Genesis (english version)

Chapter I

From the beginning, Maya knew she was cursed.

And that morning was no exception: when the alarm clock rang on the bedside table, she tried to ignore it and go back to sleep. The high-pitched sound only served to irritate her. It was summer, for heaven' sake; she was supposed to have the right to sleep in. In an attempt to silence the damn clock without getting up, she reached out her arm and pressed the button, but with more force than necessary, causing the clock to slide straight to the floor in one swift motion. Maya closed her eyes as the glass screen shattered into a thousand pieces.

"Great," she muttered, lifting her head from the pillow. Her bedroom floor was now covered in deadly shards of glass.

That's how she began her sixteenth birthday.

Some sun rays streamed through the window and illuminated the room. Summer was at its peak, and Maya appreciated the warmth on her face, adding some color to her pale cheeks. Careful not to step on any glass, she made her way to the standing mirror in the corner of her room, next to the window overlooking the avenue.

She ran her hands through her hair, which had once been blonde, had now turned a honey color and still had the highlights that Sophie had done at home a few months ago. Moving closer to the mirror, she scrutinized her face. Perhaps if she slept the right hours, she wouldn't have dark circles; or if she got some sun, maybe she would stop being so pale; or if she knew a bit about makeup, maybe she could accentuate her brown eyes... Her gaze drifted down to her bare arms, but she quickly looked away toward the window before inspecting them further.

Maya sighed, she would have to settle with what she saw and not think about it so much, her grandmother used to say that complaining people aged faster, which meant that Maya would die very quickly.

In her pajamas, she headed to the kitchen and smiled upon seeing a folded note on the table alongside a neatly wrapped package.

"May you never forget that you were the best decision I ever made. We may be a small team, but a team nonetheless. Happy sweet sixteen, sweetheart."

Maya smiled as she read the note. Unlike her, her father was incredibly excited about her birthday, as if somehow it made them more normal compared to other families. Celebrating a birthday when the family consisted of just two people was quite lonely, and Maya and her father knew this well.

Her grandparents and paternal family lived in California, so they could only visit them at Christmas or New Year's. They used to send money and gifts, but it wasn't the same. When her father realized it wasn't very festive for one person to sing "happy birthday" to another, he started taking Maya to a hidden restaurant a few blocks from their building. Her father knew the owner from when he'd saved his leg in his first year as a doctor, so they always received top-notch treatment. On each birthday, they ordered plenty of food and desserts until neither could eat another bite. Then the cake would arrive, and all the staff would sing "happy birthday" to her.

The tradition began when Maya turned seven, and despite her dislike of birthdays, she'd never forget how loved she'd felt that year, just being surrounded by people who didn't really know her. For that minute, it felt normal.

Maya took a shower and started getting ready for lunch. She looked outside again and it seemed to be warmer than in the morning, which didn't help since her whole life was much easier in winter. She dressed and fixed her hair. On her dresser were various makeup items she'd received over the years. She wasn't skilled with makeup, but she tried. She liked going through that routine; Maya imagined that's what a normal person would do, and then she'd be ready to leave the house. But that wasn't her reality.