Chapter 1, Part 1: Eight Months After the Tragedy

After her death, Angelina isn't sure what to think of her afterlife.

It was a gloomy day. I sat on my sad excuse for a bed, which was nothing but a worn in mattress and a blanket as thin as medical gauze. I gazed out the window and stared into the depths of the run down carbon coated city. In the distance I could see people walking ever so slowly, and I could hear the low humming and bustle of cars.

“Angelina!” My mother called from downstairs. I could hear her stout body trying to make it up the rickety wooden spiral staircase to my room.

“Angelina, dear, you must get dressed! You wouldn’t want to be late for your first day, would you?”

 My face stayed locked, gazing at the ash ridden town.

“Look! I’ve even got your uniform! Now get undressed and put it on, lets go!”

I exhaled, turning towards my mother only to see the hideous all black dress with hundreds of buttons dancing up and down the front.

“Oh c’mon. It’s not too bad, love.” My mom must have known how I felt from the unhappy, displeased look on my face. I crossed my arms and shook my head.

“Angelina, NOW!” She exclaimed.

I grabbed the uniform from her, and began to angrily take my nightgown off. I threw the dress on but didn’t button it. I leaned over and gazed out the window again.

“Button it up sweetheart.”

My face turned to her, sour once again.

“Angelina, we’ve talked about this. Right now this is all we can do. So please, be a good girl and go to class. Okay?” She ended smiling at me, kissing me on the forehead.

“Oh and don’t forget your tights!” She added, throwing the sterile white cotton spandex at me.

I threw the tights under my bed and crossed my arms, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, a strong scorn of hatred painted across my face. I rose from my bed, it squeaking in return. I walked on the cold, de-saturated wooden floor towards my vanity. It’s ornate brass mirror incasing me. I picked up my brush and gently brushed my straight short raven black hair. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Things were so different now. I reached for my red lipstick and applied its creamy sweet color onto my lips. It covered up the purple tint that I still had on my lips, and hid it well. I walked over and dug the tights from under my dust-ridden bed, and slipped them on, my black flat shoes following. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror again. I hadn’t changed.

I grabbed my wool coat from my narrow closet and threw my hat on and headed downstairs, my feet chasing after me. Beneath me the steps squeaking as if telling me to slow down.

“ANGELINA!” My mother called after me, me headed for the door.

“Please, please, sit down and have some breakfast with your brother.” Her smile wide.

I hesitated, dropping my bags and walking towards the table. I sat down in the chairs which were large and ornate. I looked over at my brother. His hair so blonde it was silver. He was dressed in his uniform, too. He wore a black sweater vest with a black tie and crisp cotton shirt underneath. On his face I could still see the bruises, a slight purple tint underneath his left eye. He looked up at me smiling, slurping his milk from the cereal bowl. “Why are you wearing that stuff on your lips?” He asked, his voice innocent and bratty at the same time. “Are you trying to cover up what you did to yourse-“ “Stanley that’s enough!” My mother cut him off. My eyes narrowed. In my lap I balled my fists. I grabbed my books off the floor and ran out the door.

“He didn’t mean it Angelina! He’s just a boy!” I could hear my mother yelling at me, but I kept running down the long pebble paved path that lead to our run down two story toy like home. I took a deep breath and inhaled to cold winter air that was coated in sugary ice crystals. I looked up at the hill in which our home sat. It looked as if it was trying to tear itself in half. I looked away and opened the iron gate that trimmed our property. I slammed it closed and walked down the gray color dust road that lead to town. I kicked the ground and wrapped my coat around me tighter as the snow falling tickled my nose, leaving it wet. I was approaching my friend Cindy’s house, her house just as small and run down as mine. From the distance I could hear her parents shouting, I picked up my pace to see what all the noise was about. I stepped of the dirt road into the dead grass and ran up to Cindy’s gate.

“You do NOTHING RIGHT!” Cindy and her mother were outside now on the porch yelling back and forth. Her mother was a skinny, tall woman, with sharp features and a skinny, long head.

“I don’t know how you’re even here, YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE TO HELL.”

I squatted down below the fence and peeked through the iron cylinders, not wanting to be a distraction. I could see Cindy walking towards the road, her hands gently wiping her face. I waited until she walked a few feet in front of me to catch up with her. I glanced over at Cindy’s house, her mother was now inside, still yelling.

“CINDY!” I yelled.

She turned towards me, her hair in soft curly locks that were the color of a rusted nail.

“Oh. Hi Angelina.” She said, her voice stern.

I glanced at her, her face numb.

“You look nice.” I added, “Excited for classes?”

She stopped walking and looked me in the eye, “Do I look excited?”

I observed her expression. “Well, no.. but I’ve heard it’s not too bad. I mean, I hardly know you and all, but we would make a good team.” I replied, trying to smile.

“No, actually we wouldn’t, Angelina.” Her voice cold.

I looked down at my snowed covered shoes in embarrassment.

“Well, give it a thought, will you? I really can’t work alone, and I don’t know anyone else, really..”

“Angelina?” She cut me off.

“Yes?”

“Why do you do that?”

I paused for a moment, moving my eyes back and forth.

“Do what?” I responded.

“Nevermind. Just leave me alone, okay?”

Cindy continued down the road, as if trying to avoid me.

I paused for a moment and tried to take in what had just happened.

Cindy is the only person I know in Elysium.

Reviews

[mobsceneity]

"Blanket as thin as medical gauze"

"I took a deep breath and inhaled to cold winter air that was coated in sugary ice crystals"

"soft curly locks that were the color of a rusted nail."

I love those descriptions. Great. I'm curious to see what unfolds from here. I also love the name choice for the location, Elysium.