Intertwined

Prologue: Black

Black dresses, black suits, black shoes, black everywhere. Bleak and somber faces, tear stained cheeks and red eyes...

Death is nothing easy to deal with. Nor is it something you want to see. Especially when you're 12 years old, watching the only person who could ever protect you being lowered into the ground. The day is a Tuesday, a murky, gloomy day that I'll always remember as the second worst day of my life. Second only to the day that made this nightmare happen.

My father stands beside me, a firm hand on my shoulder while I try to hold myself together, looking down at my crutches. I got out of the hospital yesterday morning after being on bed rest for two days. The day before that I woke up from a medically induced coma, with only a whisper of a memory to remind me of what happened before it all came rushing back. I shudder silently, listening to the sniffles and murmurs all around me while the memories hit me like bullets, taking aim and hitting every weak spot they can find.

I was riding in the car, on my way home after getting into a fight with a girl at school. She'd hit too close to the reason I was covered in bruises under my clothes. I'd gotten hot at school and forgot I needed my jacket as a shield, shrugged it off, and exposed my arms for all to see.

"You look like you live on the streets," Marisa taunts. "Like your parents gave up on you after one too many beatings."

"Straia...." My mother starts. She glances over at me and sighs softly. "Just because you get upset, doesn't mean you can go around fighting people."

She makes it sound like I fight people wherever the mood strikes.

I huff under my breath at that thought, "She said something about my bruises."

Mom stills and turns to look at me when we stop at a red light. "How..." She bites her lip, something she does when she's trying to figure out how to word something. "Did she see them?"

I look down then up at her, "The ones on my arms." Which in fact, were the worst to me. You could clearly see the outline of my father's fingers on my skin, dark reddish-purple imprints that hadn't yet begun to fade.

The light changes green and we cross the intersection. Mom places her hand over mine, her green eyes sad. "We'll get out soon. I promise you"

I nod, but we both know that soon would be later than sooner. We've always known, no matter how many times she says it, no many how many promises she makes.

Mom was trying to divorce my father and move in with my great grandma Jen. Grandma Jen was 91 years old, but her mind is still as sharp as ever. She always hated my father and told us that if we ever got out that we needed to move in with her. Since she had a surprise recovery and was able to leave the nursing home, she has plenty of space in her house. Her old house since she couldn't bear to part with it, empty, save for her, now that all her kids have moved out and my great grandpa Corbin passed away. She lives alone now, spending her time now making dresses and clothing in that eccentric style of hers. With her bright pink hair, she's anything but a senile old grandma.

Mom squeezes my hand softly, "I love you."

I look up at her and smile, "I love you too."

And that was when I saw the truck barreling towards us.

"Straia."

I snap out of my trance and look up into the face of my cousin and best friend, Jeremiah. Technically he's my third cousin given the relation, but that's not the point. Jeremiah's named partially after my grandma Jen's brother, his great grandfather, Jebediah, who died way back when, and then after his mom's -Lia- best friend Myah. He looks like his great grandma Alyssa from pictures, with fair, shoulder length blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

Jay's teary eyes search mine and I look silently back, fresh tears running down my already tear-stained cheeks. He loved my mom almost as much as I did, she was like a second mother to him.

"It's time to go." He says softly. "You can stay at my house tonight since your dad's going back out of town."

I nod minutely and glance over at my mother's grave, now completely covered in dirt and all colors of flower bouquets. "Nyx Dianne Carter. January 24, 2050 - August 12, 2090" the temporary marker reads. I look around me and notice almost everyone was heading to their cars, umbrellas out, except for a small group of people who worked with mom at the Pleasance library. I hadn't even noticed that my father wasn't at my side anymore. Since I was the only kid my parents had, if I'd gone home tonight I would've been alone, so staying at my aunt and uncle's house, with my five cousins -Alisia, Scotty, Jay, Carlisle, and Danni- sounded a lot more welcoming.

Jay takes my hand and leads me towards my aunt's car, but my eyes don't leave the grave. My mother's grave...

Mom....

And then I'm running, Jay's voice sounding miles away as it calls after me.

"Straia! STRAIA!"

I reach her grave and drop to the ground, throwing aside the flowers, making the fake bright petals scatter as they fall. "MOM..." The sobs shake my body as I scream for her over and over again, clawing into the dirt. "Please, NO." How am I supposed to live without her? My rock, my protector, my reason for staying. How am I going to survive here without her?

Jay scoops me up into his arms and I fight him, thrashing furiously in his grasp. He grunts with the effort of holding me then starts walking towards the road. He's only a year older than me but he easily dwarfs me in size and strength, much to my disadvantage.

My wails subside into whimpers as I watch my mom's coworkers fix the flowers, sending me sad looks. Pitying looks. It only makes me hurt worse. I already feel bad enough for myself, I don't need anyone else doing it for me, and hurting for me, when I already hurt enough for everyone else.

I hear a car door open and slightly note being put into a car, the smell of my aunt's cinnamon and apple perfume thick and warm in the air. The door shuts, but my eyes are still on my mother's grave. How am I going to survive without her?

My aunt starts the car in silence and Jay wraps his arm around me, letting me rest my head on his shoulder, but my eyes are still focusing on the hill we're driving away from. Baby Danni starts her soft babbling, but I don't look away. Only when we exit the cemetery gates do I let my eyes drift up to the grey sky, covered in dark rain clouds.

How am I going to survive without you?