Piece of Peace

 There was a star that shimmered in the darkness. It was a bright warmth that encompassed her chilled frame. It was so far out of reach, even when she shot her hand towards the black sky above. She watched the star change from white to red before finally being snuffed out entirely. She felt ice encase her spine while voices echoed all around the darkness. 

 'Find us.'

 'Free us.'

 'Save us.'

 'Let us go.'

 'Run away!'

 A figure bathed in blue and green mist appeared before her. It was hard to see anything beyond their silhouette, yet they towered over her. Both it and its shadow swayed closer, disappearing only to reappear a few feet further than where it previously was. That ice she felt earlier froze her limbs from the inside out, keeping her in place.

 Goosebumps crawled all over her flesh when the entity stood in front of her. Its arm extended towards her; tendrils of mist covered shadows. It swirled together, forming a claw that cupped her cheeks which startled her. 

Why…didn't she have her mask?

Where was she?

What was going on?

 'Who…are you?' She never got her answer when those sharp talons dragged across her face. Blood slipped through the thin slashes, blinding her gaze. She didn't even have time to scream before she felt pain in her chest. 

 Zenobia awoke to her heart pounding frantically in tandem to three quiet knocks. Blinking her eyes open, saw dust bunnies blurring her vision. With a wiggle of her nose, she sat up, wincing at the stiffness in her neck. The sun was gone from the window's view, but it was still light out. Peering over her nightstand it was about seven in the evening. Right around the time for Zora to get ready for bed. She felt three more soft knocks against her back.

 "Zeno? I can't open the door." The teen was really hoping Zora hadn't been there long trying to wake her up. With guilt threatening to overflow, she reached for the doorknob. A groan came when she lifted herself off the ground. 

 "Give me a sec." Ignoring the pain in her foot, she undid the lock. Twisting the knob, she pulled it back, revealing her little sister. Still dressed in her school clothes, wrinkled from play while holding Zenobia's abandoned crutches. Thankfully there was no mother in sight.

 "Sorry kiddo. Didn't mean to lock you out." She stood there with a small frown. Even when Zenobia hobbled slightly against the door to give her more space, the five-year-old refused to move. Which concerned her greatly.

 "Zora?" The yellow eyed girl took two swift steps, carrying, or rather dragging the crutches with her. She held them up between them with shaking hands, waiting. It took a few seconds before Zenobia stumbled while trying to grab them. Her sibling huffed at her with her hands on her hips.

 "There! Mom said that you need to use those." 

 "Sorry..." Being lectured by someone not even half her size formed a smile on her lips. If her favorite half pint wasn't so upset, Zenobia probably would have laughed at her pouting cheeks. Still, she felt bad and could only make her way to her bed. Only when she was seated did her sister come inside, shutting the door with a simple click. 

 "Why was mama yelling at you?"

 "Don't worry about it."

 "But you were crying sis!" How did she know? Zenobia at some point stopped crying. However, one glance at her phone's camera showed the red rims and streak marks. There was no point in trying to lie. Especially since Zora looked like she was gearing up for a fight.

 "She…said some hurtful things, that's all."

 "Like what?"

 "I…what does it matter? It's between her and me. In any case it's over and done with." She wasn't doing this. Not when her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Like she had assumed, Zenobia was utterly drained. Still, her sister was unsatisfied with her reply. 

 With a huff, the elementary schooler hopped onto her elder sister's bed. They bounced slightly at the action until Zora got completely settled on top of the mattress. The injured teen raised an eyebrow at the reaction. That perplexed eyebrow rose higher when she saw the younger girl cross her arms.

 "I'm not moving until you tell me why you're crying."

 "You'll be here all night then." Already the girl was fidgeting in place. She was determined, Zenobia would give her that. It wouldn't last long, though. As motivated as the kid was, staying in one place was just something she couldn't do. Zora was a squirmer, and they both knew it.

 "You know I can easily push you off."

 "I-I'll get back on, so there!" The brat crossed her arms while upturning her nose. She was so confident that she had the final say. Zenobia found it funny how her sister assumed she won this little disagreement. It improved her mood all the more, when she decided to tickle the ray of sunshine. Loud squeals escaped as tiny fingers fought to protect the most sensitive areas available only to leave other spots unguarded.

 The five-year-old put up a valiant attempt, however she submitted soon enough after kicking and shoving with all her might. Her face screaming red, with heavy breaths exhaling, only to be immediately followed by a long-drawn-out yawn. Still, the two sisters stayed there. One sitting, keeping her foot from bumping into the harder parts of the bed's foundation. The other laid out like a starfish, smiling despite her defeat.

 "It's time for bed, Zora."

 "Are you feeling better?" Zenobia hummed. Her eyes crinkled when she formed her smile. It really wasn't hard to give an answer. Still, she took her time, choosing to pick up the yellow eyed girl before answering.

 "Thanks to you."

 "Does that mean you'll tell me what was bothering you?"

 "No."

 "Aww, come on sis! I just wanna help." As hilarious as the mental image of her yelling at their mother for being mean, it wasn't worth getting her involved. At her age-actually in general, she just wouldn't understand why people judged others so harshly. Unless she decided to get a really out there styled mask based on a devil or vulture, Zora had no risk of being mistreated. There was no reason to taint the innocence she had.

 "I know and I appreciate it, kiddo. I just had a bad day. It'll be better tomorrow."

 "What's appresate mean?"

 "It means…hm. It means that I love that you care about me. I'm happy that you're trying to help me."

 "Ohhhh ok."

 "Time for bed."

 "But I don't wanna! It's too early."

 "If anything, you're running late. Usually, you'd already have your teeth brushed and dressed."

 "It's not MY fault."

 "Better hop to it."

 "If I'm really quick, do you think we could play a card game or something? Pleaassseee?"

 "Hm…only if you're really quick. I'll give you five minutes."

 "That's not enough time, Zeno! I'll never finish."

 "You might if you stop arguing with me. Clock's ticking kid." She gasped, running right to her dresser. In a panic she pulled the drawers out, fighting with the creaky old furniture. Zora was so distracted she didn't even see her sister was shaking her head, quietly laughing.

 Of course, she would play cards with her, but she wasn't going to wait all night or let her play first. Zenobia may've screwed up their nightly routine, but that didn't mean she was going to let tonight end on a seriously sour note. At the very least playing a quick card game or two would distract both of them from what happened earlier.

 Tomorrow would be a new day, one where Zenobia really needed a game plan if she planned on dealing with her mother. Frankly she was going to need all of her energy and a ton of luck to get by, however she couldn't worry about it now. She needed to relax, if for nothing else than for her sister to stop pestering her. With a small sigh, the teen fell back onto her bed. Her red eyes stared at the ceiling, waiting for Zora to finish up.