In the Beginning

Chapter 1

I never thought I would have to face these options: to choose my life over someone else's, to see the fear in their eyes, of not knowing if they were going to die right there and then. It all started two months ago, back when I felt . . . normal, before he came.

I, Sasha Alvarez, was walking out of the middle school I went to. It was small and was made of brick. The lawn was freshly cut and the benches were placed at the side of the building by the cafeteria exit. The flag waved vigorously as the wind blew it. I was walking down the Georgia countryside in the beautiful Eden of Chattooga County, Georgia's best kept secret. Its mid-autumn and the leaves are varied shades of orange, red, purple, and yellow. I'm walking home with my younger brother, my best friend Miriam, and her brother Gabriel. Miriam is tall and slender. She's pale with yellowish blonde hair and quite fashionable. She's wearing a pair of black UGGS, denim black jeans, a cotton red shirt, and matching denim vest. She's also wearing a red hat; that accentuates her long blonde hair, and a black cotton scarf. Her brother, Gabriel, could be her twin except a few slight differences. He too is tall and slender, he is also ghostly pale; but his hair is whiter than the yellowish blonde of his sister. He isn't as fashionable and he only wore a pair of old hiking boots, naturally faded blue jeans, and a long orange shirt covered by his red jacket. He is also two years older, but has caught the eye of a few younger girls. Then there is my not so coordinated brother, Lucas. He has short, straight black hair with natural brown highlights. His eyes are green, like an emerald and shine just as bright. He is just right, not fat but not skinny either. He's just three years younger and not that tall. He's wearing black sneakers with cargo pants and a blue sweater Finally there's me, a 13 year old girl with long black haired and blue eyes that quote on quote by my mother "shine like the water." I was wearing a black miniskirt, pink sweater and black UGGS. Also I had a pink barrette to keep my bangs out of my face.

"Bye Miriam! Bye Gabriel! See you in the early morning," I said while embracing Miriam in a friendly departure, and waving farewell to Gabriel.

The two paid me and Lucas a farewell in unison, "Goodbye!"

Miriam said "Farewell and I shall see you in the morning when we go walking about in the fields."

"Mama, Lucas and I are home!" I yelled. Mama had made her best dish, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and buttered corn. The sound of the crackling skin of the chicken, along with the scent of the creamy mashed potatoes and the yellow buttered corn filled the air like a melodic symphony. The aroma of the chicken filled the air like lilacs and daisies in the blooming summer hill.

"Oh wonderful, you're home! You made it just in time for dinner." My mother hollered from the small kitchen door. My mother is a short, petite woman with wavy hair that frames her face at the chin. Her hair is brown with natural caramel highlights and shiny emerald eyes, much like my brother's. After dinner, my mother brought out her delicious double layered chocolate fudge cake with fresh strawberries and blueberries on top, along with an elegant raspberry puree drizzled lightly on the top. We wolfed down that wonderful cake underneath the blanket of stars above our balcony. After Lucas finishes throwing his temper tantrum, he went to bed as my mother wanted.

The dark trees loom above me as I walk through the gloomy, unknown forest. I stop at a nearby lake, and see a shadowy figure at the opposite end. At a blinding speed, the figure circles the murky waters of the lake in a matter of seconds, and then suddenly stops. More shadows appear from the darkness, and surround me, their faces obscured by dark cloaks. The original figure appears in front of me, and all I can see is their intense blue eyes, burning a hole as they watch me. Suddenly, I feel my feet lifted from the ground. I was being dragged away! I screamed and thrashed in protest, but then everything went dark.

I suddenly sprang up from my bed, and into a seated position, my breathing heavy and my heart racing, my pajama shirt was soaked in sweat. I whispered to myself reassuringly, "It was only a dream, just a dream. " Just then I see a figure outside my door with my mother. It is pouring rain, but he is wearing only a thin overcoat and a hat. My mother seems to be arguing with him, but the rain muffles her voice. I can only hear bits and pieces of the conversation.

"Please…just let me…I need to…she won't understand…" the dark figure pleaded.

"No! I do… wish for you to… here. They cannot know that… are here," my mother argued.

The figure understood and removed his hat, revealing his short, shiny black hair. He reached into his hat, and pulled out what seemed to be a letter. He looked towards the house showing his intense blue eyes. My mother grasped it in an irritated way, but her eyes softened as she read the letter. Just as my mother looked to the figure, his coat was off, revealing his bare chest. He threw the coat to the ground and started to run, faster than I have ever seen, nearly gliding, and then two beautiful white wings popped from his back and he was flying, flying into the darkness of the sky.

"His wings popped out and he suddenly started to fly!" I exclaimed to Miriam.

It took a moment for Miriam to reply, "You sure do have the strangest dreams, Sasha."

"It was no dream! It was real!" I pleaded.

"Are you sure you weren't just dreaming? It was late at night, right? Maybe you were half asleep. You said you had a similar dream when you "woke up" maybe you were still dreaming."She gently picked a flower and began to place it in her yellow blonde hair after a quick sniff.

"Please Miriam! You must believe me! I am telling the truth. What happened last night was no dream!"

"It's not that I don't believeyou. I'm sure that you believe that what you're saying, it's just that you should think more logically. How many men do you know that have wings popping out from their backs?"

