Come Undone
Title: Come Undone
Author: deandratb
Rating: R, for thematic elements.
Author's Note: This is based in an AU world I created. No fandom was involved in the writing of this piece, and any similarities are a huge compliment.
"Come on, Em," Beth cajoled. "He really seems to like you, and Hunter swears he's a good guy."
Emily rolled her eyes and walked faster. "I've told you a hundred times, I'm not interested."
"Yes, but cryptic doesn't cut it anymore. I've known you for a year, Emily. You don't go out with boys, you don't go out with girls, and you won't even talk about the concept of dating. If you've had a bad experience, you shouldn't let that keep you from living life."
"I live life, okay? I'm a huge fan of life. But it's too dangerous."
Beth sighed. "Not everybody's scary, you know. If you find the right person, you can let go and still be safe."
Without warning, Emily saw a quick flash of light behind her eyes and let herself sink to the ground, her breathing unsteady. She waited through seven deep breaths, eyes closed, before responding to Beth's worried questions. "I'm fine, don't worry. I just got dizzy. That's all."
:
:Two years earlier:
:
Emily woke up covered in blood.
She heard the knocking on the door get louder gradually, like rising up through water, until she remembered who she was. "Emmiline Mari, open the door!" shouted the voice she now recognized as her mother's.
"I need a second," she answered, sounding hoarse and unnatural.
"I've been knocking for ten minutes," came the reply. "I'm letting myself in."
Emily struggled to sit up as she watched the lock turn from the outside, and succeeded as her mom stormed in.
Regina froze, in shock more than horror, at the amount of blood covering the room. "What did you do?"
"Don't worry, it's not mine." She swiped listlessly at the blood running down her forehead. "What are you doing up so early?"
"What did you expect, Emily?" Regina snapped. "No matter what kind of barriers you set up, I'm going to be woken out of a sound sleep when you pull a stunt like this."
"A stunt?!!" Emily pushed off from the floor to face her mother. "I had to try to get rid of it! I can't let it happen again."
"Honey, I know how hard this is for you, but you can't get rid of it. Rituals like this are unpredictable. You're going to get hurt, and it won't change anything." She reached out a hand to steady Emily, and only her eyes reflected the pain when her daughter shrugged it off.
"You don't know how hard it is, Mom." Emily's tone was unnaturally calm now. "Every time I close my eyes I see Daniel... after. That first second when I came back to myself haunts me every day. I did that. I killed an innocent person who never did anything wrong except care about me." She grabbed towels and a bucket from her bathroom and started wiping up.
Her mother moved aside, pausing just beyond the doorway. "I wish more than anything that I could give you a better legacy, Emily, but there really is no way to banish it. It's who you are."
Regina walked away, and inside her head Emily heard her mother's conclusion. "You have no choice."
Shielding her thoughts defiantly, Emily continued the cleanup. She was fully aware of how many years of karmic retribution she would be facing for the dark magick she'd used last night, but it couldn't be helped. She would put up even stronger barriers, and then she would perform the ritual again.
Her mother didn't get it. It didn't matter how unreliable her attempts were. Any slim chance at a better life was worth the risk-- and she knew the risks as well as anyone. It could be her own blood on the walls tomorrow night, but she had to keep trying. Besides, if this life was all that was given her, maybe she would be better off dead. The world would certainly be safer.
Once the room was clean again, she purified it and meditated before going downstairs for breakfast. Regina would pick up on any negativity she was feeling.
:
:Present day:
:
They walked in silence for several minutes before Emily spoke again.
"I know you're concerned, Beth. And I agree, he is a nice guy. But I mean it. I don't date."
Author: deandratb
Rating: R, for thematic elements.
Author's Note: This is based in an AU world I created. No fandom was involved in the writing of this piece, and any similarities are a huge compliment.
"Come on, Em," Beth cajoled. "He really seems to like you, and Hunter swears he's a good guy."
Emily rolled her eyes and walked faster. "I've told you a hundred times, I'm not interested."
"Yes, but cryptic doesn't cut it anymore. I've known you for a year, Emily. You don't go out with boys, you don't go out with girls, and you won't even talk about the concept of dating. If you've had a bad experience, you shouldn't let that keep you from living life."
"I live life, okay? I'm a huge fan of life. But it's too dangerous."
Beth sighed. "Not everybody's scary, you know. If you find the right person, you can let go and still be safe."
Without warning, Emily saw a quick flash of light behind her eyes and let herself sink to the ground, her breathing unsteady. She waited through seven deep breaths, eyes closed, before responding to Beth's worried questions. "I'm fine, don't worry. I just got dizzy. That's all."
:
:Two years earlier:
:
Emily woke up covered in blood.
She heard the knocking on the door get louder gradually, like rising up through water, until she remembered who she was. "Emmiline Mari, open the door!" shouted the voice she now recognized as her mother's.
"I need a second," she answered, sounding hoarse and unnatural.
"I've been knocking for ten minutes," came the reply. "I'm letting myself in."
Emily struggled to sit up as she watched the lock turn from the outside, and succeeded as her mom stormed in.
Regina froze, in shock more than horror, at the amount of blood covering the room. "What did you do?"
"Don't worry, it's not mine." She swiped listlessly at the blood running down her forehead. "What are you doing up so early?"
"What did you expect, Emily?" Regina snapped. "No matter what kind of barriers you set up, I'm going to be woken out of a sound sleep when you pull a stunt like this."
"A stunt?!!" Emily pushed off from the floor to face her mother. "I had to try to get rid of it! I can't let it happen again."
"Honey, I know how hard this is for you, but you can't get rid of it. Rituals like this are unpredictable. You're going to get hurt, and it won't change anything." She reached out a hand to steady Emily, and only her eyes reflected the pain when her daughter shrugged it off.
"You don't know how hard it is, Mom." Emily's tone was unnaturally calm now. "Every time I close my eyes I see Daniel... after. That first second when I came back to myself haunts me every day. I did that. I killed an innocent person who never did anything wrong except care about me." She grabbed towels and a bucket from her bathroom and started wiping up.
Her mother moved aside, pausing just beyond the doorway. "I wish more than anything that I could give you a better legacy, Emily, but there really is no way to banish it. It's who you are."
Regina walked away, and inside her head Emily heard her mother's conclusion. "You have no choice."
Shielding her thoughts defiantly, Emily continued the cleanup. She was fully aware of how many years of karmic retribution she would be facing for the dark magick she'd used last night, but it couldn't be helped. She would put up even stronger barriers, and then she would perform the ritual again.
Her mother didn't get it. It didn't matter how unreliable her attempts were. Any slim chance at a better life was worth the risk-- and she knew the risks as well as anyone. It could be her own blood on the walls tomorrow night, but she had to keep trying. Besides, if this life was all that was given her, maybe she would be better off dead. The world would certainly be safer.
Once the room was clean again, she purified it and meditated before going downstairs for breakfast. Regina would pick up on any negativity she was feeling.
:
:Present day:
:
They walked in silence for several minutes before Emily spoke again.
"I know you're concerned, Beth. And I agree, he is a nice guy. But I mean it. I don't date."