Lia Summarell, District Thirteen (Finished)

Lia Summarell, District Thirteen (Finished) Aug 15, 2011 22:22:41 GMT -5

Post by Stare on Aug 15, 2011 22:22:41 GMT -5

. Lia . Veronica . Summarell .

"There is a reason why flowers aren't made of stone."

She smiles, she wanders, too kind to care.
Always forgiving, always fair.
With eyes so blue and full of light,
And hair so pale it's almost white.
But in her heart, you'll find a tear.
A kind of pain that's hard to bear.
For what happened one sad night,
Stole her joy, stole her might.
And see, her mind is never there.
Her empty pain is everywhere.
Still, she knows what is right.
Come, bow to the queen in white.

... Basic Information ...
"Can you paint the sunset green?"

Her parents aren't sure of her exact date of birth- they think that it might be sometime in March. They are positive that she was born during the year of the 40th Hunger Games, making her eighteen years old. They finally decided on having her birthday be March 22nd, although they know that probably isn't the correct day. Her parents were from District Ten, but managed to escape just a few days before little Lia was born. Her family now lives in District Thirteen. Lia is an only child, to the great disappointment of their fellow citizens- after all, they need as many people as they can get to live in the underground district. Her parents are both very hard workers, though they are not very well liked by the other District Thirteen citizens.

... Appearance ...
"Does it really matter? I don't think it matters."

There aren't many mirrors in District Thirteen, but Lia knows where one is. When she finds it especially difficult to think clearly, she often drifts back to her room that she shares with her parents. In the depths of one of the four drawers in the old dresser on one of the walls of the room is a small hand held mirror. It has a large crack that runs through it and splits about halfway through, distorting the faces it reflects ever so slightly, but Lia doesn't care. She's spent many late afternoons gazing at herself while sitting on top of the worn homemade quilt on her uncomfortably stiff bed, trying to sort through her thoughts. It's oddly hard, though, for Lia to really match up the person in the mirror with herself- her outer appearance is so different than her inner that they can possibly connected... right?

White is a color that can be interpreted many different ways- and artist sees it as a blank page or canvas, ready to be turned into something beautiful. Dreamers see it as something that is already full, holding all of the colors in the world in it's reflection. When Lia gazes into her mirror, all she sees is white. A pale face and hair, white clothes... the only darker areas are her eyes. That's how she describes all things- dark or light. Lia definitely thinks she falls under the light category.

The oblong face that stares back at Lia is actually a bit pretty, with extremely pale skin (how is she supposed to get tan, living in world without sun?) that has slight acne high up where her forehead, mostly hidden by her hair. Her eyebrows are smooth and a bit thick, curving nicely but set a bit low. Her forehead is rather long when compared to the rest of her face. Her face gently curves into a not very pointed chin. Her cheekbones aren't very prominent, and her jawline is gently curved, giving her face an almost childish shape.

Her eyes are actually a bit small, and long. People tell her that they are a beautiful shade of blue, darker than normal. They say the hue is a beautiful one; a very unique color. Wasted on me, she always thinks as she walks away from them. They don't seem to understand that it wouldn't matter if her eyes were blue or green or red- she'd still have absolutely no idea what they were talking about. All she knows is that her eyes are pretty, surrounded by dark lashes, but they always look distant, focusing on the especially interesting bit of nothing that hangs in the air a few feet away from her face.

Her nose is short and a bit too wide, in her opinion. Her nostrils flare out slightly at the end. Below it, her lips are plumped, sometimes drawing into a small, slightly cautious smile, but mostly is is just a straight, emotionless line, because she is too distracted to really show any emotion. When something strikes her as really funny, or a moment seems joyful enough, she'll really smile, showing off beautiful white teeth. The front two are slightly crooked, but it's hardly noticeable. When she smile that way, her entire face transforms, going from slightly pretty to absolutely beautiful. Her eyes light up with joy so clear in them, and if one is lucky, they might even get her to laugh her musical laugh. But the moment is always gone before it can be properly grasped, and she sinks back into her old emotionless, distant self.

