Page 2 of Magic and Mayhem

Once, I was able to hide for two days. They only caught me because I needed to find food and stumbled into a town where a few people knew Master.

I will never forget the bruises he gave me that day.

It was that night that I read a new book at the foot of his bed. One that gave me all sorts of new strategies. Maybe I couldn’t run, but there was something Icoulddo to escape.

There was a character who couldn’t get away from his villain either. His fear and anxiety built as he broke down the relationships around him, leading him to slice his wrist.

I had never thought of that before. To end this life so that I could embrace another on the other side. So, I decided to give it a try.

Rubbing at the scar on my wrist, one that is so small but could have cost me my life, I try not to think about that day. I thought I knew pain before then, thought I understood what fear really was. But I was so very wrong.

The memories overtake me anyway, like a movie playing out in front of me, as I walk a path I’m all too familiar with.

The cut burns since I had to use an old razor I found in the trash, but I dig it in deep, just like the boy in the book. Blood rushes to the surface, leaving a trail of crimson over my milky white skin before falling to the floor.

Relief washes over me at the sight because the boy said it began to feel better at this point. He said that the pain started to fade, and it does. My ribs no longer ache, my face no longer throbs. All that exists is the flow of red onto the hardwood in front of me.

That’s when I start to feel dizzy, my body swaying forward even though I’m in a sitting position, and panic overtakes me. My heart beats faster, causing the wound to drip hastily as my limbs start to shake.

Tears fill my eyes as that presence I haven’t felt in so long fills my mind. Although I can sense worry from the being that’s lived inside of my head for as long as I can remember, it brings me peace.

‘It’s okay,’ I tell it in my mind. ‘It’s better this way.’

There is a thump in my chest, one that no longer feels like my own. It’s almost like a frantic pounding on the barrier that separates me and this ominous presence. Fire seems to briefly come to life within me, and I bathe in its warmth as I accept my fate.

A gasp escapes me when a hand slides around my wrist to stop the flow of blood and effectively ruins my plan to find peace. Blinking, I look up at the man I’ve grown to hate with every fiber of my being.

“You cannot die until I say, not until the time is right.”

Master’s face seethes at me as he grips my wrist and dials a number. A few minutes later, the town doctor comes in, knowing me well. He was the one to care for me when Master would break bones or cause concussions, and he would fix me up without a word.

He never took pity on me until now. I was sedated for a few days, and it was one of the first times I ever slept in a real bed that I can remember. When I woke, everything went back to normal. The beatings resumed, and the only difference was that everyone watched me much more closely. The only time I found peace was in my closet with nothing but my plush chair, blanket, and a book.

“Evolet!” a harsh voice snaps from behind me. I must have stopped on the path because I’m staring up at the sky when I come back to myself.

“Sorry,” I mumble, moving my feet once again.

When we get to the house I share with Master, I run to my room and shut the door. It’s small, no larger than a closet. But it has a chair, a blanket, and a small light that is perfect for reading. My keeper created this room so she could lock me in when she needed time to herself.

It originally had nothing in it besides a small blanket,but I’ve found that if I annoy her enough over things, she will do the bare minimum to get me to leave her alone.

I cuddle up in my spot, hoping I can disappear into my story and get some rest before I’m forced to sleep on the floor at the foot of Master’s bed like I do every night. This book is one I know I’m going to love. It’s about a female dragon rider who flips off anyone who makes her angry before ordering her dragon to incinerate them.

I wish I had a dragon of my own to burn down my enemies.

I find myself drifting to sleep in my cramped space, dreaming of a day when I can ride off on the back of a dragon and be free of this place.

Master says magic isn’t real, but I’m not sure if I believe him. I think magic is the ability to imagine a place we feel safe, a world where fear can be overcome by the sheer might of our will alone.

Chapter 1

While picking out my pajamas, I hear murmuring voices in the hallway. Master allows me ten minutes to get ready for bed after dinner in his room alone before he comes in. I quickly throw on my pants, standing by the door to try and hear what they’re saying.

Once I’ve changed, slipping on fuzzy socks to keep me warm lying on the cool floor, I press my ear to the door. Still, I hear nothing but mumbling.

There is a thump on the wall, so I ease the handle to crack the door just slightly. I don’t dare look out. Master and my keeper have many ‘private’ conversations that typically revolve around her begging him for attention and him denying it.

“Once I have gained the power of the Underworld, I will take you as my wife.”

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