A Voice Stolen And Forever Silenced
Chapter One: The Talking Moon Marked Cat

Serena

The day I learned why the shadow silenced me started out pretty normally. I was doing my chores for Grandpa, singing to myself, and trying to distract myself so that I didn't remember what the day was, but I knew I couldn't. I could never forget what happened.

Exactly eight years ago, when I was six, a shadow broke into my family's home in the dead of night, when my parents were asleep. I was awake, because I knew something was wrong.

First it killed my parents and my unborn little brother, and then it tried to kill me. I suppose it assumed I was dead after it slashed me in so many places that I had numerous nearly invisible scars from it and didn't stick around to make sure I actually did die, because I'm still alive.

The police found me the next morning, bawling my eyes out, unable to tell them what happened, and why my family was now dead while I still lived. I had no idea why the shadow wanted to kill me (at least, I assumed it was me the shadow as after, because it toyed with me first, slashing random parts of my body, enough to bleed a decent amount, but not enough that I would bleed out quickly), but I did know that it was sent by someone it called 'Queen Beryl' and mistook me for someone else as it called me 'Serenity' instead of Serena. Maybe we looked alike or something, and that was why the monster confused me with this 'Serenity' person?

I went into foster care for about around two years after that, because rehabilitation took a year (the shadow's slashes severed a few muscles in my legs which I was able to get fixed, though I had to relearn how to walk) getting passed around from family to family because no one wanted to deal with the problems that arose from the attack.

In the hopes of getting adopted, I ditched the ball and pigtail hairstyle I used to have and cut it short, around my ears or so. Looking back on it, I'm glad I did, because it became so much easier to take care of, even if it didn't help me get adopted.

Finally, after getting taken back to the orphanage for what must have been the fiftieth time, Grandpa and Ray came to see about finding Ray a brother or sister since her parents had just died. It was Ray who spotted me cowering in the corner, trying desperately to protect myself from the bullies who were picking on me because of the problems I had.

She marched over there, umbrella in hand (because it had been raining that day— the only reason I remember that is because of what she did to the bullies with the umbrella) and proceeded to tell them off, demanding that they stop picking on me.

When they refused, she beat them senseless, black and blue with her umbrella. Not usually a deadly weapon, but in my sister's hands . . .

After making sure I was alright, she went over to Grandpa and announced that she had found her new sister. I was flabbergasted. So much so in fact that I think I nearly fainted. None of the adopters who had come to the orphanage had wanted to deal with the problems I had.

She told him that she had to protect me— because at that point, I was still too much in shock from the attack and couldn't protect myself.

"Hey sis," Ray's telepathic voice sounded in my mind. Partly because of our shared psychic powers and partly because of other things, we can talk mind to mind. It doesn't work with anyone else except Grandpa, though, likely because he was just a little bit psychic too. "There are some kids picking on a cat near the front. I can see them out the kitchen window. Could you take care of them? You're the closest. The Deadly Weapon is in the hallway."

I nodded, smiling despite the futility of the action. "Got it."

What was the Deadly Weapon? Not a gun, not a baseball bat, not anything you'd expect to be a weapon, but the very same umbrella Ray used to defend me all those years ago.

"Thanks. I'd handle it myself, but I'm a little occupied making sure that lunch turns out okay."

I snorted. "Grandpa could burn water without trying to."

"Hey!" Grandpa protested telepathically, making sure that I heard his protest despite the fact that we all knew it was true. "I'm not that bad!"

I merely grinned and fetched the Deadly Weapon from the hall. Holding it like I would a sword, I charged the boys. "You brats had better leave that cat alone or else." I shouted at them. They couldn't hear me, of course, but that was no surprise. They didn't, however, need to hear me to get the message, and ran off with their tails between their legs.

"We're sorry!" They wailed. I merely rolled my eyes. They weren't sorry, and were only saying that so as not to get beaten senseless, black and blue any more than they already were.

I picked up the cat and inspected it to make sure it was okay, and when I decided it was, I set it down and let it go on its way. I didn't notice it watching me as I turned my back to finish my sweeping and put the Deadly Weapon back where it belonged.

"So," Ray asked as I entered, finally done with my sweeping. "How'd it go?" I raised an eyebrow. "Good point. They ran off with their tails between their legs, claiming they were sorry even though we both know they weren't. What happened to the cat?"

I shrugged. 'It looked okay, so I set it down and it probably went on its merry way.'

"Probably." Grandpa agreed. "With an unusual mark like that, it's probably someone's pet that doesn't have a collar and is out wandering around."

"Not quite." A voice said from the window.

I turned to see the cat from earlier standing on the open windowsill.

"Who are you?" Ray demanded. "What do you want with us?"

"I am Luna." The cat answered. "And I want nothing from you or the old man, only from your sister. You see, your sister is the only one who can help me. An evil group called the Negaverse has started to launch attacks the human race to collect energy for the Negaforce, led by a woman who once came from Earth called Queen Beryl."

The blood drained from my face and I hurriedly signed a question to Ray to pass on to Luna.

"My sister would like to know if this 'Queen Beryl' commands shadow monsters." Ray translated. "She was attacked by one on this day, eight years ago."

"Yes," Luna replied. "But why can't your sister just ask me yourself? Why did she ask you in sign language to pass on the question?"

My hand automatically touched the five scars on my throat, about halfway up my neck, where the monster's sharp claws had slashed it that fateful night. The attack hadn't cut my jugular, or I would have been dead, but it had cut something else, something that left me permanently silenced, my voice stolen.

"It isn't obvious?" Grandpa asked, puzzled.

"No. Tell me, why?"

Ray rolled her eyes. "It should be. Eight years ago today, a shadow broke into Serena's family's home in the dead of night and killed her parents before trying to kill her. It wasn't successful, as you can see, but the attack took precious something from her."

"You mean—"

"That's right." She agreed cheerfully. "It took her ability to speak. You see, my sister Serena is mute. And Grandpa and I are the only ones who know."