Bow to The Scythe

Chapter One

Years ago when I was born at Harmony hospital center in a city called Emberlight, within the country of Chalkian Empire, my mom had died when giving birth to me. My father had disappeared after she did, all I know of my mom is her name is Nova Arethusa Medon. I overheard my adoptive parents' conversations many times about my mom, I still remember the first time I heard them talking about her, I was only 10 years old, and they described the horrific sight of my mom covered in blood. I am Arethusa Aedon Damia, and I live with my adoptive family on Nightingale Lane. In school we learn that we are born with a special weapon that is the only thing that can kill you, but is taken away when we are born. We get it back at the age of 16, which tomorrow is my birthday, and I can't stop imagining the type of weapon I could get.

I've imagined many times, on many occasions, what my weapon could be, maybe it's a sword, or something smaller. As I lay on my bed there is a very quiet knock at my door and only a second after the knock I see my brother, Odius, peek his head in the crack in the door. I roll my electric blue eyes as I sit up, with my wild black wavy hair falling to my shoulders.

"What is it you need Odius?" I questioned as I fixed a piercing gaze at him, and as our eyes met it was as if our eyes were really electric, blue against blue, but he as usually was unfazed.

"Just checking in on my little sis and seeing how she's handling the day before the special 16th," He said with a trace of a smile on his lips, his chestnut hair tousled like he just combed his hand through it. He walked right into my room and sat on the end of my bed, as though it was his room.

"I'm a little nervous, what do you think my weapon will be? I hope it's nothing bad," I said while looking across my room at the switchblade, with a wooden handle, on my dresser, fidgeting with my hands. I was given it when I turned 12, it may not kill anyone, but it does hurt badly, and my parents had my initials engraved into the blade.

We all knew I was adopted simply because of looks. My mom has a reddish tint to her dark brown hair, and dad has chocolaty brown hair, but both have hazel eyes. Mom's eyes were a hazel green eyes, but dad's were hazel blue, I guess that's where Odius got his blue eyes from. I was officially told I was adopted the day they gave me the switchblade, I figured they wanted me to be happy, and they knew my fascination with knives since I was a toddler, I never hurt someone unless I had to though.

In a second I couldn't see my room anymore, I was standing in the doorway of the teal colored kitchen, looking at my twelve year old self with my parents. We had just finished dinner, they had Odius go to his room, and tossed worried glances back and forth. At the time I hadn't worried about it until my dad kneeled beside me and took my hand in his. They were slowly telling me that I wasn't really their daughter by blood, but they will always think of me as their own child. They had given me a hug, and brought out a small black, name brand, box from Ara. I knew instantly that it was a knife, but it didn't stop the few tears from falling. I smiled telling them thank you, but as soon as I got in my room I sat the box on the nightstand and curled up on my bed, letting the tears roll endlessly, until I finally fell asleep.

When I blinked in an instant I was staring at my dresser again with tears pricking the corners of my eyes, threatening to fall, and Odius had a worried expression written on his face. "I said your name for five minutes straight," he said as he held up five fingers, "what were you thinking about?"

I shook my head, putting a smile on my face. "Nothing, just nervous for tomorrow," I said, "what if I don't get my weapon?" I looked around the room seeing all my books, I've read the history of The Higher Power, and what it means not to get your weapon.

Odious stood up towering over me, putting his hands on my shoulders, smiling, and said, "Don't worry, you will get your weapon, and it will be as amazing as you are." It eased my mind a little, but there was a tiny voice in the back of my mind saying 'what if I don't though?' I tried to not let the voice get to me, and smile at my brother as he left my room.

I looked at the clock on my nightstand, it showed it was 5:30 pm, and there's only two hours till dinner, for the troublesome questions to begin.  I laid back trying to imagine my weapon, for a split second I saw a scythe. It had a dark oak straight staff with a long blade curving in at the end, on the other side it had a beautiful fox head. I get up, smiling hoping that I get the scythe as my weapon, heading to get clothes ready for bed.

I made my way down the wooden stairs to the teal colored kitchen as flashes of memories of the talk flooded my brain.  I close my eyes trying to get rid of the memories, and get ready for the questions my parents are about to ask, what my brother will ask. As I reach the end of the stairs I hear the laughter of my parents, my mom's a warm and kind high pitch sound whereas my dad's is warm and full of amusement deep sound. I turned to my right, seeing the large brown oak door, I opened it making my way into the room, and everyone turned to look at me, following me with their prying eyes. I sit across from my brother with my dad sitting to my left, and my mom sitting to my right.

"What were you guys laughing about?" I decided to ask to ease into a small conversation. My brother looked around, not wanting to look at me, but I knew he told them. The one thing I was scared of happening tonight, happened. 

Everyone sat there quietly until, "What happened earlier? When your brother was talking with you," I heard my father say in his commanding voice. It was hard not to tell them but I couldn't tell them the truth. The food sitting in front of us was bound to be getting cold, but I didn't feel hungry anymore.

"Nothing happened, I just was thinking of what my weapon could be," I said as I pushed some vegetables around on my plate with a fork. I didn't want to look up and meet their prying gazes. 

 "We aren't so sure about that, look at us and tell us that," came his commanding voice yet again, but I couldn't look up. I couldn't face them, and say that nothing was wrong, and he knew that.

"I don't want to talk about what happened, because nothing actually happened, I only zoned out for a second," I said as I finally lifted my gaze, meeting my brother's electric blue gaze. 

"It was five minutes, you sat there staring off like you were having an episode," Odius spoke this time, and it worried both my parents. It upset me that he told them, and he knew that. "What if it was another episode?"

"It felt like only a few seconds, and it wasn't another episode. It was only a memory," I said their words from the memory came pouring into my ears, as tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I tore my eyes away, looking at my plate. I ate a few vegetables with some mashed potatoes to make mom happy.

"We are sorry honey," my mom's sweet voice flooded my ears. "We only want to make sure you don't have another episode." The last time I had an 'episode' it was my brother who made it up, told them I stared off then started shaking. He acted as if I went crazy, talking about trying to kill him. No matter how much I tried to tell them it didn't happen they still believed him, and I got sent to a hospital for a month. They didn't see anything wrong with me, so I didn't have to stay long. 

I nodded trying to get through dinner quietly but mom wanted to continue to ask questions. "Honey, are you excited for tomorrow, you will get your weapon. What do you think it will be?" she questioned, seeming quite interested, but I shrugged wanting to finish the conversation.

 I excused myself from the table, making my way to my room, and I realized my brother was walking behind me, calling out my name. I didn't stop till I got to my room, but even then I rushed in, closing and locking the door behind me. I got my light blue flowing nightgown, soft white underwear, and silky white bra to match from off my bed, and head to my bathroom attached to my room. It was a beautiful blue and white, all the walls and cabinets were a light blue color, whereas the ceiling, floor, and tub is white. I got out a soft white towel from under the sink and a white washcloth. I run the shower water as I strip down, and step into the shower.