Lia's hair is a long mess of waves and curls, the locks on her left swooping down to almost meet her eye before falling in curls the reach to almost the middle of her back. They tell her that the color is a nice shade of pale blond that goes well with her skin. Since her hair isn't the most important thing to Lia, she often forgets to brush it in the morning. The result is a tangled, frizzy mess that her mother is constantly complaining about and brushing just in time for lunch. Lia hates the bright pink plastic comb that her mother brought back from District Ten- it rips at her hair and hurts when the sharp points scrape against her scalp. However, she puts up with it for her mother and because it makes her feel like a little girl again.

Her rather angular shoulders are almost always slumped down in a very relaxed position. Lia has the most peculiar way of walking, with her arms raised up, elbows bent, so that her hands dangle almost completely limp at about shoulder height. Her fingers are long, with ten perfect oval shaped nails. Lia has heard of nail polish, and thinks the idea is absolutely ridiculous. After all, who would want color on their nails? Why does one need more color than they already have? Hers remain neat, clear, and smooth. The idea of biting them has always disgusted her. She holds her hands, with fingers bent at that certain angle, that makes her look like she thinks she's extremely important.

Lia, like almost everyone in District Thirteen, is thin, though not quite starved. She knows some people who can easily count their own ribs, and thankfully, Lia cannot (whether it's due to not being as hungry as others or just her getting distracted while counting, no one is really certain). She does have curves, though they are not quite as noticeable as some other women who she has seen. The teenager's legs are long and strong due to walking around everywhere she wants to go. Her feet are rather large, and that coupled with the fact that she rarely watches where she's going causes her to trip and fall more often than one should. Her full height is 5'11", standing a good few inches taller than her mother but still not as tall as her father.

Lia's clothes are mostly black and white, because those are her two favorite colors. When she does where other hues, they almost never match. During the colder months of the year, her clothes become wilder- she'll have accidentally pulled a sock over her hand instead of a glove, or she tied her scarf around her forehead instead of her neck. Even in the middle of the winter she wears shorts, most of which with uneven legs because they were jeans that she cut shorter. Sometimes even her shoes fail to match each other. When she does wear jewelry (which is extremely rare) it is long, dangly, and jingles musically. The rather small ears on either side of her head remain unpierced. Her face is almost always clear of make up, but then again, where would she find lip stick in a place as dull as District Thirteen?

... Personality ...
"Simplicity is the key to an easy life."

If such a thing as normal existed, Lia would be the exact opposite of it. The way she dresses should be one hint toward that- after all, very, very few people in District Thirteen wear socks on their hands, mismatching shoes, or a scarf around their head. At first glance, Lia looks like a very confused girl. Maybe that would be a correct description, because there's no way that she can see the future, as she claims... right? Most District Thirteen citizens think so- she just wants attention. Others aren't so sure, for when she talks about these "visions", she seems so convinced and can describe them vividly. Of course, close to no one believes that she actually sees the future. Some just think that she's insane, and has hallucinations. Others say that she has a very active imagination. Others still say that these visions are perhaps only dreams.

Whatever they are, they're real to Lia. She's been talking about them ever since she was five years old- at first, when she couldn't really figure out how to put what she saw into words, she told people that she was "living backwards". This, of course, confused them even more, and people do not like being confused. Therefor, they dismissed what Lia saw as the silly imagination of a little girl, even when she grew older and still claimed to be able to see things others could not. The visions she does tell people about are so common that they are bound to happen- she sees her mother stumbling as she walks into their room, or perhaps she sees someone (the face of this person conveniently concealed) drop their tray at lunch. The ones that scare her she refuses to share with others, making people even more skeptical about her visions.

