Extinction Read Online Free Page B

my sins were written with a sharpie on my brow for
all to read. It wasn’t surprising that he didn’t have anything to say to me,
our conversations had always been forced and uncomfortable. I couldn’t remember
a time when we ever had a loving relationship like a father and daughter
should. He had never shown me any affection since the day I was born. For years
I carried the pain with me, yearning for him to love me, but now I accepted it
as a part of life. I didn’t think of him as my father anymore. I even preferred
to call him Robert instead of father, adding to his irritation whenever we did
talk.
    Maybe I reminded him too much of Mom. I didn’t have
many happy childhood memories, not even from before the Vandelrizi invaded
earth. They were always fighting – the sort of fights that usually ended in
something breaking, doors slamming and Mom trying to hide the bruises the next
day. Whenever he was near, her beautiful smile faded and she became nervous and
withdrawn. I never understood why she married him or why she stayed with him
for so long. After the invasion things only got worse, their fighting escalated
into a full out war. 
    I scooted over to the left of the bed and opened the
drawer of the nightstand. I lifted Mom’s picture from it and cradled it in my
hand. It was the only thing I had left of her and my heart filled with the all
too familiar ache whenever I thought of her. I looked so much like her - it was
like staring in the mirror. We could’ve been twins. We had the same honey-colored
hair, but she wore her silky straight hair shoulder length, while mine reached
my lower back in soft waves. She used to love brushing my hair when I was a
little girl, while telling me fairytales. Our favorite story was Rapunzel and I
always solemnly swore I would never cut my hair. 
    We shared the same flawless porcelain skin and
heart-shaped face. Like her, I was small and petite, though I was more
curvaceous than Mom. Even though I was so slender no one would confuse me for a
boy since the moment I got my first bra. 
    No wonder Robert hated me so much. He must see her
every time he looks at me. Only our eyes were different. Hers were chartreuse
green and mine were pale blue, like bleached denim. 
    I wished I was more like her. She was strong and
brave, always selflessly helping others. I was more impulsive and I definitely
didn’t consider myself as brave. She hated the fact that Robert sided with the
Vandelrizi and she didn’t let a moment go by without making her feelings clear,
not backing down no matter what he said or did to her. She spent every day in
Palasium fighting for the slaves. I could never be that fearless. I had spent my
whole life being terrified of him. I returned the picture to the drawer and
closed it.
    I bounced off the bed - a quick shower and then I were
heading to the slave quarters. I helped to dish out water and soup among the
slaves during the day as they worked, even though I knew many of them resented
having me around. There was so little I could to for them, but I tried my best
every day to help in some small way and the fact that Robert totally disapproved
was an added bonus. He expected me to stay at home all day and not mix with the
slaves. I stubbornly disobeyed him and slipped away to the slave quarters every
possible moment.
          I showered and dressed in the white cotton tunic everyone in Palasium was expected to wear.
It wasn’t very pretty but it was light and comfortable during the day in the scorching
heat. Heading down the stairs, the opulence of the room below slammed into me. I
felt nauseous. Gold and Bordeaux red weaved curtains adorned the windows and an
exquisite Persian carpet covered the hardwood floor. Several white leather
couches were spaced around an agar-wood coffee table. On the walls hang
original paintings from the most revered artists. People around us were dying of
hunger and disease and Robert’s main priority was to surround himself with