Chapter 1

Once I sat engaged and waiting

I heard a martyred, extrajudicial sentencing

Death - tormentor of my dreams

Deep into that darkness sanctioning

'Death!' said I, 'thing of demise.'

I awoke and flung the grief

My passion is the parched necrosis

'Death!' chuckled I, 'Yes Death!'

~~Theodora Twitty

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Scarlett

Have you seen anyone die in front of you? No?  Well, that’s totally normal but no aspect of my life can be described as normal because I have, more times than I can count. I seem to have a morbid attraction to death. If you are thinking I am dead, the answer is no. Bodies and blood, that’s all my life would have been, if it weren't for my parent's love and guidance. If you are wondering if I can sense death, then you are absolutely right. Death draws me towards it like we have been attached with an unbreakable string. 

Maybe it's just a superpower in which I get the last chance to save the person in front of me or maybe it’s a curse. Particularly a Crimson curse, as I like to call it. Through the years the number of deaths I have seen is greater than my age. You would think that death doesn't affect me anymore. You are right to think that because that is what I had thought until 5 days ago. 

I guess seeing your parents get murdered in front of your eyes and seeing their blood and life slowly drain out of their body isn't the same as seeing your neighbour die from a heart attack when you are 9. Or seeing an old man die from old age. Or see a young kid get hit by a car seconds after you see him. 

I have seen a lot of death but they were nothing compared to what I was going to witness today.

It was a normal day until it wasn't. Until I realized something was dreadfully very wrong. That my world was falling to pieces and I hadn't even realised. It was utterly and absolutely destroyed.  That is how it always starts, doesn't it? I don’t know about that but that is certainly how everything I love was taken away from me. 

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What a beautiful day it is today!

Dad was cooking dinner. I was doing the remaining of my algebra homework. Mom was in the lobby, feeding our pet cat and gently putting her to sleep with one stroke of her hand like she always did. 

"Honey, can you see if there is enough salt in the curry", my dad said calling my mom. My mom got up gracefully taking the black curled cat in her hands and putting it on the floor. She went into the kitchen and I followed.

"Dad when is my favourite curry going to get ready??" I asked him smiling amiably. 

"Little dream, patience is a virtue," he said mocking me. My dad was a really funny and cool dad. He always called me his little dream most probably owing to my ability to put people to sleep. But if you added the part where I can sense death, I would probably be called a nightmare.

I could hear my mother chuckling.

I turned towards her and said, "Hey, that's not funny Mom". she shook her head trying to hide her smile while she tasted the curry.

"It's really good," my mom said looking straight at my dad as if she was mesmerised.

My dad leaned towards my mother and kissed her. They always did these things. They were a romantic couple and they loved each other & me deeply. I believed in love and happy endings.

My family was not normal but I felt loved nonetheless. My mother had the ability to put people to sleep with one touch. I had that ability too; it had been passed down for generation in my mother's side of the family. My parents both were doctors and put their abilities to best use. My father was one of the strongest amongst those people who had healing ability. From a very young age, my parents had introduced me to various people with supernatural powers like ours. So when I discovered I could sense death, my parents supported me and helped me accommodate.

After the curry was made we sat together on the small table and started eating. 

"How is school going honey?" my mother asked me. 

"Excellent Mom," I said truthfully. 

"I actually have good friends finally," I said. They both looked towards me as if their ears perked up. 

"It's good to have friends but be careful, we don't want anybody sleeping the entire day and exposing your power." My dad said worriedly.

"I am careful Dad. Dad I know I should not reveal my power to mundane because it can be dangerous for them but I don't understand why you want me to hide it from people who already know that people like us exist?" I finally asked the question that was like a volcano waiting to explode inside me for a long time.

My dad and mom shared a look, which I knew very clearly. They were trying to decide if they should tell me or not. 

"Mom, dad come on, what is with all the secrets? I am 16 for god's sake." I said my temper rising.

My mom leaned forward towards me drawing my undivided attention.

"Scarlett listen very carefully to what I am going to say. Some people would want you for your abilities, we keep it a secret to keep you and our family safe. That is why we don't tell anybody and even you should not". 

My anger cooled down hearing the reason behind their actions. I nodded understanding. Yes, our abilities were special as much as it could be used for benefit, it could also be used for evil as well as for selfish needs.

"I understand, I won't tell anyone." My mom slumped back on the chair as if coming out of a trance. 

"Umm...why did you make so much, curry dad? where there is only three of us." I asked dad, changing the subject. 

He smiled and said, "Your mothers best friend from school is coming over tonight." 

My mother beamed at the mention of her best friend. "Yes, she is very nice and you would love her, but she is going to come very late and you need to sleep," she said giving me a stern look as if expecting me to argue. 

Well, she was right I wanted to meet her special friend, "Please let me stay, I want to meet your friend." I said making an innocent face trying to convince them but they were unmoved. 

"Uhh!! Ok, fine anyway I have a school trip tomorrow." I said trying to look at the positive side.

My dad giggled and said, "Ok my dream now go to sleep". I got up from my chair. 

"Goodnight mom. Goodnight dad" I said hugging them both and went to my room, which was upstairs. 

I was excited about tomorrow because there was a school trip and I loved travelling. My eyes were tired after doing so many algebra sums and all I wanted now was to sleep. I quickly changed my clothes and got comfortable in my blanket. Before I knew it I was fast asleep. 

After a few hours, I woke up with a jerk. I am a very deep sleeper I never wake up in the middle of the night. I felt absolutely dreadful and my heart was beating wildly. It was similar to the feeling I felt when death was near but this was much much worse. I felt sick and my head felt heavy. Something was definitely wrong.

I quickly got up from my bed and went downstairs to check if my parents were fine. As soon as I opened the door of my room, I felt the smell of gunpowder and blood overwhelming my senses. Oh, God!! I ran down the stairs but as soon as I reached the end of the stairs, my breath froze and my body trembled. The scene before me broke me from inside out.

My parents were lying unconscious in the pool of their own red utterly crimson blood. I looked around everywhere to see if there was anyone around like I had been trained to do by my parents. There was no one.

I ran towards my parent's motionless bodies without realising that tears had started flowing down my cheeks. I slipped on the way drenching in their mixed blood but finally reached them. 

"Mom, Dad please wake up" I shouted frantically. 

I got up and shouted "someone help" but no one came. I checked their wrists to feel their heartbeat but there was none. I felt my last drop of hope vanishing. When I realised I couldn't do anything. They were already dead. I started sobbing heavily hugging them.

I lost all track of time until a middle-aged woman came and started to pick me up from my parent's blood. I jerked and pushed her away on instinct. "Stay away" I shouted, the first thought that came to my mind was the person was the murderer and wanted to kill me too. When I realised the woman was wearing a police uniform, "Sorry" I mumbled softly.

"We are the police. We are sorry to say that your parents are dead. Get some rest, we will need you for further investigation." The same woman said in a strict but kind voice. 

It couldn't be possible. My parents couldn't be dead. "I can't be possible. My parents couldn't be dead" I hadn't realised I was shouting frantically until the woman took hold of my hand and told me " Please calm down. Getaway from here." she said getting me away from my parents. No! No! NO!. It was like everything froze and all the blood ran to my head.

The world started tilting, I stumbled, the woman was was in front of me, asking me something but I couldn't comprehend what she was saying. The world was spinning unbearably. It felt as if my body was on fire. I couldn't take it anymore, my knees buckled and I started falling. I was falling physically but my mind was collapsing in on itself. Then the world went dark like I desperately wanted it to go.