Prologue
WARNING: This story contains mature themes including strong language and violence. Reader discretion is advised.
Prologue
“I am dying”
I said out loud to no one in particular. Speaking into the void, hoping the breeze takes my words to the heavens - to my father.
“I am dying” I chuckle.
I raise my face to the sky, closing my eyes and stretching my hands open, feeling the cold air on my skin, kissing my cheeks and tickling the tips of my fingers.
I hope God hears this.
I hope he laughs when he sees me standing on the rooftop of this 17-story hospital building. I stand close to the edge without holding the railing and to be honest I do not care if I fall. I am dying anyways, why should I be afraid of the monster who will eventually take me?
I always hated the phrase ‘God gives the hardest battle to his strongest soldier’. Whoever said this has obviously never met me. If they did they would change their words to ‘his most hated soldier’ because that must be what I am to God.
There is no other explanation as to why I lost my father, couldn't find my mother, was abused by my stepmother, sold to an abuser for less than a penny and ended up getting cancer all before reaching twenty one.
God must have created me as a lesson to others, showing them how powerful he is and how he can mess up a life for no reason.
I laughed at this thought, so hard that tears starts to free fall my eyes
“I have never asked you for anything” I yelled into the void “I have never sought your help or protection for anything and yet this is what you do to me! You think you have won don’t you? You think that you can take me out when my life is only just beginning?”
I crossed the railings, my hands gripping the cold iron even though I had urges to let go. The cold gust of wind hits my skin as I stare at the people and cars below.
“I have no gold nor silver. My dignity was stolen from me, my body was abused and yet you want to take the one thing I have - my life”
A voice whispered in my ears telling me to let go. I should take myself out. I shouldn’t let God or Sir Valerie Russo decide how I die.
I’ve never really had control over my life but I should at least have control of how I die but why couldn’t I let go of the railings?
If I jumped now, if I let go of everything I would die and the suffering would end - no more Valerie Russo, no more Madam Faye, but why was I scared?
My eyes wandered around the rooftop one last time in hopes of seeing the wolf only I could see but he was nowhere to be found. Seeing it was a sign of madness and hallucinations that I suffered. I still wanted the wolf to be here.
I wanted someone or something - to witness my last moments but even now I was alone. Just like I have always been.
Cold and alone
I closed my eyes tight, biting my quivering lips as I felt the cold wind on my face and exposed skin.
Jump
Just JUMP
JUST-
Tears start to fall from my closed eyes when I realize I didn’t have the heart to end my own life. Just like Madame Faye had said - I was indeed a coward
I still want to live.
I guess despite being terminal ill with less than 6 months left - I still want to live
I slowly turned around, giving up on the idea of ending things. Devastated and defeated, I tried to cross over the railings back to the rooftop when I realized someone was standing right in front of me, a mask covering their face, leaving only their piercing blue eyes visible.
“Who are –“
They pushed me before I could finish my question.
I tried to grab the railings but I missed it by an inch. A loud scream escaped my mouth as I fell from the 17th floor hospital building immediately shutting my eyes.
Is this it?
Is this how it ends?
Is this how I die?
20 years of decision making lead me to this very moment. Would they know that I was murdered or would my step mother and Sir Valerie rule my death as suicide?
Would they even care?
Would anyone cry for me?
This is unfair.
I haven’t even lived - haven’t found my mother, haven’t traveled to Daria and now I’m about to fall to my death without fulfilling any of my dreams.
I don’t want to die.
Please, save me.
Someone.
Anyone.
Please.
I felt a warm embrace mid-air, I felt a hand wrap around me squeezing me into their body but I was too terrified to open my eyes. Was death claiming me before I reached the ground?
A shockwave coursed through my body as we crashed into a hard substance. My eyes remained closed as I embraced death tighter, waiting for pain to go through my body but it never came. Shock? yes but there was no pain.
Was I dead? Is this how people die?
I heard a low growl so close to my ear that my body vibrated. I slowly opened my eyes, welcomed by a set of golden brown eyes staring at me. I couldn’t speak. I lost my ability to speak as I stared into death’s eyes.
He was inhumanly beautiful
“Am I dead?” I finally found enough strength to ask after seconds of being captured by his beauty.
He continued to stare at me without saying a word. A frown sat on his forehead. His hands are still wrapped around me and for some reason I felt comforted by his presence.
He must think that I was asking a stupid question. After all, I just fell from a 17th floor building, of course I was dead. Who would survive that?
Do I even have anyone who would mourn me?
“Ma’am! Oh my God are you alright?” I turned to find a woman staring at me with horror written all over her face
I stared at her confused, and turned back to Death, only to find him gone without a trace. Slowly, I rose to my feet as I came to a realization that I wasn’t dead and whoever or whatever that was, he had just saved my life.