And it doesn't help that Lia is probably the most absent minded, distant person in all of District Thirteen. She never can focus- her mind is constantly drifting to another thought before she can even grasp the first one. She tends to get distracted easily, as well. One minute, she'll be eating, and the next she'll be trying to count how many stains there are on the table she's sitting at. Of course, when she thinks something is important enough (nothing is) she'll be able to stop her mind from wandering, but she absolutely loves to think. Just, about anything. The old mirror in her room or the sky she rarely sees or the disgusting food she just ate.

Thoughtfulness isn't exactly an advantage in Lia's case, however. In her distraction, she often makes mistakes, such as wearing socks on her hands or calling a girl in the corner of the room Bob or going on about something for about five minutes before realizing she's talking to a plant. Her mind can wander off in the middle of a conversation, where she'll suddenly and unexpectedly change the topic. She's also extremely forgetful- just as she forgets to brush her hair, she rarely remembers to do a job she's been given. The schedules, of course, help her immensely, but if a task is not printed on her arm, one should not expect it to be done.

Also, despite how much time she spends lost in thought, Lia is not the brightest girl. It's hard for her to grasp the obvious, and catch on to certain things. Her grammar and spelling are both absolutely horrible, her math could definitely be better, and she forgets anything people try to teach her in order to help. According to District Thirteen, this girl is good at nothing- they are, of course, wrong. Lia's drawings are absolutely beautiful- she says she draws pictures of the deepest, most real parts of her imagination. From what she draws, her imagination must be a beautiful place.

However good of a drawer she is, though, Lia will never be able to accomplish her true dream of being a painter. People tell her that this is a ridiculous dream- there is no need for art, for one thing, and of course, paint is quite rare and expensive in the underground district. They don't realize that these things wouldn't stop Lia- she'd earn the money and paint, whether it was needed or not. The real thing that prevents Lia from painting is that to paint, she has to be able to tell the difference between purple and green, or blue and orange, or red and yellow. And, sadly, Lia cannot.

The medical experts of District Thirteen say that what Lia has is extremely rare. Color blindness is quite unusual in the female population (in comparison to the male), and total color blindness, where Lia cannot detect color at all but only different shades of gray... well, it is almost nonexistent. Lia has never been one to flaunt this fact like it's something to be proud of. In fact, she's rather indifferent on not being able to see colors. "You can't miss what you've never had," she'll say when people ask her about it. Few people that don't know her realize she's color blind- most people find out through gradual realization. Lia doesn't think that her vision makes that big of a difference. After all, it doesn't limit her abilities as much as being blind would. She's never been ashamed in being different. It's never ruined her dreamy, head in the clouds attitude. In fact, most of the time she's really quite unaware that there's something different about the way she sees.

What does annoy her, however, is when people try to tell her what color something is. If they point to the table or the wall and try to tell her that something is yellow or green or red. Most of the time, she'll try to pretend to care, and then politely tell them that she honestly has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. When people try to tell her what colors look like, or which ones she would love, or which would be her favorite, Lia quietly responds that she already has a favorite color- white.

Lia is one of those people who is simply too nice. She forgives far too easily, will trust just about anyone, and cannot bring herself to say anything mean about anyone. She literally will not hurt a fly- she says life is life, no matter how small or large. She always finds away to make someone feel sorry for anyone, no matter how cruel or mean or disgusting they are. In some ways, it's a very good trait- it makes Lia hard to hate, and getting into a fight with her is almost impossible. At the same time, it makes her blind to insults and unwilling to stand up for herself.

Not that she can't stand up for herself- in fact, her self confidence is something to be admired. The way Lia holds her head high in that proud sort of way shows that she believes that she deserves the same amount of respect as anyone else. She has never been ashamed of being different. Even when people insult her or make fun of her, she takes it in a way that shows a maturity that one would not think someone like Lia could possess. Some people find it frustrating, how hard it is to reach her actual emotions- so much of her is that bright smile and those distant eyes. But when the insults come, she is lucky because her other feelings are locked deep inside where they can never find them and instead all they hit is a kind of distant happiness and then some kind of emotion that is cold but not at the same time.

