𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚢 || (𝙷𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝙻𝚞𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝙰𝚄)

Chapter 6: 'Ground Rules'

(⚠️ TW ⚠️: Mentions of underage drinking and harassment. This chapter is going to be a little more intense and longer.)

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3rd Person POV:

Luz woke up with a jolt, she felt her face was damp with tears as she breathed heavily. Luz didn't usually have nightmares, but when she did, they were horrible. Luz looked around her room, making sure nothing was different or out of place. She grabbed the water bottle next to her and took a sip, calming herself down. The tears were still coming out of her eyes, but she didn't know why, she didn't feel like crying. Luz put the water bottle back down and hugged her knees. She closed her eyes and thought about the dream she just had. It wasn't really a dream though, more of a memory. A memory of the screams, the crashes, the blood. Her breath became unsteady as she let out a sob. It was over, so why is she still stuck on it? No matter what she did, she couldn't escape from the horrible memories. She wanted it to end, it was over, why couldn't she just move on?

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Amity woke up with the sun shining in her eyes. She rolled over, she knew it was probably time for her to wake up anyways, so she couldn't fall back asleep again. Amity sat up and let her eyes focus on her surroundings. Her room was warm and cozy, just the way she liked it. The portrait Luz had made for her hung just above her desk. She looked over at it and smiled, getting up from her bed and stretching out. She got her phone and checked the time, it was already 11 AM. Her eyes widened and she quickly went to the bathroom to get ready, she has never slept in this late, even when she went to bed late at night. She washed her face and brushed her teeth and hair. Amity was supposed to be at the library by 12:30 to read to the kids, they were going to finish the chapter book they've been reading and Amity knew they were all excited for it.

When she got dressed, she put up her hair in her half-up-half-dow style and headed downstairs. As she walked down, she heard Edric scream from his room and Emira laughing. She probably pulled a dumb prank on him. Amity rolled her eyes and chuckled, walking over to the kitchen. It was empty and there was no one in sight. She frowned a bit and went over to grab a banana from the counter, peeling and eating it. It was a quick breakfast since she had to leave soon. When she finished, she threw away the peel and started to walk out of the kitchen. When Amity reached the doorway though, she was met by a shadow hovering over her. Amity looked up to see the unfamiliar sight of her dad, trying to get to the kitchen.

Alador Blight was rarely seen anymore, he basically lived in his office now. He would only come out to get food or use the restroom, and he hasn't talked to his kids since the accident. Alador has been completely distant from everyone for the past 6 months, barely saying a word to anyone. So when Amity saw him for the first time in weeks, she didn't know what to say. "Oh, g-good morning, Father," Amity stuttered out, looking down at her feet. Her dad mumbled something but moved Amity out of the way to go to the kitchen. "I'm going to be out all day, just call if you need anything," Amity said, looking at his blank expression. "Alright, go do whatever..." He said, waving Amity off. Her face fell and she walked off, getting her coat and walking out of the manor. Amity knew her dad blamed her for everything, and that was never going to change.

As Amity made her way to the library, her mood changed. She noticed the beautiful scenery outside and how the trees were turning orange, it was amazing. When Amity reached the library doors, she noticed she was right on time. She walked to the front desk, where they greeted her and gave her the book for the book club. Amity was a local at the library, so all of the employees knew her. Amity said hello back to all of them and strutted to the kid's section, where all of the children sat in a neat circle. "Hey, guys," Amity said in an upbeat tone. All the kids faced her, "AMITY!" they exclaimed, standing up to give her a hug. Amity plied them all off of her and sat down on the stool in front of the colorful carpet. "Ok, everyone sit down, we're finishing the book today!" Amity said happily, opening the book to the chapter they left off at.