Five Years Later773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13vNchJVP7
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Ember laid on the cement ground of the patio of their current apartment. Her pale skin was red from the heat and beads of sweat dripped down her face, back, and between her breasts. Inside wasn’t any better. The lack of AC in the old room made the place feel like an oven. At least outside there was the occasional heavenly breeze that blew by.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfFAhVPmSs
She let her eyes close for a minute, trying to enjoy the peace of being outdoors however after a moment, she sighed and gave up. There was no overwhelming sense of security or safety or connection to the earth. Just hard, scratchy concrete under her back and the sweltering sun beating down and burning her skin.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqhJVadd9N
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An unfortunate butterfly who had yet to make his trek north flew into the teenagers line of sight. Lazily, Ember lifted a hand and sought out the butterfly’s life force. It was small and so more difficult to get a grasp on than humans were, but once she had it , it was much easier to control than people's were. However, she was determined to be delicate right now. She didn’t want to kill the creature, just play a bit. 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ARzNnFSsG
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Using small movements, barely flicking her fingers, she commanded the butterfly’s body. It took self control to not kill something so fragile, but after practice, Ember had managed to master it. She watched as the butterfly stiffened up under her powers and Ember began to ever so slightly move her hand. Tiny flicks of muscle, almost unnoticeable to the untrained eye, and began to move the butterfly's wings and body. Up, down, up, down, she chanted to herself to keep the rhythm of its wings steady. The motions were stiff, unsynchronized, and stilted, yet were beautiful in Ember’s eyes. She was the one flying it. She was the puppetmaster. This delicate thing had no chance in hell to resist Ember’s will. For all it knew, she was god. Hell, she was its god for all intents and purposes. 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxA2xNWVeG
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“November!”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXOu4KcZ8y
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Ember jumped at the voice of her mother, the hand that was holding onto the butterflies life force clenching tightly and cutting it off. It fell from the air, landing inches from her face. Oops. Oh, well. Ember stood up and brushed off her pants. It was just a butterfly.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcklNeiZvPV
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“Momma, could you please not call me November?” Ember frowned as she walked inside the room and saw her mother sitting on the couch as the TV blared some crime drama.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsjmmbh1TX
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“Quit whining. You’re name is and will always be November. Not whatever the hell it is you like to call yourself. Now, get over here please.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAKdgy5PV5
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Ember sighed and rolled her eyes. She’d been having this argument with her mother from the second she could speak, but it never amounted to anything. She drug her feet over to the couch, pouting. “Just cause I was born in November you were too fucking lazy to think of anything besides the current month doesn’t mean I should get stuck with such a godawful name.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN64Cprb2Jz
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“Girl, you say one more word to me about your fucking name I’ll give you something to whine about.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLbZIg40re
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Ember rolled her eyes. “Fuck, is someone PMSing today?”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHmmvk24eO
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“You shouldn’t talk to your mother that way.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5zsCxTHuw
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Ember simply shrugged and plopped down on the couch.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiTruvqfOs
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“I’m serious.” The middle aged redhead gave Ember a chilling look, but Ember ignored it. She was never good at reading clues and knowing when to just let bygones be bygones.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44Z8f2y0DY
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“Hmm, I’ll be more respectful when I see a reason to be.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3T3gfdzv02
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Joan moved in a flash of speed and agility, grabbing her child and pinning her to the couch, lowering her own face until it was just centimeters from her daughter’s. Her hands clasped down against Ember’s shoulder until Ember could feel the bones starting to grind painfully against each other. “You don’t know when to fucking shut up, do you? I let you get away with a lot, but I’m fucking sick your holier-than-thou attitude, understood?”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhgrQFwXhU
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Ember’s green eyes were wide as she shakily nodded. Her mouth often got her into trouble and her mother’s volatile temper was impossible to predict. She thought she was safe mouthing off a bit, but she was wrong apparently. Most people would learn to shut up after a while, and Ember often wished she would remember that. Yet, funnily enough, the thought of ever using her power on her mother never crossed her mind. She loved Joan and had nowhere else to be. “Yes, momma.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxl9iAbREV5
A grin spread across her mother’s pretty face and all the anger seemed to be gone, as the “loving” side of Joan reappeared. She patted her daughter’s cheek a couple times, before sitting up as though nothing had happened and Ember tried to do the same.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUibpBjCFw
“So, what’d ya call me in for?”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMAA2RxnI0
“Oh, yeah. I’m gonna start dinner and you need to help.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NKY698EUf
Ember sighed as she rose to help her ever changing mother with chores.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKdIPejapi
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The closest thing to “family bonding” the occurred in the Blair household was sitting on the couch with the TV on while Ember tried to draw. However, she had trouble tuning out the news cast her mother had on tonight that seemed to be more focused on scaring it’s viewers than actually giving out any real news.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21KhHlw7p1
“Another victim of the ‘Man-Eater’ has allegedly been reported today.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKtYpL916C
Ember snickered and shook her head at the stupid reporter reading the teleprompter. Man-Eater. What a ridiculously hilarious name. But, someone somewhere had decided that because she and her mother killed men, man-eater was a clever nickname.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOIQJ7Oh9r
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“Thirty-two year old Dominque Parcell was found dead in his home. The police cannot find a cause of death although they are still searching. This is the third strike in the Dallas area in the past month and men are advised to up security in their homes. If you know anything about the killings, we urge you to call the hotline—”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9l1SQLfQe
Ember tuned the reporter out. She’d heard it all before and it was always the same pattern. Got boring after awhile, however, she glanced at Joan to see the familiar look of excitement she got from being recognized but never caught.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihuqBRU1rZ
“Well, Novey sweetie,” Joan said, patting Ember’s leg and standing once the report was over, “guess we’ll be moving on soon.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqueiJBBq3
Ember sighed and looked at her half finished picture, before crumpling it up. “Guess so.”773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4zoqcrLRX
