Shokcaster

•~Chapter 1~•

"Mummy, this looks like Wonderland! Are we in Wonderland?" A small hand tugged tightly on the lace of the woman's dress, leading the woman to gracefully picking up the owner of the juvenile hand and holding them close to her with nothing but her thin arms and motherly love.
"No, sweetie, we're not in Wonderland." She flashed a pearly white grin and quickened her pace in the large crowd of bustling people, her dress floating out behind her, kicked up by her heels and her child's head bobbing with every step she took. Lilith quickly hopped out of the way of the rushing mother and, stealing the idea, attempted to take larger strides in the hopes of not being surrounded by as many strangers, yet a strong arm pulled her back.
"Now, what did we say? You stay close to me." He father growled in her ear as she grimaced hearing his gravely voice. She refused to meet his brooding eyes, instead glancing around the station.The young child had a relevant point, this town did look like Wonderland. So much colour could make someone nauseous, Lilith never remembered it to be so...sickly. Pompous flowers displayed their bright and pastel petals proudly to all of the visitors, the stalks climbing upon one another desperately to the sunlight that shon merrily through every small window.
Lilith's family was finally moving back to their hometown, Shokcaster, after running away from the aggressive neighbourhood. Her father was originally a policeman in the town, well known for not having the ability to smile, constantly serious and dampening the mood wherever he went like a dark raincloud. Now his family were back due to desperate financial circumstances, and all he could hope was that the town had forgotten of his daughter's horrific curse.
"Oh!" Her mother's anxious voice squeaked behind them, ever so slightly breaking the tension that hung heavily between the two generations. "It's Lilith's favourite sweet shop! Would you like to go there soon, darling?" True to her word, a small and baby blue shop was one of the firsts to be seen as the crowd pooled out of the station. Lilith felt a small drop of warmth on her heart, bringing back memories of the golden toffees that would melt on her tongue, the sweet and tangy bonbons that would clam her jaw shut. Although they were faded and small, the memories still meant a lot to her, they were the little lights of happiness in her dark and dreary childhood.
Lilith, turning to face her mother's weary face, nodded subtly. Her dark eyes squinted as her mouth pulled up into a shy smile at her daughters response, yet they widened as she felt her husband's cold fingers wrap around the base of her neck.
"She doesn't deserve it. Waste of money." He dragged the two of them along the street with a stone grip on either one. Neither of the women tried squirming or prying his hands off of themselves, they knew better than that, he would beat them as punishment. To a passer by, the scene would not look as dark as it truly was, just a father protectively holding his family. Of course, it was so much worse, something that would be a nightmare to the average human being. His finger nails tore through Lilith's white blouse, dangerously close to ripping her pale and fragile skin. She flicked her head round desperately to her mother for help, yet the woman was too busy with trying to hold back tears at the pain.
"Benjamin, please! This isn't necessary-" Angelle choked, struggling to keep up with his fast and heavy steps. In her left hand was a small chestnut brown suitcase, packed to the point of almost popping open. The rest of their luggage was already at their new house, taken their by another train entirely. Benjamin continued to strike fear into his wife and daughters' hearts as he made his journey to Queens street, where their new house sat waiting for its new owners.
The street was further away from the town, with few houses on either side of the road, yet they preferred it that way, with quiet neighbours that wouldn't try to invite them to barbecues in the summer or be up at 3 am partying until the sun came up. Lilith was dreading stepping inside her new home, unpacking all of the boxes covered lazily in tape, only to find objects and possessions she didn't know she even had. It would be the moment of her finally realising that she no longer lived in the city where nobody knew her name, where she wasn't seen as a monster.
The grass was a bright emerald green that was consistently sprayed with water from the silver sprinklers nestled between the blades of grass. The trees had leaves of a similar green, yet they bore plump fruit such as apples, pears or berries and created shaded areas where stalkers could lurk. Every shade of colour, every object from big to small showed so much emotion, so much joy and welcoming feelings, but none of it made Lilith feel safe. She wouldn't see any of this when her father locked her in her bedroom, forbidding her from seeing her old, cursed friends. She would only see the faulty lightbulb hanging from the ceiling like a corpse, with moth eaten curtains draped solemnly across her thin, transparent windows. Or the ripped and damp wallpaper slowly peeling off the walls to reveal ebony wood, covered in mould. This is how Lilith saw everything in her head, unconsciously or not she would always look on the darker side of life, where she could hide from the light and watch the crawling demons.