1 Chapter 1
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"Come. Let me tell you a story. There was a small boy, alone in the woods. No family, no friends. Just a boy no older than you. He was seven years old when he found two sleeping wolves. He approached them, hungry, dirty and isolated.
'What do you want,boy?' The wolf stood up and stretched over the boy. He circled around him as the other wolf stood up. His presence was intimidating as his shadow consumed the small child. His fur was grey and mucky, often coming to points at the end. His eyes were yellow and green.
'Please,' the boy fell to his knees and started to cry. 'I'm lost. I can't find my parents. I'm hungry and alone and scared! Please help me!' The boy pleaded to the wolves. The second one arose from their slumber and walked towards the boy.
'He's harmless. We can keep him.' The second wolf spoke as she approached him. Her fur was snow white and beautiful. Her eyes were a solid and strong blue. 'They are no threat at all.' She began to rub and lick the boys face. From that day forth for three whole years, they took the kid and treated him as their own. They taught him how to hunt and survive. They taught him to survive by any means possible. Any means. 'Show no fear or remorse and never hesitate for anyone. Not even us.'
On the third year, there was a harsh winter. All crops and plants in the area died and animals were scarce since they all moved.
'Im hungry and cold. This feels like death itself.' The group says together as they moved along through the woods with mo food. For six days and five nights, they went without eating and shelter. On the seventh day, they found a small cave where they gathered wood. That evening, they lit the wood and started a fire for warmth as they sat for the seventh night. The wolves went to sleep blissfully as the fire roared on.
While they slept, the boy took a small knife out of stone and killed the wolves in their sleep. He skinned them and wore their fur for warmth and cooked their meat for food. He didn't hesitate or think twice like they taught him. He wanted to survive. And he did. He had used them to get what he wanted.
That is what you must learn, Riley and Rhea. You feel nothing. You fear nothing. You do what you must. Killing is acceptable. Stealing is acceptable. If you ever feel fear, you swallow that feeling and let that fire die in the pit of your stomach. If a person is in your way of your goal, You do what you need to do to get rid of that person. You even kill. If push comes to shove, you even kill me or your father. You survive by all means. You live by all means."
Patted white walls and piercing silence. There is a constant ringing in my ear as blood leaves my forehead. I scream and scream till my lungs give out. Tears fall down my face and I begin to sob. But my sobs and cries turn into laughter as I sit on the floor with my arms behind my back. I laugh as with every breath I take, the walls close in on me and the white noise gets louder. I laugh as I see them in the corner, watching me with Smiles carved into their faces with a knife. My mind starts to go blank and my eyes dull and glassy. I'm losing myself and all I see is static. There is no black and white, just a large grey area.
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"Bye, Auntie." I say as I put on my black boot and Im about to walk out the door. I have light blue ripped skinny jeans on with a white shirt. I put a burgundy jacket on and grab my book bag.
My aunt says to me from the dinner table. Clutching her cross necklace and shaking out of pure fear. "You are a constant reminder of a mistake my sister made. May the Lord protect me from demons like you. Your presence is heavy and ugly."
"Aww you want a hug?"
"Stay away from me,you foul girl."
"Yea, fuck you too." My aunt isn't the most...stable anymore . And I don't know what happened, she used to be a brain surgeon and always smiling and happy when I saw her as a kid. She took me in when I was young after my mom left but whenever she looks at me, in her words she sees "a demon in the shape of her sister." I'm that constant reminder for her that her sister fucked up. I'm pretty sure she only takes care of me because she feels obligated to. But some nights, she isn't the most...aware of what she's doing. She's threatened me with a knife several times saying she will take my life or threatened suicide to get away from me. She has Schizophrenia so it's never clear on hows she's feeling or what she's thinking. The only thing that is consistent is her religion and her hatred for me. On top of that, ever since I got here, she has gotten so sick, she can't leave her house since she's a safety hazard to others including herself. But then again she doesn't really need to since she's rich. Like really really rich.
