《Shadows {Book one in the Coriana Johnson series}》Troubled Past
Advertisement
It felt like hours before we broke our embrace. I had never in my life been embraced like that before. Especially not by my parents.
Daisy held me close and I cried into her shoulder. I felt tears of hers moisten my shirt. I held on to her, feeling like if I let go, I would loose her somehow. I was not about to let that happen.
We finally broke our embrace and looked at each other affectionately.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She asked.
"Because I wanted to get to know you a bit first. And I wanted you to trust me for reasons other than just being your sister."
For once in my life, I didn't hold back the oncoming wave of tears. Daisy grabbed my hand.
"Coriana. I trust you. Now we just need Coulson to."
She smiled and stood up.
"I'm gonna go talk to Coulson."
I nodded. I didn't want her to go, but I knew she had to.
She left. I smiled. It felt good to tell her. Now maybe there would be no more secrets.
Now Coulson just needed to trust me.
I wiped away the tears on my face and sat up against the wall, awaiting my sisters return.
My eyes started to droop. I tried to fight the urge to sleep, but I was too tired. The last few days had been exhausting. My eyes closed and I drifted off.
I was hidden in my room, not daring to go out. I could hear cries of rage and the sound of splitting furniture.
Dad was having one of his "tantrums" again. When that happened, I made sure to stay out of the way. If I just stayed in my room, out of his sight, he wouldn't take his rage out on me.
Advertisement
But today was different. He was more uncontrollable. I was reading a book. I wasn't in his way. But he still came in.
"SHE'S GONE! THEY'RE BOTH GONE!" He shouted. He grabbed a lamp and threw it across the room. I pleaded silently that he would leave me alone. I knew I pleaded in vain.
"YOU AREN'T DAISY! YOU CAN NEVER REPLACE HER!" Then he overturned my nightstand.
"I know that!" I snapped. "I've seen it in your eyes all of these ten long years. Don't you think I know?"
There went a table. "You never loved me. All you care about is the daughter you lost, not the one you have."
Of course, he ignored everything I said. It was just white noise. As always.
"I JUST WANT MY FAMILY BACK TOGETHER!" He advanced on me.
I tried to get away, but he grasped my arm and threw me against the wall. He gave several more cries of rage as he beat me.
I feebly tried to fight back, but he was much stronger than me. But finally, as I lay in the floor, bloody and broken, as he got ready to deliver another punch, he froze. His eyes grew wide as he realized what he was doing.
I took advantage of his pause, and I limped out of the room. Behind me, I could hear him calling my name. I ignored him. I knew then that I didn't want to live here any longer. I knew I had to leave.
As soon as I could.
I awoke, breathing heavily.
That day was one I had wanted to forget. That had been one of the most horrible days of my life.
I was ten, and that had just pushed me over the edge. I knew I had to leave, forever.
Advertisement
That was when I started my search for Daisy. She was basically all that I had left. And now I had found her, but I was at risk of being taken away from her. I didn't want that to happen. I would do everything I could for that not to happen.
I jumped as the door opened. It was Daisy again, but this time she wasn't alone. A man was with her.
"I'm Phil Coulson," the man said. "Daisy explained everything. I've decided, that if you want to stay, you have to tell us everything about you. You have to give me a reason to trust you."
I froze. I never talked about my past with anyone. Especially someone who I had never met before.
Like I said, those were things I wanted to forget. And this man wanted me to tell him everything? Everything included the neglect, the pain, the suffering- No. I couldn't. I had pushed those memories away for a reason. I had to be strong. Their was no reason to remember the past. I scooted up against the wall. And met his gaze.
"All you need to know," I said as calmly as I could, "Is that at the age of ten, I ran away. Then I lived on the streets for seven years, learning skills that would help me find my sister. Everything else isn't important."
I held my breath, hoping he would consider that enough. He hesitated. Daisy looked at him hopefully. I bit my lip, awaiting his answer.
Finally, he nodded.
"Ok. That's good for now. But if you are going to stay here, and potentially become part of our team, you need to agree that you will be entirely honest with us."
I nodded in agreement. If agreeing to that proposal would keep me with Daisy for the time being, I would accept.
Even though my acceptance was a lie.
Advertisement
- In Serial48 Chapters
Life would be so much easier if I weren't a monkey
Waking up in a strange place can be rough. Waking up in a strange body is even rougher. Finding out you're a basic bottom of the barrel monkey in a world full of monsters, adventurers and other things that would very much like to eat you, is just about as bad as it gets. In fact, I struggle to think of much that would be worse. On the bright side, at least you have an option to get stronger and prevent yourself from being eaten. Join this poor little monkey on her quest to possibly not die in a world that seems to very much want to make her new life much shorter.
8 136 - In Serial11 Chapters
The Rektoning: DeadHeads revolt
Not all births are a gift from God, some are in fact gruesome, bloody, and involve a lot of pain and trauma. This goes doubly so if you're a not quite zombie, not quite human undead man baby called DeadHead. Stuck dealing with gods who think of humans as playthings, Demons that won't shut the hell up, and a curse that thinks it owns his body. Witness the ugly and cruel conception of a new type of hero. Spoiler he doesn't survive the birth...
8 122 - In Serial6 Chapters
Tales of an uncommon mind
Katsuo is a special boy who suffers with bully, mental illness and an absent mother. One day he meets Miyako, who he sees as a friend. He didn't know that this was a path of death and misery...
8 144 - In Serial9 Chapters
The Wax Wind Conspiracy
Spirits were high when the luxurious Wax Wind skyship made its maiden voyage from Clementine one warm Noonsday evening. But the Wax Wind would never reach its destination. And its passengers would never be heard from again. Follow the stories of these passengers as they struggle to survive the nightmare they'd unknowingly stepped into, and unfurl the cryptic conspiracy that had devoured them all. The Wax Wind Conspiracy is a fantasy murder mystery set aboard a massive airship in a world of strange creatures, awful food, and weird magicks. But, in the end, it's a story about people. Updated every Monday and Friday. Stay safe.
8 179 - In Serial11 Chapters
Forbidden Passions
There are many forms of love that are taboo, forbidden, and even illegal. Yet even with deterrents in place, people cannot help but defy society and follow their hearts. To them, their love is hard to deny, even if rejected by everyone else.
8 192 - In Serial31 Chapters
Birth of an AI (completed)
On the fringes of human controlled space in the distant future, a weathered scientist carries out the thankless task of creating complex artificial entities— AI. Humanity needs and fears their greatest creations in equal measure, because without AI they will never travel the stars again. A team of Mercenaries, led by a demolitions expert calling herself Princess, has been tasked with bringing critical components, along with themselves, to a space station secreted within a debris field left over from a galaxy spanning war, The Synthetic Revolution. When the job's darker nature surfaces, the team will have to contend with killer robots, an unhappy client and the lingering scars of wars both recent and long past in order to finish their contract with their lives and their pay.
8 277

