The Dark Passage: Queen of the Damned (Book 1)

Chapter Two

Diana sat in her computer chair by her bedroom window, watching lightening stretch across the sky. She never understood why, but she was always so calm when it stormed. It was a form of serenity watching the electricity crack across the gray sky. It was springtime in her home of Rochester, New York, which meant it stormed most of the day. This is where Diana was the most relaxed. She watched as her neighbor cursed at the sky for all the rain. The sun rarely came out which ended up killing the flowers she planted. The neighbor looked up at Diana in hatred, because they never had that problem. All the plants around their house remained beautiful and healthy all year round. Which Diana never understood, but she never complained either. She loved flowers.

"Diana, Ma said come eat!", Daniel, Diana's twin brother, called from downstairs. She quickly got out of the chair and ran down the steps to the kitchen of their small town house. Diana's mother, Geneva, worked hard as a CNA to make ends meet for all three of them. With her recently becoming ill however, money seemed to never be enough. She did what she could to make sure everything stood afloat, but it was becoming hard to hide that she was going to need help eventually.

Diana sat across from Daniel at the table, stomach growling from the smells of her favorite breakfast. Geneva placed a bowl of grits and eggs in front of the two siblings and they instantly dug in. Geneva looked at them with all the love and care in the world, but also with just as much fear. She knew how life would be for them beyond these four walls and she tried her best for all these years to protect them from it. Unfortunately, she was becoming weary and can no longer do what she used to.

"I have to work a double again", she said to them while turning to wash dishes.

"Again?", Daniel said clearly aggravated.

"I have to provide for us, Daniel".

"So, that means you have to go breaking your back every day?"

Geneva slammed the dishes into the water.

"I have no time to finish these, I'm almost late for the bus. Diana, clean these for me would you?".

"Yes ma'am".

Geneva walked over and kissed Diana on the top of her head before heading out to the front door. Daniel heard the sounds of the locks being turned, indicating Geneva was on her journey to work. He rolled his eyes then pulled a rolled joint from out of the pocket of his shirt. He pulled out a lighter and brought it to his mouth to light it but Diana snatched it away from his lips.

"What the fuck, Ana!", Daniel fussed.

"You are not about to smoke that in here".

"Says who?"

"Says me".

"Who the hell died and made you queen of this house?"

"Momma has been through enough already. Last thing she needs is a doped up son working on the last nerve she has left".

"Nor does she need a stuck up daughter who thinks she knows everything. Give me my blunt back".

"What are you going to do? Take it out of my hands?"

Daniel knew he could easily take it back, but he wasn't in the mood to fight with his sister. The outcome of it just wouldn't be worth it. He grabbed his bowl of food and exited out of the kitchen, leaving Diana alone. Which majority of the time is how she liked it. She got up and went to the sink to wash the few dishes like her mother asked her to.

"Dee! Where are you?", Diana heard her best friend, Ciara, say while entering her home. Which was surprising to her since her mother had just locked the door. Ciara waltzed into the kitchen like she always does when entering a room and gave Diana a tight hug. Ciara was breathtakingly beautiful, like Diana was sure she knew. Her hair was long and curly and always smelled like nature oils. Diana could always notice Ciara entering a room by the smell of them before actually seeing her face. She was slender yet athletic with a smile that was contagious to anyone who encountered it. They've been friends for as long as Diana could remember. Everywhere she turned she recalls always having Ciara right there. Like a guardian angel. Well, in her case an archangel since her and Ciara were always getting into things they weren't supposed to.

"How did you get in here?", Diana asked.

"What do you mean?", Ciara said.

"My mom locked the door. How did you get in here?"

"Oh, silly DeeDee. I've had a key to your house for almost a year now".

Diana looked shocked that no one cared to share that information with her. She was fine with it either way. At least if anything was to ever happen Ciara would have a way in.

"Mama G off to work?", Ciara asked while fixing herself a bowl of food. Geneva always expected Ciara to pop up at some time during the day so she would prepare enough food for her to eat.

"Yes, unfortunately".

"Why the long face?"

"She looks worn out, ya know? Like something is sucking the life out of her".

Ciara turned pale then looked down at her food. Diana knew Ciara was hiding something from her which isn't like her at all. They always told each other everything. Before Diana could inquire about it, Ciara's brother Brian walked into the kitchen and went straight to the pot of food. He doesn't always come over but when he does, it's always awkward. Diana knew he had a crush on her but she never looked at him in that way. He was like a brother to her just as much as he was to Ciara. He on the other hand, did not feel that way.

"Don't be a pig, Brian!", Ciara yelled.

"Fuck off", he said over his shoulder. He took a quick look at Diana then looked away. "Hey Diana".

"Hey Brian".

"Bri, my main man!", Daniel said entering the kitchen again. His eyes were bloodshot red and he smelled of marijuana, which began to infuriate Diana. It seemed like every time she turned around Daniel was being stupid. Diana felt a warmth rising within her that she never felt before. Her vision tunneled in on Daniel and her only thoughts were to teach him a lesson.

"Hey Dee, why don't we go outside for a bit? You know how I am when I get a little stuffy", Ciara said, knocking Diana out of the trance she was in. Ciara grabbed Diana by the hand and pulled her as fast as she could out the front door.

"Whew, nice to get some air huh?", Ciara said with her voice trembling.

Diana opened her mouth to vent about how stupid Daniel has been when an owl flew onto the porch and rested on the banister. It was something about this owl that called to Diana. It's feathers were a chocolate brown, like the color of her hair. It's eyes were a violet purple and they pierced fiercely into hers. It's eyes closed and when they opened again there was a slight glow that was beginning to form in the pupil. Diana felt her feet moving towards it. She had to touch it or be close to it. She had to do something to make sure what she was seeing was she real. It rang out a loud hoot, that sounded more like a melody in Diana's ear. It expanded its wings to its full capacity then it abruptly flew away. Diana had never seen or experienced anything like that in her life.

"That was a weird looking bird", Ciara said from behind her.