So yep another story, why? Cause I was bored, and imagined it in my head, and just had to write it down. Let me know how you like it. And don't worry I'm still working on my other story "My New Hedgehog Life". So yeah I'm gonna stop talking now.
I was 5 years old when I got my first extreme gear. My daddy gave it to me for my birthday, he told my mother that he got it from an old business partner of his that was also an old time buddy. But that didn't calm down my mother, instead it strengthened her rage. That birthday was terrible, all cause of that silly little cyan blue board. I didn't know it would cause such a problem all I remember is her repeating to my father "She wont be one of our ancestors". The fight ended eventually but I never saw that board again. That is until when my mother had to leave for her business trip. My father appeared from behind a corner with the board in his arms. I was speechless as he laid it on the floor before my feet with such ease.
"Daddy isn't this?"
He nodded "But you have to keep it a secret"
"Mommy says secrets are bad"
He chuckled nervously "They are but we'll make an exception"
I picked up the board and out side we went. We practiced for only an hour on how to stand up and use the board. After that I was flying, I was a natural, I was free. Free, a word I never had before really after all I had gymnastics, private tutoring, and had to travel to work with my parents on my free time. My mother also had some very strict rules that would stress anyone out. But this board was a key to my cell. I hated it when the sun went down cause it meant I had to leave my freedom til the next time.
The next morning my mother would be home so my father had to hide the board away.
He tucked me into bed "Remember River" He said to me "Keep this a secret or mommy will have my head and most likely you'll never see that board again"
I nodded
So a routine was created, my mother leaves, board appears, learn new trick, mother comes home, board disappears, and on with my normal life. Oh but how I wish we didn't have to hide the board, so instead I could spend my free time extreme boarding than learning how to do trade and repair machines. But now I would take back history, for how I couldn't have known my horrible future 5 years later because of my key to freedom.
So the years passed nothing changed really but the month of my tenth birthday came my father became a little twitchy and my mother was being more over protective. Then it was a week before my birthday, my father had informed me he was building me a new board, my mother had tucked me into bed since we were planning on throwing a party tomorrow. I was so excited I could hardly sleep so when I heard a car drive into our parking lot. Of course I was curious so I got out of bed and peered out my window. My fathers garage light was still on, the car that drove up had very dark tinted windows, and three dark cloaked ghost appeared from the car walking toward my grandfathers garage. Something twisted in my gut that I rushed to my parents room, my mother was sleeping peacefully, I grabbed her shoulder and shook her to wake.
"River" She mumbled "What is it?"
"There's three black ghost men in daddy's garage"
She looked at me confused, I grabbed her hand pulling her out of bed, reluctantly she followed me to my bedroom window. I pointed out the car but instead of three figures there was only one carrying a red container with a liquid inside it.
"Mommy where's the others and daddy-" I stopped when I saw her face
Her eyes were nothing but fear stricken with a few tears escaping from them.
"Cloud" She gasped
She tightly gripped my wrist and led me to the kitchen hallway that led to the garage. When she finally let go I was pretty sure I would end up with bruises. My mother kneeled down in front of me taking off her necklace that father gave her when he asked her to marry him.
She placed it around my neck "Mommy?'
"River never take this off you understand me"
I nodded
"Good" She whispered "Also, you stay right here" She ordered "Im going to leave the door open a little bit, so if you hear me yell 'Run' you run River, you hear me River, you run."
I nodded again
She sighed in relief then pulled me into a quick hug
"Mommy?" I whispered
She released me from her hug, stroked my cheek, and gave me a quick kiss on the head. She stood up strong and quickly opened the door only to nearly slam it all the way shut.
"Cloud!" She yelled concerned
I went to the crack in the door to see what was happening. Peering through I gasped at the scene. My father was dangling in the air hanging from chains by his hands. His clothes were torn, covered in blood, his face was bruised, and he seemed to be delirious.
"Daddy?" I whispered under my breath
I looked to where I heard my mothers voice. She had ran to my father getting a closer examination of him.
"Wind?" He mumbled
"Cloud" She whispered till a tall figure grabbed her from behind and muffled her voice with his giant hand.
I had to fight the urge to run out there and do something.
My father began to thrash around a bit clearly unhappy with what was going on. The very Muscular ghost man set my mother down in a chair and tied her up.