While writing and math may not be Lia's greatest strengths, she finds that she is always able to focus when reading. She's never been a huge fan of books about serious things, but rather likes to be taken away to mystical, exotic, far away places. She loves to tell stories, too, to whoever will listen, though they are often very odd and don't seem to really make sense. In her opinion, stories are like dreams- they can be unusual, and will be interpreted differently. While Lia loves her stories, others seem to only think of them as more of her odd fantasies. Some, though, like younger children, will come sit next to her during meals and ask for stories, and Lia will always give them a kind smile and begin. Though it's slightly annoying when she stumbles upon descriptions (colors are so often used, it's hard for her), she always find it enjoyable to be taken away from the dull, dusty place she lives in.

Though she knows she should be grateful that she is where she is, Lia has never really liked her home. She says that it's too dusty and dull and that the people are far too serious. It's almost exactly the same routine for her every day, and she breaks that normalcy by doing something odd and different every time she has a small break. Exploring the underground district for anything truly interesting. Lia's sense of direction is truly amazing, for she has never once gotten lost, even when she finds herself in an unknown area. She's always been extremely curious, searching different places for hidden treasures.

Lia discovered her love of music at a young age. Her mother loved to sing her lullabies to help her sleep, and Lia loved her mother's voice, which was clear and beautiful. She carried to District Thirteen songs from her old home. Lia will often hum the beautiful tunes while she works, and sometimes sing in a voice that is almost as ethereal as her mother's. She sees music as a glimpse of beauty in the dull world she lives in.

Although Lia isn't book smart, and her abilities to catching on to something are very weak, she can be wise. Her wisdom, however, is hard to understand. The one thing she says to a person who most often has a problem is, "Can you reach up and grab the moon? I'd love to grab the moon, you know, but it's sort of a hard thing to do." While, to another person, this sounds like nonsense, in Lia's mind it is something that could really help anyone who is willing to understand. What she means is that it's no use trying to do something impossible- a person can reach up as high as they can, but no matter how bad they want it, they will never be able to grab the moon.

Lia isn't all sunshine and cluelessness, though. Deep inside of her, if one were to search hard enough, there is a dark sorrow that consumes her. A break in her heart, giving off a numbness that spreads through her entire body every time she tries to feel. Something important was taken from Lia, and only her parents really understand why she has reacted the way she did. She had a strong connection, and that connection was broken, cut off by something beyond Lia's control. A constant feeling of regret that knaws on the parts of Lia's heart that she finds she cannot numb or freeze or turn to stone. And it still hurts, even after five long years.

For Lia, it will always hurt.

... History ...
"I keep telling myself I have nothing to hide."

Edward Summarell did not realize he was falling in love until it was too late. He came from a very rich family that had high expectations for their eldest and only son- he was to carry on the family name, after all. Edward was eighteen, and it was his last year in school, when she came. Amelia had gone to school with Edward when they were younger, and they had been best friends. But when Amelia's family started losing money, they were forced to pull her out of school so she could work more and they could keep up with the bills. Amelia was home schooled at night and worked hard during the day, and eventually her family hit a bit of luck, earning a small fortune- enough to send Amelia back for her last year of school. Things were awkward between Edward and Amelia, since they had both changed so much since those summer days when they played pretend out in the sunshine, with Edward playing the knight and Amelia the beautiful princess he was to save. It didn't take long for Edward to fall for Amelia, and they began to date.

When Edward's parents found out, they weren't very happy. They forced Edward to end the relationship, and it was four long years before they decided they would start meeting in secret, beyond the fence that caged them inside. Edward left his family, eventually, and married Amelia, and soon Amelia discovered she was to have a baby. Everything seemed perfect... until Edward's family, betrayed and desperate for revenge, told the Keepers that Edward and Amelia had been going outside the district limits. They would surely be taken away, and there seemed to be only one option left- escape the district.

