Comic #1 THE BEGINNING
CHRISTINE: Esther, run!
ESTHER: No Mom! I'm not leaving you!
CHRISTINE: Go! I'll be fine! Get Gabe and get out of the house!
Esther and Christine are both in tears as Christine struggles to get up from the floor. Esther ran to Gabriel's room and locked the door behind her.
ESTHER: Come on Gabriel. We have to go.
GABRIEL: But where's Mommy. I want Mommy.
ESTHER: Not now Gabe.
It is 11:43 PM and Esther's father, Karton, came home late from a club, drunk. Her parents have been fighting again. Ever since Esther could remember her dad beat her, her mom, and her bother, Gabriel. Esther was 12 now and Gabriel was 3. Tonight was different from the others. Karton came home with a gun. There was no time for Esther to think about where he got it. She began to pack Gabriel's bag with his clothes but she came to a stop when she heard a bang at the door. It was Karton.
KARTON: I know your in there! Open this door, now!
The door handle jiggled. Esther was scared and her hands shook with terror. She looked around the room until her eyes fixed on the window. She put down the bag and began to unlock and lift the thin glass.
ESTHER: Okay Gabe, come here.
Gabriel slowly made his way to Esther. She lifted him and placed him right outside the window. She followed right after him. They began to run down the dark sidewalk when Esther remembered something important. Placing Gabriel into her neighbor's bush with the bag, her heart began to explode with fear.
ESTHER: You stay here, okay?
GABRIEL: Okay.
ESTHER: Alright, I'll be right back. Don't move from this spot.
Esther turned and ran back to the house. She walked up slowly outside the bedroom that her and her brother shared and opened the window as quietly as she could. When she was finally inside she went to her desk and pulled out a small wad of cash that she had been saving for years. Esther was planning on geting an education, but with this bump in the road she knew this would change. Picking up her school backpack she began packing some of her own clothing. When the backpack could hold no more she headed back to the window. With one leg out of the winodw she heard a gunshot go off. Esther let out a small yelp and then there was silence. She didn't move an inch. Setting down her bag, she cracked her bedroom door. She could see her mom in the kitchen on the floor. Christine didn't move. It was like her body was lifeless. Esther's heart stopped she knew what had happened and let out wail. Her dad must have heard because there were footsteps coming down the hallway. She had to get out of there. She grabbed the bag quickly but silently made it out of the window. Knowing her dad would be right behind her, she didn't stop running. Making it to the bush where Gabriel was, she already felt like there was nothing left inside of her. She picked Gabe up with tears in her eyes. looking back to see if there was someone following her, Gabriel's lip began to quiver.
GABRIEL: Where are we going?
Esther looked at Gabriel and smiled even though there was no hiding the pain.
ESTHER: We're going on an adventure.
Since Esther and her family lived in the south side of Kentucky, she thought that it would be smart to go up north. The two of them took a train to the northeast side of Kentucky with the money that they had until they came to a small town. There was no other family for them to turn to so they were on their own from there. Esther found a small, abandonned shack where there was shelter. She knew that she had to take control and help Gabriel and herself through life. Esther got a job working as a waitress at a restruant called "John's Grilled Burgers". The pay there wasn't much. Only four dollars an hour, but it was enough to keep her small family of two alive. The job came with risks. She had to leave Gabriel at home because she couldn't take him to past and everything stayed the same. Esther was now 16 and Gabriel's Birthday to be 7 was today. Winter was here and was much colder than usual. Esther was working her daily shift.
SUSIE: How's thing's been going darlin'?
Susie was an older woman that gave Esther her job. She worked there ever since the restraunt opened.
ESTHER: It's Gabe's Birthday today. I plan on getting him something but I don't know what.
SUSIE: Get him a toy car. My grandsons absolutley love those. By the way, how is Gabriel?
ESTHER: He's got a cough but I'm sure it's nothing but the common cold.
SUSIE: You need to take him to a doctor. Pneumonia has been real bad this year.
Esther couldn't take him to the doctor. She barely had enough money to keep food on the table. As the day came to an end Esther finished clearing off the tables and could go home. When she began to walk home she stopped by the small toy store and found a small red car. It wasn't much but it was all she could afford. She doesn't have the money for a vehicle so she has walk out of town to get to her small home in the middle of a field. When she finally made it home she wasn't even completely in the door when Gabriel came to greet her with a hug.
GABRIEL: I missed you Esther!
ESTHER: I missed you too.
Esther smiled and got on her knees. She reached into her bag and pulled out the small car and gave it to Gabriel. Gabriel's face was stunned. He took the car and jumped up and down with excitement.
GABRIEL: Thankyou so much Esther!
