Haze [AOT Female Reader Insert]

Prologue: To You, The Girl Caught in the Haze

The room was cold, so it would be that the floor was freezing when your bare feet touched it, sending a shiver up throughout your body. You frowned, letting out a tiny groan before counting down to yourself and sliding out of bed. You felt around the floor for your slippers, happy when the tip of your toes caught the warm material and dragged them over to slide on your feet. With that done, you could finally walk around your small room, starting to get ready for the day, with the worst part being washing your face with the freezing water, but after that, it was smooth sailing.

You wished that your winter outfit had more than just a long coat and scarf; at least spring was only a few weeks away. The weather was much more merciful.

By the time you got changed, you could hear your mother starting her bustle in the kitchen, perhaps deciding what to make for breakfast. Since you've woken up early today, you could sit down and have some. She'd be happy to see you ate some this time rather than grab a loaf of bread from the bakery.

As predicted, she was already aproned up and staring down at the cast iron skillet she had set on top of the brick stove, hands on her waist. "Do you think I have enough eggs to make everyone an omelet?"

You stifled a laugh with a puff through your nose. "I think so unless Milo decides to drop by this morning."

She peered over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing with a slight hum. "Then I hope he brings eggs for his omelet if he decides to. Otherwise, I'll send Adette for some when that girl wakes up. She should start learning how to better help around this house," her head shook with a tongue click before turning back to the stove.

You closed the door to your room and walked across the wooden floorboards to the windows to pull back the curtains slightly. As expected, there still wasn't much sunlight, but it was enough to help illuminate the room alongside the warm lights that were sparse in your home. The sounds of your mother moving kitchenware and ingredients filled the silence as you stared out the window, enjoying the simplicity of the morning in hopes of getting the unsettling feeling from your nightmare off. Yet again, the imagery of what it was escaped you. Perhaps it was for the best that you didn't remember. It must not be any good if it left you shedding tears.

After a few minutes, the smell of breakfast wafting through the air invigorating your appetite, you pulled away from the window and looked to your mother, who was quickly chopping up some tomatoes. "Can I go get some bread from the bakery?"

She sighed, throwing you a slight glance as she finished off cubing the red fruit. "You and your bread... overeat, and it'll stuff you big, you know?"

Of course, if you didn't burn the calories off. Which you did.

You didn't reply, waiting for her to give you the okay, in this case, a defeated sigh. "You have my permission; just be sure to—"

Your legs carried you quickly to the door before she could even finish. Before leaving, you grabbed the band hanging from the coat hanger's lowest arm and placed it there for you due to your short, growing stature, slipping it on quickly before you were caught without it outside. God knows how mortified your mother would be if she heard from one of the neighbors that you were running around without it. Much less having an officer or guard greet her on your doorstep.

The bakery wasn't too far from the center of your neighborhood, being one of the few scattered around, making it hard to miss. You remember the route to it as if you were born with a map engraved into the groves of your fleshy brain. Both you and your father used to come here plenty of times after running errands. Adette wasn't a big fan of carbs, much like your mother, fretting it'd ruin her figure and she'd lose her appeal.

The bakery was getting busy when you arrived, the light from inside filtering through the windows and displaying people moving around selecting loaves and pastries. You pulled back the door and entered, inhaling the delicious smell of baked goods and the sound of the register ringing as you made a beeline for the bread tables.