Chapter 1
Six years had passed since I met the boy in the woods. I had never seen him again. Often i wondered if his claim on me was real, or a bluff to save my life. Either way though, I could not ignore the fact he did save me. It seriously screwed with my ego but he saved my life, and more.
I had, in my mother's terms, "blossomed" into a beautiful young woman. My body had changed dramatically from my 10 year old day's, breasts forming legs becoming longer and fuller with muscle, features maturing into that of a woman. My hair was now a dark brown streaked with copper. I grew a foot or two also, now I could look my father in the eyes easily. Much to my dismay my new body gave me more of a delicate look, slender hips and slight shoulders and such, irritating me to no bounds.
The one thing about me that didn't change were my eyes. My eyes still showed the fury and fire raging inside of me.
After the fight in the woods my father had personally take an interest in my training. He would watch me and give me discreet pointers. I learned that I held my sword (actually a tree branch) wrong. I learned my fists were not correct when I punched, and if I punched something solid my hand would shatter. I learned how to kick something with moving from the backlash. I learned how to control my stance to give myself the best base. Most of all I learned how to listen, how to note quiet subtle things, slight changes in my Father's mood that would hint that he was watching me, changes in his stance that showed displeasure, and masked words that showed praise.
Testing my new ability became my favorite passed time. Often father and I'd sit and talk and I'd point out all the things he never said but he meant. I began to test it in other ways, deciding to learn my mother the way I had mapped out my father.
The first thing I noticed was a heavy depression.
"Odd," I had thought, "that she would hide her sadness from father."
Father would talk to her about anything, bills, a job, worries, regrets, anything! Why would my mother pretend to be happy?
Her facade was strong, it took me months before I began to notice little things. She never smiled on her own, she never took part in any activity with me. She never drew, like most women. She never read the books father had available, she never wrote anything. SHe acted defeated, as if she herself was not a being anymore but it was someone else was running her body.
With each observation, each discovery, my curiosity only grew. I couldn't find answers to my questions, I could only find more questions.
One night I was outside punching a tree to get my endurance up. My fists were scratched and slightly bloody and my body glistened in sweat, eyes more vibrant in the moonlight then the sky.
There was a quiet rattle behind me. It wasn't a baby rattle, it was an odd rattle I'd never heard. This rattle sent shivers up my spines and caused goosebumps to appear on my tired limbs.
The rattle was suddenly accompanied by a quiet hissing. I turned slowly, backing up to press against the tree and stare at the coiled form of a snake. It's shadowed head was up and held back in a striking position and it's tail was up and vibrating with a low rattle.
Sweat dribbled back behind my ear, creating a line of fearful cold down my neck and onto my back and shoulder blade. No one would know I was in danger, I couldn't scream or risk setting the snake off. I couldn't move or risk the same thing. I was trapped like prey.
The screen door to our house shifted opening slowly and a dark figure stepped out holding something long in their hand, like a sword. The figure moved staking towards the snake and me.
The snake's head shifted back further jaw opening in a loud hiss that showed its venomous fangs. I pressed my body against the tree, attempting to mold into the bark and vanish.
The snake's head snapped forward and was abruptly crushed by the fire poker.
The cool iron gleamed as my mother screamed "Don't touch my daughter! Don't touch her! I'll kill you!"
My mother brought the iron poker down on the snake's skull again and again, crushing it with violent club like swings. Her eyes were wide with a violence I had never seen, a protectiveness that was alien to me.
The snake twitched and stopped moving as the fire poker smashed down on its skull for the millionth time. Mother spat down at the body of the snake and waked to me, dragging me back to the screen door. I was too shocked to do anything but let her.
Once in the light mother looked me over carefully, lifting my knuckles to examine the scraped flesh, checking my legs, my arms, my body.
Finally satisfied with her inspecting she pulled me into a tight hug, tears streaming down her delicate cheeks to mingle with my hair.
"I thought I lost you," she whispered, "when I heard the snake."
"You were watching." I breathed, voice stunned and monotone.
She held tighter, "Things that mess with children must be ready to face the mother's wrath."
My mind reeled, had she been watching me the whole time? Did she always watch? Why was she watching? How had she gotten the courage to kill the snake?
Mother pulled away and looked at me, eyes showing a type of fire I had never seen. not in myself, and never in her, "I will not let anyone hurt you. If anyone touches you I will kill them myself."
Anyone…?
Mother pulled me in and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes, feeling something pass between us. It wasn't what was with father, the guiding relationship. It was silence. A silence that spoke many words, made many promises.
Mother came back and looked down at me, eyes flaring with that same odd bright fire, "I will be dead before they lay their hands on you."
Hey guys!
So this chapter just came to me after rereading the prologue, I hope it's not disappointing. I wanted to establishthe main character's relationships, and yes I know her name is a mystery still. Totally purposeful (actually I just have no idea what to name her XD). I'm open to ideas, suggestions, comments, reviews, critiques, etc.
Sorry if this chapter is poorly written, I literally wrote it in like 30 minutes. I got the idea and it just flowed out. It's a tad short, but I don't like chapters to be so long people get bored ;3.
I've gotten a lot of reviews to continue this and I LOVE that, it's so amazing that this idea is so popular! Keep reviewing, thank you all and love you all!
~Hellantroy