Forbidden Bird of Night |18+|

11 | 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐞

☕︎𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒅 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑷𝑶𝑽☕︎

Aleria woke up feeling off.

The weight in her chest was unexplainable, the kind that made getting out of bed feel like a chore. She rolled onto her side, staring at the ceiling of her small apartment. Light bled through the blinds, casting long, thin lines across the walls.

She groaned, rubbing her hands down her face. Come on. Get up.

The day had already started, and she had too much to do to waste time feeling like this. But her body felt sluggish, her mind foggy.

Her thoughts drifted—to Callum.

She hated that.

It had only been a few days since their trip to the park, but she couldn't stop replaying moments in her head. The way he laughed when he beat her in their race. The way he had looked at her when showing her his sketches.

You're not as bad at being noticed as you think."

Her stomach twisted, and she shoved the covers off, annoyed. Forget it.

The first half of her day went downhill quickly.

◉◉◉

She arrived at her part-time job late, earning a scolding from her manager. The café was swamped with customers, the espresso machine broke halfway through the rush, and someone spilled an entire drink near her feet, soaking her shoes.

By the time her shift ended, her nerves were fried.

She ripped off her apron in the back room, exhaling sharply. I need a break. I need out.

She had no plans, but she wasn't ready to go home. Not yet.

Aleria wandered without direction, her hands stuffed into her coat pockets as she moved through the city streets. It had started drizzling lightly, but she didn't care.

Her feet carried her to places she barely recognized—quieter roads, dimly lit alleyways, an old bookstore she had never noticed before. She stopped, staring at its dusty display window.

I could go in...

But then, her phone vibrated.

Her stomach tightened when she saw the caller ID. Janice.

Aleria hesitated before answering. "Hey."

"Aleria, where are you?" Her adoptive mother's voice was clipped, concerned.

"Out."

"You missed your last appointment. Again."

She sighed. "I know."

"Aleria, this isn't optional. You need to keep up with therapy—"

"I'm handling it," she cut in.

Janice was quiet for a moment. "Are you?"

Aleria clenched her jaw. "I have to go."

She hung up before Janice could say anything else, shoving her phone into her pocket. Therapy wasn't something she thought she needed, It was something she wanted to leave behind. Aleria thought that she could solve her own problems.

The therapist gave her simple solutions, every single one of them she already thought of. She was thankful Janice felt she needed It. 

But It was a waste of money.