Happy birthday to me...
It was Margot's birthday today.
After her eleventh, the day had become a traditionally low-key affair, if she spent it at home at all. If she didn't...well, then there was no guarantee.
Today, though, was different from any other birthday. She was spending it on a strange, semi-magical island surrounded by people from different times, worlds and upbringings. She had never been so far away from her family in her life.
Part of her was saddened by this, and the rest...She wasn't sure.
There was one small thing to be glad about, though - last night, Margot had found a box underneath her bed. She had dropped her lighter and it had rolled underneath it, and when she went to look, she'd found the box instead. And the box was full of cartons of Sweet Afton cigarettes.
She had very carefully removed a packet from a carton and slid the box back underneath the bed, and spent the rest of the night outside, smoking, with a vague smile on her face.
She was still there, in fact. Lying on one of the steps up to the Compound, fingers holding a cigarette, a reflective look in her eyes as she stared up at the sky through the smoke curling from her open mouth.
After her eleventh, the day had become a traditionally low-key affair, if she spent it at home at all. If she didn't...well, then there was no guarantee.
Today, though, was different from any other birthday. She was spending it on a strange, semi-magical island surrounded by people from different times, worlds and upbringings. She had never been so far away from her family in her life.
Part of her was saddened by this, and the rest...She wasn't sure.
There was one small thing to be glad about, though - last night, Margot had found a box underneath her bed. She had dropped her lighter and it had rolled underneath it, and when she went to look, she'd found the box instead. And the box was full of cartons of Sweet Afton cigarettes.
She had very carefully removed a packet from a carton and slid the box back underneath the bed, and spent the rest of the night outside, smoking, with a vague smile on her face.
She was still there, in fact. Lying on one of the steps up to the Compound, fingers holding a cigarette, a reflective look in her eyes as she stared up at the sky through the smoke curling from her open mouth.