Loving Silence

Prologue

Prologue

It was the beginning of March.

Spring was starting to arrive in New York, but Harlem was having a war with nature. Harlem was a resilient, loud, trashy city that continued to block out every ray of sunlight with its gloomy, ominous clouds that hung over the city like death in the early days of March.

All morning the clouds hung over the city in darkness, transmitting negative feelings to every soul in Harlem. It was a day of tragedy.  Natalia could feel it in the air as the wind blew her hair up into her face.

A small girl with dull brown hair ran at Natalia. She was breathing heavy with every step she took towards her. Huffing and puffing for air as she pushed her legs faster to catch up.

            Natalia Fetchwall was an ordinary girl. Well, that was if you called someone who was handsomely rich ordinary. She was the “it girl”, golden and perfect.

            She was the popular girl who seemed to have no faults and a perfect life, only to be hiding behind a smiling mask and a broken life. She was good at hiding things, pushing all of her problems to the back of her mind. She held an innocent smile on her face for everyone to see, faking her way through the world.

            “Natalia!” the small girl yelled, throwing a hand up in the air waving Natalia down.

            Natalia stopped and looked behind her. She could see Ella McDonald running at her. She looked worn out with her cheeks flushed, gasping for air. Natalia wondered what she wanted. If Natalia was blunt with the girl she would have crushed her. She annoyed Natalia to no end, always asking to do something with her or to come over to her house. Natalia wasn’t an outgoing person. She liked staying in and heavily disliked others at her house. At times, she thought others believed it was a game to see who could step foot into the aristocratic Fetchwall’s great home.

            “What is it Ella?” Natalia asked, bored and reserved. Everyone who knew Natalia had gotten used to her tone. It was clipped and usually irritated, but Ella, like everyone else, brushed it off.

            “What are you doing today? Nothing, right? Com’ on we’re going to Karaoke with boys from Walter’s Academy for Boys.” She demanded Natalia, grabbing her by her arm. Ella started to drag Natalia down the street to sing Karaoke with strangers.

            On the inside Natalia was groaning, but she held up her act, smiling perfectly. What Ella was trying to force her into went against everything Natalia was about. Her reserved side was screaming in horror of the situation she was in.

            Ella walked down the crowded streets of Harlem, until she came across a small store. The sign of the store was in pink neon letters. They shined brightly reading “Karaoke”, but Natalia still felt iffy. The store looked as if it was owned by a cult or a conspiracy group, with the “e” of karaoke almost falling off of the building, flashing on and off.

            “Um, Ella, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Natalia said, becoming precautious about entering the tan building.

            “Oh, don’t be silly. It’s perfectly safe.”

            Ella could have said that a thousand times and it still would have been a false statement. Natalia knew better. Her parents had taught her to be cautious about everything, analyzing every situation. And the outcomes to this situation were looking grim. Even though her brain was telling her to dart the other way she still went inside the building with Ella, knowing the danger that was to come.