It was a dangerous plan, for the baby was to come any day, but they had no other choice- they left right away, with the impossible dream of reaching District Thirteen, which was rumored to still be alive and well. The weather was wet and cold, though, and things started going wrong fast. They lost their food early on, and some of their clothes were accidentally dropped in a river. Three days into the journey, though, the worst possible thing happened.

Lia was born.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Edward's mother had helped deliver babies before, they both could have died. With a newborn baby, they knew they needed a miracle... and a miracle came. A wanderer, by the name of Alana, happened to be on her way to District Thirteen, and ran into the hopeless trio. She had food, clothes, and knew exactly how to get to the hidden district- she saved Lia's life. When they finally arrived, the district welcomed them with open arms. Alana did not stay, however. She said she was meant to wanderer, and left that night, promising to return occasionally to visit.

Lia's parents were nervous. Both were completely color blind (one of the reasons they got along with each other so well). They wanted so badly for Lia to just live a completely normal life, and so they hoped that perhaps, by some miracle, she would be able to see color, unlike her parents. However, their hearts sunk when they realized that Lia was struggling with colors during her very early years of childhood. They did their best to hide this fact, but the rest of the district soon realized, and Lia was taken to a doctor.

Lia sat on her mother's lap in the big white room, her four year old face expressionless as she gazed back at the doctor who was very nice to her. The doctor offered to play a game, and Lia, loving games, accepted. The doctor had five different pieces of paper. He put a red one in front of Lia, and asked her to tell him what color it was. Lia had frowned, and then, very cautiously, said, "Green?" The doctor glanced at Lia's mother, who remained stiff in the seat, watching her daughter. The doctor put a blue piece of paper in front of Lia. "Red?" The doctor shook his head. Out of all the sheets of paper he set out, Lia guessed them all wrong. The doctor took out three more pieces of paper. "What color is this one, sweetie?" His voice had been kind, but he was watching Lia with intense eyes. "White!" said Lia with absolute certainty. "I like white." The doctor nodded, and then put out another piece. "What about this one?" Lia studied it for a moment, and then looked at the doctor. "...Pink?" The doctor shook his head. "This is gray," he corrected her, before putting out the last sheet of paper. "How about this one?" "Black," said Lia, barely glancing at it. "I like black, too." The doctor nodded, and then glanced back up at Lia's mother. "I think we both know what the problem is, Amelia, and seeing as you won't say it, I will." Lia's mother pressed her lips tightly together and remained silent. "Your daughter is colorblind."

The only person who treated her the same after that was Alana. True to her word, she continued to visit the Summarell family, though she spent more time with Lia than anyone else. While not many knew Alana enough to really like her, everyone respected her. Alana had a calm, strong, serious attitude that made other people feel smaller and weaker. Her answers were always very simple and few worded, if she felt she had to answer at all, and then they always stayed what they were because she was stubborn and her opinions were always final. She often told Lia stories of the world out side her all too safe home. Mostly, Lia learned about the woods and the animals, and just the beautiful life in general. It was obvious, even to the five year old girl, that Alana did not like District Thirteen. She acted like a caged animal every time she came; when she wasn't pacing the room, she was gazing off into space in a kind of sad way. She was always complaining about all the dust and dirt that hung in the air, wrinkling her nose every time she took a deep breath. Once, she told Lia that whenever she was in the underground district she felt like a bird that wasn't allowed to fly.

Throughout her childhood, Alana was Lia's best friend. At five years old, Lia was struggling in her first year of school. She just wasn't smart enough, and the other kids made fun of her because of it. They called her stupid and weird, and told her that maybe she couldn't see colors because she wasn't smart enough. These comments hurt Lia, and she became the laughing stock of the class. She was hurt by these comments and often came home crying. Alana's visits were rays of sunshine in Lia's dusty, sad, dark life. Alana always listened to Lia's problems. "Lia, you're a beautiful, talented girl," she would say. "I don't want you to ever forget that. If you have tried as hard as you can and still can't achieve something, than it must not be a very important thing. Spend more time mastering your strengths than failing at your weaknesses, and you'll find life is a lot happier. And as for the kids that make fun of you... well, Lia, if they think you're dumb, then they're the stupid ones."

