DESCENDED

AMARIAH

After my first brush with a messenger, I'm taken to the Louisiana Home for Girls. It's still in Covington, and a lot closer to school. So, I'm giving my car back to my Aunt Sarah and Uncle Cliff. I'm told I'm not going to need it where I'm going anyway.

When Sebastian and Sam take me by the house to give my keys back, I'm sad to only have a short period of time to say goodbye to my family. Before letting me go, Aunt Sarah makes Sebastian and Samuel promise to keep me safe.

It feels weird leaving like this. Leaving the only family, I have left. And though I trust Sebastian, I'm unsure about relocating to a place I've never been to or heard of before. I mean, even as a foster child I was always given some sort of background into any place I was being sent to.

What if I don't like this place?

"Don't worry, the girl's home is a place where you can be who you are, and no one will judge you or think you're a freak," Sebastian assures me.

"Are there other people there like me?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Will you and Samuel be there too?"

"We'll be there from time to time," he tells me.

"How often is time-to-time?" I sigh.

"We're there every day," he confides. "I wouldn't just dump you off somewhere and leave you."

If I can see him and Sam every day, I can do this. But what I can't do is start all over with new people, in a new place, with new rules and nuances I'm not used to. I've done enough of that throughout my life to know I don't want to do it again. I'm tired of rebuilding my life every time someone decides to tear it down.

"When will you and Samuel come back here?" I asked. Eager to get to my room to be alone so I can think.

"We'll be here soon enough. Just be patient."

I don't have a patient bone in my body when it comes to this. He's leaving me here with people I don't know, but I'm somehow supposed to trust when I don't trust anyone.

"Can we talk?" I ask.

"About what?"

"About us."

Sebastian sighs heavily and turns to give me his full attention.

Does this mean he's ready to talk?

I'm gonna take it as a yes.

"What's going on between us? What's changed? Do you still care about me?"

"Next question," he waves off my question.

"See! That's what's I'm talking about. That right there," I sulk. "Why do you dismiss me like that?"

"I'm not dismissing you. I'd just like to change the subject."

"Why?"

"Because it's not going to lead anywhere good," he sighs. His eyes pleading with me to drop the subject.

"What does that even mean?"

"It means... you're off limits. We both are. And allowing myself to get close to you or allowing you to get close to me is a bad idea."

"It's a little too late for you to draw that line in the sand. Don't you think?"

"What I think and what I must do are two completely different things," he tells me. "Regardless of how cute you are when you pout."