Write Me a Cliché

Chapter One

~EIRA~

2019, Present Time
Forest of Seven
Athabasca, Alberta

The trees passed by like a blur in the dark as I ran past them, following the gaze of the moon down the gravel path. Auburn strands of my hair stuck to my neck and the sides of my face from the humidity in the forest. Beads of sweat trailed down my forehead and neck with my heart drumming against my chest, my breathing came out in small, shallow breaths.

My legs stung from the strain of continuous use. Intentionally, the thumping of my shoes against the ground slowed, until I was no longer moving. I fell to the ground, gasping for oxygen. The palm of my hands pressed against the ground, rocks cutting my skin as I attempted to stand up.

Loud footsteps approached and I quickly turned around, facing my prey. A smile slipped onto my lips, my green eyes swept over the darkened forest, knowing no one would hear us. Darkness and silence, alike, surrounded us from each angle, holding us in their clutches until sound and light would return.

My hands reached for the weapon tucked underneath my hoody.

"Eira!" Raeni shouted, panting. For a moment our intake of air was the only sound in the forest. Shadows cast over our faces, concealing our true selves. Neither of us approached the other. I let a moment pass, watching her while my fingers inched towards my back. Raeni's hands were on her knees, before she straightened up. "What are you doing?"

"Hello," I answered, my eyes boring into her own brown ones. I couldn't make out her face in the dark, but from her wrinkled shirt, ripped jeans and undone hijab, I knew she was a mess. Just like I felt.

She didn't say anything, but she began to move. Her steps were hesitant and small, as if I were a wild animal, who would run if she moved too fast.

I didn't wait for her to close the distance. Instead, I pulled out the gun, the barrel pointing towards her. Carefully, I unlocked the slide stop- like I'd been taught- my hands trembling from the weight of the pistol. She halted, her chapped lips parting. My unsteady fingers enclosed around the trigger, resting. In the moment, I desperately wished I could see her face; I wanted to know what she was thinking. At the same time, I was glad I couldn't see her clearly.

"Now goodbye," I said. There was a moment of silence, an eerie sound in such a chaotic situation, before I pulled the trigger.

#

Eight Weeks Ago
Raeni's Workplace

"The moral of the story is, men- sorry, boys are only willing to pay for you if they think you can benefit them somehow," I explained, twirling a strand of my auburn curls around my finger. My back ached against the uncomfortable booth I was sitting in, but I didn't move. To distract myself, I ran my acrylic nails along the rim of the table while I recited the story of earlier events to every person willing to listen.

The waitress, Raeni, as written on her name tag, stood with lips agape in shock, pen midway in the air, while she gripped her notepad in the other. She recovered quickly, raising a brow in my direction as she responded, "So, do you want to order or..."

My eyes turned outwards to the parking lot, where a blanket of untouched snow glistened under the rays of the sun. "You're so pathetic," I mumbled, unsure if it was meant for her or myself.