Tainted Blaze

Chapter 1

I had never cried at a funeral and this one would be no different.

It was the same routine each time. People bawling, "meaningful" speeches, and tasteless food. I have been to countless of these, used to it at this point. But I couldn't help wondering why my relatives seem to drop like weak flies around me.

First it was my parents, though I don't pay any thought to their death for it makes me feel strong emotion. Next, it was my grandparents. All four of them died in a gas leak. They were followed by my Uncle Terry whose death is still a mystery to us all. Lastly, My Aunt Dawn, her frail dead body lay in the casket in front of me.

I've learned that it's customary to bring some sort of present to this, even though the person is dead so I see no point to it. It wasn't like they would ever even see the gift. Regardless I placed the delicate black rose that lay in my hand at the head of the darkly stained box and turned away carelessly.

"Are you ok Thana?" I heavily sighed at the sound of some unknown stranger that somehow knew my name. I could feel the grasp of my freedom slipping away. Some person always had to ask me the question, almost as if they thought that I was somehow affected by some idiot's perilous fate. If it wasn't my fault they died then I could not give a care in the world.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

The brunette middle-aged woman in front of me awkwardly scratched her neck, surprised by my apathetic answer, "I just thought that you had spent some time with Dawn."

"You would be right. I stayed with her for quite a while."

The girl sniffed quietly before opening her mouth to answer again, "Oh ok."

After closer inspection, I quickly realized that the girl standing in front of me had a red and puffy face. She had obviously been crying recently, wet streaks still left down her neck.

The overwhelming emotion placed in front of me made me scratch my arm and closely inspect the tile underneath my feet.

"Well I must go now, my condolences."

Pivoting on the balls of my feet , I quickly strode over to the Instagram perfect family across the hall.

The Johnsons had been so nice to take in a poor and so- called damaged girl. They were considered to be the saints of our town. But I knew that the only reason they let me stay with them was because they were in my family's will, and were promised a hefty amount of money if they took me in.

"Oh hello Thana, what do you want?" Mrs. Johnson's attitude towards me was definitely sour. Maybe for the reason that my waist- length raven black hair and pale skin differed so much towards the tanned blondes of her family. Anywhere I was with them I stuck out like a sore thumb, gathering a fair share of strange looks. Yet I knew my mom cared about the Johnson's so I maintained my calm demeanor towards them.

"I would like to know when we will leave."

"Can't you wait any longer? We've only been here for 1 hour and you haven't shown any sadness. What is wrong with your messed up brain that you believe a FUNERAL is boring?!" Her raised voice made me flinch back, squeezing the muscles along my eyebrows.

"I will be walking home, when you leave please drive to find me."

Mrs. Johnson's voice was louder now, stringing a sentence of insults together at my face. "I should've known you'd turn out just like your spoiled rotten parents. You will never amount to anything Thana."

Before my ears could be harmed anymore I calmly locked my hands behind my back and walked out of the double doors, multiple crying faces pausing their conversations to glance at the commotion. It was strange to see Mrs. Johnson worked up so quickly. Sure she had had her share of arguments directed towards me but never in public where people could see us.