She begins to recite a prayer as I leave and walk outside to the front gate where I'm greeted by a all black van and my driver holding the back door open for me.
"Hey Xena, ready for the school today?" He asks me. His smile is always so joyful and warm.and his skin is smooth and dark. I fist bump him and get in the car.
"Yea. Hopefully I get good luck though. Wish me Luck Ezekiel." I reply as I get on my phone.
"Good luck for the birthday Girl. What are you doing for your 16th birthday?" He asks as he closes the door and makes his way to the driver seat.
"I'm going to ask my crush out." Ugh just the thought of him makes me feel wonderful. The butterflies in my stomach. My heart racing. My hands even shake! I have to calm down before I get to school. I just can't wait to see him. Ezekiel drives me to school as we leave my Aunt's mansion.
About fifteen minutes later, we arrive in front of my school.
"Thanks Ezekiel," I get out of the car "cross your fingers for me." I close the door and walk towards my schools entrance.
"Oh my God! Is that the birthday girl????? AND YOU ACTUALLY DID IT!" I turn around to see my closest friend, Alex, coming at me. Her hair was brown, curly and down to almost her butt. She was Hispanic with light skin and small figure. She was wearing all black with a oversized sweater. "You actually dyed half your hair white. Black and white like a chess board. It looks so nice!" She was always ecstatic and when she smiled, all you saw were her light green braces.
"Thanks Alex. Do you think he'll notice???" Oh God I hope he does. My hair is just as Long as Alex's so who wouldn't notice?"I hope he does."
"I don't know but all I know is that you better sit next to him on the trip today." She replies and she's absolutely right. I have to sit next to him.
We walk in and down the hallway to our first class and almost instantly, as usual, all eyes are on me. Complements are thrown at me over and over but I honestly don't care so I keep walking. Just a whole bunch of boys that want my attention or want My body. My Growing breasts and my slim waist is all they see. My thighs and hips is all they "like" about me. I don't waste my time with these simple minded boys, God I hate them. I despise them with my whole being, the way they lust after me. I wished they all would burn to be honest. I wouldn't mind if they all did. My thoughts are interrupted by me as I see him standing outside my classroom door. There he is,Zen. He was tall and and slim yet his body was fit somewhat muscular. His skin was caramel and his eyes were a hazel. His long eyelashes made it look like he always had eyeliner and mascara on. His hair was curly and jet black which ended at his broad shoulders. His jawline was straight and strong. The more I looked at him, the more I admired and loved him. I go over to talk to him about the trip but as I'm doing so, I see a girl go over to him and talk to him. He starts to smile. What is she doing? Why is she talking to him?? She wasn't friends with him this whole school year so why talk to him now? She gives him a hug.
"See you in class, Alex." I say as I speed walk over to Zen. I wanna know what happening but as soon I get closer,Zen let's Elizabeth go and she runs her hand down his chest, near his belt and walks away.The fuck?
I stop in front of him. "Hi Zen!" I remember who he is and my feelings change into a positive. He opens his arms to me and I embrace him, pressing my face on his chest. His long arms wrap around my back and lower waist. We hug for about five seconds, waddling back and forth, then we let go and I look at him with a huge smile on my face.
"Happy birthday Xena! Oh my God, November 16th came in Quick." He says. He smiles so wide that I see his dimples deepen. We had been friends for a year now and for half of that year now, I've wanted so much more. "Um I didn't get you a gift so for the day, I'll do anything you want me to. You name it and the birthday girl gets it."
"I wanted to know if you would like to sit next me today on the trip to the movies? All day so on the bus and in the theater. Then you can drop me home. How's that?" I ask. Please say yes.
"Oh you want to sit next to me. Funny because Elizabeth just asked me the same thing." Oh.
"Oh." I knew she was doing something. She's never even fucking talked to him before but now she wants to.
"I'm going to sit next to you, Xena. You take priority. Plus I never really spoke to her so I don't know how come she wants my number now."
