Provenance

Chapter 1 - Echoes of the Morning

As he ate, the cacophony of the world outside seemed to seep through the walls, a symphony of anger and fear that echoed through the halls of his home. The news broadcast continued, an endless parade of images that spoke to the darker underbelly of humanity. A mob had gathered to protest a recent case of police hate crimes and racial injustice, their voices raised in a collective cry that sought to shatter the fragile illusion of peace.

Amelia paused in her cleaning, the scrub brush hanging limply in her hand as she stared at the screen. "It's getting worse," she murmured, her voice barely audible above the din. "When will it end?"

No one answered her question, the silence that followed heavy with the weight of unspoken fears. Bram finished his breakfast, pushing the now-empty bowl away from him as he stared into the distance. The clock on the wall seemed to mock him, its ticking a constant reminder of the relentless passage of time.

Amelia, her eyes filled with a quiet desperation, glanced at the clock and gasped. "Bram, we're going to be late," she said, her voice cracking as she dropped the scrub brush into the sink. Water splashed against the porcelain, an icy spray that momentarily brought her back to reality.

She snatched her keys from the counter, their jangling a discordant melody that shattered the silence. Rushing toward the door, she beckoned Bram to follow her, her gaze never leaving his face. "Come on, let's go."

Bram rose from his chair, his muscles protesting the sudden movement. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, feeling the familiar weight settle against him as he followed his mother out of the house. The door slammed shut behind them, the sound echoing through the empty street like a gunshot.

As they drove toward the school, the world outside seemed to darken, the shadows of the protestors stretching across the pavement like monstrous, twisted limbs. The anger and fear that permeated the air seemed to seep into the car, a suffocating miasma that threatened to choke them both. Bram stared out the window, his eyes filled with questions that had no answers, his heart aching with a pain that had no cure.

For Amelia, the sight of the protestors brought forth memories she had fought to suppress, the echoes of her own past threatening to rise up and consume her. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened, her knuckles turning white with the effort of keeping her emotions in check.

As they passed the group of protestors, the world seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the spark that would ignite the powder keg that had been building for far too long. In that moment, Bram and Amelia were both acutely aware of the fragile nature of the life they had built, a house of cards that could collapse at any moment.

As they continued on their way to school, the sun rose higher in the sky, casting a stark light on the world below. And for the first time, they understood that the breaking dawn was not a promise of hope, but rather a harbinger of the darkness that had seeped into the very core of their lives. They could no longer ignore the world around them or seek solace in the sanctuary of their home. Instead, they would have to face the storm that raged, both within and without, and find a way to navigate the treacherous waters that threatened to drown them all.

As Amelia pulled into the school's parking lot, the car came to a stop, its engine shuddering with the weight of the journey. The air between them was thick with unspoken words and unacknowledged fears, the silence as heavy as the clouds that gathered on the horizon.

Bram glanced at his mother, his eyes searching for answers that she could not provide. "Mom," he whispered, his voice trembling with the weight of the world. "What are we going to do?"

Amelia looked at her son, her heart aching with a love that was fierce and unyielding. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely audible above the sound of their beating hearts. "But we'll figure it out. We'll face it together."