Aqua blue eyes peered curiously at the girl below the great beast as a tail swished in torment. The creature's only thoughts were on food and the fact that it hadn't eaten since the day before. A pale pink tongue poked its way out from the animal's mouth, slowly licking its lips as it watched. Finally, when it seemed that the girl wouldn't wake that way, the animal opened its mouth and let out a meow to wake her.
Blue eyes matched each other as the girl snapped awake with a groan. Her long blonde hair was matted slightly and her eyes seemed to have slight trouble adjusting to the light. Rubbing them softly she yawned before petting the cat that lay on her stomach.
"Morning, Mimi," she said to the cat as she stretched. "Is it time for your morning feeding?"
The cat meowed in response, as if saying yes to her question and moved to sit beside the girl on the bed. Boxing the girl lightly with her paw she urged the blonde to move and hurry to feed her empty stomach.
With a laugh the blonde quickly got up and motioned for the cat to follow her as she silently made her way down to the kitchen at the end of the hallway. Long, slender fingers ran lightly across the wall as she walked, thinking about the day that lay ahead.
The place was silent, as no one woke as early as the girl in the mornings, and as she walked the only sound that could be heard was her own footfalls as she moved. The lights were off but the lights of New York were enough to keep the room light enough for her to see as she moved about the apartment. The hall was long enough to pass many rooms as she went around the suite's interior to the room that was the kitchen.
The kitchen itself was quite big thought it was hardly used. The girl's mother, Allison, had sworn off cooking the second she'd married and as such only the girls and the cooks used the forgotten room. Just as most of the house was, the kitchen was light in color and airy as though to create the appearance of brightness in the house. The room still seemed cold, just as all the rooms did, just as cold as its owner.
Gracefully and silently the cat leaped to the counter and her owner, uncaring and unwilling enough to shoo her off, pulled out her bowl and filled it slowly with the food she liked. The cat, like all others, was finicky and only ate a certain brand. Much to Allison's dismay Mimosa craved only the cheap brand.
Though she'd been told many times not to pet the cat while eating, thin and delicate fingers ran themselves across the pet's silky and soft fur. A soft and light purr could be heard from the feeding animal as she hurriedly ate the food that had been placed into the metal bowl. The aqua-blue eyes were hidden behind double lids, closed in contentment and happiness. A small smile graced the girl's face at the cat's obvious praise to her for the food.
"Elizabeth?" The voice she'd known so well could almost be heard from the door as it once had on these days. "Why are you awake so early?"
"Mimi woke me again," she could almost hear herself saying, light and soft as her voice had once been.
Elizabeth didn't even turn her head to know that her father wasn't there, to know that he wouldn't be there. He'd been placed underground months ago. Stray tears leaked from her eyes but she refused for them to fall all the way down her face. Tears were weakness and weakness from an Adler is anything but good.
"Allison will have your head, you know," it was a familiar soft and lyrical voice that lulled Elizabeth out of her daze. "We're having brunch at our house this morning mind you."
The blonde didn't even have to turn to know that it was her younger sister standing behind her, watching her from the kitchen doorway. She could even see her sister, watching her, standing as straight as Elizabeth never could for their mother. Her poise and elegance seen from miles and miles away, and being admired that far too. Samantha was the perfect child, Elizabeth was the mistake.
"Morning Samantha," the older daughter's voice rang out, sounding cold and distant compared to her sister's warm tones. "And when have I ever cared what she thinks about me?"
The answer was obvious and so the younger sister said nothing as the older turned to face her. They'd once been friends but things had changed and situations had separated them. To Samantha it was that her sister was never around to care about her. To Elizabeth the problem was that her sister was too much like their mother. Either way it could be seen that the two girls no longer were as close as they'd once been.
The oldest just stared down her sister and said nothing to her as the two held gazes for a second. After a moment or two, Mimosa seemed to break the hanging tension that swirled throughout the room. Rubbing her head against her owner's arm she meowed in her soft voice that she wasn't finished with her food but that there was none in her bowl. Elizabeth turned at the movement against her before apologizing softly to her pet and pulling out more food for her, placing the morsels in the bowl for the cat before petting the purring beast once more.
It was at this sight that Samantha turned on her heal to leave, suddenly not wanting the glass of water she'd woken for. Her sister had spoiled that appetite for her. Would her sister be struck dead for showing her any sort of love? Any sign that the eldest cared anything about the youngest? Samantha had often wondered about it when watching Elizabeth do just about anything.
She was curled in her bed before she let the forbidden tears that stung at her eyes to fall. Her sister had obviously shown that she cared more about the beast then her own flesh and blood. That fact not only disgusted Samantha but brought more realization to the fact that Allison had been stressing to her all along. Whatever had happened to her sister had changed her while she was gone. She was more like the beast that she cared for than her old self.
Morning came faster that she'd wanted it to and soon Elizabeth had returned back to her room to watch the sun rise. The beautiful event taking place and she had the front seat view, the box seats, for the colorful work that stretched and curved through the skyline that she'd once called hers. The view seemed like nothing to her now, she'd seen better now, but this view wasn't hers alone. Her father had watched it every morning while preparing for the long and hard work day that always seemed to lie ahead of him.