"Well…none to be exact. But this was no dream, I promise you! What if I get the letter he gave to my mother? Then would you believe me?"

Miriam reluctantly nodded her head in agreement, but said nothing more. I could see that she thought I was a bit mental. We continued to walk and every once in a while pick a few flowers in silence, until our brothers came from the woods. They came out with Scooter Mr. Merlin's hunting dog, my guess was he paid them to hunt some pheasants and they got plenty, nearly a dozen or so. I quick turned my head as so not to look at them otherwise I would have vomited right there.

"Ugh! No get them away! You know I can't stand to see those poor animals like that!" I screeched as they got closer to me with them.

"Haha relax at least you didn't see us kill 'em it was easy though, they don't put up much of a fight." Gabriel bragged. That's one thing about Gabriel he wasn't humble when it came to hunting. The worst part though is that Lucas is starting to get that habit and it's not the best conversation at home, especially when I'm put in the middle. Gabriel looked like an army soldier; he was wearing camouflage pants and a matching shirt. He had shiny black boots; they probably were Mr. Merlin's and plenty of hunting gear that I knew for sure was Gab's.

"Ah come on spare us the details Gab! Disgusting." Miriam complained to her brother as I turned and walked as far as the others would allow. Just ten feet or so is when Lucas noticed I was leaving.

"Hey sis come on it isn't that bad."

"No it's not that Lucas I don't feel well, sorry Miriam, Gabriel. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Awe, don't be like that Sasha, I'll put them away!" Gabriel hollered as I walked toward the lonely woods.

I had the strangest pain in my at my shoulder blades, I've never felt so much pain I couldn't stand it, I had to go home. Then I suddenly had the urge to hit something, the pain was enraging me, I needed to hit something, anything! When I got close to the forest edge a few trees were there so I took my newly developed rage and hit a skinny tree. The tree split when I hit it! Just as suddenly as it came the pain and anger was gone, but the affects were still there. 'Whoa' I thought, 'it was skinny but not skinny enough for someone as weak as me to split it, then again I wasn't that weak when I hit it now was I?'Now I felt sick I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I usually get that when I'm about to get in trouble with my mom or something bad is about to happen. I started to run and I could feel the bad feeling getting worse, I should have gone back, but just couldn't. My baggy white shorts were fluttering as I ran and so did my short blue sweater. I began to walk through the suddenly scary looking forest when I hear something brush past a bush. At first I think nothing of it until I hear laughter vile, cruel laughter. Then two men from town pop out with beer and small boxes in hand. Their laughter pierces my ears, their sick laughter echoing throughout the woods.

"Hey baby. How are you?" one man snickers

"Oh you have the prettiest black hair" the other says reaching out to touch it.

I slap his hand away and close my eyes. 'No, oh no, why me! Why is this happening?' I thought to myself, while tears stream down my face.

"Awe, Joe you made her cry." The first man mocked.

Just as I they were about to do what they had intended to do, the man with black hair from last night appeared out of nowhere!

"Don't you filth touch her or I'll rip your heads clean off!" he growled. Anger was clearly showed as he moved towards the laughing men.

"Oh look Mike the tough guy is here to save his beautiful little friend!" the one called Joe mocked.

"What are you going to do, huh? It's two against one."Mike questioned.

Then without any words the black haired man ran and grabbed the two by their arms, swung them to the trees, and began to beat them senseless. He looked like a mad man, well not even a man at all, more like an enraged panther clawing its meal. His eyes were wild with furry and his muscles bulged as he sat there just punching the life out of the two men from town. I stood there in shock of what happen and what could have happened. I watched as he just continued to beat the unconscious bodies. I couldn't move. I was frozen there in my spot, shaking violently. I fell to the ground and pushed my shaky body against a tree, trying to compute what was happening. A man I never met is so protective of me that he is sure to try and kill those men. Then suddenly the pain and enragement I felt before came back. My shoulder blades felt as if someone was slitting them with a knife, the pain was worse than before I was sure of it. With my shaky right hand, I crossed it over to my left shoulder blade and crushed it with that amazing strength like I had before. I sat there in that position for what seemed like hours and then notice the black haired man still on top of the men Mike and Joe. Soon Mike and Joe had blood covered bodies and I was sure the other man had broken their faces so badly that they would have trouble breathing. I had to stop him, not for those pathetic fools sake, but for my savor's sake.

"Please stop, they might die! You might be sent to jail if you kill them." I cried. My left hand was leaving an indent on the tree I was up against. After a few more punches the man got up from his place on the unconscious men's backs and came to me. I saw he came up from them for not my jail threat, but for the shaky weakness of my voice. His knuckles stained with blood, but his face so caring and protective, like a father's. Oh how uncontrollably safe I felt by him, I couldn't help but embrace him and then I started to sob. I stood there weeping a tear stain on his blood covered green sweater. He allowed me to do so, just stroking my hair and 'Sshing' me. So many thoughts ran through my head as I stood crying into a stranger's sweater. 'Who is this man? How did he know where to find me and at the right time too. Why does he look like me? His strength is inhuman and the wings from last night were they real?' Those thoughts and many more swept past my mind, but soon a tore myself from our embrace to look into his blue eyes. I had to get some answers to the most basic and important question. Was he human or not?