ESTHER: Your welcome, buddy. Happy Birthday. Now go get cleaned up for dinner.
GABRIEL: Okay.
Gabriel put down the car and went to a small bucket of water that was recent rain. Tonight they had canned beans to eat as usual. Esther warmed them up over a small fire and put them on two plastic plates. When they were finished eating they put up their dishes and climbed into a pallet of pillows and blankets that Esther had found.
ESTHER: Time to go to sleep.
Esther wrapped Gabriel in her arms and kissed him on the forehead.
ESTHER: Goodnight. I love you.
GABRIEL: I love you too.
Esther was almost asleep when Gabriel woke up and coughed.
GABRIEL: Esther, I can't sleep. Will you tell me a story about Momma.
Esther sat up and nodded.
ESTHER: Momma was the most beautiful woman you could have ever seen. She had long thick brown hair and blue eyes, like yours, that you could get lost in. She was fearless and never stopped fighting. She loved you and me with all her heart.
Esther looked at Gabriel. He had his eyes shut and was sleeping as calm as the grass in the field. Esther smiled and layed back down. It wasn't 5 minutes until she was asleep, too. The next morning Esther woke up to get ready for work. Usually Gabriel was up by this time but he was still asleep and he looked tired so Esther didn't bother waking him up. Esther checked into work that morning late. In the middle of cleaning off a table Esther was interrupted.
JASON: Esther, my office. Now.
Esther wiped her hands off on her apron and walked into the office of the manager of John's Grilled Burgers. Esther didn't know what was wrong and she was worried about her job.
ESTHER: Yes, sir?
JASON: You have been late for a while now and I want to know your excuse.
ESTHER: Well, sir, I have to walk to town. I don't have a vehicle. I wake up at five just to get here.
JASON: Well then get up earlier. I will not have this any more. If this happens again you are out of a job.
ESTHER: Yes, sir.
Esther bowed her head and and walked out of the room. Her hands shook with fear of losing her job. The day came to an end and Esther made her usual walk home. As she walked through the door there was no one there to meet her.
ESTHER: Gabe, I'm home. Gabe?
Esther looked around and her eyes finally fixed on her little brother laying in the floor. Esther dropped her bag and ran to Gabriel.
ESTHER: Gabe?!
Gabriel was barely breathing and wasn't responding. Esther picked him up and layed him on the pallet. She placed a cold rag on his head to keep his temperature down. Hours passed and nothing changed. Esther sat down beside him with tears rolling down her cheeks. She pulled him into her lap.
ESTHER: Gabriel... I can't live without you so please don't leave.
Gabriel's eyes fluttered open and he let out a cough. He was so weak that it was hard for him to say a single word.
GABRIEL: Esther?
ESTHER: Yes, Gabe?
GABRIEL: I see Momma.
Esther smiled.
ESTHER: You do?
GABRIEL: Yes. She's wearing a white robe and she looks like an angel.
ESTHER: She was an angel.
GABRIEL: I'm scared, Esther.
ESTHER: Don't be. Everything will be okay.
GABRIEL: Esther?
ESTHER: Yes?
GABRIEL: I love you.
There was silence and Esther's eyes let out more tears. She pulled Gabriel closer to her.
ESTHER: I love you too.
There was no more breath left in Gabriel. Esther rocked him back and forth and sang him the song that her mother always sang to her. She layed him onto the pallet and went outside into the field with a shovel and began to dig a hole where her brother would come to rest. Once she was finished she layed him into the hole. Then she realized that his hands were clasped together. She unfolded them and in his hands was the small car. Esther put his hands back together and began to fill in the hole. By the time she was finished she was on her knees. It was over for her. There was no more joy in her life. She closed her eyes and fell asleep on the small dirtmound. It had been about 3 hours since she had been out there when a loud sound woke her up. She stood up slowly and looked around. Finally the sight of a purple glow caught her eye and she walked towards it. There was a large crator that a meteor had caused. On this meteor there was a small purple gem. Esther was so confused at what to do next that everything that happened in the past day made this all feel like a dream. Esther reached out to touch the gem when it came to her. It wrapped around her like a necklace. All of a sudden a hollogram came from the meteor. A lady popped up wearing the same color of purple as the gem.
LADY: If you are seeing this hollogram it means that this power crystal has found you. I am Kenta, the ruler of the planet Retania. This crystal will give you the power of being able to predict the future, flight, and the fighting skills of a warrior as long as you are wearing it. To activate the uniform press gently on the side of the crystal. If you have any questions just say "cintia" and my image will apear to answer you.
With those last words she dissapeared. Esther looked down at the crystal with her eyes still filled with tears. She knew this was her chance to do something great.