A World Divided

by Rebekah Clipper

  A World Divided

  A World Divided

  Monoflufee Book One

  By: Rebekah Clipper

  Copyright © 2019 Rebekah Clipper

  All rights reserved.

  To my beautiful, witty, creative daughter, Rowan. Without you, there would be no magic in the world.

  Acknowledgements

  There are so many people that I need to thank for helping me invent the world of Monoflufee. Firstly, I must acknowledge my incredible daughter. She was my inspiration from the moment I started typing. She encouraged me along the way and helped me to visualize the fantastical creatures of Clarensdell. Without her, characters like Jade and Ashley would have never existed. Thank you for all that you’ve done to help me.

  I need to thank my amazing husband, Craig, as well. He worked so hard (and still does) to allow me the opportunity to create this book. He is the glue that holds our family together, and he has been nothing but supportive since day one.

  My parents, Bruce and Margaret, have been my consistent cheerleaders. They helped to push me up when I felt the need to quit. When I was lost, I could always count on them for advice. They have always been, and will always be, my strongest advocates.

  Thank you to Kelly Shaub, editor extraordinaire. She took my book from garbled thoughts and polished them into cohesive sentences. She asked many questions that allowed me to rethink and adapt my novel. Her criticisms were amazingly thought out, and she was so positive in how she presented them.

  A huge shout-out to Leah Palmer Preiss, cover artist and all-around amazing person. I thought I knew what I wanted for my cover, but collaborating with her took the imagery to a level I never could have imagined. She worked tirelessly to bring me a beautiful piece of artwork, and working with her was such an amazing experience.

  I have to thank Christie Masterman (dermatologist) and Jeanette Hart (rheumatologist) for helping me during some of the hardest months of my life. I was disabled due to psoriatic arthritis and palmoplantar psoriasis throughout the course of writing this novel. These two women fought for me every step of the way. I know if it weren’t for their hard work, I never would have gotten out of the wheelchair I was convinced I would live in forever.

  Finally, I want to thank you, my audience. You’re the reason that I never gave up. I wanted to create a story that you would fall in love with and want to read over and over. You inspired me to push harder and edit like a maniac. You are the reason this book exists. Thank you!

  Rebekah Clipper

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  The War of Souls

  Thirty-Four Years Ago

  The mountainside burned brightly in the light of a thousand torches. The ground appeared alive as the masses undulated just beyond the castle gates. How had it come to this? She had only wanted to help them, to save the infirm, the poor, the lost, but now they rose against her. They surged against her gates screaming for her head. The air was thick with their hatred.

  Kill them all, the voice whispered in her mind. Make them burn. Sear their flesh. They are not worthy of your gifts. She had tried to rid herself of the voice, but it kept percolating inside her, devouring any remaining good. The voice was right. They all needed to die. It was the only way to rid herself of the infernal whispers.

  An enormous bird appeared, lifted by rainbow wings. She stared into his third eye and was struck by his deadly beauty. He had been hers, her sweet Milufan. Promises of friendship, protection, and love had been shattered, and now he was here to end her life. The masses demanded it.

  But she would live on. His power was a mere candle flame to the inferno that blazed inside her. She would kill him and then she would kill them. The mountainside would run red with their blood. She pulled to herself the magic that trickled in the wind. The familiar warmth spread throughout her body. She raised her hands to destroy the friend she had once loved greater than all else.

  She never heard the other, never knew he was there. He came as silently as death. With the swiftness of a lightening he struck. And then she floated and finally, finally the whispers were silenced…

  Chapter One

  Elise

  Three Months Ago

  The slamming of the front door roused Elise from her slumber. The sound of her mother’s shrieks shot her out of bed like ice water to the face. Creeping noiselessly, she exited her room and peered into the living room.

  Her mother was sitting on the couch with her dad. Mom’s face was covered in blood. Some still flowed freely from her nose, but most had dried into a rust-colored crust. Mom’s right eye was swollen shut and tears flowed freely.

  She couldn’t understand what her mom was saying between the sobs, but she knew something terrible had occurred. Her dad paced the room, swearing in a manner she’d never heard before. Not long after sirens announced the arrival of police and an ambulance. Her grandparents were right behind them.

  Elise cried as her mother was placed on a stretcher and loaded into the ambulance. She wanted to go to the hospital, but the grownups wouldn’t let her. Instead, she went to stay with Pop while Grammy followed the flashing lights of the police.

  She couldn’t know then that night would alter her entire existence and send her on a journey she was not likely to survive.

  Present Day

  Elise slowly opened her eyes as the day began. Crimson and gold rays peeked between the purple curtains. She smiled softly at the obscure mural her mother had painted years before. Green hills covered her walls without any sense of conformity, some spiking into large spires that reached the ceiling. On one wall an immense sun rose above a dip in the mountains. The surrounding hills were on fire with an assortment of intermingling colors. Clouds dotted the pink skies, the tops white and fluffy, the bottoms mirroring the cacophony of color from below.

