The grave digger's Daughter
The moon is full to its fullest and shining nearly as bright as the sun. The silence is broken by small gasps as a dark figure sprint through the grave. The gate is close, indicating that the figure had climbed the gate to get there. There is a faint howl of the hungry predators as they hunt for their meal under the moonlight. The figure shuddered slightly and continued sprinting across the various graves.

"Aaaroooo!" The figure turned behind to face a single silver wolf with a collar. It was decorated with symbols that the figure knew too well. The figure froze with fear and sprint faster away from the wolf who gave chase. Unaware, something slip from his grasp and drop into a small hole. It remained there until a certain blond girl came by.

'Hi. Namine here. I'm 15 and I'm attending Radiant High. My father's a gravedigger and my mom's not here with me. She's gone when I was just 9. My grades are bad but I manage to get through my second year. I'm now a third year. I've got a sister, Avaron.' I roll up my biography in a ball and flung it away.

"Hey there pipsquek." Avaron came into my room and punch me in the head. Hard. "Daddykins gonna tell you something so better go down." Meet Avaron. She's my 'devil' sister. Whenever I got favored over her, she will torture me to death. She has platinum blond hair and very attractive and charming. She can charm your socks off I she wants too. I mean it. Her name means an island of apples. I like to refer them as rotten apples. She's quiet rotten in the inside.

"Namine! I've got good news!" My father's excitement clearly can be heard from the li-ki-di- room. It is a combination of the living room, kitchen and dining room. You get the idea.

I put down my light blue pencil and close my sketchbook before going to the likidi room, Avaron, trailing after me to make sure I obey. My biography lay unattended in the pile of used papers in my bin.

My father is a wizened old man, white haired and very skinny. But he is very strong as he needed the strength to dig holes in the ground that will be filled with a dead body. I did ask him what is so appealing with his job. But the answer I got from him is that they pay enough to sustain the family. And it is an art. That answer made my nose wrinkle. I have better, clearer definitions of art.

Anyway, I made my way down the rickety old staircase. It might give way any moment but my father is quiet useless in fixing stairs and we cannot afford to get somebody to fix it. So it stays that way. Avaron purposely stomp down the stairs to make it wobble.

"Namine, my white horse, I've got good news to announce!" 'White horse' is my pet name to him. But I hate horses. I cannot deny that my hair is so yellow that it is almost white and so is my complexion. So the white stays.

"You're gonna take over your old man when he's crinkled stone and be a grave digger!" My father had a funny way of speech. He uses words that you cannot think of putting in a sentence.

I am shocked to the core. Lately, I have been dreaming of becoming something else greater, an artist. I will draw and make millions out of my drawings. MY papa need not dig graves anymore. And I can prove to my sister that I'm not something that she can pick on. But when I heard the sentence, my dreams instantly shatter in to a million broken pieces. All hope went to the windows and vanish into the sky. There unattainable now.

Avaron smirked at me in a victorious way. I hate her guts but who cares? She's spoiled rotten by father and clearly, the whole town too. I felt like punching her but the last time that happened, I nearly got dragged to jail. She can influence even the toughest men in my time.

"But papa, why me? Why not Avaron?" I cried.

His smile sags a bit. "You know that Avaron is destined to do different things than the family. Anyway," He looks at me with pleading eyes. "You're my little white horse, you can't let me down can you?"

I got switched to automatic. "Yes papa. I will not let you down." I cannot bear to see him sad and disappointed. He is my father after all. Even if that means letting Avaron win which is quite a lot.

He brightens instantly. "Alrighty!" He clasps his hands together. "You will help me tonight! Now," He looks at the church clock right outside our window. "Off to school my little white horse! You can't miss it!"

I remembered something suddenly. Tonight is the night where I will sleep over Asami's house. Great, just great. Avaron smirks again at my expression.

"How could you!" Asami's brilliant green eyes look hurt.

"Asami, please, I'm taking over my father's business and I cannot afford to let him down." I pleaded to her, hoping that she would understand.

Asami is exactly like her name. She has 'morning beauty'. She always looks fresh and has a smooth skin that looks fresh too. She is my friend but not really best. I have no best friend. That is why I always try to avoid losing many good friends.

Hiromi smirks. "I guess being friends with such low class is not good at all Asami. Grave diggers are untrustworthy. She would become one too." I felt like punching her in the face but that would be too 'unladylike' as stated my Hiromi. Anyway, that tactic will always send me to the principal's office.

Hiromi is my nemesis and always will be. She divides people into a high and low class category. And although it might be easier if her attitude is the same as her beauty but no. She has great beauty. Almost takes your breath away as stated from the guys around here. I meanwhile, see only a warty old witch in her place. But everyone is blinded by her beauty and charm. Just like Avaron. They should meet each other.

I hold my breath and walk away. "And you need a bath too. I can smell dead stuff on you!" Hiromi secretly whispers. I ignored her.

"Your mother is so sick of that smell that she throws herself under that car." That's it! I whirled around and slap hard in her face. I punch her in her stomach next. That sends her reeling. Then I kick her. But it

is stopped by a strong but firm hand at my shoulder. I turned around to face a black haired lady. I got caught by Tifa-sensei.

"Stop it Namine. That is enough." She thundered.

"Namine, why did you attack her?" Tifa-sensei looks straight at me but I avert my gaze.

"She called my mother a..a…"

"Namine, those skills I taught you is only for your own safety not to attack others." Anger is clearly seen in her eyes.

"But Tifa-sensei, She-"

"No excuses. Anyway, where is your biography assignment?"

"I did not complete it." I said in a small voice.

"Why?" Tifa-sensei sighs.

"You see, I cannot find anything interesting to write about myself."

Tifa-sensei gently tilts my face up so that I'm completely face to face with her. "You should know that sometimes, we have specialties but we don't always see it." She leans on her arm chair and sighs. "I'll give you until one week to complete that assignment. Go off now."

I close the door behind me and sprint as fast as I could away from her.

The night is very silent except for…

"This is for calling me rotten!" I pushed the spade hard into the ground and heave away some soil.

"This is for calling my mom rotten!" I repeated the action again.

"This is for… huh?"

'Clink!'

There is something in there. I dropped my spade and scrape the wet soil with my fingers. A star-shaped pendant half buried under the soil. I frantically uncover more soil and lift the pendant up to the glowing moon. It is beautiful but who buried a pendant? I gave no more thought of it and slip it inside my pocket.

I lift the spade up and brought it down hard. "This is for…"

"Hey, miss, you look like you needed help." I lift my head up, blond strands of hair cascading down all around me.

It came from a boy no older or younger than me. He has brown spiky hair and the most startling blue eyes. Who is he?

"Who are you?" That sounded different than in my head.

"You need not know it. Here, give me your spade." He came over and took the spade from me. He then goes to work heaving away chunks of soil.

"Why are you here?" My curiosity button is pressed.

"Nothing that you would not know off." He can twist his words well.

That grave is dug in a matter of seconds. I am amazed. Is he a grave digger as well? Or a construction worker? But he's not old enough to work.

"Here," he chucks the spade at me. And left. Just like that. My mind whirled and my brain ticks. I pulled out the pendant.

"Is it a lucky charm?"

It is not quite romantic but I'll try to make it so. R&R!

~SeraphineKH