Echoes of Forbidden Love: Breaking the Chains of History

Chapter 2: Curse day

[WARNING! This chapter is very graphic, contains gore, death, and unhealthy topics]

(Also underline words are key marks that are important for future chapters, aka foreshadowing :> )

June 18th, Curse day.

In Lopez's home, 11-year-old Isaac rushes to the kitchen when his mom calls him at 7 in the morning, just as the sun starts peeking through the windows. He finds his mom, Imelda Lopez, preparing lunch for him. "Let's go, mijo. Time to get ready, brush your teeth, and get dressed," she says, wrapping up his lunch and placing it on the counter. Isaac nods with a smile, heading to his room to get dressed and brush his teeth. After getting his backpack ready, he grabs his lunch from the counter.

Imelda and Isaac walk together to his school, which is only 4 blocks away. "Mijo, where do you want your birthday party?" she asks him.

"Can we do it somewhere new? Like the pool or the movies?" Isaac suggests, hoping for a change this year.

His mom shakes her head and sighs. "I can't afford to rent a pool or go to the movies. How about Joe's Burger again? You always enjoy it there," she suggests.

"But mama, I'm tired of Joe's. My friends think it's boring too," Isaac pleads, but his mom signals for him to stop.

"It's either Joe's or at home. That's final," she says firmly.

Isaac groans in frustration, feeling annoyed like any other preteen. "You're no fun," he mutters under his breath.

They arrive at the school, and his mom kisses his forehead. But Isaac, still annoyed, brushes her off and heads inside, declaring, "Stop it. I'm not a baby."

Imelda watches her son walk away, feeling a mix of hurt and understanding, knowing Isaac will get over his annoyance soon.

[9am, first period]

The first period dragged on, filled with math equations that Isaac couldn't muster any interest in. Instead, he found solace in chatting with his friends, venting his frustrations about his mom's rigid party plans. "My mom is so unfair!" he exclaimed, feeling the weight of teenage indignation. "I asked to have my party somewhere else just once, and she shuts it down like I'm still a five-year-old obsessed with kiddie songs." His words spilled out, a mix of annoyance and genuine disappointment.

His friends echoed his sentiments, urging him to rebel in various ways. "You should totally teach her a lesson!" one exclaimed, while another advised, "Just give her a piece of your mind, dude."

However, it was Michael Lovett, Isaac's steadfast friend since kindergarten, who offered a different perspective. Leaning in, Michael whispered reassuringly, "I know you're upset, and I get it. But we can still make this fun, right? Let's have it at my place. We can have an epic stick war all day, and I even got those new Danger-Zone comics!" His genuine smile softened Isaac's frustration.

Isaac sighed, conceding, "You're right. We can make it work." He let go of his initial anger, seeing the silver lining in Michael's plan.

As the clock ticked to 12:38 during third period, Isaac found himself alone in a quiet science class. Boredom settled in, and he idly gazed out the window, watching the world pass by. Suddenly, a loud crash shattered the monotony, drawing everyone's attention. Isaac's heart skipped a beat, a sense of dread freezing him in his seat as he hesitated to join the rush of students peering outside.