic night her parents had died- which was the same night that death nearly claimed her own life too.

Alone-

The echo of the memory lingered in the back of her mind as she stared across the table at her uncle with a blank expression, trying to stop her thoughts from being displayed across her features. Annabelle knew that if he could see what she was feeling then he would be as crushed as she was.

The familiar sky blue eyes stared back at her from across the two-person kitchen table. Alexander's eyes were unreadable, but his thick gray eyebrows furrowing together gave Annabelle the implication that he was curious, or concerned perhaps. Then, giving away his thoughts, his calculating eyes became focused on her still full plate of food.

They had been sitting at the table for half an hour, and in that time he had managed to finish his entire plate of food, meanwhile hers remained completely intact on the plate.

Eating was too difficult. Despite being fortunate enough to have survived the tragedy that took both of her parents from her, for a month after Annabelle remained in a medically induced coma so that she could heal from her extensive injuries. She had suffered internal bleeding, multiple fractured limbs and ribs, a third degree burn, and brain swelling. It was unclear as to whether or not Annabelle would even live.

Then the unexpected happened. The swelling in her brain decreased, and shortly after she became capable of breathing on her own. Once the doctors had felt they healed enough, they took her off of the sedatives and began rehabilitation.

Upon waking up, Annabelle hadn't even known that her parents were dead. Alexander had stayed with her in the hospital while she was comatose. He told her stories including himself and her parents, mostly older ones about when they were young. He never once spoke of her parents being deceased, and for that she was grateful. She had been able to hear him, despite being trapped in her own body, and if he had told her the truth, she doubted she would have had the heart to even let herself wake up. To return to her broken body.