"Woah. Alright. See you on the trip, Zen." This irrelevant bitch. She doesn't even fucking like him, she was dating two other boys last week...at the same time! I don't want my Zen exposed to people like that. I go and sit down in the classroom. In the chair right in front of me is Elizabeth sitting with her friends. They gossip and whisper and laugh as a group. I do my best to ignore them until Elizabeth turns around and flips her red hair as she does was and faces me with a smug look.
"I see you were talking to my boyfriend in the hall. Isn't he cute?" Her sly remark bothers me.
"I wasn't talking to Demitri...or Brandon...or that guy that you fucked behind the school two weeks ago. I was talking to Zen." I'm starting to hate her the more she looks at me.
"Are you trying to say something?"
"I'm saying you are a Fucking slut with no standards. A person filled with problems and complications. Zen doesn't really need that in his life. I don't need my friend to have those issues brought by you. " Im not even being mean at this point, Im actually just stating facts like everyone knows Elizabeth and she has a very large reputation among the boys.
"Since when do you speak for him? Last time I checked, you guys aren't married. Or even fucking dating, Xena. Meaning he's up for grabs." She's right, we aren't married. Not yet at least. But maybe some day it will happen.
"Look, Elizabeth. The only reason I know you is because you pass your body around to every boy you possibly can. Obviously I like Zen. So this is my first and final Warning, stay away from Zen and know your place. He doesn't like you dude, stop trying." My eyes narrow as I say this and I look her straight in the pupils. The bell rings and she turns around and so does her friends. As the moment starts to pass and the teacher steps in front of the class and talks about the trip to the movie theater today as the rest of the students flood in, my mind starts to entertain the idea of Zen being Elizabeth's boyfriend. Him hugging, kissing and catering to someone who doesn't deserve it. And he's so sweet, I know he would do it. My heart starts to race and these thoughts come at me ten fold. I can't focus anymore. All these scenarios in my head start to fill with slight white noise.
"Alrighty, lets go to the movies!" The teacher says as there is a uproar of talking and chairs sliding on the floor. Everyone starts to leave the classroom.
Zen shakes my shoulder, "Hey, you okay?" And I jolt up and stand up to push in my chair.
"Huh? Yea, yea. I'm okay." I say as I try to leave the classroom, avoiding all eye contact.
"Then look at me." His voice was deep and calming whenever he was in a good mood but when he's serious, like he is now, his voice can be intimidating. I look him in his brown eyes. "If you are okay, then why are you frowning on your birthday?"
"It's a secret I'll tell you later." I leave the classroom and head out near the entrance to join the rest of my class to walk onto the school bus. I go and stand next to Alex.
"Hey, I just saw you and Zen in the classroom alone. Did you tell him?" she whispers as her eyes glow in excitement.
"Mm-mm. Not yet. Elizabeth got in the way of that. She may be a problem today and might try to get in the way of me talking to him. Deal with her?" I whisper as I look at Elizabeth as she waits on the line to board on the bus.
"Should be easy enough. Simple minded typical popular girl. Why are we targeting her though? She's never even been near our group before." Alex's tone goes from a whisper to softly speaking.
"Yea but the way she was talking about Zen when I was just talking to her made it seem like she liked him and she barely knows him. Can't really have that. Plus you see those two or three girls she's always with? Might be a problem too," her three friends that I saw sitting next to her in the class are not a big issue, but an issue nonetheless. "You might have to break them up and keep them separated somehow. I won't be there to help you, Alex."
"Yea, I got it. I want you with Zen, it's about time! He obviously likes you so nothing can ruin this day for you. All we gotta do is Divide and Conquer." She puts her fist out with a huge smile on her face. We do our handshake and she looks at me before she goes and bothers Elizabeth.
Divide and Conquer.
I get on the bus and sit in the middle and wait for Zen to come sit next to me which he does. I can smell his cologne and his hair products as he takes off his bag and fixes his sweater.
