The Night She Remembers

Lea got off her high school's bus—her first day day at her new school was a success.

While walking home, Lea turned on her music. All Lea did was smile as she walked around, looking at the beautiful surroundings. The sakura cherry trees blossomed a bright pink as some of the leaves fell onto the ground.

Lea happily walked home, her earbuds in her ear, playing her favorite music.

"I'm home!" Lea stated as she entered the house. What came back at her was…nothing. Complete silence. Closing the front door behind her, Lea looked around for her new father. She soon found him passed out on the couch, about five alcohol bottles surrounding him. Lea could only assume he'd been drinking while she was at school. Lea simply went upstairs to her room.

About an hour later, Alexia and Roxen entered the house. Lea could only assume that their school day was over. She came downstairs to greet them.

"Hey guys." Lea said as Alexia and Roxen took off their shoes and put their bags on the hard-wood floor next to the front door.

"Hey sis. How was your first day of school?" Alexia asked, her usual happy smile on her face.

"It went really well, thanks for asking. How were your school days?" Lea asked both Alexia and Roxen.

"Could've been better. Don't get me wrong—it was good, just not as good as most days." Roxen said.

"Mine was good. We took photos for our 6th grade memory book." Alexia said smiling happily.

"Oh? I didn't know 6th graders do that, Lexi." Lea said, a tad surprised. In her 6th grade, nothing like that had ever happened.

"Well our school is newly built, and we're the first graduating class!" Alexia said, clear happiness and excitement in her voice.

"You two hungry?" Lea asked the two.

"Yeah. Hey Lea, I'm going to my friend's place since it's Friday. We're gonna be playing a lot of Call of Duty, and I'll be there for dinner too." Roxen explained.

"Alright, that's fine by me. What time will you be going?" Lea asked.

"Around 5:30pm. It's only 3pm so I have time for a snack."

"Alright then." Lea smiled at the two angels and went to the kitchen to begin making their snack.

Nighttime had finally come around, and Lea was looking out her bedroom window. She stared longingly into the starry night sky as someone knocked on her door.

"Come in." Lea said. The door opened to reveal her new father, who was completely demon.

"Cmon Lea, it's time for bed." He stated as he shut the door.

"Alright…" Lea sighed to herself as she heard her new father slamming Alexia's door.

'How are Roxen and Alexia still happy, especially with all this abuse and achoholism? I would've killed myself after only a few years of this happening.' Lea thought quietly to herself as she got up from her windowsill and changed into her pjs. After that, she walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth—reminders of Lea's past life creeping in.

The thought of her abusive father finding her in a new home made her feel afraid, and more importantly—scared.

The beautiful Saturday sun crept in as Lea was peacefully sleeping in. Her bright pink walls shone gracefully, the sun shining on the still unpacked boxes(Lea was feeling tired and lazy once she got home from school). Soon, Lea opened her eyes and sat up, yawning as her vision adjusted itself. Lea walked over to her makeup stand and put in the purple and blue hair extensions she had bought before being accepted into her new home. Once she placed them in her hair, Lea walked downstairs for breakfast only to find Father laughing to himself, booze surrounding him on the dining table as Alexia was eating already cooked eggs.

"Okay Father, that's enough booze for today. You need sleep." Lea stated, taking the remaining booze away from him.

"Aww, but we're just getting started." Father said, clearly drunk.

"No Father. Go get some sleep." Lea stated firmly. Then Father passed out, scaring Alexia a little.

"How'd you sleep Lexi?" Lea asked, switching the subject.

"I-I slept good. You?" Alexia asked, eating her eggs.

"I slept well. Do you know when Roxen will be back?" Lea asked.

"I dunno. I'll text him when I'm done eating." Alexia said.

"Alright."

Once done, Alexia took her plate and put it in the sink(throwing out what she didn't eat off her plate, of course) and texted Roxen.

The front door soon opened, revealing Father and Roxen. Roxen, despite having some bruises on him(Lea could only assume they were from Father),wasn't crying nor seemed upset. It seemed as if the bruises didn't hurt him. Sitting on the living room floor, Lea looked concerningly at Roxen.

"This guy was planning to stay at his friend's house this whole weekend. He is not permitted to do this, and neither are you two." Father stated extremely firmly. He pushed Roxen aside and walked up too Lea.

