Chapter 1
Lillian glances at the floor length mirror of her room in the tower, then looking outside at the scenery. Then back at herself. She was wearing jeans and a simple long sleeve t-shirt. Something her mother had given her a while ago. Converse adored her feet. She looks at herself in the mirror and put on a face of determinacy.
"You got this, Lily," she states to herself. "Today is a big day. It's a very big day. I'm asking her, Belle!" she says to the puppy next to her. She looks down, and intends to find the small dog wagging her tail, but instead she just found blank floor. Lily smirks and walks around the room sneakily, acting like she didn't know where the puppy was. "Hm, where could Belle be?" she asks.
The puppy was hiding on the window sill, her paws against the potted plant outside. Lily suddenly burst through the window. "HA!" she yells. She notices Belle hiding by the pot and pretends she doesn't. "Hm, well I guess Belle isn't hiding here." She starts to walk away, then pulls the many ropes she had set up in her room to pull her up to paint on the ceilings. The rope wraps itself on the puppies waist and pulls him up, him letting out a whimper of fright. "GOTCHA!" She releases the puppy and smiles down at her. "What do you wanna do?"
The dog points her tail out to the world beyond, and Lily rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I don't think so. I like it here and so do you." If possible, the dog glares at her and sticks out her tongue. Lily chuckles, taking the dog in her hands and placing it on the ground. "Maybe today it'll change. I'm finally asking her, Belle!" she laughs. "Now that I'm older, Mother might just let me go! I'm gonna ask her!"
"LILLIAN!" her mother screams from below, getting Lily's attention. "Pull me up my dear!" Lily jumps up and down excitedly and places Belle behind the cabinet. "I know, it's time! Make sure she doesn't see you!" Belle goes behind the cabinet and stays put, while Lily goes over to the rope from below and starts to pull. Her mother stays on the rope bringing her all the way up. When the woman comes through the door, she smiles at her daughter.
"Oh, Lillian, how you manage to do that every single day without fail. It looks absolutely, exhausting darling!" Lily shrugs and walks over to her mother, who was looking at herself in the mirror.
"Oh, it's nothing," Lily assures.
"Then I don't know why it takes so long!" she says, causing Lily's smile to faultier a bit. "Oh, darling I'm just teasing!" Lily nods, even though deep down she felt like she wasn't.
"So, mother. How's the world out there? Lot's of zombies?" Her mother groans.
"Plenty, dear. But there isn't a lot around here. It's quite safe." Lily nods.
"Cool, but…oh, so I was thinking tomorrow-"
"Lily, mother's feeling a little run down. Will you sing for me, dear?" she asks. Lily looks at her surprised for a second before nodding and taking off, finding a chair quickly for her mother to brush her hair. Even though the power came from her hands, it still spread throughout her body, and her mother was able to get it by brushing her hair. She sits down and starts to sing really fast.
"flowergleamandglowletyourpowershinemaketheclockreversebringbackwhatoncewasmine," she sings, her mother astounded at the fact she was singing this fast. "healwhathasbeenhurtchangethefatesdesignsavewhathasbeenlostbringbackwhatoncewasmine,whatoncewasmine," she finishes, her mother brushing her hair quickly. When she's done. Mother glares at her.
"Lillian!"
"So mother," she says, leaning on her chair. "Earlier, I ask if tomorrow was a pretty big day, and you didn't really respond, so I'm just going to tell you. It's my birthday! Tada!"
"No, no, no, can't be. I distinctly, remember your birthday was last year."
"That's the thing about birthdays, they're kind of an annual thing!" She leans back in her chair and looks at her mother seriously for a second. "Mother, I'm turning twenty three, and I wanted to ask what I really want for my birthday, actually what I wanted for a few birthdays now," she mumbles, twirling a piece of hair in her hand.
"Lillian, please stop with the mumbling, you know how I feel about the mumbling. Blah, blah, blah, It's very annoying, I'm just teasing, you're adorable, I love you so much darling," she states, getting up from leaving the room. Lily looks down and to the cabinet where Belle was. The dog gestures her head in the direction of her mother and Lily smiles.
"Oh, I want to leave the tower!" her mother looks at her.
"Leave the tower? Sweetie, it's dangerous out there. Why would you want to leave?"
"That's the thing. I know I would be ok. I've read so many books and I know I would be ok. And I know there is a village miles and I just want to visit it for a day!" Her mother shakes her head.
"Dear, the world is full of bad people, disease, and now there is an apocalypse outside our little haven. You want to go out there unprepared and not ready? Why dear, you're too young! You wouldn't be able to handle yourself out there! Probably get bitten by one of those monsters!" Lily presses on.
"Mother-"
"No means no, Lillian. Don't ever ask to leave this tower again," she says sternly and gravely. Lillian's silent for a moment before nodding her head.
"Yes, mother." Her mother scoffs lovingly.
"I love you very much dear."
"I love you more," Lily replies.
"I love you most," mother says back, kissing her daughters forehead. "Mother knows best, darling." She leaves the room and Lily sighs, looking down on the ground then looking back outside her window. She had been so close. Belle comes over to her and licks her hand. Lily smiles at the puppy.
"It was worth a try, right?"
