Queen of Beasts: The Fallen Book One

Goodbye

     Fourteen Demons. One Human.

No hope

This is a trigger warning for those who are opposed to unwanted sexual advances and hostile situations.

It's a cold afternoon. The sigh that escapes me makes the air around my lips mist. I'm buzzing with excitement; this is the moment I've been waiting for. Finally, I'm going to be part of a sorority. That meant friends, girls that I could talk to and hang out with, girls that I could study into the night with. I walk up the paved path that leads to the front porch. This house resembled an elegant white mansion, like the one I used to live in back home in California. If I'm being honest with myself, I'm not going to miss it. I love my parents, dearly, but they are very "L.A." and a nerdy daughter was cramping their style. I wouldn't have made it into the sorority without their donation though, I'm thankful for that. There isn't much I care for, but the thrill of a new book, learning something, and performing...it's the only thing that makes me feel.

I stop at the front door. Knock, Amelia, knock. Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

I squeal a little as the door opens wide to a knockout blonde barbie, staring at me with big hazel eyes and lashes that could cause waves. She looks me up and down before plastering on a giant fake smile. "Hi, I'm Nikki of Alpha Kappa Alpha, you must be Amelia?" If her voice went any higher, it would shatter the windows.

"Yes," I say, ", nice to meet you, Nikki." She gestures for me to come inside, and I'm immediately overwhelmed by the pink, no, pink tea rose I believe the pamphlet said. I'm no longer surprised why my mother still wears this color to every meeting. Although the mansion was gorgeously tiled with white, the sashes and accents of pink roses flooded the entryway.

"Come with me, I'll show you up to your room. I hear your mother and grandmother were both Alpha Kappa Alpha's?"

"Uh, yeah." I'm never going to get used to this, but I have to try. As I pull on my luggage behind me, I slowly follow her up the stairs and down a hallway plastered with framed photos of the girls who were once Alpha Kappa Alpha's. I'm sure my mother is up here somewhere but there will be time to look later.

"This is your room, you'll be bunking with Sharmae." As I enter the room, I see more than one girl, but taking them in all at once they look like the same person wearing different clothes. Do I need to bleach my hair if I want to stay here? Smiling politely, I walk in, and I'm immediately bombarded with questions. As they get closer, touching my hair and clothes they continue to throw questions at me.

"Is your hair naturally wavy?"

"Do you tan?"

"Is the ripped knee jeans look still popular in L.A.?"

"Whoa, ladies," Nikki cuts in, separating the three of them from me, ", she just got here, she still smells like a plane. Let her settle, shower and she can join us for tea." That was surprisingly nice. Up until this moment, I was afraid that I would end up the nerd amongst the popular girls and be bullied in my years of college. I'm glad that's not the case. As she gestures for the girls to leave the room, I roll my suitcase up to the end of the vacant bed. This wasn't so bad. I mean, for one the place is very neat, albeit very pink. My roommate was clearly very close with the girls here, their photographs were plastered all over one particular wall on the left side of the room. There's a spare desk for study which I assume will be mine to use. It's probably best I don't keep them waiting, but I should change out of these clothes. Throwing my backpack onto the bed, I lift my collared patch over my head instead of undoing the buttons. As I put it onto the bed and search my suitcase for a different shirt, I overhear giggling. Spinning my head around I see a couple of girls I hadn't met yet in the threshold with their phone cameras facing me. Whipping my hand across the bed I grab my old shirt and hold it up in front of me,

"What are you doing?" I exclaim, doing my best to cover as much skin as I can.

"Oh, nothing," One of them comments, her pink cardigan chest button barely holding together. "Just making sure you follow our rules." They take their phones away and run down the hallway, giggling as they go. I thought sororities were better behaved than this, but I suppose that's too much to hope for. What should I do? Do I tell someone? What if they use the photo because I tell on them? I could feel the sweat on the back of my neck. Rushing the same shirt back on, I follow the noise in the hallway and go back downstairs.

Nikki is chatting with some of the girls in the living room when I walk in. I don't see the two who were taking photos of me.

"Did you forget to pack clothes?" She snickers, seeing that I haven't changed.

"I did." I respond, "But I-" I cut myself off, I don't know what to do.

"Darl, forget about the photo. It's just to make sure that while you're getting settled as our go-girl you do as we say with the most effort possible. We like to make sure you'll follow our rules. That includes doing anything we want."

"By blackmailing me?" I shocked myself with the boldness of my statement, but that didn't seem to faze the perky blonde.

"If we don't encourage our sisters to keep their legs closed, do you know what happens? They think because of televisions and movies that it's all fun, games, and alcohol but it's not. You will obey our rules, and that includes us taking whatever measures we need to in order to keep you in check. Don't like it? Grab your stuff and get out. I'm sure your mother will be impressed after how much she donated to pledge you." My head is spinning. These girls are vicious, and I don't want any part of what they are. Turning heel, I run back up the stairs and into the bedroom that is meant to be my home for the next few years. There is no way I can stay here. If this is what they do in the first hour of living here, what would happen after a day? A week? Maybe if I could out for a walk through the park I'll fall and hit my head and I won't have to deal with the decision.

I need to go to this school, but I can't live here. Closing the door, I grab my backpack and throw it back over my shoulder. It's already getting dark outside. There might not be anywhere to go, but it sure as hell is going to be better than whatever freaky hazing ritual these bitches might have planned.

Grabbing the handle on myluggage, I pull it behind me and make my way down the stairs as fast as humanlypossible. I hear the girls' voices but choosing to ignore them I push my waythrough the front door and out into the street. The chill hits me harder thanexpected but I have to stick to my guns now. There is no turning back fromhere.