  Her mother had painted fantastical creatures throughout the landscape. Elise’s absolute favorite was a six-and-a-half foot-tall, pure-white moose with antlers melted into the sunrise. When Elise was a baby, she had named him “Mr. Moose.” Now she referred to him as Oscar Perry McMoosington the Third. He was the guardian of her bedroom, and his familiar form filled her with comfort.

  She stretched her small body in the brand-new full-sized bed her parents had gotten for her ninth birthday two months earlier. She’d been happy they even remembered her birthday at all with everything that was going on. Her grandparents, Grammy and Pop, had gotten her the comforter and sheets for the bed. She was ecstatic when she opened them and saw the characters of her favorite cartoon, Monoflufee, staring at her with their obscenely large eyes. Her favorite character, Lesembo, was featured on both of her new pillow cases.

  Sitting up, she grabbed her sketch pad and colored pencils from the nightstand. Her dad was already off at work, and her mom would still be sleeping. She used the forms on her bedding to inspire her. After sketching for a bit, she’d created something special she wanted to show her mom. She took her piece of artwork to the spare room, where her mom
had been sleeping the last few months, to show it off. Upon entering the room, she was greeted by a familiar whiff of stale wine and cigarettes. Her mother still lay in bed, snoring softly.

  “Mom?” she whispered, gently placing her hand on her mother’s shoulder. Her mom didn’t respond, so she said slightly louder with a little shake, “Mom.”

  “Huh, wha…?”

  “Mom, I want to show you my picture. I think it’s one of my best.”

  Mom rolled around slowly, her eyes barely visible beneath heavy lids. “Honey, give me a few minutes.” The pungent smell of old wine slid between her lips as she spoke. “Go get yourself breakfast. I’ll be up soon.” Her eyes promptly shut again.

  Dejected yet unsurprised, Elise trudged into the kitchen. She had to grab the step stool. She was able to reach the two bottom shelves of the hanging cabinets, but the cereal bowls resided on the top shelf. That required height enhancement. After retrieving the bowl, she grabbed the cereal and milk and made the proper combination of both. In the family room, she turned on an episode of Monoflufee and dug into her food.

  After two episodes and a portion of a third her mom came out of the spare room. She was wearing a t-shirt backward and panties. Mom stumbled, her eyes still shaded. Elise took note of her for a moment and then continued watching her cartoon.

  “Did you get yourself food?” Her mother asked as she made her way to the kitchen.

  “Yeah,” Elise responded, glancing at her mostly empty bowl.

  Her mother shuffled around in the kitchen, but Elise’s attention was focused on the images in front of her. Muffled words came from the kitchen. They sounded agitated, but she had missed it entirely. “What?”

  Her mother said something, but she missed it again. “What did you say?”

  Mom stormed in from the other room. “Pause your damn show!”

  Elise paused it immediately, her pulse jumping at the look on her mother’s face.

  “How long has the sink been running?”

  Elise furrowed her brow, not remembering being anywhere near the sink. “I… don’t… I didn’t….”

  “Dammit, Elise! The sink is clogged. There’s water everywhere. Stop watching your stupid show and come clean this up now.”

  Elise jumped out of her seat and made her way into the kitchen. Sure enough, a sizeable puddle had grown beneath the sink on the tan and black faux tile laminate flooring. Her mother stood there, a wet sock grasped in one hand and a roll of paper towels in the other.

  As Elise accepted the paper towel roll, she said meekly, “Mom, I swear I didn’t…”

  “Just don’t start, Elle. I don’t want to hear it. You finish cleaning this up. I’m going to get myself some coffee.” Mom turned away and began preparing herself the acrid liquid.

  Elise got down on her hands and knees and wiped up the soggy mess. After utilizing most of the paper towels, she turned to her mother and asked, “Is this good enough?”

  A pale, translucent spiral of steam billowed from the mug in Mom’s hands as she inspected Elise’s handiwork. Mom’s eyes looked more focused than they had when she had first awakened. “Yes, thank you for cleaning it up. Why would you leave the water running, anyway?”

  “Mom, I swear I didn’t do it. I didn’t touch the sink,” said Elise sulkily.

  “Elise, please, I’m trying to have a rational discussion with you. The least you can do is tell me the truth.”

  Frustration built up inside Elise. No matter what she said, her mother wouldn’t believe her. Once Mom got an idea in her mind not even a battering ram could shake it. She hung her head; it wasn’t worth the battle. “I’m sorry, Mom. I promise I’ll do better.” Her voice shook, and tears welled in her eyes. She wished she was faking it, but she was so sensitive the slightest bit of adversity brought tears. She hated that about herself.

  “I expect you will.” Her mom looked down, and her face softened. Mom reached out and tugged on one of her auburn curls. “You know I love you, munchkin.” She grabbed onto Elise and gave her a quick squeeze. “Okay, go finish your show, and then we need to get ready for the day. I’m going to go jump in the shower.”

