The regrets of Katherine Barnes

Chapter 40

"Barnes," I say walking around him and down my path.

"What's the rush," He yells after me rushing to my side. His horse follows in his lead.

"To get away from you and your Princi-ness." I respond keeping my eyes on the path.

"I don't understand," He says, "Most people find me wonderful." [Ten points to Gryffindor if you understand that]

"I don't," I reply and continue walking. Still, I hear his footsteps (and his horses). Not being able to handle it anymore I turn on my heel to face him. "What's your problem? Leave. Be gone. I do not want your presence anywhere near me. First you take land from the poor, now you're following me when I obviously don't want you and your royal-ness in my space! So if you could please leave me alone!"

"I what? I've never done that." The Prince replies looking very confused.

"Done what, hurt your subjects," I snap. "Cause you've done a bunch of that." His calloused hand grips my upper arm stopping me in my tracks. I yank it out of his grip and glare at him with as much hatred as I could muster. If you couldn't tell, I hate the royal family. The Prince (yet to be king) and his two younger brothers.

"I've never done that," He says staring into my golden brown eyes.

"I'll believe it when I see it," I hiss dashing off down the path.

"Wait I never got your name!" He yells.

"You don't need it Prince Charming," I yell picking up my pace running faster down the path even faster than before.

• • • • • • • • • • •

I come back to the cottage at dusk. The sun casting an orange glow on the trees and the little cottage. I rush inside to see my grandmother sitting on her rocking chair, her crossbow on her lap. A single gold arrow notched in. No additional arrow in sight. Her eyes travel to me through her half-moon glasses.

"To your room before dark, I don't want you to be here if it comes early," She says with a warm smile. I nod understanding and head into my door; placing my dresser in front of it.

I sit on my bed and stare out the window at the setting sun. Hopefully Luna not "creative" tonight.

Luna, my "other self". She comes once every full moon when my power is at it's fullest. She came with the powers that I was born with. She cause havoc and death. So I lock myself in my room, and Nan has the arrow to. . .put me down if I get to out of control. Hopefully I don't tonight. Granny is all I have left for family and company.

• • • • • • •

I wake up in a pool of blood. . .in the sitting room. Where's Nan? My head looks around the room. It's tattered and trashed. The table upturned, chairs torn, the rug disheveled, and granny. . .lying dead at my feet the crossbow snapped in half the arrow bent on the other side of the room. What have I done. . . .

I back up and look at my dress. Covered in blood to match the hood. It's sticky and warm and. . .not mine.

My eyes travel to Granny once more. Her neck is snapped; blood leaking out of her mouth. Her stomach has a dagger sticking out of it. Dad's old dagger.

I stumble back and hit the wall. What have I done. I race out the door and into the woods.

The icy morning air hits my face and hurts my throat as I breath in. Tears escape my eyes blurring my vision slightly. I pick up the sticking dress to run faster. Memories of last night come back in snippets.

I break the dresser with blue wisps of magic. My brown eyes now icy blue. My face a sickening grin on it.

I run even faster.