AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm really sorry if the story is bit slow-moving, but I promise more exciting things will be happening really really soon. :)
AURUM
. a curse reborn .
- chapter 2 -
Getting home took longer than she expected. Much longer. The rain had stopped half way through her trip across town, but by that time she was too cold and wet to really care. Her clothes were soaked through with rain, her hair a dripping, knotty mess hanging over her shoulders. Though she tried and tried to warm herself, her sopping clothes could provide Myra with no warmth, no comfort. Trying to keep herself from shivering, she hurried on her way, splashing through puddles, leaping over filthy rivers that rushed along the gutter.
After what felt like hours of walking, Myra was finally home. It was a relief to see that neither of her parents had returned just yet, so she would luckily be able to skip explaining what caused her to be in such a pathetic state. She jammed her key hastily into the lock, shoving open the heavy wooden door, letting it slam shut behind her as she rushed upstairs.
- x - x - x -
One hot shower and two cups of hot chocolate later, Myra sat on her bed in her room, wearing her most comfy pajamas and curled up in the warmest blanket she could find. In her hands was the necklace, polished to the very best of her polishing abilities, but, though it's sad to say, her abilities were close to non-existant; The medallion was as tarnished as ever. She sighed as she stared at the golden skull, observing the haunting way in which it seemed to gaze back at her. Myra held the necklace close to her face, as if observing it with more scrutiny would help remove some of the mystery it held.
Still holding onto the necklace, she shoved off the blanked from around her and crossed the room to stand before her dresser. A mirror sat atop the bureau, and would prove much more useful than any of the cracked and dusty mirrors back at the antique shop. Though she never really planned to wear this necklace regularly, a tingling curiosity was eager to see how it would look around her neck. She struggled for several moments, fighting with the stubborn clasp, before she was able to get in on.
She ran her finger along the cold chain, letting her fingertips gently brush the golden face of the grinning skull. Myra stared at her face in the mirror, carefully observing the two pale gray eyes that gazed back at her, the limp mouse-brown curls that hung over her shoulders. The jewelry that now rested on her chest looked far too out of place among her run-of-the-mill features, and yet at the very same moment seemed to fit right in. There was just something about the odd little treasure that seemed to complete the reflection Myra was now seeing.
From downstairs she heard a jingling of keys and the slamming of the front door.
"Myra?" It was her mother. "You there?"
"Yeah," Myra called back, starting towards the door. "Just a second." She hid the medallion beneath the top of her shirt; She'd rather not explain the story behind it. One last glance was cast towards her reflection before she rushed through her bedroom door and started down the stairs.
- x - x - x -
Her alarm clock blazed the time in bold black letters: 11:30 PM.
Myra was just crawling into bed, tired and aching from a very, very long day. She still wore the necklace, having eventually forgot she even had it on. She snuggled beneath her blankets, letting out a tired sigh as her eyes closed, her heavy head flopped sleepily against the pillow. As she drifted off towards slumber, she almost thought she heard the rushing of ocean waves, thought she could smell the saltiness of the brisk sea air.