The amount of sleep his oldest daughter didn't need surprised him at first but he'd gotten over it and had enjoyed the company in his early morning routine. Once he had said that the apartment was too silent in the mornings, Elizabeth now knew how he'd felt. Of all those in the house he hadn't thought her a monster or at least hadn't called her one to her face. Every morning he'd still kiss her on the forehead and tell her he loved her as he had for years before the now truth was known. He'd loved her then and loved her when she left, waving to him from the doorway. Elizabeth could say that she'd seen the only Adler male in the house cry the day that she left, that being a memory she'd never forget.
As the sun peaked it's way over the horizon, delicate hands wrapped around a chain that hung from her neck, around gold as delicate as her hands. At the end of the chain a small pair of what appeared to be slippers had once hung for many, many years but now in its place lay an old locket. Inside the locket was an old picture, her father and her mother when they were happy, her sister and her when they'd at least spoken more than two sentences.
Did she know that their growing apart was her fault? Yes. Did she blame herself for her sister's reactions to her change? No, she blamed her uncaring mother. The woman had changed over the time that she'd been married. It killed Elizabeth that the lady would call her own flesh and blood, her own daughter a monster the day that she had to leave. She couldn't help who or what she was. It was a part of her that wouldn't and couldn't be dispelled, not that she'd wanted. So when a cure came, Elizabeth turned it down. Allison only seemed to sweep the fact that her own daughter was different and no one knew about her "condition." Just the way Allison had wanted it.
A soft mewing brought pale blue eyes to the floor to meet those of aqua as Mimosa leaped up onto her owner's lap. The cat stretched against her owner's pajama clad legs before curling up into her lap for a nap. The owner smiled at the animal before lightly stroking her, provoking a soft hum to escape the cat.
Still the girl looked out at the skyline, colors still squeezing through as morning came to the busy city. Down on the street she knew shops were opening and that probably the caterers were hustling to get to the open markets that came in the mornings for the food that her family would soon be eating with all of their close friends. She tried not to shudder at the thought of all who would be there and all who she would have to talk to. She didn't like crowds but still was required by Allison to do such, what the older lady called, social events that showed that the girl was elegant and dignified.
Elizabeth was dignified and elegant in her own right, her movements oozing fluidity and cat-like strides. Her sister was good to compare her to the cat, her movements seeming almost identical. Her eyes were the same icy color as her mother's, a fact that she detested more than her mother herself. Her blonde hair had matched that of her father's and in her own right Elizabeth had taken his tall stature rather than her sister and mother's small one. She pretty much towered over the both of them, a fact that was both envied and wanted by the two shorter women. She was thin but not a stick. Could eat just about anything and barely gain a pound, a really enviable asset to every woman she met. To her these things didn't matter though, to Elizabeth people would only see so deep past her looks before they didn't like her.
She was too opinionated to be a good and dignified lady. Too smart to be considered what guys her age thought was datable. Too much of a prude to be the slut, another thing guys wanted and she refused to ever step anywhere near being. She preferred books and music to the comfort of people, something that her father had had and her mother had resented. Elizabeth use to joke that it was because her father spent more time in his library than with his wife. It was the truth too.
Noises stirred down the hall and Elizabeth figured it to be the cooks working hard and furiously on the brunch that needed preparation for the handful of well to do people that were supposedly lucky enough to come and look at it. No one ate much at these events. To everyone there Elizabeth looked like a pig and she actually didn't eat all that much on most days.
A knock on the door jerked Elizabeth from her half daze and staring at the door for a moment she figured it to be their maid, coming by with her outfits for the day. A small sundress for the brunch, complete with gloves and matching heels, another small dress for what Allison called socializing, it was more like gossiping with the other ladies, and finally her ballet outfit. Elizabeth wasn't sure if she'd ever do ballet after her father's death but apparently Allison had made that decision for her.
"Just leave the clothes on the bed," she said before the lady had opened the door, scaring the older maid a little. "And I'm sorry to scare you."
Most of the staff was scared of her, a fact that she credited her mother well on, though it didn't bother her. Most probably thought that she'd been away at rehab for part of the time she was gone, the rest of the time visiting family members or on vacation, neither story was true however. She'd been at school as awkward as it sounded. Her mother was embarrassed about sending her daughter to a boarding school? Yes but the reasons were understandable. Still Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the maid's behavior before sending her away.
She looked at the clothes for a moment before making up her mind. She would wear the first dress but not the second, she'd just wear jeans to the galleries. No one would notice anyways, she was rarely ever around when it came to the petty gossip of the old ladies. None of the stuff they discussed mattered to her in the first place. Elizabeth still wasn't sure if she just survived off of the money that the girls' father had left or if she actually held a job. That alone was a huge mystery to the oldest daughter.
Time was growing closer and closer to the time of the brunch that her mother was hosting but Elizabeth still sat with a book in her hand. Engrossed in the plight of Hamlet and the insanity of Ophelia, she didn't even have any notice of time. It wasn't until she heard the doorbell ring that she realized what time it was and cursing she hurriedly dressed for the meal that she was very much dreading.
