It was still dark when Danny woke Madeline up that morning. 

"Happy birthday, babe," he said and kissed her. Madeline crinkled her nose and almost told him to eat a mint. Almost. 

"Morning, Danny." 

Danny pulled back the covers, exposing Madeline to the crisp morning air. As always, Danny followed his quick and snappy morning routine. Wake, breakfast, out. Madeline couldn't ever remember a time where she sat by the window and relaxed in the morning, or had time to read a paper. It didn't matter what time it was either, Danny always pushed Madeline out of the house to go to work, seven days a week. 

Madeline constantly had bags hanging from her eyes and an ache persistently pulsed from her back from wiping tables and holding plates of food. Danny forced her into the ground, working in the diner was exhausting- not that Madeline would ever say anything of course- but it was all she could do to force her legs to stay stable underneath her. All Madeline ever wanted to do these days was to fall onto a bed, or even a chair, and close to eyes, never to wake up.  

Her skin seemed to constantly ache from Danny's grip, it writhed and spun in his grip. Whenever he lay near her at night, Madeline felt waves of nausea attack every fibre of her being. Though it had been weeks since he last hit her, Madeline never lost the feeling of numbness from the strength of his palm, striking her skin. In fact, imbedded in her cheek like a war mark, was a small scar from Danny's ring that sliced below her eye in one of Danny's bursts of anger. 

No matter what he did, Madeline didn't dare go to the authorities. Danny had made what her fate would come to pretty clear if she did. Death would be kinder, he had said. 

Madeline believed him. 

All of her money, the few things she owned. Everything would be stripped from her if she left or reported him. Madeline would have no where else to go but the streets. She knew no one else well enough to go to for aid. 

She would have to live in her frightful existence until the end. It was the only way to survive. 

The idea of fighting back was too scary anyway. Madeline just wasn't brave enough. 

After a quick bite to eat, Danny kissed Madeline again and herded her out the door, pushing her bag into her arms. "Make sure you call me when you get there, Madeline," Danny called out into the dark. "You know how it usually is." 

Looking over her shoulder, Madeline saw Danny, illuminated by the streetlights, leaning against his door, watching her walk into the New York morning. His face was cast in shadows, Madeline could just see his brows curved in a frown. His unruly morning hair, cast in the dark shadows gave him the appearance of a prowling lion, stalking it's prey. 

That morning, as she made her way to the diner, as the sun rose over the city, even the trees and buildings seemed to be scowling down at Madeline. She sighed and picked up her pace, making her way to the subway as New York woke up. 

That morning, Madeline kept her eyes cast down and focused on the grey train floor. The train was busy, even at two in the morning. 

"Excuse me," someone said, and in her vision, Madeline saw a pair of muddy boots. She looked up sluggishly and sucked in a breath. Bright blue eyes peered down at her. The man spoke again. "Do you mind?" He gestured to the seat next to her. 

Looking around the train, Madeline saw many empty spots where the man could have sat. Still, she nodded slowly and moved her bag onto her lap and hugged it tightly. "Sure." 

The man sat down and stared straight ahead. Nervously, Arabella glanced at him and then back to his shoes that were covered in dried mud and matted leaves. Curious. 

The man's hair was tied back now and his striking eyes were framed by dark, blue liner. He had a dark, spiralling tattoo that snuck up his neck from below the collar of the dark jacket. Below his ear, Madeline could see a different tattoo. It was some sort of word, in a language she did not recognise. 

"It means the stars will remember." 

Madeline squeaked and looked up sharply. Now, his eyes were focused on her. He did not blink, and he seemed to gaze deep into her soul. 

"Uh, remember what?" she asked quietly and pulled her bag closer to her chest. 

The man did not answer, nor did he speak again during the entire trip. When it was finally time for Madeline to get off, it felt as though the train's walls were pushing down on her. She took a large breath of fresh air once she reached the top of the stairs at the entrance to the subway then looked behind her for any sign of the man. 

But he hadn't gotten off the train. 

Madeline walked briskly and reached Mocha City earlier than expected. 

She unlocked the door and instantly the scent of coffee and flowers hit her senses. The cafe was clean and quiet. Madeline flicked the lights on and made her way the the bench. She threw her bag into the employee cubbyhole and cleaned her hands. Humming as she did so, Madeline's eyes were pulled to the windows where the lights from the city lit up the flowers alongside the path. They were blooming early. Beautiful as they were, it was strange for them to be flowering so early in the year. She turned the tap off and wandered out the cafe door. 

Someone was standing outside, holding a paper, rolled up in their hands. "Beautiful flowers aren't they?" 

Madeline looked at the woman. "I'm sorry but we're closed right now-" 

The woman held up her hands and shook her head. "I'm not here for coffee." The woman was tall and had dark skin with piercing green eyes. Her hair fell down her back in waves, ripples of green highlighted her dark hair. She sat down and rearranged her strange outfit. She was wearing tight black pants and a shining silver top that resembled tinfoil. A purple cloak was fastened around her shoulders by a gold clip that glinted in the lights of the cafe. She motioned for Madeline to sit at the chair opposite her. 

