It’s never an ordinary day again after your mother gets abducted by magic, but it was as ordinary a day as it could be for Elene when her turn came. Her morning started off the same as it usually does. The alarm rang out one chime before the young woman in the bed tapped her phone to turn it off. She rolled out of bed and trudged into the bathroom, her eyes still half closed. She splashed water on her face, feeling a bit more alive. She heard the click and thud of her father returning home from work, and she calmly finished getting ready, organizing her space to make it feel more comfortable before she made the bed quickly on her way out of the room with practiced movements.

  As Elene walked through the hallway, her gaze drifted past her mother's portrait, but her hand traced the wall beside it as long as her gait would allow. A cat meowed nearby, the sound muffled by the walls between her and the cat. She delightedly opened the door for a handsome black cat.

  “Why, hello Sneakers. To what do we owe the pleasure?” She said theatrically. The not-quite-stray promptly laid on top of her feet, causing her to giggle softly, her laughter floating around as if bubbles were keeping the sounds afloat. “Quite so, Sneakers.” Elene said, mimicking the high-class accent she imagined noble ladies used to have- she once told her father it was like a little game. She cherished the little games of imagination they played- it made her feel close to her father. She picked up the young cat and, with her foot, closed the door in one smooth, practiced motion before walking back inside.

  “Morning Pumpkin, how are you today?” Her father asked from the hallway door frame. He slowly trudged his way to sit at their low dining room table with three mismatched chairs.

  “I'm doing well! How about you, dad?” Elene said with a smile as she brought Sneakers over to get a scratch from her father. “Well, I just got a promotion.” Her Dad told her with a tired smile and a twinkle in his eye. “And, I got us a treat to celebrate.” Her dad said. “When did you do that?” She asked in muffled excitement as she set down the cat.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “I stopped by the store on my way home from work. Want to eat it now?” He asked rhetorically. “Yes!” She said excitedly, her eyes shining. Elene even made a point of mock-shoving her usual morning reading, a small well well-worn collection of history books, to the side to make room on the table for more cake. Her father chuckled.

  Elene’s father slowly got back up and walked to the small fridge, pulling out a large cupcake and setting it on the small table in front of him. “It’s your favorite - red velvet!” Her father told her with pride. “Thanks, Dad. Congratulations again on your promotion.” She said warmly after they finished devouring the rare treat. “You're welcome, Pumpkin. Things are looking up!” her father said, his rough hands gently squeezing her shoulders from the side in his usual awkward hug.

  With a deep yawn, her father got up from his chair so he could get ready for bed. "I'm heading off to school." She smiled up at him, and he patted her head gently. "Today will be a great day if you choose to make it so," he told her, as he did every morning, and pulled her into an embrace "But there's always tomorrow, Pumpkin." Her dad said gently as he let go to head to his room.

  “Love you Dad! Sleep well.” She said as she went to leave. “Love you too pumpkin.” Her dad said with a deep-set smile that outlined his crow's feet.

  Sneakers' ears twitched. He jumps down from the counter and looks ready to defend the young woman from something. She smiles indulgently at him, thinking it might just be another cockroach her little green-eyed knight wanted to protect her from. A green light ominously glows nearby, disappearing before she rounds the corner. As she rounds the corner, a purple light traces out a strange pattern in front of Sneakers. Sneakers cautiously swiped at it. Elene’s father goes pale as he watches his daughter lunge without thinking, her only instinct to shield the small creature from the light that appeared.

  Elene’s father reacts as quickly as he can, but it’s too late. Elene and Sneakers are gone, and the light has vanished without a trace. Elene’s father collapses to his knees and scratches at the floor, as if trying to dig them out from underneath the vinyl wood. "No, Elene... Not you too..." He clenched his fists to his eyes and tears streamed down his face as he falls to the ground, hugging the last trace of Elene's warmth until he cried himself to sleep.