âââââââââââ PETRA KINGSLEY
XoutfitXXlX#5a7d5fXXlXIn short: I felt my existence was tainted,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXlXXXXXXXXXXXX in some subtle but essential way.
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She was still lightheaded, and she was still wartorn. The liquor had acted as a temporary aid, something that helped ease the pain, rather than erase it. She usually hated crowds, but they had helped too, in their heat, and their movement, swirling around her- the eye of the storm. Many were frightened of her; of her reputation, her mercilessness, and, of course, of her abilities. However, the party seemed to have made everyone bolder- from her place in the fray, she witnessed requests to dance, shy exchanges, confessions of feelings. She wasn't sure what to feel about them all, these lost lovebirds. It wasn't bitterness, or jealousy, but rather some dull ache.
She was dancing on her own at this point, swaying quietly to herself, in something of a daze. Her eyes were closed, and the music cradled her in a way her mother had not. A soft smile on her lips, she tilted her head back, breathing in the smoke-touched air.
An arm slid around her waist, pulling her back, pressing her against a hard chest. A whisper in her ear, and the smell of beer.
"Let's dance."
Another arm, another time, hands tight around her wrists, a cruel smile and uninvited kisses...
Her eyes snapped open, and an invisible force wrenched his arm away, twisting it around his back. He screamed, almost drowned out by the music still humming around them. It was loud as before, but she could hear him. His yelps of pain, and his shoulder, straining at the socket. One thought, and it would pop. He'd scream louder then. Even those on the edge of the mass would hear him.
Almost everyone was too caught up in themselves and the cacophony to notice them; this twisted boy and his puppeteer. Her eyes were cold with loathing, but there was something else too. Something shaken, unnerved. She felt it, and she hated it. Just one thought...
The thought vanished, and she returned to herself, releasing him. He dropped to his knees, clutching his shoulder, now at ease. He looked up at her with a combination of horror and disgust.
"You fucking freak!"
If he said anything else, Petra didn't hear him. She'd already left the dance floor, cutting through the oblivious dancers and making her way back over to the people she actually cared for. By the time she reached them, she'd swallowed the events of moments ago.
"I don't know about all of you, but now that I'm sobering up, I've come to realise that this party isn't nearly as fun as I thought it was." She gestured with a thumb towards the path back to school, "Shall we go?"
She was dancing on her own at this point, swaying quietly to herself, in something of a daze. Her eyes were closed, and the music cradled her in a way her mother had not. A soft smile on her lips, she tilted her head back, breathing in the smoke-touched air.
An arm slid around her waist, pulling her back, pressing her against a hard chest. A whisper in her ear, and the smell of beer.
"Let's dance."
Another arm, another time, hands tight around her wrists, a cruel smile and uninvited kisses...
Her eyes snapped open, and an invisible force wrenched his arm away, twisting it around his back. He screamed, almost drowned out by the music still humming around them. It was loud as before, but she could hear him. His yelps of pain, and his shoulder, straining at the socket. One thought, and it would pop. He'd scream louder then. Even those on the edge of the mass would hear him.
Almost everyone was too caught up in themselves and the cacophony to notice them; this twisted boy and his puppeteer. Her eyes were cold with loathing, but there was something else too. Something shaken, unnerved. She felt it, and she hated it. Just one thought...
The thought vanished, and she returned to herself, releasing him. He dropped to his knees, clutching his shoulder, now at ease. He looked up at her with a combination of horror and disgust.
"You fucking freak!"
If he said anything else, Petra didn't hear him. She'd already left the dance floor, cutting through the oblivious dancers and making her way back over to the people she actually cared for. By the time she reached them, she'd swallowed the events of moments ago.
"I don't know about all of you, but now that I'm sobering up, I've come to realise that this party isn't nearly as fun as I thought it was." She gestured with a thumb towards the path back to school, "Shall we go?"