Status: I'm currently on deployment so there will be periods of time where I am without internet access. I'll update as frequently as I can to make up for the inevitable days when I can't.
Marked
Three
Gentle morning sunlight broke through scattered green tree leaves and shone timidly through the window, creating speckled patches of light across Rosario’s face. She had her right arm draped over forehead to cover one eye, but the brightness didn’t take care to miss her other one. A loud groan of exasperation came from her throat as she cracked open a bleary eye to look at the time on her black fifteen-dollar digital wristwatch. She blinked the sleep away until her vision focused on the tiny numbers hovering before her face. 7:06AM. Rosario tsked quietly and let her arm fall back over her eyes to block out the light, thankful it was Saturday.
Wait… Saturday…
“Shit!” Rosario cursed as she sat up, grabbing around for her things. She found tennis shoes on the floorboard and quickly slipped then on, then threw her hair up in a ponytail and snatched up her backpack. Her truck door opened with a creak then slammed shut just as noisily. Rosario took off running down the street towards her foster house at full speed, her backpack bouncing up and down unceremoniously. She had taken to sleeping in her truck since the disastrous night with the Cotes on Tuesday in order to avoid any further conflict. When she finally gathered the courage to show back up at their house on Thursday afternoon Tracy had simply glared at her and stormed away, like the whole situation had been Rosario’s fault. The house felt uninviting and the people inside were colder than ever before – she didn’t even feel safe locked in her bedroom, so she slept in her pickup.
Today was supposed to be a wonderful day, though. Her social worker, Linda, was coming to do a routine house visit to see how the family was getting along, during which they would begin the paperwork that released Rosario from state custody when she became a legal adult. It was going to be an exciting morning, one that was set to start at 8AM sharp. And Linda Everidge was a firm believer in promptness.
She bounded up the sidewalk to the small blue house and yanked open the front door, relieved it was unlocked. At least they hadn’t intentionally locked her outside. Tracy was in the living room fussing around as she prepared for the visit, trying to make everything look perfect, and barely spared a glance for the person this was supposed about. Rosario made her way up to her room to get ready, mindful to be silent when she passed by Evan’s door on the way to her own.
In record time she had showered, applied a tiny bit of eye makeup to help her look less tired, and put on an a light flower-patterned sundress with strappy sandals to match. Linda liked it when Rosario dressed more feminine instead of her usual jeans and a tank top or tee. She ran a comb through her hair a few times in vain attempt to straighten out the dark waves then gave up and simply toweled it dry. When the shrill doorbell rang Rosario hurried down the stairs just in time to see Tracy open the door, revealing a very properly dressed older woman standing outside.
Linda was a lovely woman both appearance and personality. She had long, beautiful straight blonde hair that shone golden in the light and perfectly matched her pale, smooth skin. Her light blue eyes were sharp and friendly all at once, ready to scold or sympathize just as quickly depending on who they saw. With a slight figure always dressed in immaculate, professional pant suits and a no nonsense attitude, Linda could be rather intimidating. She used it on prospective families very well, always wanting the children in her care to be treated right despite the horrible flaws in the foster system. When it came to those children, however, you saw a gentle sweetness and deep caring in the forty-three year old woman that made her seem like a guardian angel. Rosario adored her and had been in her care for as long as she could remember.
After greeting Tracy and being invited inside, Linda spotted Rosario and a genuine smile broke out over her face. With a delighted laugh the teen hurried down the last few steps and the two enveloped each other in a tight hug, the familial kind that you could feel was truly meant by both people. This was the closest thing to a mother she’d ever had and Rosario had able to rely on this wonderful woman for many years. They chitchatted back and forth, catching up, as Tracy led them to the living room and had them take a seat before excusing herself to the kitchen.
Instantly a look of concern creased Linda’s brow. “How’re things really, dear?” She asked promptly, eyes saying that she expected honesty.
