Bearer of the Stars

Chapter 12: The Storm

Night circled her room for what seemed like hours. The shadows of her anxiety nipped at her heels and her fears loomed out behind her in the darkness. It had begun to pour outside and it was lashing against the window, like a beast who wanted in. With every snap of a branch and every whirring screech of the wind Night was sent flinching into the safety of a corner.

Why couldnt mother understand? Why didn't anyone understand? Why didn't anyone listen? Night's mind was spinning, as it always did when she was suffering from an anxiety attack. Flashes of Blitz telling her she wanted to be friends, just without the emotional baggage, zoomed clear into her mind. Another image of her brother, watching his sad, silent gaze, before he turned and left her behind.

She broke from her hyperventilating with a choked sob, which only rattled her bones and chattered her teeth.

Night was so upset that she wanted to curl up and disappear into non-existence. But Night was also so angry that these pokemon had made her feel this way, and had left her to feel this way. She wanted to hurt something, but then when she wanted to tear open a pillow she only thought about how over-emotional she was being and went right back to shaking in the corner.

Oh they said Night was lucky to have a good home, who had helped her survive in a twisted, cut throat society that was against everyone at every turn. They never thought about how she felt, about how this way of life never felt like living.

But, that's okay, right? She'd wake up in the morning, and only remember half of this episode, then forget it even happened.

She felt like she wanted to set fire to her insides to forget the agony her mind had pinned against her. She flopped over and managed to calm herself down by shoving her face into a pillow. Taking deep breaths, she was able to calm her mind and stop the tears that were now making her eyes ache.

Night sat in a curled up corner of the room till she could see clearly again, and the sound of her own blood wasn't pumping through her ears.

The entrance door clanged open and Night immediately knew it was her father and brother. But then she only heard one pair of footsteps, so maybe it was just her brother.

She started toward the ladder quietly, and pitched her ears downward so she might catch a voice and find out who was here. Luckily it might be just Zeark, coming to tell them that Father was staying late again.

"Sweetheart!" She heard her mother call from the kitchen faintly, and then she heard an inconceivable grumbling from her father. Night sighed, she had hoped at least, but then again where had hope gotten her these days.

After rolling the idea of eavesdropping around in her head for a couple minutes, Night carefully climbed down the ladder. She was already in a lot of trouble, and there wasn't much more her parents would do to her than lock her in her room.

"How was your day?" Her mother's voice carried like a completely different melody. She always had a different voice when talking to Night's father, but she also talk to everyone differently than Night.

"It was alright." His voice was always low, and rough, like sandpaper. His heavy limbs carried weight and one could always hear him walking, and in this case Night could hear him striding across the kitchen floor to where her mother had probably set up a meal.

"Where is Zeark?" Her mother's voice was so persistent and annoying. Night didn't know how she was even born from such a pokemon.

"He stayed late. Something about promising he'd work late with one of his fellows." Her dad chuckled, it was so rare he found anything amusing. "Just like me when I was younger. Making friends with your recruits is the first step, learn how they all move, ya know?"