ONE: The Red Diary

THIS MORNING CORNELIA woke up extra early. In fact, she didn't want to wake up at all, however she was startled with a dream which left her sleepless, restless, and with a growling need inside of her bones.

It was barely five thirty when she sat on her desk looking into her red diary with a disgruntled face. Cornelia Cooper was very popular in her small town of Formid Root, Washington. Her vibrant blonde hair that seemed to shine even with the lack of sunlight was captivating.

Her bright blue eyes held so much innocence that made everyone fall in love with her. And her cheerful smile that could light the darkest of hearts had everyone seek her company.

Cornelia Cooper was the golden child of Formid Root. It was how everyone perceived her that made her feel guilty with the dream she had.

The pen she was holding hovered over the blank page of her diary. She bit her lower lip, ashamed to even write down what she had seen in her dream. But she began writing anyway. After all, who would be able to see into her deepest secrets? Only her red diary... Her best friend.

Dear Diary,

This morning I come with so much shame, embarrassment, and desire. It isn't the first time, though I hope it will be the last. I'm ashamed of myself, ashamed of the way my mind makes me see things, and how my body reacts to them. I had one of those dreams again...

I couldn't make out his face, but he had broad shoulders, I remember because I wrapped my arms around them more than once. His muscles were hard to my touch, and I remember this because I gripped into them tightly as he rammed into me.

I have been dreaming about a man who fucked me into oblivion. The irony is, I've never even been touched by a man.

I can still feel the ache between my legs, I can still feel him inside of me. I remember how he went down on me, licking, sucking, and even biting. He was rough... He had my hands above my head, holding them in a death grip.

I can still feel the pain in my wrists. I can still feel his lips on my neck, I can still feel his breath as he whispered all those wicked things in my ear.

Dear diary, I think I need help.

She heard a knock on her door, and Cornelia instantly snapped her diaries shut. She turned sharply towards the door and saw her dad, Jerry Cooper, entering the room with furrowed eyebrows.

"You're already up?" He asked, confused.

Cornelia plastered a bright smile, "Yeah, thought I'd be ready earlier than usual. It's my first day of senior year after all."

Jerry chuckled, the proud look in his eyes wasn't strange to her, but it made her feel even worse. "Good, good." He gave her his approving nod, then said, "Get ready, I'm making breakfast."

When he left again, Cornelia let out a sigh. It had been a month since the dreams started. She would wake up feeling bothered, a yearning inside of her that she couldn't contain. Therefore, she would go to her bathroom, stand under the shower or sit in her bathtub, pleasing herself.

Cornelia believes that in the last month alone she had come to know her anatomy better than the past seventeen years of her life. She put her diary in the drawer of her desk, locking it with the key that she had been keeping in her necklace.

She picked what she would wear for the day, something extra heavy to ensure the warmth she had always been deprived from in their town. It was always cold, rainy, and cloudy. The sun was a rare sight for the people of Formid Root, and Cornelia prayed for the day she would leave her hometown and see the world.

She gave her reflection an assessing look, wondering if she should add some more makeup or not. Mascara was her other best friend, and pink lipstick wasn't something she could spend her day without. She pondered over adding some blush, but she decided that her cheeks were flushed enough.

She grabbed her bag, and scanned her room once more to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. It was a simple room, the walls were lavender, except for the one behind her bed, which was white. Shelves lined two of her walls, and then some posters of her favorite bands.

When she went downstairs, Jerry was already sitting in the dining room with the two plates of breakfast he had prepared for them. It was only the two of them, her mother passed some time ago, and Cornelia tried the best she could not to dwell on that thought. It always left her with a deep ache in her chest.

Jerry was doing the best he could for a single parent, a man at that too. But he was almost always away. His job was time consuming, and if he wasn't in his office then he was working in the study of their home. Cornelia never complained, she didn't think she had the right to.

"I can take you to school if you want, I'm heading to the office as well."

She furrowed her eyebrows, "This early?"

Jerry was a lawyer, and in their small town of a population that was 1,245, he was quite popular. He even worked on cases out of town. In fact, most of his cases were out of town.

"I have a client coming over today. They want to buy the old Hamilton Mansion in the woods."

"But that mansion has been abandoned for decades." Cornelia commented while taking a bite of her toast. Jerry only nodded, but she looked at him with questioning eyes, "And why do they need a lawyer for that? Real estate agents are more fit for the job."

"That could be true, but there is dispute over the land. The mayor claimed the land as a public property, while they say they bought it from the Hamilton family."

"So, they want you to help resolve the dispute." Cornelia concluded.

"More or less." Jerry replied after a short hum of agreement. "Mr. Amarok is how he introduced himself."

"You don't have a first name yet?"

Jerry shrugged, "We'll know when I meet him today."