Lolanthe’s origin: The Laurence family’s deepest woes

*This story is under my folder “The Laurence family’s deepest woes”. Gacha Club character designs are under this forum: https://www.youngwriterssociety.com/topic/117842-my-character-designs-lt-33-3?start=165. Enjoy!*

Lolanthe sat on the front steps of her house, waiting for Dariel to come. He had been away, traveling to different places with his friends, but he sent a letter telling her that he’d come to her house, so she waited.

She wore her best purple dress and hat, the one that had red roses on the brim. Her eyeshadow was a darker shade of violet, her lips a duskier rouge. She hoped that she looked beautiful enough for Dariel to want to live with her.

They had met on a copper-toned night just like the night Lolanthe was experiencing waiting on the steps. Copper-toned, because the golden moon hid behind fog clouds and made the incandescent street lamps glow brighter. The air was crisp and cold when Lolanthe stumbled over words in excitement as she told Dariel all about the upcoming Hallows’ Eve festival, for he was new to town and wanted to hear about the going-ons.

“I’ll come if you will.”

“Why’s that?”

Dariel had smiled before he said, “You seem trustworthy.”

Lolanthe didn’t know what to make of those words. It didn’t sound like anything special, but that glimmer in his eyes, the way the corners of his lips curled up…it felt foolish to not be there. So, she showed up like she always did, only he was there. He spent every second by her side, first asking about the festival, then her and then…a shared kiss under the harvest moon.

Ever since then, Lolanthe had been waiting for him. He promised her that they’d marry. He said that moments with her were “magical”. She felt it, too. A pull towards him, like everything would right itself when he came.

But Dariel was always away with friends. Always going to new places. It kind of felt like he was avoiding her on purpose. It wasn’t true, obviously, but it felt like it sometimes.

Lolanthe just had to sit and wait for a taxi cab. That was how he’d said he would come. It was all quiet, so she’d notice. He had to spend the night at her house when they met, because he had nowhere else to go. Maybe he’d look at her and decide to stay forever. No more traveling. No more leaving. Just the two of them forevermore.

She wished that she had friends to talk about Dariel with, but perhaps it was better that she was alone. Perhaps nobody could listen the way he did. But it was all so quiet…where was he? Surely it didn’t take that long for a cab…he’d come soon enough…soon..s-

There! She leapt off from the steps and ran towards the unmistakable yellow cab as she thought about holding Dariel tight and never letting go, not waiting for one minute to go by, because Dariel came and he loved her and-

Her body flew as metal crashed into her, landing on the pavement. Lolanthe heard her bones crack before she could scream, felt herself rip open before she could weep.

The moon and the street lamps looked all smudged, like muddy dirt, to her blurry eyes.

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Where was the copper moon? It was all so dark. It smelled like strong, mildew dust, nothing like the freshly fallen autumn leaves that were supposed to be overpowering everything else.

Lolanthe sat up, clawing her way through the pitch-blackness. She felt her nails scratch against what sounded like walls and winced. Her nails weren’t that long, but they sounded spindly. Like bones.

She felt something circular in one of her hands, something like a handle, so she turned it.

There was a bedroom in front of her. A pink bed with pink walls and shelves with toys and books. There were white lights on strings close to the ceiling, matching with the white rug. It was a child’s room…but why? Where was she? Where was Dariel?

A different door slammed open and a little crying girl ran from it, plopping herself on the bed and sobbing on the sheets. Lolanthe’s heart twisted at the sight of her. She didn’t know who the girl was or why she was there, but the questions could wait. Lolanthe wasn’t going to leave her alone like that. She reached one hand out-

It wasn’t a hand. It was a chunky gray claw. She looked at her other hand. Same thing. Her teeth didn’t feel right, either. They were too sharp, too pointed.

Lolanthe closed the door. Her mind spun as she sat in the dark, trying to make sense of it all.

She had to, before she did anything else. She would. She’d find out what happened to her and then she’d find Dariel.

He was waiting. Somewhere.