New Beginnings

This story has been written in response to L.C. Schäfer's proposal to spend 2024 losing my mind...sorry, I mean, choosing to write a microfiction story every day, making 366 stories for every day of this lovely leap year. You can check her original story out here:

Prompt number one:

1st (New Year's Day) (It had to be) a story about New Beginnings. Interpret that however you like!

***

"But why do we have to leave? I like it here!"

Sally looked at her daughter, Anna as she was sitting on the couch, on the verge of tears and paused in her scrabbling through the credenza drawer. It was the longest that they had ever lived somewhere and she understood where Anna's emotion was coming from as she loved Rummerton too. Two years of peace and normality! No roots but there were the makings of them. Anna had good friends and Sally had started dating Frank, a warm bear of a man, softly caring and a solid presence. Sally could feel the gush of want as she thought of him and to suppress it, fiercely shoved the passports, chargers and bowie knife into the backpack she held.

With steel to her voice, Sally said "We have to. It is not open to debate."

Sally wanted to share with Anna her own reluctance to leave but knowing the admission could let emotion in, she dammed it into the recesses of her heart where it could not be reached. Survival did not depend on sentiment - quite the opposite. Sadness was insidious in this circumstance and Sally would not be susceptible to anything that could bring her daughter into danger.

"I don't want to go!" Anna was openly crying now.

This was not good, Sally realised. Although only thirteen, Sally knew that the time for Anna's Awareness was near. She had been optimistic about telling Anna what she was in Rummerton and starting her path but that had been thrown by Sally's sensing of a Bane minutes before.

Sally was scared.

Taking a deep breath, she went over to Anna and held her, soothing her and taking comfort from the closeness of the girl.

"I know, I know," Sally murmured. "But we have to go. Now."

Anna sniffed and looked at her mother, eyes glowing.

"Will we die if we stay? Is it a Bane?"

Sally suppressed her shock. How could she know?

And answered simply, "Yes."

***

Well, I'm out of the blocks with this one, the first of L.C. Schäfer's prompts. One down, 365 to go! Having got the first one completed, I feel good with the start made but I don't know how long I will be able to sustain this. Let's hope momentum keeps me going, if not fresh.

I quite like the characters in this one and may return to them with one of the other prompts, if that's where this process takes me.

For the list of prompts that L.C. has provided for January to get you moving, if you want to partake, go to the link below. It also provides links to everybody else who has joined in the challenge:

Thanks for stopping by. If you've read this story, please do leave a comment as I love to interact with my readers.

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