"What?" He smiles as he notices me admiring him.
"Nothing." I can't help but to admire him. He's just so amazingly handsome with his smooth brown skin and strong jaw...his eyes are hypnotizing as his long eyelashes flutter...ugh focus focus. "Nothing at all."
"Okay, weirdo." He moves closer to me then squeezes my cheeks with one hand, making me make a fish face. "Like a cute fish." His hand warms my face.
"But I'm the weirdo!" I start to joke around with him as the bus pulls off and starts to drive. The entire school bus fills with roaring conversations and laughter, but I only focus on him. Just Zen.
We talk and play fight the entire hour we are on the bus I
Until it stops and we have to get out. We all exit the bus and wait on the sidewalk outside of the theater. Alex comes out of the bus with Elizabeth's group. Elizabeth looks pissed off to the highest degree as she rolls her eyes. Alex looks at me the puts up two fingers together. She separates the two then points them down. God, she's amazing at talking and annoying people. Out teachers hand us our tickets and let's us go inside. As we enter, I notice there is already a lot of people here. A lot of people.
Our teacher steps in front of us to speak, "look,you know how to act in public, don't make me baby you. It's 9:30 right now and our movie starts at 10. Get what you want and be in theater 12 by 10 please. Sit anywhere you want just be there, cool?" She starts to walk away but then steps back in front of us "Oh and Happy birthday Xena." She looked and smiled at me while she pushed up her glasses up.
"Okay you want to get anything before we go into the theater? We can probably find a photo booth or an arcade machine." Zen starts to look around.
"Oooooooooh take me to the photo boothhhh." Oooo memories. He grabs and holds my hand as he leads me away to a small arcade area in the corner of the building. We walk to and into the photo booth where we sit down and he looks at the price of it.
"$10 for Two strips??? That's kinda expensive, Xena." Zen looks at me.
"....pleaseeeee??? It's my birthday and it's also a day I want to remember! Please?" I beg and look at him with sad eyes as I pout.
"Mmmm," He goes in his back pocket and pulls out his wallet. He takes out 10 dollars. "You always make that face because you know I'm gonna say yes no matter what," he starts to mumble "mmmmm birthday girl."
I smile nice and wide. He's so sweet. I just wanna kiss him. Maybe I should. As we take our photos I wait until the last photo to give him a soft kiss on the check last second. I immediately start to blush and look down. Oh my god, what the fuck did I just do? He smiled from ear to ear.
"Friend kiss?" I say, trying to cover it up. But when I say that, his wide smile shrinks and his lips close.
"Friend Kiss." He replies back as I sees bit of sadness in his eyes.
We leave and bounce around the arcade for a bit until we get to the food court and Zen buys means himself food and we head to theater 12.
"So much money spent..." Zen whispers as he looks burned out blindly.
"Thank youuuuuuuuuuu!" We enter the theater and head all the way to the back row in the middle of the row. We dig and I sip my soda in delight. I look down at the theater entrance and Alex enters in with Elizabeth and she immediately curves her to the middle row of the theater.
"Hey Zen?"
"Yea?" He takes a bite of his burger.
"Do you have a crush on anyone?"
He chews some before swallowing and answering, "Yea. I don't think she likes me though."
"...oh. Who?"
"When we get back on the bus, you tell me your secret first then I'll tell you mine. Fair?" He drinks some soda and continues eating.
"Okay fineeeeee." Time passes and we eat all of our food. The movie is one third done and I start getting tired as I start to doze off, constantly jerking my head up from falling asleep. Zen sees this and he puts his arm around me and pulls my face to his shoulder where I can lay my head to sleep. I use in hand to squeeze his face before falling asleep.
He shakes me up gently and I open my eyes slowly and the credits were rolling on the screen. I'm still a little groggy after I get up and stretch and walk to the theater exit. That was a good nap. Outside of theater is our teacher waiting as we pour out. Zen comes and stands behind to me.
