Ella held onto a wet Bible. Rain poured onto a glass covering above her, and the sidewalk grew damp. In this small bus stop, she held onto the old book. She'd stumbled upon it on her way, sitting beneath an oak tree. While Ella was not a believer herself, she thought that the book shouldn't be left to rot away.
"Hey!"
The voice shook Ella from her stupor. A ragged homeless man waved to her, his coat dripping with moisture. The young woman looked around for anyone else, but there was no one around. It was only her beneath this stop, and that thought terrified her.
"Hey," the man's voice said, this time within a ruler's distance. "Where did you get that Bible?"
Ella blinked several times before pushing the book towards him. "I found it beneath a tree in the park. Is it yours?"
The ragged man nodded and took the outstretched Bible. "Relax, I ain't gonna do anything to you. Take care going home in this rain." The man tucked the book beneath his worn out coat and started walking away.
It was only when he was finally out of sight that a bus rounded the corner and pulled up. The small bus's glass door was pushed open by the driver. "Are you taking the bus, ma'am?"
Ella shook her head. "I am just waiting for the rain to stop."
A few minutes after the bus drove off, the rain finally came to an end. The clouds departed, and dim sunshine shone onto the wet ground. Ella breathed a deep sigh and started walking towards her apartment. She'd already started feeling drained, so there was only one stop she could make on the way.
Ella smiled when she reached the convenience store. The signature bells played when she walked inside, and an Indian man behind the counter gave her a warm, friendly grin.
"Are you here for more energy drinks?" He asked.
The young woman chuckled awkwardly and walked to the back of the store where she saw them. How many would she get tonight? Well, I am pretty tired. Maybe two of them will be fine?
A buy two, get one free deal sticker caught her eye. Luckily for her, it was a popular brand that she liked. Thank you, yellow sticker.
She grabbed three of them, feeling the nearly freezing cans against her arm. It was part of the experience when buying energy drinks from the store. It was like the energizing ritual before the caffeine came. She walked back to the register and put them on the counter.
The man smiled wryly, but he didn't make a comment about Ella's habits. He scanned them. "That will be six dollars even. Would you like anything else?"
"No, thank you."
"Alright, a bag?"
"Yes, please."
She walked out of the store, hearing the same jingle on the way out. Ella started her walk home, wondering what she would do in her game of choice on that day. She'd only recently started playing Script Fantasy, but she quickly became an addict, sinking her free afternoon hours into it.
Her character was already approaching level 90, and the game hadn't been out very long. If she was honest with herself, there were several problems with Script Fantasy. There were bugs and problems with the game's overall structure, yet Ella admired how much time the devs spent on creativity. One could do a lot with character customization and classes. She'd already ended up with three fun classes in her short time of playing.
Ella walked up her apartment steps and entered her bleak and small palace. The room was mostly empty and dark, but at least, she had her gaming PC. She looked at the white frame and placed her bag of energy drinks next to her monitor. Everything had a white finish, except for when she powered them on. She pressed the button on her computer, and everything came to life.
Pink flashed across her keyboard, mouse, and inside of the computer case fans. As soon as the display of her monitor came to life, Ella cracked her knuckles and placed her phone on the other side of the desk.
Ella thought about her encounter with the homeless man while the game loaded on her desktop. Life is one cruel mistress.
She started drinking her energy drink and the slightly sweet and bubbly taste washed away her worries. Though, before she could even click play, her phone started buzzing. It was like a stone settling on her chest and pressing down. She didn't even need to look, but a single glance was enough to tell her the caller.
Mom.
Ella let it finish ringing before a message popped up on her screen. Please call me back. I miss you very much.
The young woman's heart ached. It wasn't like she didn't feel the same way, but feelings were complicated. No matter how many times she reached for the phone to answer it, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Ella took several steadying breaths to reel herself back in, and she turned her phone over. The argument with her mother was fresh in her mind as the day Ella had left. Living this kind of life where she hurt people or people hurt her was too painful.
After clicking play, she could see her character on the screen. If I could travel to another world, then maybe I could be someone else. Someone better.
///
It was when Ella wished those two cat girls a farewell that all of these memories came to her mind. She waved them goodbye.
"Mistress, I had thought you were taking them into your energy drink kingdom?"
"No, they already have their own lives to live. It seems that mother already found someone she loves. They only wanted to wish me a proper farewell." Elanore kept an eye on the mother and her child, watching with a magic floating eye of her own.
Though, the vision of her eye had become slightly clouded, tears toying at the edge. She'd once been like Taliyana. A girl that could hold her mother's hand and walk with her. A little one that had to be protected from the cruelties of the harsh world.
"Mistress?"
Ella took a deep breath and sat down on a nearby tree stump. "I know I should be really happy right now, but watching this has been weighing me down."
Naela sat next to the vampire and wrapped an arm around Elanore. "I don't know how much help it would be, mistress. However, you can always open up about your worries to me. I know how clumsy you are with your feelings. You may have mastered many forms of magic, but you have not done the same with emotions."
"I don't know where to start. It's a long story, and I did things that I'm not proud of. I acted like a brat."
"I don't care, mistress. That will not make me think any less of you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, after all, I am deeply in love with you and listening to you is the least I could do. I promise, mistress, no matter what I hear, I will not be disillusioned. So just spit it all out."