The Void

By Lizann Thompson

Kyomi has only ever been able to trust her dad since he rescued her when she was a kid. But after her father dies, she's left unprotected from an enemy she's been hiding from for years. She runs away from home, making a snap decision to jump into The Big Hole and end her life. 

 

To her surprise, she wakes up the next morning with her father still alive, and a twin sister she's never known. She thought she had escaped her worst fears but she could not run from it. 

 

In a world filled with strangers and enemies, she doesn't know who to trust. Now, she wants to escape again but there's more going on than meets the eye. 

 

Will she run away again or will she finally learn to trust?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lizann Thompson
• Release date: Dec 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223994510

Book preview

1

My fingers pressed against the frosted glass as I look out into the yard from my bedroom window. Uncle Gerald flicks a cigarette bud into the rose bushes. He thinks nobody sees him. Where were all of you when Dad needed you? A bunch of leeches thinking Dad left them something in his Will. My plain black dress suffocates me.

The door handle bangs against the wall as it flies open. Let's make sure there's no embarrassment for me today!

Wretched woman. I bite on my teeth till my jaw hurts, grab the hem of the dress, and push past her. I struggle to squeeze between all the leeches. Some try to approach me, their pitiful faces turned down. I duck my head, dodging elbows and avoiding eye contact. I reach my destination, grabbing fistfuls of drumsticks, grapes, and cheese on a paper plate, and back out of the kitchen door. 

The ice burns my lungs. The dress I’m wearing is not appropriate for the weather. Mom insisted I wear it, though, and I didn't have the strength to argue. Not today. I'd much rather be in my hoodie and jeans, would've been warmer too. The spot under the tree, directly opposite my bedroom window, where Gerald was standing earlier, is the perfect spot to hide. The wet grass soaks my butt, but I don't care. Stretching my legs out in front of me, I pop a grape into my mouth. A shadow looms overhead and I'm about to scream at Gerald to smoke somewhere else. I look up. It’s not him. Mind if I sit?

Benito Bennett, the school's most handsome playboy. 17 years old, with his grey eyes and black hair, I cannot stand him. His nose is always in the air and he thinks he's untouchable. We’ve been in the same grade since pre-school and he’s been bullying me since then.

I do mind, I say. He tests the grass as he crouches next to me, something I failed to do. He takes his blazer off, opens it and places it on the wet grass, then sits on the blazer. Why did you ask if you were going to sit, anyway? I roll my eyes. I'm not sharing.

He shakes his head and frowns. I know your dad just died, but is it necessary to be rude? he says.

Look who's talking! I get up and leave my plate on the grass. Argh!

I clench my fists and storm off, back into the house among the leeches.

I'll never trust that guy. Who does he think he is calling me rude at my dad's funeral? Why is he here in the first place? He doesn't even like me. There you are! my mother says through her teeth. How many times must I tell you to mingle?

She pushes me forward and I crash into the chest of a broad-shouldered male. Backing away slowly, Watch where you're-

Excuse me?

A smooth, thick voice like double cream pours out into my vague memory. As much as I want to, I cannot move. There are goosebumps on my arms and my hair is on end. No one will ever believe you. The voice in my head says. It's the same sultry voice that has terrified me my whole life. 

Kyomi, you remember Blaze?

My mother comes up behind me and smiles at this vermin. How can I forget? I whisper. This makes Blaze smirk. He reaches out his hand to touch my arm. I try to slip away, but my mother is still behind me. Kyomi, watch it! she says when I bump into her. This leaves Blaze with a perfect opening to grab my arm and pull me in for an embrace. For an outsider, this might look like a friendly hug from an older boy. In my ear, he whispers, Now that Daddy’s out of the way, you can finally come with me.

Tears blur my eyes as what he says hits me. My heart constrains within my chest. I need to run! Pulling hard, I take a step back. My foot stomps my mother's and I don't stick around to hear the train of curse words. I run for the back door once again, bumping into every leech in my way.

Once I reach the backyard, I don't stop running. Around the house and down the street. When I get to the main road, I slow down a little to jog. I looked around to see if he followed me. Relief washes over me. I follow the path of the road and head to no place in particular. 'You're a disgrace.' my mother's voice in my head taunts me. How could she not have seen? How could she not know? Dad suspected something was wrong. He told Josh to not bring Blaze around me anymore. I taste the salt on my lips as my cheeks warm with tears. Mom never believes what I say.

You're a no good, lying troublemaker, Mom spits as she slams the door in my memory. I came home and told her I saw her friend at the coffee shop. Who was he with? she asked.

I dunno, some lady.

What lady? What did she look like? she yelled.

She had on a beige-short skirt, white blouse, long brown hair-

Ugh! You're such a liar, Kyomi! She screamed.

I am not! She really had brown hair.

I didn’t understand what the fuss was about. You're no good, lying troublemaker! How dare you accuse Jerry like that!

I—didn't-, huh?

All I could do was stare at the crazed woman standing before me. I didn't know I was accusing anybody of anything.

With the tears rolling down my face and the icy wind whipping my hair, I feel the water start to dry and cause my skin to flake. I stare into a deep pit, and the pit is staring back at me. I didn't even know how I got here. My mind is still swirling with memories and my stomach is doing somersaults, threatening to expel the grapes I just ate. An image of Blake keeps flooding my vision on repeat. I stand at the very edge, looking into the abyss.

The central feature of Kimberley is The Big Hole, where the Kimberlite diamond was extracted. The water below is dark green, with soil and rock-layered walls. There is mining equipment in the distance and the Protea Hotel, with its modern decorations and beautiful green lawn, stands across the hole from where I am. Vaguely, I see movement from the restaurant. The wind whips my jet-black hair into my face. My nose stings and my lips are dry and chapped.

