Consequence of Oversight

Daddy

◃◬▹

TWO YEARS LATER

◃◬▹

"Why don't you just give in child?"

"Resisting will only prolong the inevitable..."

"Darkness always wins in the end..."

"GIVE IN!"

Hazel gasped awake. "That's the fourth time this week." She grumbled. She was honestly surprised that her master had not picked up on her late-night panic episodes, an ongoing occurrence since her strange vision years ago. 

She did notice how much closer he was trying to get to her though. He would constantly encourage her, telling her that he was 'there for her' or that he 'would always be willing to listen.'

Hazel wasn't stupid. She started researching by the first month of her consistent nightmares. She knew what was happening to her. She was just having a hard time accepting that the darkside was calling to her. And that the call had been plaguing her sleep for months.

She sighed, reluctantly throwing off her covers. 

"Today's a new day Hazel," she muttered, "you're still alive. You can't give up yet." 

Her room reflected how she felt. It was dark and humid, the hot arid dessert creating a muggy climate with the cool of the night.

She sluggishly moved about until she was ready for the day. These disruptions to her sleep were really collecting their toll on her daily life. She had less energy, she was nearly always distracted, she lost interest in learning—well, mostly—and she was rarely genuinely happy. She was slowly losing her will to live.

What was worse was the fact that the darkside knew this. As if it were an entity messing with her poor twelve-year-old mind. Throwing invasive thoughts into her head. Reminding her she was alone. That no one was struggling like she was. Yelling at her, "no one will ever understand you," or whispering, "It would be so much easier to let go! To not feel. To be numb." 

It was a battle for her mind every day for the past two years. She was surprised she had lasted that long.

If she was honest, she was still strong because of her master. It was always at times like these, when her mind was in pieces, that he would swoop in and tell her exactly what she needed to hear. 

As the twelve-year-old made herself tea, watching the rising suns, she thought back to the time when Master Kenobi had unintentionally saved her life.

◃◬▹