Rosario sighed and fidgeted with her hands for a few moments, avoiding that probing gaze. “Well,” she muttered, “It isn’t as nice as it seems from the outside.” Thinking back on the last few days and comparing it to what she’d faced in the past, Rosario continued, “It’s really not bad though. I clean for them and mostly they don’t bother me. There have been a few bad moments, but I think this place would be an improvement for most foster kids my age.”
Linda pursed her rosy lips angrily, ever unhappy with the conditions that foster children were forced to face and the way the system worked. She wanted to make a difference in all the lives put in her care but it was incredibly difficult with how broken down the entire program was. It was hard to find good, loving homes for the children and most who did ended up getting adopted, taking that family out of the foster system. Not saying it was all bad, just that it was less than ideal. “It’s almost done,” Linda said encouragingly. “Will you be alright here until Monday?”
At that point Rosario grinned like a fool and said that she would be just fine until Monday, her eighteenth birthday, the day she was set free. When Tracy returned with cups of coffee and slices of lemon cake for everyone, they all talked about how everything was going, if the family was getting along and the living conditions were good. It was the typical business stuff and Tracy was more than happy to say it was great and their new addition was such a blessing to the family. Apparently everyone loved her and wished her stay could be longer.
Rosario wanted to laugh in the lying woman’s face, but she merely smiled and nodded, agreeing with everything that was said. Linda’s face was straight and she had the no nonsense look she used on the foster parents to keep them in line. Finally they turned to the important part – all the necessary paperwork for her to be released from foster care on Monday. There were stacks and stacks of legal documents and it all seemed so unnecessarily ridiculous, but Tracy and Rosario were more than happy to comply by signing here, initialing there, verifying this and that line of information.
A bit after 10AM the meeting came to a close and Linda was again hugging the girl that she had watched grow from infancy to adulthood, rubbing her back and smiling proudly. “Remember to stop by Monday morning to sign the release page and it’ll all be official,” she said for the hundredth time. Rosario assured her that she would, and knew she could never forget such an important event. They all knew she wouldn’t forget.
When Linda left and Tracy snapped at her to clean up the mess in the living room, Rosario happily complied and began to take the dishes to the kitchen. There was definitely spring in her step as she went back to wipe crumbs off the coffee table, and even hummed a bit to keep her mood light. Nothing could take away the fact that in only two short days she would be eighteen and out of this hell hole.
Rosario woke with a jolt, shaking, her eyes wide with fear that she couldn’t explain. It was still dark out, the only light coming from widely spaced streetlights burning dimly in the fog. She gulped around the lump in her throat and propped herself up on an elbow to peer out of the tinted windows of her truck, searching for what had woken her. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the park that she could see through the thin fog and no one was out walking around the street at this hour. She dropped back down to lying on her back in the front seat.
She glanced at her watch, reading ’11:58PM.’ With a soft shake of her head and a laugh, Rosario muttered, “Two minutes until my freedom.” She smiled to herself and stared at her wrist, watching the minute change to 59 and then counting out 60 seconds as her heart pounded in her chest. The clock flashed to ’12:00AM’ on Monday and a victorious feeling bubbled up in her chest. This was the day she’d been waiting for her entire life – finally, she could make her own decisions about the direction of her life. “Well, I don’t feel any different,” Rosario laughed softly to herself.
As if on cue a crippling pain exploded in her abdomen, so intense it was blinding and she couldn’t think straight. She gasped for breath and rolled onto her side, curling into the fetal position as the feeling spread out from her birthmark, slowly consuming her entire body. She thought she might be screaming but her pain was so loud in her ears that she didn’t know for sure. It felt like her entire body was being engulfed by burning fire so hot her skin was melting off. She couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, there was nothing but the agony.
Rosario rolled off her side as her back began to arch unnaturally off the seat and her body convulsed. Spit bubbled out of her mouth and up around her lips. Her eyes had rolled back into her head until only the whites showed, and her mouth was open wordlessly. There was a series of sickening cracks that sounded like bones snapping, and her skin began to writhe in certain places as if things were moving under it. A sinister red light flared against her skin, starting from the scarred symbol of her birthmark and moving across her entire body so it looked like she had runes drawn all over her. The red light consumed her eyes and they glowed just as darkly as the rest.
