"Daddy!"
I watched in horror as my father is lifted into the air, murmuring things that sounded like incantations.
Higher and higher, some supernatural force must be taking him. He cried out, and I wanted to run to him to see if he was alright, but my mother held me still despite trembling herself.
A glowing red object pierced from within him, floating above his chest before disintegrating. His heart.
When I was younger I saw my daddy cry
And curse at the wind
He broke his own heart and I watched
As he tried to reassemble it
"I loved you!" my mother cried at my father who probably could not hear her at that point. "I fell for a demon!"
"It's time to go," said an urgent voice behind us. My mother obliged, pulling me along. "We will bring your daughter to where she is safest."
The group of men cast a spell and a portal appeared before us. That sounded more like an incantation. I realized what my father was chanting was a curse. My mother knelt until our eyes were level.
"Be brave, Raven."
I began to cry. That did not sound safe at all. She pushed me into the portal.
My parents have left me.
And my momma swore
That she would never let herself forget
And that was the day that I promised
I'd never sing of love if it does not exist
I woke up from my dream feeling anxious. I checked the time.
3:24 a.m.
I wanted to go back to sleep, but I would have to wait for awhile because of that nightmare.
"I need some tea to calm down." Grabbing my cloak, I headed for the kitchen.
But darling
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
Clink-clank!
I halted as I reached the kitchen entrance. There was someone in there. Swiftly, I glided into the kitchen and concealed the intruder with my telekinesis.
"Ahh!"
I took a look at the person I had trapped.
"Beast Boy?!"
"Hehe, hi," said Beast Boy with a grin as I released him. "Don't mind me, just grabbing some midnight tofu snacks!"
I sighed.
"And you?" he asked me.
"Just had a dream. Trying to cool off," I said monotonously.
"Must've been a bad one, then."
I nodded as I poured some herbal tea. "It's about my parents."
"Wanna talk about it?"
Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul
That love never lasts
And we've got to find other ways to make it alone
Or keep a straight face
I was a little taken aback by his offer to console me. Just talking to him at the dead of night was unbelievable.
"Not really," I replied. "I don't want to relive those moments. Let's just say I'm here because they abandoned me."
"Oh… That's sucks."
"My parents love me so much," I said sarcastically. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and then Beast Boy's reassuring words.
"We all have our stories, but hey, we have a family here! That counts for something, right?"
I looked at him quizzically. "I guess. But I won't ever receive that love from my parents. It's like I'm made for doom, and trust me, in more ways than one. Besides, I kind of like this life of just me."
And I've always lived like this
Keeping a comfortable distance
And up until now I have sworn to myself
That I'm content with loneliness
"Aw, Raven, don't be so sad and alone. You'll find exceptions."
I turned my head to look at him. What did he mean?
We stared at each other for an awkward minute.
"I'll leave now," I finally said. "Thanks for caring."
"Do you wanna hear a joke first?" he offered eagerly. "It might make you feel better."
"Uh no."
Because none of it was ever worth the risk
Well you are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
Instead of hovering, I walked away, thinking about our conversation. He did help me. I felt much better. But what exceptions were he talking about? I didn't understand. I sat on my bed, carefully fiddling with my cup of tea. Somehow, my attention shifted to that conversation. The reality was, I only had myself to cling to.
I've got a tight grip on reality
But I can't let go of what's in front of me here
I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream
At the corner of my eyes, I saw a piece of paper slip into my room through the gap at the bottom of the door. I picked it up and recognized the bad handwriting that could only be Beast Boy's.
Just thought I would share with you this song. It will play over and over in your head! Hope you will feel heaps better!
I looked at the name of the song, then read the P.S. note at the bottom.
You have a family here. We love each other no matter what!
I smiled. How sweet of him.
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
"Maybe he's right."
And I'm on my way to believing
Oh, and I'm on my way to believing