As she walked down the stairs to the room where the little get together was being held she realized just how short her dress was and began playing with the end of it. The dress was white with pale blue flowers on the material; she wasn't sure if she should have worn it or smelled it. Her white heels clicked as she descended the stairs and although everyone seemed happy to see her she could still see her mother's anger radiating at the girl's lateness.
Elizabeth tried not to cringe at her mother's glare as she continued down the long staircase that lead to the main room. It was rarely used on a normal basis but when the time came for a social gathering the room was the main place of stay for everyone who'd come. Unfortunately, the only entrance was the staircase that she was on. Just as many times before she made it to the last step, and just as with many, many times before she tripped as she hit it.
Her mother seemed to be even more disappointed by this and Elizabeth could see Samantha having to hold back her laughter. Letting out a small one of her own she stood and dusted herself off.
"Sorry to have caused a scene," she said quickly and quietly before blushing deeply and darkly.
People seemed to just laugh it off as she quickly withdrew from the scene that had taken place. She'd never liked people staring and in that instant they had been. A lot of them still were. She retreated to a corner as quickly as possible, face hidden by the long hair that was still down. Before she got to her corner, however a hand stopped her and she instantly took a defensive stance until the scent hit her.
"Always ready to attack I see," came the honey voice that she had known for many, many years. "And you obviously still know how to make an entrance."
The voice was sarcastic but still sweet and as Elizabeth turned she found herself face to face with the one girl in this world who could sympathize with her.
Taylor Carnes was only two years older than Elizabeth was but in looking at her it would be wondered if she was the same age. Just as Elizabeth was light Taylor was her complete foil of darkness. Her long dark brown hair fell straight past her shoulders unlike the soft curls of her friend's. As Elizabeth's eyes were a pale blue, Taylor's were a dark and deep brown.
"Still the same I see," Elizabeth said her hands flexing by instinct. "How's things at the school?"
"Wouldn't know," came Taylor's honey voice. "Mom and Dad called me back about three weeks ago."
The younger girl nodded before looking up to catch her sister's eye from across the room before looking away. Once again the youngest of the girls was surrounded by the superficial friends who cared little about her. Elizabeth knew this fact all too well, she was once one of them, but Samantha had no clue.
"She doesn't know the truth yet," Taylor said following her friend's gaze. "Does she?"
Elizabeth shook her blonde curls out before sighing and looking over to where her mother was staring right at her. She wasn't doing as she was wanted and she wasn't planning on following orders.
"Someone's got to tell her sometime, Val."
Taylor's nickname made Elizabeth look at her friend before shaking her head. Not around here could she be called that.
"Don't call me that here," she said before scratching the back of her hand. "You know better than that."
The brunet shrugged before sitting on the arm of one of the couches almost gracefully. Though it was looked down upon, she didn't seem to care or move from her spot as she looked around the room. None of this interested her. She was too interested in other things.
From across the room, Samantha's eyes watched her sister and Taylor talk as though they were the best of friends. That fact caused the blue eyes narrow, Elizabeth was her best friend, she had been for many years before she even knew that Taylor Carnes existed. She should be the person that was talking to her sister, the person getting her to smile.
Instead of thinking on it she turned back to her friends, the ones she cared so much about, and tried to forget about what she'd seen with her sister. Tuning herself back into the conversation wasn't all that hard, they were just talking about the party that night. She was going but that was a given.
"So, Samantha," one of her friends, Lauren, said with an actually open and friendly smile. "Do you want me to come over so that we can get ready together?"
They had a tradition, one as old as their births, the two girls got ready for every party together. Samantha smiled at the thought of the before party fun that the two had.
"Of course I do," she said before nudging the nicest girl in the group. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Elizabeth had slipped out soon after the food had been cleared, not wanting to listen to the pointless chatter that did little more than cause her head to hurt beyond anything. Leaning against one of the halls in the upper area of the apartment, she stared at the ceiling as she tried to remember what it felt like to be at the school. She could hear the constant chatter and hum that seemed to come from every room. She could smell all the students, girls with their perfumes and guys with their aftershave. She could even almost feel the texture of the walls under her fingertips. Opening her eyes though only brought disappointment, she wasn't there and she wouldn't be ever again.
"What's a pretty girl like you doing alone in the hall?" The male voice hadn't interrupted her thoughts but rather the strong smell of his aftershave. "You shouldn't have to stare at walls, something nicer perhaps."
Elizabeth kept her eyes closed in hopes of him getting bored and leaving. She didn't have the time or patience to deal with her sister's idiot of a boyfriend. When his scent hovered closer she snapped her eyes open to find his only inches from hers.
"Touch me," she warned almost softly. "And I'll make sure you don't live for more than a few seconds."
She was being serious and her voice's harshness reflected her sentiments. Warning shown deep in her eyes as a more feral side seemed to take over but the boy, Kyle, didn't seem to notice.
"You don't mean it baby," he whispered before reaching out to touch her arm.
Before Elizabeth could strike a scream hit her ears. The scream was so familiar that when others followed she could still hear her sister's scream echoing through her mind. Shoving the boy off her harshly she ran down the hall and the steps, not sure what she'd find when she got down.