"If you ever pull something like he did, I will find you and I will hurt you." Father stated firmly, getting on Lea's level. Hearing this, Lea gulped and agreed to not do what Roxen had done—despite it not being wrong.

"Good." Father got up and walked away, grabbing a bottle full of alchohol and started drinking it. Lea took both Roxen and Alexia upstairs to her room and locked the door, then took a look at Roxen's bruises.

"Okay, well, this doesn't look too bad…does it hurt?" Lea asked Roxen.

"Yeah, a little." Roxen admitted.

"Don't worry, I'll go get you an ice pack, okay?"

"Okay."

Later on, Lea was listening to music on her phone when she felt it vibrate. She checked it and saw that it was a text message from her new friend, Avril.

'Hey, wanna hang out?' It read. Lea fumbled a bit, not knowing what to respond with.

'Sure' She finally replied after a few minutes. Lea then went upstairs to grab her handbag and some of her money. Seeing as Father was passed out, Lea only told Roxen and Alexia where she was going.

Once they got there, Arvil and Lea begun shopping. And once they were done with that, they went to the food court to eat something.

"So, how's your life so far?" Arvil suddenly asked Lea once they sat down. Lea fell silent—she wasn't sure how to explain her life to someone like Arvil. Or if she even wanted to try.

"I-It's good so far. Yours?" Lea asked.

"Horrible. My parents are driving me insane. So insane, I might as well move out once I have enough money." Arvil stated, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, I can understand that." Lea said a little sarcastically.

"Yeah. How have your classes been?"

"They've been pretty good so far."

"Awesome. Mine are pretty cool and laid back. Been enjoying that art and music classes you have so far?"

"Yeah. They're pretty cool so far."

"Nice."

Afterwards, the two teen girls hit up a few stores, then Lea got dropped off by Avril at her house.

"See ya at school!" Lea waved goodbye to her friend and walked up the front porch's steps. Lea then opened the door.

"I'm home!" Lea called out as she walked inside. She closed the door and took off her shoes, placing them on the shoe mat near the front door. Footsteps could soon be heard, and Lea turned her head towards the direction of the sound, seeing Roxen and Alexia happily run up to her.

"Hey sis!" They both said, hugging their big sister happily. Lea smiled and tried to hug back, since she had quite a few bags in her hands.

"How was the mall? What did you get?" Alexia asked curiously.

"Well, for starters, it was really fun. I got things like books, along with drawing and writing stuff. Oh and some games for my system, along with some newer clothes." Lea said, placing her bags on the ground so she could hug Alexia and Roxen back.

"Did you get anything for me?" Roxen asked curiously.

"Or me?" Alexia asked shortly after Roxen did.

"No, sorry." Lea apologized to them. She did feel somewhat sorry for not thinking of them while she and Avril were out.

"It's okay." Alexia said. Lea then smiled at the two siblings. The two angels, as they were called.

"Now, C'mon. It's time for bed." Lea said, grabbing her bags as she walked up the stairs. She looked behind her to see if Roxen and Alexia were following and, sure enough, they were.

The fireflies gleamed across the night as a little girl, as old as 10 but no younger than 5, walked outside, away from her yelling demon parents. She looked up at the night sky and smiled at the gleaming fireflies.

"I wish I could be like you--fly anywhere, anytime, be free, not have to hear my parents fight constantly." She had mentioned that last part to herself, looking down at the ground. Then she looked up at the fireflies again.

"B-but, I'm sure that someday, I'll be like you in a way--flying away from this place, and into my own world." The little girl spoke confidently to the light-filled bugs. All they could do was listen to the poor girl's wishes. Soon afterwards, another voice could be heard.

"Autumn? What are you doing now?" The girl's older sister, Lyamn, walked outside in hopes of finding her little sister.

"Hi Lyamn. Just talking to these fireflies." Autumn admitted.

"I'm not gonna question it this time, sis. Now, lets go to bed."

"Okay." Before Autumn left, she said her goodbyes to the fireflies, then walked inside with her older sister.

Lea missed those days. The days when she would talk to the fireflies late at night when her demon parents were fighting, and shortly after Lyamn went to college. At least they listened to her, unlike the people she was supposed to look up too.

Now, she was so far away from both the fireflies and her sister.

And now, she had no idea where the both of them were.

Not a single clue.