Caesonia

1. Abandoned

A/n : this is edited, I just to let you know 

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                                                                               -Abandoned-
                                                                                 Ivory POV:
                                                          --------------------------------------------
The day I stared started off like any other day. The early morning sun peeked through my curtains, casting a warm glow over my room. I stretched and yawned, feeling a flutter of excitement in my stomach. Today was my birthday!!! we don't have much, but Mom always made it feel was special.

I hopped out of bed and ran downstairs, the scent of vanilla and sugar filling the air. Mom was in the kitchen, her dark hair tied back in a messy bun, her apron dusted with flour. She was humming a tune I couldn't place, but it sounded happy and comforting.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart!" she greeted me with a warm smile, pulling me into a tight hug. "How does it feel to be nine?"

I laughed, my arms wrapping around her waist. "It feels great, Mom! What are we doing today?"

"Well," she said, pulling away to look at me, "I've invited a few of your friends over for a small party. And, of course, I made your favorite cake."

My eyes widened in delight. "Chocolate with strawberry frosting?"

"The very same," she confirmed, ruffling my hair. "Now go get dressed. The party starts in an hour."

I ran back upstairs, my heart pounding with excitement. I picked out my favorite shirt, a melo toned blue one with tiny white flowers, and brushed and curled my hair until it looked nice . By the time I was done, the first of my friends had arrived.

The party was everything I had hoped for. We played games, laughed, and devoured the delicious cake Mom had made. For those few hours, everything felt perfect. I forgot about the whispers at school, the curious looks from neighbors, and the strange men who sometimes visited our house late at night. None of it mattered today.

As the sun began to set and the last of my friends left, Mom took my hand and led me to the couch. Her expression had changed, and a knot of worry formed in my stomach. She looked like she wanted to tell me something important.

"Ivory," she began, her voice trembling slightly, "there's something I need to talk to you about."

Before she could continue, there was a knock at the door. She tensed, her eyes darting towards the sound. "Wait here, sweetie. I'll be right back."

I watched as she opened the door to reveal a tall, shadowy figure. They spoke in hushed tones, and I couldn't make out their words. Mom's posture was rigid, and she kept glancing back at me, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination.

Minutes felt like hours as I waited, my heart pounding in my chest. Finally, Mom turned back to me, her eyes a light shade of red as tears tried to fall. She walked over and knelt in front of me, taking my hands in hers.

"Ivory, I have to go," she said, her voice breaking. "I can't explain right now but know that I love you more than anything in this world."

Panic surged through me. "But why, Mom? Where are you going?"

Her grip tightened on my hands. "To Caesonia. I promise I'll come back for you."

And then she was gone. Just like that, the woman who had been my entire world disappeared, leaving me alone and confused. The door closed behind her with a final, resounding thud.

The days that followed were a blur. I was sent to live with my Aunt Clara and Uncle Martin, who did their best to make me feel at home. They were kind, but their presence did little to fill the void left by Mom's sudden departure. I missed her terribly, and every night I cried myself to sleep, clutching the small note she had left me.

The note was simple, just a few words scrawled in her neat handwriting: "I love you, Ivory. Be brave. - Mom"

I read it over and over, trying to make sense of it. Why had she left? What was so important in Caesonia that she had to abandon me? The questions swirled in my mind, but there were no answers to be found.

At school, I kept to myself. The whispers and curious glances from my classmates were hard to ignore, but I did my best. I didn't want to talk about Mom or her disappearance. It was too painful, too confusing.

One day, as I sat alone under a tree during lunch, a boy approached me. He was tall, His hair was just like my moms, nice dark black hair very silk-like with curls forming at the bottom, and a nice athletic with a warm smile that seemed out of place in the somber atmosphere of the gloomy and bad smelling schoolyard.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" he asked, holding his lunch tray.

I shrugged, not really caring. "Sure, I guess."

He sat down, his presence somehow comforting. "I'm Blake. I just moved here. What's your name?"

"Ivory," I replied quietly, not looking up from my sandwich.

He didn't seem to mind my lack of enthusiasm. "Nice to meet you, Ivory. Why are you sitting all alone?"

I sighed, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I don't really have any friends here."

"Well, now you do," he said with a grin. "Mind if I sit with you again tomorrow?"

Something in his eyes made me believe him. "Okay," I said, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

Blake became a constant presence in my life. Every day, he sat with me at lunch, sharing stories about his old school and his dreams of becoming an athlete. Slowly, I began to open up, telling him bits and pieces of my own story.

He was the first person I talked to about Mom's disappearance. His reaction surprised me. Instead of pity, I saw determination in his eyes.

"We'll figure it out, Ivory," he said firmly. "We'll find out why she left."

His words made the weight on my heart lift, that feeling didn't last long the more I thought about what Blake said ' where even is a Caesonia

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A/N: I Finally made this chapter over 1000 words!!! I took a good amount of time with this and I want to make this book at least 20 chapters, I have at least 7 chapters in my drafts and I think it's over 900 words  ( This is me a one or two months later, when I say I have no thought going through my brain at the moment i might as well be special classes)