As suddenly as it began, Rosario went limp and the cab of her truck became dark once again. She was unconscious from the pain, but she would not forget what had happened to her.
Thousands of miles away, two demons looked to each other and grinned their sharp, sinister smiles.
It was time.
Wait… Saturday…
“Shit!” Rosario cursed as she sat up, grabbing around for her things. She found tennis shoes on the floorboard and quickly slipped then on, then threw her hair up in a ponytail and snatched up her backpack. Her truck door opened with a creak then slammed shut just as noisily. Rosario took off running down the street towards her foster house at full speed, her backpack bouncing up and down unceremoniously. She had taken to sleeping in her truck since the disastrous night with the Cotes on Tuesday in order to avoid any further conflict. When she finally gathered the courage to show back up at their house on Thursday afternoon Tracy had simply glared at her and stormed away, like the whole situation had been Rosario’s fault. The house felt uninviting and the people inside were colder than ever before – she didn’t even feel safe locked in her bedroom, so she slept in her pickup.
Today was supposed to be a wonderful day, though. Her social worker, Linda, was coming to do a routine house visit to see how the family was getting along, during which they would begin the paperwork that released Rosario from state custody when she became a legal adult. It was going to be an exciting morning, one that was set to start at 8AM sharp. And Linda Everidge was a firm believer in promptness.
She bounded up the sidewalk to the small blue house and yanked open the front door, relieved it was unlocked. At least they hadn’t intentionally locked her outside. Tracy was in the living room fussing around as she prepared for the visit, trying to make everything look perfect, and barely spared a glance for the person this was supposed about. Rosario made her way up to her room to get ready, mindful to be silent when she passed by Evan’s door on the way to her own.
In record time she had showered, applied a tiny bit of eye makeup to help her look less tired, and put on an a light flower-patterned sundress with strappy sandals to match. Linda liked it when Rosario dressed more feminine instead of her usual jeans and a tank top or tee. She ran a comb through her hair a few times in vain attempt to straighten out the dark waves then gave up and simply toweled it dry. When the shrill doorbell rang Rosario hurried down the stairs just in time to see Tracy open the door, revealing a very properly dressed older woman standing outside.
Linda was a lovely woman both appearance and personality. She had long, beautiful straight blonde hair that shone golden in the light and perfectly matched her pale, smooth skin. Her light blue eyes were sharp and friendly all at once, ready to scold or sympathize just as quickly depending on who they saw. With a slight figure always dressed in immaculate, professional pant suits and a no nonsense attitude, Linda could be rather intimidating. She used it on prospective families very well, always wanting the children in her care to be treated right despite the horrible flaws in the foster system. When it came to those children, however, you saw a gentle sweetness and deep caring in the forty-three year old woman that made her seem like a guardian angel. Rosario adored her and had been in her care for as long as she could remember.
After greeting Tracy and being invited inside, Linda spotted Rosario and a genuine smile broke out over her face. With a delighted laugh the teen hurried down the last few steps and the two enveloped each other in a tight hug, the familial kind that you could feel was truly meant by both people. This was the closest thing to a mother she’d ever had and Rosario had able to rely on this wonderful woman for many years. They chitchatted back and forth, catching up, as Tracy led them to the living room and had them take a seat before excusing herself to the kitchen.
Instantly a look of concern creased Linda’s brow. “How’re things really, dear?” She asked promptly, eyes saying that she expected honesty.
Rosario sighed and fidgeted with her hands for a few moments, avoiding that probing gaze. “Well,” she muttered, “It isn’t as nice as it seems from the outside.” Thinking back on the last few days and comparing it to what she’d faced in the past, Rosario continued, “It’s really not bad though. I clean for them and mostly they don’t bother me. There have been a few bad moments, but I think this place would be an improvement for most foster kids my age.”
