Flesh (completed)

Chapter One

~Then~

Everyone knew she wasn't quite right from the moment she stepped through the door on the first day of kindergarten.

It wasn't because of the way that she dressed; Her little violet dress was as normal as any of the other girls'. It wasn't her face, which was rather pretty with sky blue eyes coated in long, thick lashes and light pink lips that were stretched into a frown. It wasn't due to her stark silence- well, that may have added to the eerie feeling people felt around her- but there were plenty of shy children. It wasn't her parents, as they seemed very charismatic.

It was, simply, the cloud of weariness- a shred of absolute fear and foreboding danger- that contaminated the air of whatever room she was in.

Mrs. Abbey was able to push down the unexplained fear by tearing her eyes from the strange girl to look up at her parents' warm smiles.

The woman spoke, "Hello. We're new to this town." Her voice was like velvet. She looked so well put together, with her golden blonde hair and black dress matched with midnight pumps, that Mrs. Abbey was struck with jealousy. "My name is Amelia," she then gestured to the man beside her. "And this is my husband, Marcus."

Marcus extended his hand and offered Mrs. Abbey the best handshake she'd ever experienced.

She was sure he must be a lawyer. He appeared well dressed. Everything about both of them screamed superiority.

Marcus placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder, as if queing her to offer her name. When she remained silent, Marcus chuckled. "She's a bit shy. We're working on that."

Mrs. Abbey finally found her voice and said, "My apologies, I wasn't expecting a new student."

"Oh, it's nothing to apologise for. People forget things. We are only human after all," Amelia said.

Marcus bit back a smile at his wife's comment.

"Alright, well..." Mrs. Abbey looked down at the girl. "There's a seat there beside Madeline."

The girl turned to look up at her parents in question.

"Be a good girl, Lizzie. Go on," Amelia gestured to the desk.

"We'll see you after school, Sweetheart," said her father.

Lizzie slowly made her way to the desk, never losing eye contact with her parents. Her face held no emotion at all.

With a small wave, they bode Mrs. Abbey goodbye and disappeared behind the door.

The middle aged woman was once again left to the classroom of children. She forced a smile onto her face. "Everyone, say hello to Lizzie. Make her feel very welcome please."

The children didn't say a word. All eyes were on her. The silence in the room was so heavy it was a wonder they weren't all flattened into the floor.

Lizzie's eyes traveled away from the spot where her parents had been several moments ago and met Mrs. Abbey's eyes. "My name," she said in an almost whisper with a voice of velvet stones, "Is Elizabeth."