Drowned In Starlight

Chapter 1: The Morning Dread

"Ugh I don't want to open my eye's.." I could see the red appear through my eyelids as I thought about the morning dread. "Just five more minutes and then I can get up." Tossed over to my right side and then I heard it. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! I don't understand how she knocks SO loudly?! "What Bryn?" I need five more minutes!" My door came crashing open and Bryn's footsteps got louder as she ran toward my bed. I threw my pillow over my head before she could reach me.

"Not today Ser-bear! It's your birthday week and. we have big plans for you! Every. Single. Day!" She snort laughed, I smiled and giggled from behind my pillow. "But it's so early can't it wait a bit longer?" my insufferable whining muffled behind fluff. The silence crept into my body, Bryn didn't say a word. I couldn't even hear her footsteps. "AHHHH!! What the hell?!" I screamed as Bryn somehow came out of nowhere and snatched me out of bed by my ankles.

"Alright.. Alright Bryn, I'll get up!" I grumbled, flinging the pillow at her. She giggled throwing my pillow back on the bed. Kissing my forehead she skipped out of the room. "I'm giving you 10 minutes to get ready! Or it's round 2!!" She yelled from down the hall. Tossing the rest of the covers off of me, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and let out a big yawn. I wondered about the plans Bryn was talking about as I got ready.

In one week, I will be twenty-one. In one week, the star-mark on my skin is supposed to finally make sense. But as the sun bleeds through my curtains, all I feel is the heavy, suffocating weight of a secret I'm not yet allowed to know. Cleaned my face, brushed out my messy hair and threw on the usual garments but, then I noticed something sitting on the chair in the corner of my room. It was a satchel and a book of sorts, both beautifully handcrafted in warm and dark brown leather. "Hey Bryn?" I called out from my bedroom. "What's this satchel and book doing in my room?" A few minutes had went by before Bryn and Aspen, my father, came into my room with a solemn look on their faces.

"Why are we looking at me like someone died?" my face puzzled looking at them. "Ser-bear, I'd sit down for a minute wee babe. I've got a bit of explaining to do." He looked and said it as if it was the saddest thing he's ever held secret. "You know the story of how I found you as a wee babe, but there are details I had to leave out for the sake of your safety.." Seren is about to be handed the book by Aspen from the chair, he looks sure, but sad almost scared even as her hands her the book. She admires the detail on the book flipping it over and looking at the spine and back. She smiles at him. "It's beautiful father.." He looks at her and says "Your mother left it with you, I haven't opened it but I just knew I couldn't let you have it until now. I don't know how but it's the reason we've always been preparing. Seren's mouth drops and she looks frantically between Bryn and her father a few times before she says a word. "Did you know about this Bryn?" she says looking sad and unsure. "I hadn't a clue love.. I swear I'm just finding out this as you are." Bryn said giving her an assuring look. Seren reached her hand out toward Bryn holding onto the book in the other.