Chiara Marino, Excerpt #1: Living With Demons



Excerpt #1: Living With Demons
The morning sun cascaded through the windows of the suburban home as Chiara Marino studied herself in the mirror. Her dark, curly hair was impossibly frizzy, her hazel eyes were too small, and her smile showed too much of her teeth. She looked like a boring, plain mouse.
No, she stopped herself. Today is going to be great.
She finished by pulling her hair into her signature style of a messy twist held in place with a pen. Simple and practical.
“It’s okay to admit defeat sometimes,” her older brother’s voice sounded from behind her. “Especially when something is a lost cause.”
He was standing in her doorway with his arms folded casually and his dark hair smoothed back with gel. His appearance was tall and dominating, muscular from years of athletics.
She fixed him with a scowl. “What do you want, Adrian?”
She nearly jumped when she saw a dark billowing cloud of smoke appear on his shoulder. As she tried not to watch, the cloud shifted in and out of a lizard-like appearance, digging its claws into her oblivious brother. It looked like a zombie iguana, with molting scales and rotting flesh hanging off skeletal features. It was the stuff of her personal nightmares.
This nebulous reptilian parasite almost felt like another sibling to her. It had lived in their home for years, leaping from shoulder to shoulder and bringing out the worst in her family, feeding off their negativity.
She had been able to see these creatures for years and yet they still filled her with fear. She felt a chill in the air and the pressure of predatory eyes focused intently on her.
“Just here to remind you about the rules,” Adrian replied.
Chiara held her breath as he strutted closer. “Right, right,” she agreed quickly and counted on her fingers: “No talking to you; no talking about you; and no telling anyone we’re related.”
“Good,” he pinched her nose tightly, which he knew she hated. “Just follow the rules and I won’t have to punish you.” He slapped her cheek with a playful air, but the act had left a sting. “Have a good first day, dork.”
She sighed as he left. The exchange had gone surprisingly well.

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