VACANT novel Chapter 1

"My children, my children, they're the only ones I have left," In her dreams, she hears the man's pleas.

The ringing from outside entices her away from her loom, from the dark caves of her creature's comfort. Through where she sat on the window bench, the light from the curtains brought in a lovely dew that rested on her cheek.

She always found isolation at the window bench; it made her feel warm, and it was the only constant comfort she could count on. Even when she didn't have a reason to get up, fighting to find inspiration, it always made her morning, but it shouldn't stop her from living, right?

She hums to herself, "Right."

The aroma of her mother's broken scent is brought to her attention by the air from the open window, and she resists rolling her eyes as she hears her mother's footsteps approaching her door. She was already looking forward to the upcoming lecture.

‘I warned you about your sleeping habits, and you refused to take your prescription.' Her mother's voice invaded her brain, ‘You know how much you need them.'

The sound of the door opening entices her to start her day in the sunshine. Her mother's boots contrast the sound as she goes across the icy floorboards, her bare feet leaving gentle traces.

"How many times do I have to remind you about your sleeping habits?" Alanis imagines her mother's hands on her hips as she looks over her tidy bed in disgust as if she knows her daughter never slept in it. She reprimands her daughter, "I can't keep reminding you. You're the one who's sick, not me."

Alanis is obnoxiously staring at her closet's contents.

"I mean, do you even care?" Alanis scoffs at the question, allowing it to ring in the air and throughout the universe.

"Of course, I care. It's my body, is it not?" she asks her mother. The older woman glares at her daughter, hearing the sarcasm in her tone.

She doesn't wait for her mother's response because she already knows she'll be lectured again. She realised that her connection with her mother would always be like that of a teacher and a student. She was the student who kept making mistakes and her mother the teacher who scolded her whenever she did something wrong.

As she walks out the door, she is greeted with a gentle breeze, the scent of wet grass, and the sounds of the world around her. She passes her next-door neighbour's house and notices that he is not washing his driveway in the morning sunlight. He was usually chirpy and willing to give her advice and tell her about the late Mrs. Edgar or how she would cite anything when she thought he needed it. It would bring a grin to her face before she said thank you and promised to come back before heading down the trail.

She was concerned because he was a punctual man. She couldn't help but think she was the one who was late because she was trying to get out of the house as quickly as possible today to avoid any more confrontations with her mother. She waited a few minutes for his garage doors to open and see her before smiling and beckoning her over to tell her a good morning, but that didn't happen.

"Absence sharpens love; presence enhances it."

His voice flooded her thoughts; he'd always said it, but it was only now that she realised what he meant.