Vermilion: (Prologue)
"She was red like vermilion."
In a small town of Texas, thunder and lightning roared across the midnight sky accompanied by a downpour of rain that showed no signs of stopping. The 'pitter-patter' was deafening, allowing its unfortunate listeners no rest or reprieve for the night.
Well…all except for one.
"—I swear that stupid midget isn't human…how can she sleep through a storm like this?!" A good-looking teen stumbled his way down the stairs with a half-lidded gaze and a head of messy hair.
"Language young man. That's your little sister that you're talking about there." His mother chastised gently while pouring a kettle of hot tea into three respective tea-mugs.
"yeah, yeah, my 'perfect' little sister. Of course." Dripping sarcasm could be heard from his speech as he grabbed one of the mugs.
"Now, now James, don't get all puffed up just because Coleen beat you in the semi-finals of that physics competition." A middle-aged man with circular reading glasses called out dryly from his spot on the couch.
"Dad! Whose side are you supposed to be on?!"
"Clearly not yours, son." He answered calmly, turning another page in his book.
This response caused James to pout petulantly.
"This is discrimination—"
"-Just drink your tea James. Before it gets cold." His mother was quick to intercept the on-coming soliloquy and swiftly brushed past to deliver a cup of tea to her husband.
"Thank you," The man finally placed down his book and took the cup offered to him with both hands.
He took a sip but almost spilled over his drink afterwards when another particularly loud thunderclap resounded across the skies.
"—just what on earth is with this storm..."
"seriously. Is no one going to say anything about how damn ridiculous it is for Coleen to sleep through such a huge storm? Cause' I'd be willing to bet good money that she's the only one to do so in this entire town-"
"Just calm down James…she probably just takes after your grandfather or something-"
"but that's different—he was deaf!"
My name, was Coleen Varg.
My mother, was a small-town Texas beauty queen whose roots could be traced back all the way to the American Revolution.
My father on the other hand, was a top-class lawyer who very well could've made it rich and famous in New York or L.A but chose to build a quiet life with mom.
My brother…well he's not really that important. Just some petty and jealous prick who all my friends have a stupidly shallow crush on. He's two years older than me and a freshman in high-school.
Not to sound self-absorbed or anything, but I'd like to think that I have the life that many girls my age and older would fantasize about.
I have it all—to put it in blunt terms.
My face is what society's beauty standards would deem as 'very pretty' and I have no doubt that by the time I'm older I'll grow into a beauty. Again, this isn't me being narcissistic—but just from looking at the appearances of my parents…well, the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree now does it.
I'm also very smart, but just labeling it as 'albeit intelligent' would straight up be a lie. I'm a genius. An effortless one to boot. Are you burning up of jealousy yet?
And last but certainly not least, I have a special…'power' you could say. Like the superheroes in comics and the main protagonists of novels. Although I don't think there'll ever come a day where a need arises for me to save the world or something like that.
My special power is that…when I sleep, I become a different person.
This isn't me dreaming and I'm not hallucinating or suffering from schizophrenia. I'm absolutely, 100% sure that this phenomenon is real.
Because normal people don't have the same, reoccurring dreams about living as another person when they sleep. Nor do they have such a sharp, acutely realistic sensations as they dream.
By day, I am Coleen Varg…but by night, I am Sakura Haruno.
This, is my power.