  “Okay, Mom. I love you, too.” Elise watched as her mother walked back into her bedroom. She really did love her mother, even if she didn’t always get along with her. Up until the “incident,” as her dad referred to it, they had tons of great times together. Her mother would take her on walks in the woods directly behind their house. She would pretend to be an adventurer discovering all sorts of different Monoflufee characters played by Elise. They would always bring along their fierce protector and companion Sir Chasington, also known as Chase, the brown and white pit bull mix they had rescued two years prior. Unfortunately, that had all changed a few months ago. Her mom hadn’t played with her like that since then, and Elise had a feeling she never would again.

  Those thoughts passed through Elise’s mind as she made her way back to the family room couch. Her frustration melted away as she was pulled back into the saga of Milufan. She remained immersed in their world for the next twenty minutes or so until her name was called from her mother’s room. She paused her show and yelled back, “Yeah?!”

  “Go get your clothes changed. I’m going to take you over to Grammy and Pop’s house to play for a bit.”

  “Okay!” She turned the TV off and ran into her bedroom to change. She pulled out her favorite Monoflufee shirt, which was beginning to get on the small side, and a pair of sweat pants. She loved going to her grandparent’s house. They let her play on their tablet and got her pretty much any game she asked for. Sometimes she had to run errands with them, but most of the time they did what she wanted to do. They never yelled at her, and she never had to smell the noxious scent of cigarettes sticking to their clothes.

  When she exited the room, her mom was shuffling about trying to locate her keys. She had her straight, blonde hair pulled back into a simple ponytail. Her shirt was a paisley mixture of pastel blues, purples, and greens. It was fitted around her chest and flowed around her arms and hips. Her pants were black and stretchy. Mom had colored her eyelids and lips, making them pop, which was unusual. She didn’t often put on makeup anymore.

  Once her mom was finished collecting all her odds and ends, she turned and smiled at Elise. “Okay, kid, let’s go.”

  Chapter Two

  Caitlin

  Caitlin waved at her parents and Elise as she backed out of the driveway. She plastered a fake smile on her face until she was sure they couldn’t see her. Once safely out of their direct line of sight any essence of optimism slid from her face, replaced with a tiny frown and wrinkled brow. She drove to the parking lot of the grocery store near her parent’s house and parked as far from the entrance as she could get. As she stepped out of her car, she pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

  Up until three months prior, she worked in the grocery store as a florist. Even though the pay was minimal, she had truly loved the work. She was able to use her creativity to make beautiful arrangements that brought joy to her customers. She poured her heart into everything she made. It had all been going great until Arthur came into her life nearly a year before.

  It started innocently enough. One day Arthur came in to request a bouquet for his girlfriend. His budget was modest. Nothing that would turn heads but enough to elicit a wide range of blooms. When he came to pick it up his face lit with a radiance of gratitude. He thanked her profusely and slipped her an extra twenty dollars. She tried to refuse, since tips were technically not allowed, but he insisted. She took the money, thankful for the recognition, and thought that was that.

  The next week, Arthur returned asking for another arrangement. He told her how much his girlfriend had loved the previous bouquet while flashing her a toothy grin. Caitlin was flattered and worked hard to produce an even lovelier composition of flowers. Upon his return, Arthur exclaimed about their beauty and slipped her another twenty dollars. Caitlin didn’t protest as much, feeling it was an unfair policy that sh
e couldn’t receive tips.

  Over the next several months Arthur returned on a regular basis. Each time he saw her he gave her the same stunning smile and showered her with compliments. Caitlin was married to a wonderful man who she loved dearly, but she couldn’t deny the male attention was gratifying. As time went by Arthur started coming in later and later to pick up his bouquets until one day he showed up just before she was ready to clock off.

  “Beautiful as always, Caitlin.”

  “Thanks, Arthur. Your girlfriend is spoiled rotten with all the flowers you bring her,” she said as she artfully tied a ribbon around the arrangement.

  He chuckled. “She certainly is. You here for much longer tonight?” His coal black hair was slicked back with gel and his malachite eyes shimmered in the artificial lighting produced above Caitlin’s work station. He had a friendly face, his nose slightly hooked at the end and lines just forming around his eyes. Her mother called them smile lines. He looked to be in his early to mid-thirties.

  “No, I’m actually going to clock off as soon as we’re done here,” Catlin responded, ringing up his purchase.

  He handed her the money, including his general twenty-dollar tip. She took it without complaint. “Well, isn’t that serendipitous timing,” he said, grabbing the flowers. “Would you like to join me for some tea? I know a great little shop nearby.”

  Caitlin shifted on her feet, quelling unanticipated nerves. “I don’t think that would be appropriate. I’m a happily married woman, after all.”

  Arthur laughed. “And as you’re well aware, I’m in a very loving, committed relationship. I just figured we see each other all the time, we might as well get to know each other beyond the confines of your workplace.”