"Uh, OK," Madeline said and perched lightly on the edge of the wicker seat. Suddenly, the woman reached out and her fingertips brushed Madeline's cheek softly. "Oh!" Madeline gasped and pulled back sharply.

The woman pulled her arm back quickly, her face contorted. "I'm so sorry!" And she truely looked regretful. Her cheeks blazed pink and she bit her lip nervously. 

Madeline wrung her hands together and glanced back to the cafe that still needed to be set up and opened. If Steven found out she opened late, he would dock her pay and tell Danny. "What are you after?" Madeline asked the woman, "I'm sure there's some left over food in the cabinet?" 

The woman stared for a moment, her gaze lingered on Madeline's face and fell down to her neck. Her eyes widened and her lips twitched. Then she shook her head and stood up. "I'm not here for breakfast either. Again, I'm so sorry." As she made her way out of the alley and onto the streets of New York, she looked back. "Happy birthday." 

Madeline snapped her gaze to the back of the retreating woman, her heart began to thud quickly in her chest. How did she know it was her birthday? Did she even know who she was? Who was that woman anyway? A million questions ran rampant through Madeline's head, it felt as though she would explode any second now. Legs shaking, Madeline stood and went back inside the cafe. 

Two strange people in one day. 

Madeline felt violated. 

She wanted to be sick. 

Confused and scared, Madeline leant against the bench and sunk down. The floor was cold but Madeline didn't notice. She stuffed her hand into her pocket and pulled out her phone. It trembled in her grasp. Madeline turned it on and saw Danny's contact. With a jolt, she realised she had forgotten to call him. It was way past the time she should have contacted him by now. He would be mad- fuming. With trembling fingers, she pressed his contact and held the phone up to her ear. 

He picked it up after one ring. 

"What the hell, Madeline!" He yelled. Madeline flinched at the volume and held it at a distance. Tears welled up. 

"I'm sorry, Danny! I didn't mean to, I-" 

"I don't give a flying-" 

Madeline cried out and fell against the floor, dropping the phone. But Danny was yelling so loudly, she could still hear him from the phone that lay next to her face. 

"I've called my Uncle and I'm coming to the cafe right now, Madeline. I swear to God, you won't forget to follow my instructions again. You won't be leaving the house again! Don't move or I will make sure you won't be able to move again for months!" 

The phone went silent and turned off. Madeline let out a sob, felt it push through her throat like a rabid animal. She shook violently and lay on the ground, her cheek pressing into the cold ground. Salty tears pooled around her and she hated herself for being so weak and so afraid of fighting back. 

She hated herself. 

Period.

And so she waited for Danny to arrive and hoped that maybe, he would have cooled off on the drive over. 

But when the door opened next, it was not Danny who came through, but the strange man from the subway and the woman from earlier. 

She cried out and rushed forward. Madeline felt her arms scoop underneath her and lift her off the ground. 

"We have to get her out of here!" the woman said to the man. His blue eyes glanced at the phone and his brows furrowed. 

"Leave that thing, let's get her home." 

The woman pulled Madeline's arm around her shoulder and hauled her to her feet. She pulled her along and out the door. 

"Wait!" Madeline slurred through her tears, "wait, where are you taking me? Who are you? Stop! Please." 

The woman glanced over and shushed her gently. "You're safe now. Come with us. We're taking you home." 

Madeline must have been delirious, because out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the flowers from earlier snake from the bush and come towards them. She shrieked and whipped her head around. The woman's eyes were glowing green. Madeline whined and tried to pull away. She wrenched her arm from the woman and tried to sprint back to the cafe, but the flowers and vines wrapped around her ankles and pulled her off her feet. Madeline fell forward, The ground rushed to meet her face, she closed her eyes and pulled her arms to her face. But the ground never made contact, more vines had wrapped around her torso and were pulling her back to the two strangers. 

"Lyra!" The man shouted. "We have to go right now!" 

The woman, Lyra, turned to face her companion and her eyes widened as she saw Danny getting out of a cab. She made a gesture and the vines jerked Madeline to her side. She wrapped her arm around Madeline's torso and leaped to the man's side. 

"Hey!" Danny had seen them. He swore in shock and began sprinting towards them. Lyra glanced at Danny then back to her friend, worry was etched on her features. 

"Hurry up, Alonzo! He's getting too close!" 

Alonzo blinked tightly and when he opened his eyes again, they were glowing a brilliant blue. He clasped his hands together, muttered something under his breath then drew his hands outwards. A surge of light erupted from his hands and a round disc formed. It floated off the ground and grew bigger as Alonzo made fast gestures around it. Soon it was the size of a large door. The blue light pulsed and Alonzo looked back at Lyra and Madeline. "Let's go home." 

He leaped through the light and Madeline screeched when he did not come out the other side. Danny was almost at them now, he was waving furiously and shouting something. Madeline couldn't hear. Lyra pushed her arms forward, palms facing the round light. The vines surged forward and the last thing Madeline saw was Lyra following her into the light and it closing just as Danny was reaching out. 

Everything went dark.