Chapter One

Tears spilled down my hot cheeks as I shoved myself further into the back of the closet. I had curled into a tight ball with hope that the clothes hanging above me was enough to keep me hidden. Sobs fought against me to rip from my throat but I held them at bay despite the painful ball that lodged itself in my chest.

"Carla Ann Barker, get your ass out here now?" My mother's screams tore through her room as she searched for me.

I remained still afraid of what she just might do if I didn't stay where I was. However, no matter what I did the apartment we lived in was not big enough for me to ever remain hidden long. The light flashed on above me and I froze. Even my brother came to a halt as I listened to the angry gasps of breath my mother made.

Moments later a hand grabbed my ankle and attempted to yank me from my hiding spot. I kicked out with my free foot, only to feel the lash of leather bite into my thigh. I yelped in pain and kicked again and screamed with every bit of energy I had. Once more the belt smacked into my tender skin.

White hot pain arced through my limb as yet another lash met with the previous one. The woman who birthed me continued to pull me out of the closet while continuously hitting me. She didn't care where she hit as long as I was struck.

With every bite of the leather I screamed louder than the last and with every scream I let out she managed to find a way to hit me harder. I kicked just right and managed to hit her wrist. This caused her to drop my ankle and allowed me to scurry back into my hole.

She swore and glared at me before she left the room. Moments later my stepfather stepped into the room with my mother in toe. This time I was yanked hard enough from the closet that my head smashed into the wall. Despite my cry of pain he pinned me down and slapped the belt into my back until I couldn't scream anymore.

The two left the room as I laid on the floor. Sobs mixed with hiccups was the only sound I could make as I struggled to keep my breath even. I heard the two of them bicker about whether or not it was time to send me away. All I could do was await their decision.

I was twelve when that happened. I was being punished for back talk. I had been deeply engrossed in a book when she came in to yell at me for something I can't remember. I said one thing and her temper had flared.

"Can I finish my paragraph please?" I was sincere and hopeful but the smack I received spoke volumes of what she had assumed. That event wasn't the first and certainly not the last, but it's the one that changed it all. That was the day I stopped seeing stars where she was concerned and I realized the monster that she was.

I am now twenty-four and if I had known then what I know now I never would have tried to be a perfect daughter. There was nothing I could do and it wasn't long after that event I was sent off to my grandmothers. Only this became something she never expected. I discovered something truly amazing and beautiful within my dark hole.

I discovered that mythical beings weren't so much of a myth. Alright, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning, or at least the part where my world changed for the better.