Chapter 4 Amelia

I was in a forest. Darkness surrounded me, thick and suffocating, as if I had stepped into an abyss. The air was heavy, damp with the scent of wet earth and moss, and the silence felt unnatural. My skin prickled, each step sinking into the cold ground as I searched for a way out.

Suddenly, a figure appeared. Dressed in white, its face hidden beneath a black veil, it hovered just beyond my reach. My heart lurched, torn between fear and curiosity, as I took a cautious step forward.

"You are the Chosen One. You are the Trybrid, Amelia Sheffield."

The voice was soft yet chilling, echoing unnaturally in the still air. My breath caught.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling, though I tried to keep steady. The figure, silent and distant, began to retreat into the shadows, moving farther and farther away.

"You will bring balance to the Otherworld," it continued, fading into the darkness. "There is a war brewing. You are-"

A scream, sharp and unnatural, tore through the night, splitting the air like a blade. It wasn't human. My head exploded with pain-a searing, blinding headache that made my vision blur. The scream-too loud, too piercing-echoed in my skull, as if it was tearing me apart from the inside.

I fell to my knees, clutching my head. My fingers dug into my scalp as the sound continued to reverberate, driving me closer to madness.

Then, everything went black.

I jolted upright, gasping for breath, my heart hammering in my chest as if it wanted to break free. Sweat clung to my skin, my hair damp against my forehead.

I looked around, disoriented, my breathing shallow and ragged as I tried to ground myself in reality. The familiar surroundings of my room began to come into focus, the dream slowly loosening its grip on me.

But the figure's words-"You are the Chosen One"-lingered, hanging in the air like a warning.

The door slammed open and the face of Lucy comes into my view. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face sunken. She looked so sick, like life was gradually drained from her. There's pure disgust and fear on her face as she looks at me, which made it all the more scary.

She walked in further, and I pushed back as much as I could on my bed.

"You slut," she spat, her voice hoarse and croaky, like she had been crying all night. "I didn't believe Ashley when she said you were back, but here you are. You think just because you finally got laid, you can walk back in here and everything will be fine?"

My heart thudded painfully against my chest. Lucy looked vastly different from when I had last seen her. The transformation was alarming-something about her demeanor felt dangerously off.

I slapped myself hard across the face, wincing as the sting set in. "I hit myself for my bad actions. I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice trembling. Lucy's eyes widened in shock for a moment before she smirked, her gaze dripping with malice.

"Crazy bitch," she muttered, her voice laced with venom before she cackled and stormed out of the room. Only then did I release a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

I leapt up, locking the door with trembling hands. I moved quickly to the mirror, inspecting my reflection. My right cheek was pink with a faint imprint of my fingers-evidence of my self-inflicted punishment. I was relieved that my desperate measure had kept Lucy at bay. Given her current state, I had a feeling that if I had let her hit me, it would not be the usual beatings I got from her-something far more dangerous.

I got out of my nighties, hitting my leg on my desk in the process. I hopped on one foot, hissing as the pain exploded through me, also realization settling in about my surroundings.

I was back at home. He had granted my wish. Woodson had granted my wish. I was back to my reality. My harsh, wicked reality.

There would no more be talks about wolves and packs. Or being married at the age of eighteen.

I could do what I wanted now. I would soon leave this hellhole and go to college and work and live the boring life I had planned for myself. I was excited to live that life. I would choose it a thousand times over the crazy world I had supposedly been in.

My chest constricted, a sharp, dulling pain hitting me on the left side of my chest-my heart. It was a dulling sensation-not too painful but still uncomfortable-that it seemed I needed medical attention.

Except I couldn't get that and needed to get to school.

I took a quick shower and dressed up, trying my best to seem okay as I went down the stairs. The hallway stunk with alcohol and some weird smell I couldn't recognize. It was nauseating. To my fortunate surprise, Lucy was on the couch, solely focused on a TV show. She was as still as a rock, her back against the couch.

I knew that Ashley's car had been ruined, but I still felt the need to check for the car. Eerily, it was there, still in its disgusting pink color-I never knew a shade of pink could be so ugly.

She should've also been downstairs by now, and joined her mother to insult me and call me names, and if they were feeling extra feisty, given me about three hard slaps across the face.

But there was nothing-except for this morning's weird encounter with Lucy.

No name calling, insults, or slaps.

Ashley was too quiet. They were too quiet.

But I was going to use this weird change for as long as I could, which is why I didn't inform Lucy I had left for school and picked up my pace, in case she noticed.

I was able to reach school in fifteen minutes, cutting down my usual time. My breaths were ragged and short as I panted softly on my way inside the hallway.

"Watch it, loser," Anna-once my best friend, now Ashley's minion-bumped into me, causing me to stumble to the floor. Her sub-minions snickered, their laughter echoing cruelly as they walked away.

My calculus teacher still made fun of me, even though I was ten minutes early to class. The whole school treated me like I was insignificant, a waste of space and energy.

Worthless.

At least there was some sense of normalcy in school. And this normalcy would end in a month. A month until senior year was over, a month until graduation. A month until I could escape to a new, dull life.

The day dragged on, but nothing out of the ordinary happened. The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. I should have been relieved, but the thought of going back home filled me with dread.

Ashley hadn't shown up at school. Her absence was unsettling. She thrived on making my life miserable both at school and at home.

Her absence felt like a prelude to something worse.

As the hallways cleared, I hesitated before making my decision. The emptiness of the afternoon gnawed at me, and the urge to visit my father's grave became overwhelming. It had been months since I had been there. I walked out of the school, my footsteps heavy and deliberate.

I approached the cemetery with a mix of trepidation and resolve. The sky was overcast, casting a gloomy shadow over the tombstones. My heart pounded as I made my way through the wrought-iron gates, the chill of the air biting at my skin.

When I reached his grave, I knelt beside the cold, stone slab. The bouquet of wildflowers I had picked along the way seemed insignificant against the starkness of the marble. I placed them gently on the grave, my fingers trembling.

"Hi, Dad," I whispered, my voice barely above a murmur. The silence around me was almost oppressive. "I'm so sorry. I've been so wrapped up in everything else that I've neglected you."

My voice cracked, and the dam broke. I let out a sob, the sound raw and anguished. "It's not fair! You left me all alone. I needed you."