P R O L O G U E

Aoife, who is radiating in her young beauty, did all she could to please her mother. Not that type of please, but to beg for one of the sugary concoctions. With grey eyes wide, tanned button nose and little hands pressed upon the measly greased-up glass; her short-fused mind can't halt anything sort of excitement when it came to picking a type.

Aoife wanted all. Despite her tiny body, anything could easily disappear, having her stomach - in the size of a bladder for a squirrel - growl louder in anticipation. A high-pitched squeal escaped her thin rosy lips in it doing so; knowing full well her mother just might be lenient in giving her daughter the option.

Anna sighs, only thinking about later consequences when it comes to giving her daughter, Aoife, anything within one gram of sweetness. Internally cringing of the last time she had just one bite-sized snickers.

That snickers did not have the word 'calm' in the nutrition chart.

Then again, Anna loves to keep her daughter's enthusiasm to a minimum - even if it means treating her like a spoiled brat.

"Just get her the regular, your caramel delight." Despite Anna's thick greek accent, the clerk did what was asked of her and desired of Aoife.

The clerk is a young women in her early twenties. With wavy, sandy blonde hair contrasting her warm hazel eyes, her everyday smile towards the customers were nothing but genuine. In her mind, if she was having a down day - she could at least give her customers a gentle welcome. It helps her pride just a bit. Even if it means slapping on a fake smile here and there.

Perks of the job.

"Sure miss," she grins with her cool and collected tone; "Is that all?" Anna nods in a way that mostly involved jutting her chin forward with a strained, tight-lipped smile. Anna felt a bit sorry for her daughter's hyper behavior. But the clerk thought it was cute as she nods in return and went to retrieve the fruit covered in diabetes.

Anna turns her face down, tapping on the ebony bundle of banana curls to grab Aoife's attention. Anna feels Aoife needs a limit on this amount of thick and chewy, stickiness. Knowing her tanned child, she will want to put up a fight, however Aoife understands her mother's list of morals. Unlike most kids at her sporting age of 6.

Aoife looks at her mother with a beaming smile, grey eyes seeming lighter by the minute. "Half, nothing more," Anna finalize with teeth only slightly gritting. As predicted, her daughter frowns, eyebrows furrowing together tightly before stomping her foot in disagreement.

Aoife whimpers slightly before boring her now darker grey orbs, into her the exact carbon copy. Aoife chews on her bottom lip as it trembles. Aoife wants to scream and cry to get what she wants, but she knows better. Especially since they're in public.

Taking in a deep breath, suck it up, she thought. Maybe her mother could let her have the rest if she is good today and the following day after.

"Okay, mitéra." Aoife mumbles halfheartedly as her soft grey eyes trail upon the actions of the blonde, hazel-eyed clerk.

***

"Aoife! What are you-, Aoife! Oh my god!" Anna shouts incredulously at her one and only nut-case of a daughter.

She's barely getting one percent of that apple next time. Anna thought in terror as seeing Aoife - who apparently seems to lack the term fear of heights - lithely climb up to the highest tree branch. Anna can feel her heart breaking wondering how the hell her 6 year-old kid managed to sneak away and up this tree.

Last time Anna checked, she was watching Aoife like a hawk. But Aoife has always managed to slither past the clutches of her mother. Although her mother lets her do things, she still uptight to having her own fun of kiddy time. Even if it's to climb a tree or jump in the sea - Aoife will do it regardless of her mother's rules.

Nevertheless, safety is the last thing on Aoife's mind. She see's it as an opportunity and a learning ability to enhance a skill she wishes to pursue in the future. After all, Aoife does and always will, wishes to be one of the greatest women in the world.

Way beyond the scene Aoife creates deep within her mother, it attracted others. Anna hated it. She fucking hates any form of attention compared to her daughter who finds the thrill in eyes that can make you feel disturbed.

Anna never understood this part of her daughter - showering her with any kind of attention she could give. She can only assume Aoife got it from her father. Anna's greek hotrod of a husband lived - and still does - for the sake of other's deploring thoughts.

Wait let's rephrase that. Ex-husband.

Long story short, that hotrod doesn't like closed pants, Anna thought.

Pushing him aside, Anna is struggling to think of how to get her daughter down from the tree; in terms of what Aoife lacks - Anna fears for heights. Even if it's just swinging on a swing. Nope, nada, zilch, never will she ever.

Just no.

After nearly gaining the courage to threaten her daughter's candied apple - two women - seeming around the age of the clerk, came up to Anna.

The two young ladies are both brunettes; the tallest held the greenest eyes in a pure egoistical manner. Anna would be lying if they didn't make her feel smaller and have her heart pound. The other women seemed fairly short; her eyes are brown. Almost like swirling chocolates, this women definitely felt safer.

However, Anna didn't know them so she can't say anything. Despite naturally judging by the cover, for the most part she doubts it until she learns who they really can be. And she was glad she did since the brown-eyed girl smirked and started laughing. She only then stopped after the taller one of them, smacked her on the head and gave an apologetic smile to Anna.

"Sorry about her attitude," the green-eyed girl's voice was eerily mono-tone despite her expression. "Aoife being a bi- Hey!" The tallest rubbed her arm in haste. She hiss from the pinch.

"Now look whose talking," the short one retort; she didn't let the glare of the towering one affect her. "We can get her out of there Anna, if you like?" The short one questions, looking straight into Anna's dark grey eyes.

It seems the two girls forgot the mama bear knew nothing about them. Oops. The slip of Aoife's mother's name and her daughter's, didn't go past Anna's ears; how does she know our names? It took a moment for the girls to realize their loose-lipped mistake.

The shortest scratches the back of her neck. "Uh… you're kind of the talk of the town. Small places have big ears. The elephant is too obvious," the green-eyed girl explains with eyebrows raised and a hint of a squeak in her voice. She was a little nervous of Anna's reaction considering the mother is the new needle in a haystack.

Anna's lips took shape of an 'o'. She did move here about a couple weeks ago to start anew with her daughter. The scandal did nothing but make her life miserable and with Aoife at a young age, Anna refuse to let Aoife be caught in that nasty crossfire.

So she did what she thought was best and cut all ties from the man who hurt her - scratch that - destroyed anything and everything that gave her purpose in life, besides her daughter. As Anna quotes.

For Anna, Aoife was her savior without realizing it. But Anna doesn't notice, Aoife does certain things to keep her mother's thoughts at bay. Including climbing up a tree - which nearly slipped her mind.

Anna stutters to go back to her current target of non-repressed turmoil. "Wh- uh… yo-you said you can help me…?" She feels awkward. Hell, Anna has always struggled to have a proper conversation with anyone. Unless it was someone she knew - it wasn't a problem.

It was a tad worse though when it came to Aoife. Aoife always keeps her busy but those busy bee things revolve around something that can make one assume she's not doing her role as a mother.

It's even worse if they know about the mishap - Anna's face contorts in disgust wishing her eyes never saw the light of truth. Without her conscious paying attention, the two girls managed to retrieve Aoife from the tree. Only one thought passed through Anna's head at this point.

If they know, he's here. Anna feels dead.