Virals Pack: Reborn

Chapter 3: Welcome to SC

A/N: Sorry guys, this one is a bit of filler, but its good stuff (hopefully). I hope to have Katrina meet the virals by chapter 5 just so ya know. I also plan on having her move in and unpack next chapter and get all settled, as well as have her get to know her aunt more and why she was shunned from the family. Fun challenge (sort of), comment either what things you think Katrina packed for her trip or why you think Darcy was shunned from the family years ago. Or do both, if you like. Anyways, enjoy!

The minute I stepped out into the parking lot, where my aunt said she would meet me, I was rewarded for planning slightly ahead of time. For, you see, Minnesota in mid winter often includes temperatures that go from single digits to below zero on some days. But this far south, the weather was at a far milder 50 degrees. I had planned my transition well in this aspect, wearing a comfortable pair of jeans (more suited for the cold weather than here, but I can manage), a short sleeved YouTube shirt, and a bulky warm sweater which I easily shed and shoved into my backpack. Such presence of mind allowed for keeping relatively warm in back home, but with the ability to adjust somewhat for the warmer climate here. 

This lingering sense of accomplishment led me to further ponder why I felt so...pleased about this trivial action. I thought for a bit, but the realization didn't hit me until a muddied pick up truck wound its way through the lot to stop at the curb. This one act of conscious thought and planning was one of the first attempts at moving on from all this. 

After I left the hospital and stayed at my mother's friend's house, I basically hid myself from the world and did nothing. I was listless, aimlessly pacing the floor at night, not even bothering to try and sleep for fear of what new hell my mind would weave. It wasn't until Kathy (mother's friend) approached me with both the news of my establishment and a budget for new belongings (generously pooled together by Kathy and my step-dad's side of the family) that I began to recover and begin to act like my usual self. I genuinely loved to plan, and this occasion was no different. 

A good week was spent, while final legal arrangements were being made, planning out, searching for, and packing up my new belongings. Clothes usually aren't my thing, but between a mix of popping tags at thrift shops and ordering specific fun shirts online (like my awesome YouTuber shirt, shoutout to jacksepticeye, because you're awesome!) I actually had an okay time. With my savvy spending in the clothes department, I had a good amount left over for other cool items too...

My train of thought was cut off though as the truck window rolled down to reveal a petit woman with black, braided hair and a dimpled smile. Hazel eyes seemed to grin mischievously at me as a cheerful voice, playfully tinged with sarcasm asked"What's this we have here? A hitchhiker? Well hop on in, I won't bite!"

Startled, I stared dumbly at her for a while. As I looked at my aunt, realized I looked a lot more like her than my mother. I have long, wavy hair and blue eyes, much unlike my mom's blonde hair and brown eyes, and our facial structures were pretty different from each other. But Darcy's small, almost button nose was just like mine (a pain when you have to wear glasses like I do), and we shared a similar compact body frame, also differing from my mother's tall, elegant stature. 

Unperturbed by my lack of speech, Darcy went on. "You're in luck you know, we've got great lodging on the island resort of Morris. We have sandy beaches, lots of water, and an abundance of flora and fauna"

My brain rebooted and I questioningly said "Darcy Dennings?"

"The silent one speaks!" Darcy replied with a grin, deepening her voice in a mock serious tone "that is me youngling, do not fret, for I am here to look after you now"

I found myself grinning at my new aunt, immediately deciding to like her. I quickly tossed my backpack and my carry-on in the backseat and clambered into the front seat. Darcy drove away from the airport and before I knew it, we were on our way to her house, which hopefully would become a home to me. "So, Katrina, I hope you like nature because my house is surrounded by it!"

I actually love nature a great bit, I always aspired to be a photographer and I had a really good Canon camera back home...

Bam

It hit with no warning. First I was thinking of photography, then I thought of home, which made me remember all my photos I took of home. And the photos I had of my family. I remember getting one of my proudest shots at Lyra's last birthday party. It was in the summer and she had just blown out her 10 candles when Sage scooped up a finger full of frosting that she smeared on Lyra's nose. I managed to capture the exact moment with Lyra's face between shocked and laughing and with Sage in the middle of a full on laugh, as well as my parents smiling happily in the background. The lighting was perfect, the poses miraculously excellent. It captured my whole family in a perfect moment, a moment that no longer can be shared with them anymore. 

Tears flooded my eyes and I quickly blinked to clear them away, but one of them escaped and rolled down my left cheek. I realized I didn't answer Darcy's question and looked over to see if she noticed. I turned and saw her patiently eyeing me out of the corner of her eye, watching the road while quietly waiting for me to respond. I exhales a breath that I must have been holding. "Sorry, I just got lost in thought for a bit. Yeah, I love nature, I'm really into photography and while I like taking pictures of people (shoves down memory of that picture) I really love to photograph plants and sometimes animals."

Darcy eyes me for a second and I think she's about to ask if I'm alright, but then she thankfully accepts the nature topic. "Well that is wonderful, because you are going to absolutely love the islands"

"Islands?" I put stress on the 's' that makes it plural

 "Why yes, islands. My house is on Morris island, along with the other villagers" at "villagers" she chuckles a bit. "But we all work on Loggerhead island at LIRI, Loggerhead Island Research Institute"