What Could've Been

Chapter One

   It's dark in her room. Just about pitch black. If she focuses hard enough, she can see faint moonlight through the windows.
   She looks toward her door, knowing her father is just in the room over. She can hear him talking to himself, muffled between the wood walls. Nothing noisy or crazy. Just quietly thinking out loud.
   Her gaze turns back to her window. The sound of thunder rumbles in the distance. Every once in a while there's a bright flash of white-blue lightning, letting her have a quick glimpse of the barren trees which would surly be soon draped with snow.
   As she stares, she hears the hinges on the door next to her groan slowly. They progressively became whinier, almost like an animal. It seemed as if the door made quick, short screeching noises. The screeches faded into raspy meows, and her sleepy eyes opened with a scowl. She was no longer in her childhood bedroom, but her least favourite place in the world. There was no door next to her, and the room was not dark. No window, no door hinges screeching. Only the kitten she had recently picked up off the streets.
   Her eyes rolled over to the small, orange tabby, his eyes big and golden-green with that screaming stare of "Food! Milk! Love!"
   A slight smile spread across her pale face. She sat up in bed with a quiet groan and picked up the cat, holding it close to her chest and gently scratching behind its ear.
   She scanned the room again. Her roommates were all gone. It being a free day for the cadets, she would've thought they'd slept in. She shrugged and put her orange fluffball on the floor and swung her feet over the bed, standing up and immediately going to her drawer to take out the tiny stash of meat she'd stolen. Breaking it up in bits, she set it down on the floor by the cat for his meal.
   After being sure her precious purring pet was pleased, she pulled out a black pair of pants and a grey hoodie to wear that day. It was chilly, and a light long sleeve was the best protection from the cold she had. With a sigh, she slipped off her nightshirt and on her day clothes. She hoped today would be at least slightly better than the day before.