I absolutely abhor the smell of lavender.
That's what was growing in the fields that day. I still remember the way the grass lightly scratched my legs as I waded through the hills, Pietre's bark guiding me back to the house. The light wind blowing my small dark pigtails past my shoulders, the dark pink ribbons flowing freely with the breeze.
Chuckles escaped from my small thin lips.
"Wait up Pietre!"
My chest heaved as I climbed the hill, chasing after the increasingly erratic and distant barks.
I called out indiscriminately in the direction of the house. "Mom, Dad I'm bac—"
My feet ground to a stop, my brown boots scraping tracks in the dirt at the top of the hill.
My hands tremored, grey eyes widened in shock, and my throat constricted from the unadulterated fear that possessed me as I saw my Dad crumpled on the porch, cuts and bruises marring every limb. My mother, held up by her black hair with a knife to her throat, and small tears condensing at her eyelids as she gripped desperately at the hand causing her pain.
Bandits.
A small cry erupted from me as I was brashly lifted off the ground, suffocating hands wrapping around my small frame.
With a jolt and a sharp pain across my forehead I was slammed against the ground next to my injured father.
Looking around I saw a hoard of the gruff men stationed randomly in the area surrounding the house.
"Where's the money?!" The bandit holding the knife to my mother, his eyes like sharp ice, shook her vigorously.
She whimpered.
"We don't have any money! We already paid our fee this month—"
There was a loud slap as his strong hand slammed down on her jaw. "You think I care what you already paid you BITCH?!"
"STOP!" I shrieked desperate for this nightmare to end.
"Stay out of this runt!" With a grunt the bandit who had grabbed me kicked his foot back and slammed it into my gut.
The force propelled me backward off the porch and into the dirt, but I barely noticed the impact from the shear amount of pain that erupted in my abdomen.
My body wracked with coughs, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath.
The bandit with the ice blue eyes started again. "I won't ask again! Give us the money!"
My mother grunted, her cheeks now stained wet. There was a slight rustling on the porch as my dad started to stir. His arousal was immediately quelled with a swift quick to the face. There was a sickening crack.
I clenched my fist.
"If you can't pay…"
With a twist of her raven dark hair, she was slammed into the side of the house.
My brow furrowed as fear slowly started to change. It morphed into something else entirely.
"STOP IT!"
With a burst of energy, I sprinted back to the porch. Fueled by nothing but anger and rage I lunged at the blue-eyed bandit, using all my strength to try to grapple him to the ground.
He scoffed.
I winced as he gripped my shoulders, ripping me off him as easily as you would swat a fly.
I won't be deterred!
Gritting my teeth, heels digging into the wood, I charged again.
With a swift motion, he swiped his left arm, dagger still in hand.
"AAAAAAHHH!" A sharp pain seared across my eyes.
My hands went to grip my face, immediately sensing a warm and sticky liquid.
I can't…. I can't see!
I stumbled backward, the pain and lack of vision disorienting me.
Adrenaline rushed through me as I fell backward, falling off the porch and into the dirt. Crumpled and blind.
I quivered. I have to do something!
The icy voice filled my ears, crossing the dark black void.
"You know…you really are pathetic. Even that useless little runt put up more of a fight than both of you combined."
He cackled.
Shut up!
I pushed against the ground trying to force myself back to my feet, but the pain in my eyes and stomach coupled with the unsteadiness of being in the dark prevented me from succeeding.
'Stop hurting them!'
I heard my mother cry out as varying degrees of sickening slaps breached the distance between us.
STOP IT!
As the cry echoed in my heart, a bitter cold overtook me. As I exhaled, I could feel the air grow colder and colder around me.
'Reach out.'
What? Who's there?
The voice resounded clearly in my mind.
'Reach out and take your salvation, Genevieve.'
Hands still quivering, I listened, reaching out to feel something cold and yet…powerful.
As my small fingers wrapped around it, I felt an icy surge welling within me. Unsteadily, I pushed myself to my knees, then to my feet. Slowly, I opened my eyes, the world tinged in crimson.
"What…what's going on? Her hair…" The bandit who kicked me looked to his compatriot who was holding his fist up to my mothers already bruised face. "Is… is that a vision?"
He paused… his once cocky attitude quickly shifting.
I walked slowly back towards the porch, finding new steadiness with every step. My rage spilling deeper into the icy well.
As I stumbled closer, my aura deathly cold, I watched as the bandits who were guarding the path shook ever so slightly.
"Stand your ground! She's just a kid vision or not!" Their leader tried to reassure them.
