Page 2 of Kings of Decay
I flicked on the light that flashed a few times before coming to life. “At least there’s electricity,” I groaned.
When I first saw the cabin, I’d doubted that the place would have a single outlet, but it seemed that the ad wasn’t lying when it said that the cabin was decked out with satellite internet and electricity. I would need every ounce of wifi I could get if I were going to stay sane and keep up with my remote classes.
I unzipped both of my suitcases. It didn’t take long to unpack the minimal belongings that I brought, but my hands hesitated when I came to a metal picture frame wrapped in my clothes. I flipped it over, and my eyes met those of my mother.
I looked a lot like her, or so people said. She had creamy mocha skin, long curly hair, and hazel eyes that looked more green in the sunlight. The only thing I got from my dad was his height.
I set the frame down carefully and plunked down on the bed. The springs squeaked and popped back with a boing under my body.
As soon as I closed my eyes, sleep wrapped around me and pulled me into darkness.
Chapter two
Willow
The Alaskan night was dark.For the first time in my life, I could see the moon clearly, surrounded by a blanket of tiny twinkling stars. It was beautiful in an eerie way.
I tore my eyes from the window and refocused on my laptop. The blue glare lights up the entire cabin.
“And once you solve for ‘y’, you can move on to the next question.” I heard the professor’s words, but I didn’t really listen. It’s hard to concentrate on the lessons when there are no repercussions for it.
At twenty years old, I felt ancient in this freshman class. I was supposed to start classes at UCLA two years ago, but life had different plans. When Dad took this job in the mine, he told me I could stay with my Aunt in California, but I couldn’t leave him like that.
It didn’t help that UCLA had rescinded their offer when I nearly failed my senior year. Apparently, losing a parent wasn’t a good excuse for letting your As fall to Ds.
So, I settled for asynchronous classes from a community college.
I clicked on the next video and started following along with the math problem.
If I wanted a chance to get my life back on track, I had to ace these classes and hope for a transfer.
Ping!
My phone lit up with a notification from Poppy. My best friend and the only one who’d stuck with me through the past few years. My heart squeezed with happiness when I saw her texts.
Ping!
A text from my dad quickly shoved down her notification.
Make sure the windows are closed tight. It says. A storm is coming tonight, and I’ll be gone until morning.
Sure, Dad.I texted back.
I felt like I’d barely seen him since his twelve-hour shifts started. It didn’t help that he worked the night shift, so he was asleep most of the day. I know he did it on purpose. The further he could disassociate from the world, the happier he was. “Happier” being a very loose description of whatever emotions he hid from me. Maybe “less destroyed” was more accurate.
How are things?
I read Poppy’s text and responded as quickly as possible. I felt like a lost pet, desperate for any sort of attention from anyone.
Message not delivered.
The spotty cell service was enough to make me want to throw my phone into the snow.
Just as I tried again, a terrible sound cut through the silence of the night.
A screeching howl echoed somewhere out in the snow. It’s distant but still too close for comfort, especially because my nearest neighbor is a mile down the road. If someone orsomething decided to break into our little cabin, I’d be severely fucked.
I dared to peek out the window, but I was barely able to make out more than shadows in the moon's light.