Lia's attitude changed after that. She became proud, ignoring insults directed her way and responding with a cold kind of kindness that made it impossible to really hurt her. Some of Alana's traits started to mix in with Lia's own, and it changed the young girl for the better. Lia told Alana everything- her impossible dream of becoming a painter, and her horrible fear of spiders. So, of course, Alana was the first to find out about Lia's visions.

Alana was staring into space, obviously thinking about the world that she would have to return to soon. Lia sat silently on the end of her bed, tracing the patterns on her quilt with her finger. Her eyes were unfocused, her mind obviously somewhere else. "Alana?" she asked quietly, in a kind of dreamy voice that alerted the young woman on the other side of the room that Lia hadn't quite exited her fantasy yet. "Hm?" asked Alana, still daydreaming. Lia remained silent for a moment, absorbed in the way the soft fabric of her quilt felt when she swirled her finger around. "I see things, you know. I'll be sitting here, but I'll see someplace else," said the young girl, unsure of how exactly to describe her visions. "Is that normal?" The wanderer didn't even blink. "No, that's not normal, Lia. Tell me about the next time you have one, okay?" The six year old nodded, and silence returned to the room.

Of course, the visions kept coming. Lia told Alana about each one in detail. "Maybe they're memories," Alana had suggested on day when Lia was seven. Still, Alana remained the only one who knew of these mysterious visions. Lia had frowned. "I don't think so... Alana, I think I'm seeing the future." Alana's face had remained expressionless, and she nodded and then began to tell Lia about what autumn smelled like. Later that day she pulled Edward and Amelia aside and quietly told them. Edward didn't want to believe it. He kept on telling Alana again and again that his daughter was not insane, and Alana would calmly respond that she didn't think Lia was insane. Amelia remained silent, watching Alana with wide eyes but saying nothing.

They tried so hard. Amelia and Edward did not want to believe Alana, even though Alana never lied about Lia. Never. They tried to pretend otherwise, but once they had been told, it became very obvious that something was different about their daughter. She would freeze in the middle of the hallway and stare off into space, or be tying her shoe and suddenly become very stiff and pale. Eventually, her parents just had to admit what they knew all along- whatever was happening, Lia and Alana were not lying. These visions were very real to Lia.

They couldn't keep the secret for long. People quickly started asking what was wrong with Lia, and Lia would answer, quite seriously, that she could see the future. "She's insane," they would whisper, and perhaps they were right. Perhaps Lia is insane. But Alana would always stop these rumors with a deadly glare as she followed Lia around, daring anyone to make fun of the young girl.

Alana's protection only made a difference when she could be there, though. For the next for years, Lia tried so hard to keep her head held high while people called her insane, and dumb, and strange. They told her she should stop thinking about nonexistant places and focus on where she was in the moment. Lia tried not to listen, but often her parents would come back to their room and find the poor girl crying into her pillow. When Alana came, everything was okay. Lia was happy. But Alana could only stay for so long, and all too quickly she was gone again.

That changed, however, when Lia turned thirteen. Alana showed up and greeted Lia the usual way- with a polite nod and a secret smile when she turned away to greet Edward and Amelia. However, the normalcy stopped there. She stood in the center of the room and faced the family, a dead serious expression on her face. "When I saved Lia, I desperately hoped I would not have to ask you to pay me back. However, here I am, in front of you, asking the largest favor I can think of." She had paused there, waiting for someone to say something. No one did. "The Peacekeepers have discovered me. If they manage to catch me, I will be either avoxed, or..." she had trailed off, looking at Lia with a soft expression. "I must ask to live with you, for I have nowhere else to go, nowhere else to hide. I have betrayed too many people and allied too few, and now I find that you may be the only ones willing to help me. Please."

