CHAPTER 6
354 Words
At night,I starred at my ceiling,the weight of Raven's words pressing down on me.
Then,a knock at my door.
It was my mom, with my little sister,Darcy, clutching a teddy bear.
"Everything will be fine ok"
My mum said softly,come and have something to eat.
The kitchen smelled faintly of cinnamon and fresh bread, a small comfort in the middle of chaos. I sat at the table,my fingers tracing the chipped edge, while my mother moved around the room preparing dinner. Darcy was perched on the windowsill, watching the rain tap softly again the glass. Her presence was calm, a steadying force.
"I'm sorry for everything",I said quietly, breaking the silence. "For pushing you away..."
My mother paused,her eyes softening.
"We all carry burdens, Susie. Sometimes we hide behind silence to protect those we love".
Darcy hopped down and came to sit beside me.
"I don't have powers like you. But I want to help, you're my sister".
I smiled,a genuine warmth spreading through my chest.
"You're stronger than you think,Darcy.
More than just innocent".
Darcy looked up with wide eyes.
"Innocent doesn't mean weak".
Our mother joined us at the table, placing a warm plate in front of each of us.
“I found something, Susie. In Dad’s things a small silver box that glowed faintly. I didn’t want to scare you.” Darcy spoke
My heart raced. “That box might be what The Shade is after.”
My mother nodded gravely. “It holds power. Power your grandmother fought to control. And now it’s up to you to protect it.”
The room grew colder, not from my powers, but from the weight of the secret now laid bare.
“I’m ready,” I said firmly. “Whatever it takes".
"We don't know what's coming",mom said,her voice steady but tinged with worry. "But we'll face it together. That's what family does". I reached out, and took both their hands. For the first time since my father died,I felt hope,hope that whatever darkness chased me,I wouldn't face alone. Outside,the rain continued to fall, but Inside the small house,a fragile light burned bright.
- Writer