A shadow casted over me causing me to stop my trek. Looking up I saw dark eyes and light hair, his strong arms shaking around his weapon.
"Move." My words came out low and emotionless. I glared into him, his posture growing increasingly more unsure as I did so.
"B-boss—her eyes…." He stuttered.
I noticed as everyone looked at me, their terror expounding.
"Th-they're red…"
The leader grunted angrily, sweat dripping down the side of his face. "It's just from the injury! Just restrain her already you useless piece of meat!"
Following orders, the lacky lunged at me, the corner of his weapon slicing the ribbon in my hair, causing strands of grey locks to fall around my face.
Paying no mind to the attack, I released a small sample of my rage. The air frosted over, and large frozen spikes shot out of the ground. It's pure white crystal was soon tainted red as the lacky's form hung limp on top of it. A small thud echoed as his weapon crashed into the grass.
Fully consumed with my hatred I didn't even notice the small splotches of maroon that had splattered on my face.
Calmy, I picked up the polearm that had been dropped. It was heavy and awkward in my small hands. But I carried it anyway.
"I don't suppose you'll need this anymore."
My steps echoed as I continued my trek towards the house.
No one approached.
"St-stay right there!" The large bandit who had kicked me held out his hand to stop my journey.
With a quick jab using both my hands, I pushed the polearm up and into his abdomen. He coughed as blood traced the corner of his lips.
Yanking the weapon out, there was a loud thud as his body slammed against the porch wood.
The leader grit his teeth, a loud growl escaping from his throat.
"Don't take another step or I swear I'll kill her!" His blade, still marred with distinct traces my blood, was positioned directly at my mother's neck.
My eyes searched hers. Utter terror and pain marked her face as she was held in place by the monster. Rage tainted every inch of me.
Again, I felt the air freeze over, only this time it concentrated around the weapon I gripped in my hands. I watched as a blade of ice fashioned across the edge of the armament, growing longer and sharper, curving until it became a scythe.
The leader's eyes quivered just as much as his body, the stained blade unsteady against his target.
I smirked.
Mustering all my strength I swung the adapted weapon directly at him. I felt as the icy blade ripped into his back.
His scream was guttural and raspy.
Stopping the blade just before it hit my mother, I reversed the direction, yanking it out.
"What's the matter? I didn't take another step."
I couldn't help but smirk slightly as his body fell backward with the force of the pull.
Looking out across the fields I watched as the remaining bandits scattered as they witnessed their leader fall.
But I wasn't done yet.
With a sprint I bolted out across the grass. I felt my blade dig into each and every one of them. Dark red stains spattering my boots and white skirt. But I couldn't help but notice that as each one fell…I felt stronger.
Before long, I found myself panting in the field in front of the house, surrounded by a pile of corpses.
The rage fading along with the icy cold aura, I waddled back to the house. Shock, confusion and uncertainty clouding my every thought. As I reached the porch, the wood stained two shades darker, I saw my mother, her face bruised and swollen, shaking uncontrollably.
"Mom…"
The words leaked out of my lips, unsure and weak.
She gasped, scrambling across the porch to cover up the crumpled body of my father, his chest heaving unsteadily.
"Go AWAY!" She shrieked, her dark eyes darting to me, every inch of her rebelling against what she had just seen.
Tears welled up in my eyes. "Mom I—"
She tightened a grip around my father's shirt. "STAY AWAY YOU MONSTER!" She shrieked, my footsteps halting at her words.
Don't reject me please.
Tears flooded from her as she stared at me with pitch black daggers. Her whole body shook. Terrified.
But I took care of the monsters, didn't I?
I clenched my fist.
It was clear then, as you used your body to protect my broken father. How you stared at me as if I was an enemy worse than the ones who had beaten you within an inch of your life.
My hands shaking, I turned around and walked away. With the tears of a confused, angry and broken heart staining my cheeks, and nothing but a rusty polearm, I walked away and never looked back.
I did stop momentarily as I heard your sobs echo across the fields. Looking down I saw a small pink ribbon in the grass. Your wails echoing across the sky, begging for my father to wake up, I bent down and picked up the small piece of fabric. And then I kept walking.
Do you know how much it hurt, Mom?
How much it hurt to have the one thing you wanted to protect look at you as if you were nothing more than a disgusting beast. The one person who you wanted to hug you and tell you that everything would be alright to tremor when they saw you.
I don't suppose you do. But I do. And let me tell you. It sure as hell does suck. Almost as much as the smell of lavender.
So, it was then that I decided. If the world is only ever going to see me as a monster. I might as well be the Grim Reaper.