"I'll ask again Mr. Sky" A voice came from a ghost man who had gold spikes on his hands "Who's board is this"
My mothers eyes widen in realization while I held my breath.
"I told you it's just an old project I've been working on"
Spike hand man let out a sigh of disappointment and snapped his fingers. The Muscular ghost man walked up to my dad and with a blink of the eye punched him in the gut. I had to clasp a hand over my mouth to prevent them from hearing me, while my mother made sure people heard her as she screamed at them.
"Now Mr. Sky we all know that you are lying"
"What happened to you?" My father coughed in a rasped voice "We grew up together"
Spike hand man was silent
"How could you go against your own kind?" My father would have yelled if he had the energy
"Simple really" He answered my father walking up to face him "I left your kind when I was just a babe. And now I'm just simply following in my fathers foot steps, where my family get's what it deserves"
He turned from my father and walked up to my mother he placed a hand under her chin forcing her to look up at him.
"And anyone who can extreme board posses as a problem to that dream" when he finished my mother spat at his face
He immediately removed his hand to wipe off his invisible face
"That was rude" He said calmly
"Bite me" My mother replied
He laughed
"Now where was II ? " he thought for a moment "Ah yes-"
"Sir" The smaller ghost man appeared
"Yes"
"I've finished"
"Oh, good so-"
"And" He interrupted again "I've found this"
He pulled out a small teddy bear with a blue bow tie. Teddy! I yelled in my mind as he passed it over to Spike hand man.
"Oh" He studied it "What is this ?"
"It was in a child's room"
"Really" He looked toward my father "And what of this bears owner"
"I couldn't find them but the bed is still warm, they recently left it"
I began to shiver in fear, I couldn't breath, and my heart began to race rapidly.
Spike hand man gave Teddy back to the smaller ghost. He walked up to my father and with a quick glance punched my father again.
"STOP IT !" My mother yelled when all I could do is let out a gasp.
"The board is just a project you say" He took a step back to examine his work "But once again you are lying Mr. Cloud" He walked over to my father's work bench " And I know it's not for the Rouges since it does not bare their mark and something of this quality can't be for a normal customer" He examined the board "Not to mention it is too small to be for an adult Mr. Cloud" He placed down the board and walked up to my mother "And she clearly as the look of a protective mother in her eyes" Out of no where he snapped his fingers.
Immediately the short framed ghost man began to sniff around the area after he stiffed Teddy.
"I'm guessing a boy...no a girl" Spike hand man declared
My mother began to struggle in her seat, he saw a this.
"Oh don't worry, when I find her, I won't hurt. Hell ! Maybe I'll even take her under my wing or better yet she can marry my son. Yes I think that will do, so that way I'll have a peace of each of you when she gives birth to my grandchild" He laughed manically
My mother was about to speak that is until she heard me scream from surprise from the door swinging open.
"Found you" The smaller ghost man said as he peered down at me
Immediately he grabbed my arm and threw me out into the open still clutching tightly around my arm. I could fell Spike hand man's gaze on me as if he was studying me.
"Ah" He turned to my mother "What a beautiful child you have made" He turned back toward me "My son will absolutely fall for her" He declared happily
I looked at my mother just in time when she mouthed 'Run'. I immediately reacted, stomping on Small ghost man's foot. He screeched in pain letting go of my arm. I jumped over the poarch railing and made a mad dash to the back door in the garage that was next to my father's work bench.
"Get her" Yelled Spike hand man
"Run River" My mother yelled
I grabbed the board knowing it would take me farther than my two feet could do. I looked back to see my mother urging me to keep moving, Muscular ghost man coming at me, and my father, smirking as he gave me his signature wink. And with that I ran out the door before Muscular ghost man could get me. Lucky for me we live right next door to the woods so I jumped on my board and headed off. But it wasn't too long when the trees became too dense for me to board. So quickly thinking on my feet I stashed the board underneath a bush then I crawled into a hole in a nearby tree. It wasn't long til I heard loud, thundering, footsteps come crashing around.
"Uh ward' ya go" He asked himself
I covered my mouth to stop my harsh breathing as he got closer to the tree.
"Hey Stupid" yelled a voice I regonized as the Small ghost man's.
"What" Muscular ghost man asked stupidly
"It's time to go"
"But the little lady?"