How freeing it would be to just fly. To breathe in the cold fresh air, filling my lungs with it till it expands and burns before the ultimate drop to my certain death. I look out over the thorn trees and bushes as the sun paints the skies and casts an orange and pink light before me, taunting and daring me to jump. Daring me to choose life or death. It is hard to choose. Should I choose to stay, I'd have to face Blaze and my mother. Memory upon memory, like scenes from a movie, plays before my eyelids as I squeeze them tight. Trying to forget the good and the bad. I try to breathe, but it's all too much.

My decision is final. The wind whips my hair back. I take a deep breath and step forward into the unknown.

2

Am I dead? I don't feel dead. What is death supposed to feel like? If I'm not, isn't my body supposed to hurt all over? There's no way I survived that fall. Maybe I'm in heaven? Get real Ky. I smell toast. Ok, so I'm not in the hospital. It's entirely possible that this whole thing is just one terrible nightmare. I could NOT have survived that fall. Please, please tell me I didn't survive that fall.

Rise and shine, kiddo. Time for school. My eyes pop open and low and behold, standing at my door in an immaculate grey suit — the one we buried him in — is Dad. I'm too stunned to speak. This is heaven then, coz Dad would definitely be in heaven. Except, why would I be? Earth to Ky. Why are you staring at me like that?

He looks confused as I jump up and squeeze my arms around his neck. Dad, is all I can whisper.

Tears fill my eyes as I try to swallow past the lump in my throat. Are you ok, sweetheart? Did you have a nightmare? He holds me close and smooths the back of my head like he did when I ran home from school in fourth grade and Benito Bennett pushed me to the ground and called me horrible names. It must have been a nightmare. I must have dreamed he was dead. He clearly isn't.

Dad, is Kyomi up and ready? We're going to be late!

Who is that!? I pull away from Dad and try to look past his shoulder to see whomever it was that had just called my father, Dad, since I am his only daughter. Will you be ok today, Ky?

Dad looks at me with concern. I couldn't answer him, so I nodded my head. Dad! the girl's whiny voice carries from the other room. Alright, Heather. Ky will be ready in a minute.

Heather? Dad smiles, winks, and closes the door behind him.

I'm left standing in my bedroom, staring at a door. A purple door. Wait. Lilac? My door is supposed to be brown. I finally look around the room I am standing in. At first glance, it looks like my bedroom, but upon further inspection, there are a few changes. The walls aren't cream, they're the palest of pink. Posters decorate the wall, while lights illuminate the mirror of the dressing table.

There are photos posted around the mirror. Tentatively stepping toward the mirror to inspect the photos, they're pictures of me. Pictures of Mom holding me as a baby, pictures of me and a girl who looks exactly like me. She has the same black hair that I do. We both have freckles on our noses, but her eyes are bright blue and mine are green. In the picture, we appear to be around 10 years old, with our arms wrapped around each other's shoulders. It looks like we just got out of the pool. We look like we're best friends. We’re identical. I have no memory of ever taking this picture with her. Or with anybody in these photos.

There is even one with me and Benito Bennett. Why would I have a picture of myself and a guy that bullied me? A guy that I would rather die than let him touch me, but here he is. His right arm is around my waist while my arms are around his neck, my head tilted toward the camera and laughing, while he looks at me lovingly with a smile on his face.

I want to puke!

Ky!! Seriously?

The door flies open and an angry-looking girl, the same one from the picture, is staring back at me. Her arms are across her chest as her nostrils flare, glancing at me up and down.

You're STILL in your PJs? Is this some sort of twisted revenge for wearing your dress Friday night? I already apologized for that. Now COME ON, or I will make you WALK to school.

Without waiting for a response, she slammed the door behind her as she exited. And for the second time that morning, I was stunned, staring at the purple door. I find Dad and Heather sitting at the breakfast table in the kitchen. Everything looks the same except for Dad and Heather. Dad isn't supposed to be sitting there, reading the news on a tablet and eating cereal like everything is normal and the last 7 days didn't just happen.

My body double is wolfing down a plate of flapjacks like her life depends on it. I sit and grab a fork full of bacon. Is mom in the shower? I ask. I look around, down the corridor. Silence. I turn to face a pale-looking dad and a scowling Heather.

Are you-

Heather frowns I can't tell if you're being serious right now, Ky. she says. I don't know how to answer her.

She sighs, I know you've taken Mom’s death the hardest and Dad said you're feeling under the weather, so I'm just going to ignore you, okay?

She says it so politely and goes back to eating her pancakes, but Dad gets up, with shiny eyes, kisses my forehead and hers, and leaves without a word. Heather checks the time, panics, and pulls me off my chair before I can get the second bite in.

The morning passes with a blur of faces, some recognizable, some not so much. The bell rings for lunch and Heather once again hooks her arm into mine and pulls me out of the classroom with her. I'm guessing we're headed to the cafeteria. She says nothing to me and I do not know what to say.

Hey Ky, a guy passes me, nodding his head. I don't know him. I'm trying not to look as freaked out as I feel.

All the way down the hall, everybody nods and waves. But I do not recognize one face. Nor would I want to. This place creeps me out. What kind of suburbia is this where everyone is nice? Hey babe, I feel arms wrap around my waist from behind me and my breath hitches. I push away from him immediately and scowl. I never allow people to touch me. "Ugh, really Benito? I was just about to steal my sister away for a bite to eat before I lost you to