Linda pursed her rosy lips angrily, ever unhappy with the conditions that foster children were forced to face and the way the system worked. She wanted to make a difference in all the lives put in her care but it was incredibly difficult with how broken down the entire program was. It was hard to find good, loving homes for the children and most who did ended up getting adopted, taking that family out of the foster system. Not saying it was all bad, just that it was less than ideal. “It’s almost done,” Linda said encouragingly. “Will you be alright here until Monday?”
At that point Rosario grinned like a fool and said that she would be just fine until Monday, her eighteenth birthday, the day she was set free. When Tracy returned with cups of coffee and slices of lemon cake for everyone, they all talked about how everything was going, if the family was getting along and the living conditions were good. It was the typical business stuff and Tracy was more than happy to say it was great and their new addition was such a blessing to the family. Apparently everyone loved her and wished her stay could be longer.
Rosario wanted to laugh in the lying woman’s face, but she merely smiled and nodded, agreeing with everything that was said. Linda’s face was straight and she had the no nonsense look she used on the foster parents to keep them in line. Finally they turned to the important part – all the necessary paperwork for her to be released from foster care on Monday. There were stacks and stacks of legal documents and it all seemed so unnecessarily ridiculous, but Tracy and Rosario were more than happy to comply by signing here, initialing there, verifying this and that line of information.
A bit after 10AM the meeting came to a close and Linda was again hugging the girl that she had watched grow from infancy to adulthood, rubbing her back and smiling proudly. “Remember to stop by Monday morning to sign the release page and it’ll all be official,” she said for the hundredth time. Rosario assured her that she would, and knew she could never forget such an important event. They all knew she wouldn’t forget.
When Linda left and Tracy snapped at her to clean up the mess in the living room, Rosario happily complied and began to take the dishes to the kitchen. There was definitely spring in her step as she went back to wipe crumbs off the coffee table, and even hummed a bit to keep her mood light. Nothing could take away the fact that in only two short days she would be eighteen and out of this hell hole.
-------------------------------------
Rosario woke with a jolt, shaking, her eyes wide with fear that she couldn’t explain. It was still dark out, the only light coming from widely spaced streetlights burning dimly in the fog. She gulped around the lump in her throat and propped herself up on an elbow to peer out of the tinted windows of her truck, searching for what had woken her. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the park that she could see through the thin fog and no one was out walking around the street at this hour. She dropped back down to lying on her back in the front seat.
She glanced at her watch, reading ’11:58PM.’ With a soft shake of her head and a laugh, Rosario muttered, “Two minutes until my freedom.” She smiled to herself and stared at her wrist, watching the minute change to 59 and then counting out 60 seconds as her heart pounded in her chest. The clock flashed to ’12:00AM’ on Monday and a victorious feeling bubbled up in her chest. This was the day she’d been waiting for her entire life – finally, she could make her own decisions about the direction of her life. “Well, I don’t feel any different,” Rosario laughed softly to herself.
As if on cue a crippling pain exploded in her abdomen, so intense it was blinding and she couldn’t think straight. She gasped for breath and rolled onto her side, curling into the fetal position as the feeling spread out from her birthmark, slowly consuming her entire body. She thought she might be screaming but her pain was so loud in her ears that she didn’t know for sure. It felt like her entire body was being engulfed by burning fire so hot her skin was melting off. She couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, there was nothing but the agony.
Rosario rolled off her side as her back began to arch unnaturally off the seat and her body convulsed. Spit bubbled out of her mouth and up around her lips. Her eyes had rolled back into her head until only the whites showed, and her mouth was open wordlessly. There was a series of sickening cracks that sounded like bones snapping, and her skin began to writhe in certain places as if things were moving under it. A sinister red light flared against her skin, starting from the scarred symbol of her birthmark and moving across her entire body so it looked like she had runes drawn all over her. The red light consumed her eyes and they glowed just as darkly as the rest.
As suddenly as it began, Rosario went limp and the cab of her truck became dark once again. She was unconscious from the pain, but she would not forget what had happened to her.
Thousands of miles away, two demons looked to each other and grinned their sharp, sinister smiles.
It was time.
♠ ♠ ♠
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