"Forget her, the police will show up any minute"
"Okay" he answered disappointingly
As he stomped his way off I fought hard to calm down my rapidly beating heart. And so by the time I had calmed down I was exhausted, but I refused to fall asleep in case my mother called out for me, and so I waited.
I opened my eyes to find myself what looked like in a mechanics shop. Panicked I shot up right only to be caught by an old wrinkled hand. I looked over to see the owner of the hand was indeed an old man who's eyes were filled with kindness.
"Well I'm glad to see your okay"
I stared at him
"Are you hurt at all" he asked nicely
I peered down at my wrist and arm to see some slight bruising. Refusing to open my mouth and speak I just showed him holding up my wrist and pointing toward my arm.
"Nothing major" He said as he examined the bruising
"Hungry? I just finished cooking a pot of stew"
I shook my head no, when really I was starving, but I remember to never trust a stranger.
"Well, if you need anything just let me know"
I looked at him for a moment before I whispered "My board?" To where his ears could barely hear it.
"Oh" he stood up and walked over to a table, bringing back my board " You mean this"
I nodded as I grabbed the board from him and placed it calmly in my lap.
"I have a hard time falling asleep so I went out for a car ride with my dog, then of course he had to do his business, but then he ran off. I went after him, by the time I found him, I had nearly tripped over this thing, and there he was barking and scratching at this tree. I tried to pry him away from it but he refused so I went to see what was inside he could possibly be barking at. And sure enough there you were sound asleep."
I looked at him
"Not knowing the area to well, I thought you was a run away" he peered at me questioningly through his glasses "And knowing what man would I be if I left you out there to freeze, I brought you back to my humble home 'Me. Coals', that's me 'Repair shop'. You've been asleep for about six hours."
I looked away from him as he peered at me again. I picked up my board, threw off the sheet that was drapped over me, jumped off the bed, and headed toward the door.
"Where you going?"
"Home" I said very softly
I opened the door but stopped after I realized I had no idea where I was at,so therefore I had no idea on how to get home. I heard a medal jangling sound, I turned to see Mr. Coal holding a set of car keys in his hand.
"How bout I drive you?"
I didn't know what to say, if I said yes he could do something bad, but if I said no I might not get home and make mom and dad worry about me more. Coming to a conclusion after a seconds thought I nodded.
Mr. Coal whistled as he led me out the door, and came bounding out from behind me was a black lab. I waited for Mr. Coal to lead me to the car with his dog following him obediently to his truck.
"Come on Bruiser, UP." He commanded making Bruiser jump up in the back. The dog obeyed, then Mr. Coal turned to me.
"Okay, you can ride in the back with Bruiser or you can ride up front with me"
Frankly I never had a pet so I was more scared of the dog than . So I walked to the other side of the truck and let myself in.
The car ride, for a better lack of words, was awkward. Mr. Coal kept trying to make small talk but I simply ignored him. Finally he gave up and just turned on the radio. About five minutes away from home though I heard a fire report. Without permission I turned up the static radio.
"A fire broke...around mid...two dead...one possible...police have no evidence for the cause"
"Sweet heart is this-" he broke off "Oh my god"
Immediately once he parked i jumped out of the car. I ran toward my empty home lot that was now reduced to ash. I tore the police line and ran into what would be my garage. I reduced pace and dropped down to my knees tears standing my face endlessly. I felt Mr. Coal wrap his arms around me in comfort. I couldn't move I just felt broken.
"Poor child" He stroked my hair
Bruiser nudged his nose against my arm, whinig. I looked at him, their dangling in his mouth was Teddy. I gently grabbed it from him, instead of the soft fur, it was crusty, singed, and covered in ash.
"Yours" Mr. Coal asked
I nodded
He sighed "Sweetheart, whoever did this, never forget what they looked like, sound like, or why they were here."
I was silent for a moment "River"
"What?"
"My name is...River"
He looked at me
"I'm sorry River but with those men after you you'll have to have a different name"
I nodded
"Sky, please"
He nodded
He hugged me tighter "I'll take care of you, from no on you'll be known as my granddaughter Sky Coal"
I nodded crying even more into the ash, knowing my life was over as River, and now taking on my families name, I will find them, those who killed my parents, and show them no mercy as they have showed me. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a family for a family.
