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Ever since the voices started in her head, Imogen did her best to push them out, keep the noise away. But without her mother, with her father not understanding and pushing her away, it was getting to be too much. How was she supposed to continue living, continue functioning like a normal person when she could barely hear herself think?
“There’s that girl.” “Are those scars getting longer?” “I hope you can hear this you fuckin’ freak of nature.”
They always swarmed her head when she went into town, so she tried not to anymore. Anything to keep her head quiet, to keep the voices away. But even that wasn’t enough. And when the voices become too much, the pain blinds her, she forgets how to control herself and everything goes a bright lavender-white.
“What the hell is she doing?” “Oh my gods, she’s gonna kill us all!” “We gotta run her outta town!”
She wakes up on the couch at home, head pounding and fingers tingling, the very soft hint of ozone still lingering around her. Purple eyes blink open and take in the sight of her living room, the wooden ceiling flickering with shadows from the torches lit on the table.
“You’re awake. Good.”
Imogen hears the voice of her father, sitting up slowly to find him at the table on the other side of the room, a drink in his hand. He looks tired, worn out from working at the stables (and dealing with Imogen). Her eyes linger on his form, but she doesn't seem to care. What's the point in listening to him tell her how disappointed he is in her over and over? Her eyes roll as she stands, arms crossing over her chest.
"We gotta figure somethin' out here, Genny. You almost killed Maddox out there! Not just that, but half the town is ready to run you out with pitchforks and fire."
Imogen can hear the tiredness in his voice, can see the way he is slumped in his chair. But she doesn't care, not anymore. Part of her knows she should be afraid of those feelings, but the other part of her just thinks good. "Let 'em be scared. Let 'em come. I'm tired of runnin'. They wanna take me down, they better be ready to put up a fight."
When she faces her father, she sees the way he recoils from her, the way his eyes widen. She doesn't think he's ever looked at her with love, but he's also never looked at her with fear. Not until now.
"C'mon now, Gen--"
"No! You don't get to act like you love me. You don't get to act like you care. Mama left and I know you wish she took me, wish you weren't stuck with me! But think how much better my life would've been if you gave a damn about me, about your daughter. If either of you cared about me!"
There is red in her vision, lightning scars lighting up a deep red now, no longer the familiar purple hue she knows. She feels her feet lift from the ground, the smell of ozone stronger now as her hair lifts around her head. She hears her name in her father's voice for a final time as energy crackles down her body, hand raising toward him. "Why couldn't you just love me, daddy?" There's a bright flash of red, lightning travelling down her arm and from her fingertips, hitting Relvin straight in the chest. Imogen doesn't hear him scream as her blood pounds in her ears. She just watches his body slump to the floor, smoke rising from the front of his now charred chest.
People are running as they see Imogen drift into the center of the town, lightning scars red and across her whole body, creeping up her neck and jaw. Once purple eyes were the same red, her unknown power from Ruidus pumping through her body. She almost doesn't see what she's doing, too blinded by the hatred and pain she's felt from everyone around her. Her mind is filled with a cacophony of thoughts, people begging and pleading, some praying to their chosen deity. Nothing was stopping her. Power is flowing from her hands, striking people left and right, lifeless bodies falling to the ground. Why should anyone get to be spared? They all caused this.
Screams quiet down until there's nothing left, the town of Gelvaan completely void of any life except for Imogen. She was beginning to calm, feet flat on the ground as she takes in the massacre she created, lips curled into a smirk. No one could ever hurt her again.
As she walks back to her home, she hears it. She thought she got everyone, but this wasn't familiar. It was soft, the sound almost musical in her mind. Imogen walks until it get's louder, until she gets to an abandoned shed not far from Master Faramore's farm. She hears movement inside, things shuffling around. Imogen didn't feel scared, didn't feel worried, In reality, the music made her feel--safe. A scarred hand rests against the wood of the door, red eyes closing. "I can hear you in there. Why don't you come on out?"
The shuffling stops and everything is still, quiet. And then, "I was just leaving. There's no need to get the town together to run me out. I'll be gone before sunset."
It's a voice Imogen doesn't recognize, one she has never heard throw insults her way. It's a voice she wants to hear again and again. "You don't have to worry about that. No one in this town will bother you." Or anyone. But she doesn't say that. "I'm Imogen. I'm not here to hurt you, promise."
There is silence against for a few seconds, the door finally opening away from her. She doesn't startle when she sees the woman, doesn't jump back in fear or disgust. Imogen just smiles.
"Hello, Imogen. I'm Laudna."