Awakened fury

I wake with a start, my heart hammering. Cassandra’s voice slices through the quiet. “You useless child! Your parents’ mistakes run in your veins!” Her hand strikes my cheek again, and heat blooms across my skin. I press my fingers to it, tasting metal on my tongue. I want to cry, but I swallow it down, hard. Every day is the same—anger, insults, the constant reminder that I’m not wanted. I swing my legs off the bed and stand, trying to steady my shaking hands. The room feels smaller than ever. Posters of long-gone heroes and faded photographs stare back at me like silent judges. The morning light filters through the curtains, too bright, too exposing. I move to my dresser, pulling on my school uniform. Every movement is careful, deliberate. Breakfast is quiet. Cassandra watches from the doorway, eyes sharp and calculating. I pour cereal slowly, counting each grain as if precision could save me from her wrath. She huffs, mutters something about laziness, but doesn’t touch me today. For now, that’s mercy enough. Outside, the air is crisp, almost shocking. The warmth of the sun doesn’t reach the cold coil in my chest. I take the familiar path to school, head down, trying to make myself invisible. The streets are quiet, just a few neighbors bustling about, but even that sounds loud when your heart is pounding. “Riley!” The voice cuts through the morning. My stomach twists. Elisha. Leaning against a wall, arms crossed, smirk curling on her lips. Her eyes lock on me like she’s been waiting all morning for this moment. “Well, if it isn’t Miss Sad-Little-Life herself,” she sneers. “Late again, or just practicing your routine of being pathetic?” I clutch my books tighter, forcing my legs to move. Every step drags. Cassandra’s words replay in my head. Useless. Weak. Pathetic. Elisha’s gaze is ice, sharp as knives. I want to disappear, shrink into the cracks of the sidewalk, but I keep walking. One step, then another. Surviving is enough, for now. She falls in step beside me, voice low but cutting. “Don’t even try looking happy today, Riley. It doesn’t suit you.” I ignore her, focusing on the path, the leaves stirring in the morning wind. The school gates grow closer. Students chatter around me, laughter and shouts filling the air. It should feel normal, safe—but it doesn’t. My chest tightens with every passing second. I take a deep breath, forcing my shoulders to relax. One day at a time. One step at a time. Get through today. Just as I reach the gates, a flicker of movement catches my eye—someone standing in the shadows near the entrance, watching me. My stomach twists. I don’t recognize them, but something about the way they are re looking at me makes the hairs on my neck rise. I swallow hard and force my steps forward. Whatever this is, I know one thing: today isn’t going to be as ordinary as I hoped.