"Alright back to the bus! Let's go back to school." She guides us to the entrance. We exit and get on the bus where I go and sit in the same chair and wait for Zen. Elizabeth and her crew walks by and the look at me up and down with mean faces as a way of trying to intimidate me. They head to the back. Zen comes sit after talking to Alex a bit. As we all take our seats, the vibe of the bus is different. Everyone is tired and just want to sleep. I'm still groggy so I wouldn't mind taking another nap. We drive off and me and Zen start talking softly as everyone on the bus is sleeping. I slowly wrap my legs around his waists and my arms around his shoulders.
"Okay I can tell you my secret now." I somewhat whisper. I look him in the face and smile softly. I'm still a little groggy but I'm starting to wake up. "I like you Zen. Like really really like you. I have for a while now.
He smiles really hard and hold my waist. "My secret was that I have a crush on you, Xena."
Really??? "Really????" I ask him, because I just didn't expect him to.
"Yea. I like you a lot."
"Soooooooo....you wanna date?"
"Sure, Xena. I would like that a lot." He smiles and gives me a proper hug and I give him a kiss on the cheek. He's so cute when he's happy. He holds me in his arms for the rest of the ride and we enjoy each other's presence.
Time passes and we get off the bus where we are dismissed to go home. Zen and I say our goodbyes like usual but it feels different this time as I look at him. I can't explain the feeling but There is just more between us now. I wait for Ezekiel to pick me up. Sooner or later, he pulls over and I get it in the van.
"Hey, how was your day?" He asked as he drove me back home.
"Oh, ya know. Boring." I say as I go on my phone to ten messages to Alex.
"SO WHAT HAPPENED?"
"We we dating, Alex lmao"
"OOOOUUUUU!!! Elizabeth seemed really jealous."
"Welp too bad."
Time passes and I arrive home. I walk inside where my aunt is being herself,still at the table where I left her. I walk to my room past her, and I spend hours and hours talking to Zen and Alex individually until I fall asleep.
I wake up slightly, my eyes still blurry, only to see my Aunt's face. She's looking over me, wide eyed and paranoid. My eyes start to focus and I see her hand is all the way in the air holding something.
"What do you need Auntie?" I look at her and my eyes gradually begin to clear. She was holding a large kitchen knife.
"Repent. Repent with the Lord himself." She says as her hands come striking down at me. I put my hands up in defense and stop her hand, but the blade cuts my hand and arm. She began to recite something under her breath . Her arm goes up again and I get up and move out the way.
"Auntie, please! Look at what you're doing!" I try to plead with her but although she is focused, her eyes are glassy. She's not here. She hasn't been for a while. She walks over to me as I back pedal, her walk turns into run as I accidentally back myself into a wall. Her hand lunges at me and I try to stop her arm again but the force was more than I expected and the tip of the knife had pierced my skin.
"Auntie. Please. Don't make me do this." Please, please! Wake up, snap out of it, I need you! She takes her arm back and slashes at my leg.
The static and white noise came in a wave and it had flushed me.
I take her wrist and twist it until her grip loosens. I take the knife and plunge it into her thigh.
"AHHHHHH!!" She screams and cries as I push her down to the floor and straddle her. I wrap my hands around her throat and look her in the eyes. She looks at me and tears leave her eyes as I increase the pressure I put on her throat. Her mouth becomes agape as she tries to cling to air. I press my thumbs down harder. She takes her hands and claws at my arms and skin over and over and over I start to bleed and blood runs down my arms to my finger tips.
"Why did you make me do this? Whoever you are...you aren't my aunt." Her grip loosens as her eyes begin to shut and her grip fades from my arms.
Crush! I let my hands ease up And I let go. She doesn't move an in inch. There are bruises all around her neck and windpipe. I look over her with blood all over me.
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Hi, it's the Author. Nice to meet you all, my name is Xeria. I can't wait for you all to experience Xena's Story the way I intended! :)
