[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/nQOBFCC.png[/img][/center][hr][color=darkgray][sup]  'The Brown House' - East Warrens, Santa Marta[right]Issue #1.02: Have a Little Faith[/right][/sup][/color][center]

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwVEXGq1WN0][color=white]♬[/color][/url][/center]
[color=a187be][i]'Hi, my name's Stephanie Brown. This is my bedroom.'[/i][/color]

The clock strikes 6:00 AM and an alarm goes off on her smartphone. Its Michael Buble's cover of [i]Feeling Good[/i] blaring out at max volume, demanding she rise to meet the morning. Steph gargled out a groan and rolled over until she was close enough to the nightstand to smack the screen, silencing it. A machine wasn't about to tell her how to live her life.

[color=a187be][i]'And that's...me! I've never been very good at waking up.'[/i][/color]

It was 6:30 AM, announced the alarm, and it was time to get up! The soothing yet energetic sound of jazz drifted through the bedroom, joined by the first rays of sunlight to peak through the window. It was a brand new day for Santa Marta, California, and the first day back to school since the pandemic came to an end. It was a day full of possibilities, hopes, aspirations...and Stephanie wanted none of it. She scrambled to mute her alarm for a second time before she was too awake to regret it.

[color=a187be][i]'Never been very good at anything normal, really.'[/i][/color]

7:00 AM rolled around and Michael Buble started singing right on schedule-

...Aaannnd Stephanie promptly shut him up before he could get two words out. She was quite on top of the whole 'not waking up' thing.

[i][color=a187be]'But- given the whole cluster that was my childhood- can you really blame me?'[/color][/i]

A knock on the door came at 7:45 AM. "Steph, honey, are you almost ready?" Crystal Brown called. "I spotted the bus stopped down the road while I was making us breakfast and came to check up on you." She paused for a beat, listening for a reply that didn't come. "Its waffles, bacon and eggs, by the way, just how you like them! I figured it would be a good way to celebrate going back to school after such a long hiatus. I know this pandemic's made things difficult, especially after the move, but I think..."

[color=a187be][i]'That's my mom: my last, great anchor to reality. She rescued me from Bludhaven almost two years ago, now, no questions asked. I'd do anything for her- except eat her cooking.'[/i][/color]

Stephanie blinked the crust off of her eyes and sat up, her head pounding. The sun was shining right in her face, she could hear her mother's muffled speech from other side of the door, and what was rapidly becoming her least favorite song in the world was playing in the background. Sliding out of bed, Steph stumbled over to the nightstand and plucked up her phone to shut it up. Then she saw the time.

[color=a187be]"Shit!"[/color] She could've sworn it was six-something the last time she checked! How long had she dozed off for?

"Hey!" Mom yelled, her voice muffled by the door between them, "Language!"

Blankets went flying as she leapt outta bed, making a mad dash for her wardrobe. The bus would be gone in five minutes, tops. No time to get ready. Had to throw on the first pair of clothes she found. Deodorant was basically a shower in a can, right? That'd do. Hairbrush for the road. Grab the backpack outta the corner she'd tossed it in all those months ago. Try to tie her shoes and walk at the same time. Fail, fall over. Ouch. Finish tying before getting up. Was that everything?

She looked to the chest at the foot of her bed and her gaze lingered. Its body was all black save for the gold on its hinges, trimmings and lock. The colors were desaturated, the surface scratched and worn down by time. That chest's contents were all she'd brought with her when she left home. 

[color=a187be][i]'I already know what you're going to say. "Steph, you're paranoid! You should be packing rulers, notebooks and, like, calculators, not a grappling hook!" And I know, I know- you're right. You're right! The chances something goes wrong? Super low. But, on the off-chance something DID happen-'[/i][/color]

Another knock on her door shook her out of it. "Sweetie, are you okay? You're going to be late!" Her mom called.

[color=a187be][i]'No. No, not this time.'[/i][/color] Stephanie sprung to her feet and made for the door, quick as could be.

Crystal started to turn the doorknob and step inside. "-You can't be late on your [i]first[/i] day of senior year, Steph. After all, you're-"

Stephanie bolted right past her mom, nearly knocking her over in the process. [color=a187be]"Sorry! In a hurry!"[/color] She called over her shoulder as she jumped onto the stairway handrail and started sliding down it. [color=a187be]"Oh, and-"[/color]

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