Of course, they took her in. And for a month, Lia was happy. She had her best friend around all the time, and while Alana couldn't go to class with Lia, she was always there otherwise. People stopped calling Lia insane, and stopped treating her like some stupid girl. Lia's parents couldn't believe it- Lia didn't cry anymore. Whenever they returned to the room, she was talking with Alana. Things were going perfectly... but perfect is a misleading thing, and it never lasts.

"Lia. Lia, wake up." The lights were still out as Lia's world slowly came into focus. She recognized Alana's wide eyes staring down at her, and to her surprise, she saw tears there. The wanderer was wearing a long black cloak, and had the hood of it pulled up, hiding her long, curly dark hair. Lia didn't smile, as she usually did when she saw Alana. Instead, she stiffened. "What is it, Alana?" The wanderer shook her head, glancing over at Lia's parents, still sleeping. "Come with me, Lia. Please. You... you have to know." Lia didn't want to know. But she came along anyway, out into the dark hall, staring at her best friend with wide eyes. "Lia, I hope you know that to me, you have always been like a daughter, a sister, and a best friend. There is no one in the world that I care about more, and I love seeing you." Alana looked around, shaking her head slightly. "But I hate being here. Lia, I feel trapped. Locked up. I need my home, up, where the trees are green and the grass is soft. I'm so sorry, Lia, but I can't stay here."

Lia had stared at Alana in disbelief. Then, very quietly, she whispered, "I know." And she did know. She knew that Alana did not belong underground- that she was born to wander free in the world above, a world that Lia would never belong to. "But... but you can't go back, Alana. You can't. I'll miss you, and the Keepers will find you. They'll avox you. Please, Alana, don't go." Tears began to silently slip down Lia's cheeks, and her throat suddenly hurt very much.

"Hush now, Lia. Don't cry. Please, nothing breaks me more than seeing you cry. Lia, we both know this is for the best. We both know I don't belong here." Alana reached out and brushed away Lia's tears, staying down so that their faces were on the same level. Lia stared into Alana's dark eyes, and then shook her head. "You won't come back," she whispered.

Alana smiled sadly. "Lia, don't talk like that. Of course I'll come back." But Lia continued to shake her head, the certainty clear in her eyes. Alana reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder. "I promise, Lia. I promise I'll come back." Alana never broke her promises. Never. So Lia nodded, tears once again pooling in her eyes. "I don't want you to leave, though. I... I don't want to be here alone."

"Oh, come on, now," said Alana. "I'll be back. And you'll never be alone, Lia- you will find friends who will protect you, and you'll find them hiding in the strangest places." With that, Alana stood, gazing down at Lia sadly. A tears slipped down her face. "Be safe, Alana," Lia whispered.

"I will," replied Alana. She turned to leave, but then stopped, looking over her shoulder. "I will miss you more than you will ever know, Lia. More than you will ever know."

And then she was gone.

No one bothered to go search for Alana. All but Lia had gradually realized that the wanderer would leave eventually, and it wasn't a huge loss to anyone, really. Except for Lia. After that, she became extremely absent minded. She didn't act sad, but more... shocked. Distant. The doctors assured her parents it would wear off. But it didn't. In fact, over the year after Alana left, it got worse. Lia grades got even worse in school. Even the insults could get to her- when her parents came up to their room, they would find Lia staring into the old cracked mirror. Little did they know that Lia, so far away from everyone else, was silently waiting.

The wanderer did not keep her promise.

Lia was never the same after that. No one could really reach her enough to comunicate with her. The only things that mattered to Lia anymore were art and her visions- she put no effort into school or making new friendships. For years, she remained distant and odd, drifting through life in a way that was most terrifying to her parents. While Lia still loved her parents, she no longer felt a real connection to them. She didn't want her parents to give her advice. That was Alana's job. She didn't want her parents to try and comfort her. Alana was supposed to do that. When Edward and Amelia tried to act like parents for Lia, it just felt... not right. She missed Alana.

She still misses Alana.