Abandonment is one word to describe Evelyn Ward's childhood.
Known as an orphan freak and paranoid schizophrenic, she was dragged through years of therapy after admitting to hearing whispering voices and seeing creatures and living shadows.
...
The water ran in rivulets down my face and body, plastering my white-blond hair to my head. Steam billowed in a cloud around me, and I wiped a streak clear on the mirror to stare at my ashen reflection. Dark bags sagged underneath my pale eyes, my skin pallid and lifeless.
I lathered jasmine scented shower gel across my skin, letting the hot water rinse it off as I had for the last twenty minutes but no amount of soap could wash away the sickness in my heart.
The water eventually turned icy, chasing me out of the shower. After dressing, I emerged from the bathroom, forcing a smile onto my face for Jorden's benefit. Letting him see how ruined I was would be disastrous; he'd only wonder what was wrong and that I could never explain to him.
Jorden caught me before I made it out the front door, his arms latched around my waist pulling me closer to him. "Where are you rushing off to?" he murmured, planting a deep kiss on my chapped lips.
"I have to go to work."
He brushed my wet hair off my neck, dipping his head to kiss my throat. "How about you stay here with me instead?"
Shivering from the delightful feel of his warm lips on my cold skin, I gently pushed him back, offering my best smile. "Nothing would be better but I've missed enough work as it is. No doubt I'll get fired if I miss any more, and that's if I'm lucky and don't get fired the second I get there."
"Alright." He smiled, releasing his grip on my waist. "How about I drive you then so you won't be late?"
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A fuming Mr. Crowley was the first thing I saw the second I walked through the back doors at the Shake Shack. Chelsea's wide eyes and worried expression was the second as I was herded into the office to be yelled at for my delinquency.
Wraiths sulked about the room, drifting through the air, but now that I knew them for what they really were, the fear that stemmed from their anonymity was gone and their presence was no longer stifling.
Mr. Crowley squeezed into his office chair, gesturing for me to sit across from him. "You've missed two days of work after having run out halfway through your shift on Monday. Miss Chelsea Mathers said you were sick but you never called in. Explain yourself."
"I'm sorry Mr. Crowley, I have been sick," I said, mentally thanking Chelsea for having already come up with my excuse. "I haven't been sleeping well and I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety that's making me physically ill, and I just never really thought to call in. I'm really sorry -- it won't happen again."
The chair groaned as he leaned back, protesting under his weight. "Well Miss Ward, up until this point you've been a dedicated, reliable employee, so I believe you when you say this won't happen again -- and it better not, or I'm sorry to say, but you will be fired if it does. Now go, get to work before I change my mind."
I stood up, thanking him profusely before scampering out of the office to find Chelsea.
"So, is everything good, or do I need to find a new work buddy?" she chirped when I ran up to her in the break room. She stood with her back to me, teasing her hair with her fingers.
"All good -- you can't get rid of me that easily."
"Good because other people are boring." She turned to face me, a smile wide on her face that quickly turned to concern. "You look like crap. Did things not go well with Jorden?"
"No, it went fine. He forgave me, I accepted his proposal. We're happy." My face twitched in a failing attempt to smile. It was harder to fake what I felt around Chelsea. She could always read me so well it was useless to try.
"Well, I'd say congrats but you look like death. If you were truly happy you'd be a radiant little beam of sunshine, so I'm going to hold back on the congratulations until you really are happy, or realize that you aren't and do something about it."
"I am happy." But my denial didn't convince her, and I knew the truth myself. Deep down my inner voice screamed out my despondency, but I stamped it down and refused to listen, not willing and too scared to change.
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Chelsea's hitting that one right on the nose, isn't she? Evelyn just isn't happy -- but can she be? What should she do?
