Internal Freeze

Shadow (Prologue)

Every day since she was born. That's what it felt like. Every day since she first came into this world, it had always been about Emily, and never her. No one cared for her it seemed. She didn't have friends. Oh, but Emily did. Every day someone was begging her to hang out with them, and it disgusted Eliza. She likes to think had her father not died when they were babies, things might've been different.

But who was she kidding? Everyone favored her sister, from their mother, to grandparents, to teachers. The only person who actually valued her was her boyfriend, Tom. He really was a blessing among this shit storm that was her life. He and his family.

All other things, however, were less than perfect for her. Oh but nothing was the least bit out of place for her sister.

Was it too much to ask for one, just one good thing to happen to her? Was that a forbidden law of the world? It sure seemed like it, especially now. Eliza had been waiting for the day she graduated in order to leave everything behind and never look back. She was to enlist in the military like her father did all those years ago. The only problem was that she wasn't the only one.

~~~~

Eliza stormed to the car, flew the door open before slamming it shut and putting the key in ignition. She had been turned down. All because of her bum leg and shitty lungs. But what angered her the most was the smile on her sister's face when she found out she would be shipped out.

When she finally left, Eliza didn't go with her or her mom to the airport to see her off. She couldn't give a shit. She needed to let her anger simmer.

~~~~

When the holidays came around, Tom had suggested that they go to his parents' house for Christmas. Eliza was more than happy to get away. Tom walked around the hood of his car, opening the door for her. "What a gentleman," she joked as she sat down. He sat in the driver's side as she buckled her seatbelt that so often got stuck. Eliza leaned in for a kiss only for him to smile and rub their noses together, holding their foreheads against one another. They drove down the stretch of road until they reached the highway, where nothing would be the same afterwards.