Esmerelda Costello, a dancer with dreams of being in the nation's top ballet company, has everything going great for her. A loving family, a dashing coffee date, and a knack for crime fighting. Until she didn't. Not only has her dreams turned upside...
The little girl just could not sleep because her thoughts were way too deep. Her mind had gone out for a stroll and fallen down a rabbit hole. -Alice in Wonderland
— – - 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓭𝓾𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 - – —
Colors. So, so many colors.
There used to be an old tv Esme's tío kept as a sort of treasure. He never used it, and a young Esme had thought it a waste to see the device gather dust in that one corner of their living room.
She had attempted to turn it on, only as the machine took its first breath of life, its black screen flickered with static and noise. Then, turned orange and popped with ultra violets and neon blues.
As Esme felt her body tugged painfully in particles and atoms, her cells ripped apart and put back together again, all she could see was that very same array of colors. Those neon lights flashing and burning into her retina in searing scarlets and greens, bruising blues and purples.
She screamed but no noise came out. Was this death? Was this how dying felt like?
Did her tía feel like this when she looked into Esme's eyes and drew her last breath? Was this how it felt to be shot over and over again?
Or all the others she failed to save in her life- did they see this rainbow of colors flood their vision as they fell to their death?
She would be joining them soon. She knew it. But she wasn't ready. She thought she had been, but her veins were hot and urging her to hold on. The pulse in her brain was shouting at her to keep fighting.
But why should she? She lost everything. What was there to fight for anyway? Earth had dozens of superheroes- they could go without one more. They could take care of the world without her.
Sophia was better off. Her tío, too.
Esmerelda closed her eyes and felt needles stab her lungs as she drew a last breath. She didn't focus on the buildings or windows that fluctuated with moments of her life. She wanted to forget it all at least, if she was going to die.
This was it. She was ready.
Searing hot pain enveloped her entire body like white flames that hungrily lapped at her, starving and eager to devour her.
Just when she thought she was about to finally walk towards the white light- to see the loving faces of her tía and two others she didn't dare to name- she felt a hand grab her wrist.
She looked over her shoulder- and gasped.
"It's not your time yet, Esme. Wake up!"
And she did.
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