~ Hope: to wish or long for with expectation of fulfilment, somebody or something on which hopes are centered ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many years ago.
The door opened and silence fell over the assembly hall. The principal was a person who demanded respect. Those who didn't pay him this respect were punished for it. Almost every girl or boy had felt the sting of the whip before, leaving dark marks on young skin and innocent souls.
The tall, dark haired boy didn't know about this. He was new here, had just arrived and all eyes were focused on him.
"Children, welcome our new family member, Brennan Mulwray."
The voice cut like a knife through the silence, carrying a loud and clear welcome towards the twelve-year-old boy who looked bored.
The emotion was quickly hidden when the man turned to face him. He'd been in too many foster homes, seen too much to show his emotions in front of an adult.
"We have rules here and I would suggest you follow them. I won't accept any kind of misbehavior. Understood?"
Brennan nodded in agreement or at least, the man thought so.
Turning back to the other children he declared the meeting as over. He left the hall and expected the children to follow him.
Chairs started to move and the noise of around 50 children getting up filled the hall. Boys and girls rushed past Brennan, casting quick glances over his unmoving face. He saw the look in their eyes; they spoke of curiosity and something else. Fear.
He also saw the burn marks. Small and sometimes hidden behind scarves or under hats. What happened here?
A blond haired boy crashed into him, pushing hard against his shoulder and almost causing him to fall down. His eyes were a piercing emerald green and they didn't show a hint of fear in them. Instead, they told Brennan what it was all the children were scared of. Him.
A venomous whisper reached his ears and would have caused many of the other children to back away from the boy. Not Brennan though.
"I am Isaiah, the boss here. You do what I say, got me?"
Putting the bored look back onto his face he stared into the green fire.
"What will you do if I won't do what you say?"
A mean grin spread over the boy's pretty face.
"Then I will make you bow."
Brennan raised an eyebrow in mock disrespect when the girl behind Isaiah caught his attention.
Her eyes were the color of the sky, a bright and shining blue, which caught him by surprise. Her blond hair gleamed like rays of sunlight, swaying in a curtain around her slim shoulders. She wore an old-fashioned dress with a pink bow around her waist.
He would find out later that this was her favourite one.
Their eyes met and everything else seemed unimportant for the moment. Brennan couldn't help the stirring inside his stomach and when she smiled at him, her eyes glittering like the stars, he felt nervous all of a sudden.
In that one second he fell in love for the first time.
A strong hand grabbed the front of his shirt and caught him completely unaware. Slowly coming out of his dream like state, he turned his attention back to the reality staring furiously at him.
"Don't even think about it. She belongs to me!"
Isaiah still had Brennan's shirt between his fingers when he turned towards the girl, almost yelling at her.
"We go now!"
With those words Brennan felt himself pushed back, but again he kept his balance. The boy rushed out of the door he'd opened with such a force it crashed against the wall.
Anger burned inside of Brennan, simply blown away when blue eyes focused on him anew.
He smiled a bit embarrassed but invitingly, causing the girl to blush a little when he winked. The small smile returned to her face and no signs of fear shown in her eyes. It wasn't there before either.
Her voice was as clear as water when she spoke, cooling his heated face and filling him with hope for the first time in many years.
"I don't belong to nobody but myself even if he believes it. Whatever you do, it will be better to play along his rules, big guy. Makes it easier."
Her words were a sharp contrast to the innocent way she looked. They spoke of experience, a life she'd spent in foster homes and many things she'd seen before, good and bad. And still, she was full of hope it seemed. Like him. It was something they had in common.
Her blue eyes never left his brown ones when he shook his head.
"I play by nobody's rules but my own. Don't worry about me."
The last sentence rushed out of his mouth before he could stop it. It was rewarded by sweet laughter, which caused him to blush even more with embarrassment.
"Who said, I do?"
There it was again, the bright smile but sadness quickly washed it from her features. She reached out for his hand but hesitated to touch him. The lightest touch of pink brightened up her cheeks again before she stepped back a bit, as if to convince herself that what she just said or did was wrong.
"Whatever you do, don't let him break you. Don't bow for him."
Held breath flowed from Brennan's mouth as he watched her leave. His thoughts danced like a whirlwind in his head, the sight of her eyes always prominent. For a moment he was nothing more but a twelve-year-old boy and not the tough little fighter he'd become to survive his life since he was left alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, can you hear me? Wake up, come on."
Cool oxygen filled his mouth and nose when the mask was put over it. Hands were all over his weak body; he felt a needle pierce his arm to find the vein. His chest and neck burned as hot as fire and the pain finally caused Brennan to wake up completely and open his eyes.
"There you go. Don't move buddy."
A small flashlight blinded him for a second and with the light came the memories. A small moan escaped Brennan's tortured body before he closed his eyes again.
"Katie."
Tbc~ Across the sea a pale moon rises ~