𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀 ∞︎︎ jj maybank

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

DRAPETOMANIA
— prologue —

it's been two years since kelsie stepped foot on the island. those two years ago, she was forced to leave the familiarity she'd known her entire life behind. she's learned to appreciate what her parents did, but always held a slight grudge at the feeling that it was more for her parents overall benefit and their image than for kelsie's wellbeing.

kelsie eventually adapted to a life outside outer banks but nothing felt better than home. she had been sent to what her parents called "a nice school in connecticut" but it was really a boarding school "for troubled teens" if that's what you could call her. the carreras, specially mrs carrera, couldn't fathom not having a perfect child. kie was herself and hated kook life, which she had accepted, but one of her daughters had to be perfect.

so the other twin had to leave when tensions broke. after everything from her school dorm was long packed away, kelsie tried to convince herself that she would miss all the friends she made and the life she had at boarding school. it was easy, problems were things that were solved with group and divine interventions. but no matter how much she tried, she just couldn't. no matter where she is, kels has a habit of feeling out of place almost like a fish out of water who can't figure out which way is home. she fits in just fine, being a huge social butterfly, but despite that, she feels lonely most of the time. she left all her friends and her sister with no explanation. there's a part of her that is sure that they'll be happy to see her as they missed her, but there's also a part of her that's afraid they hate her.

even at home in outer banks, she can't help but feel like she belongs somewhere else. she just knows there's an entire world full of opportunities and wants to see what it has to offer. but she's never been able to share that with anyone. sure she's talked to kiara about it, but the subject always seems to sway with their conversations. not necessarily changing the subject, but the conversation but develops differently when it's serious.

now kelsie is on her way home. on the ferry with music blasting through her ears and the salty breeze through her hair. the flight from connecticut to north carolina was fine. but she feels like she forgot how to have a basic formal interaction when she frozen slightly at her bag check. at school, life was carefree. at least after the first six months. the first six months was filled with group therapy, hugs, and a lot of tears. the best part of a "troubled teens" school is that there was more than enough empathy to go around. everyone understood how difficult it can be to live with certain things.

the closer they got to shore the more she can smell the marsh and see the waves that were begging her to surf. the ferry shortly reaches the island and begins to dock. kelsie gathers her things and prepares to call her parents, both mentally and physically prepared. her parents said they had to work at the wreck but one of them would try to pick her up when she arrives. this kind of disappoints kelsie as she hasn't seen her family in person in two years. at school, she was allowed her phone, but only after she earned it and both her and the others around her felt she was ready. she called her parents and kie at least once a week. by their calls, it was clear that kiara wasn't exactly sure why kelsie was away, which was probably to be saved for a conversation later.

after it's docked, kelsie walks off the ferry with her face buried in her phone and music drowning out her surroundings as she tries to get used to the salt in the air that stings her eyes, but the all familiar smell of home in her nose. after walking on the dock for a couple seconds, she hears distant voices who she can make out yelling her name. she looks up and sees her parents rushing toward her. kelsie's eyes glossed over at the sight of them. her mom had her burgundy hair curled behind her ears with flashy earrings dangling from them delicately.