A Lost Memory

Chapter 1

It was a sunny afternoon in the small town of Weeping Grove. A little girl sat by the pond off the road under a willow tree. Each morning she'd wait for her best friend to finish his chores and meet her under the tree so they could play together. Her long brown hair tousled with the wind and her green eyes sparkled brightly in the sun.

"There you are William, have you brought the fishing poles?" giddily said the little girl.

"Indeed I have. You been waiting long Ms. Katherine?" asked William. He was a year older then Katherine, a few inches taller with black hair and deep brown eyes.

"Not at all, Mama finished my new dress today, do you like it?" Katherine twirled around in the pink dress with white bows around the ends of it.

"Why Madame, it's simply fit for a princess" William smiled and bowed to her as if she was one.

"Why thank you good sir" she laughed and curtsied for him.

They each grabbed a fishing pole, sat off the edge of the pond and tossed in their lines.

An hour or so passed as they conversed with talks about school, their chores they had done that morning and where they wanted to be when they grew up.

"I want to live in a big house with a big garden for me to stroll in, with strawberries, blueberries and carrots, peas and potatoes, Oh and an apple tree, with all the delicious apples I could eat. I want three children, two girls and a boy. My husband has to be handsome and tell me each day how beautiful I am and when he looks at me I want to see the love in his eyes, like when Mama and Papa look at each other." Katherine said as she tossed back in her line. William turned and looked at her, smiled and exclaimed "You're beautiful!" he fluttered his eyelashes rapidly as if he were trying to make love burst through his eyes, she giggled and blushed. "One day I will marry you, we will have three kids, a big house, and all the apples you can eat and I promise I will love you forever!" "Oh William, I will be the happiest girl, you pinky swear?" she asked him. "I pinky swear" they held out their little pinkies and locked them together.

It was getting late by then, William walked Katherine back home. As they were saying their goodbye's until tomorrow, William dug into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet, "Katherine, I um" he staggered, "I made this for you" "Oh it's so pretty" she said as her face glowed with happiness. It was a yellow and pink twined bracelet made out of yarn, he slipped onto her hand. "Thank you, Goodnight William" "Goodnight".

Katherine walked into her house, it wasn't very big, but it was home. She immediately took a whiff of the air to smell Mama's cooking and walked into the kitchen. "Mama I'm home" "Go wash up for dinner" her Mother said. Her Mother was beautiful, she had golden dark brown hair as Katherine had with sparkling blue eyes, and she was wearing a blue dress with a white apron as she cut up bread for dinner. Katherine came back in and set the table for dinner, her Father followed shortly after and kissed her Mother on the cheek before sitting down at the table.

After the family ate, Katherine's Mother announced it was time for bed. Katherine washed up and got into her nightgown and hopped into bed. Her Mother and Father came to kiss her goodnight and her Mother pulled the covers over her Daughter and blew out the candle.

The morning sun shined in through the windows of Katherine's room. She opened her eyes, yawned and stretched out her arms. She laid there for a few moments remembering last night, peering at her bracelet, admiring it. She jumped out of bed and got ready for the day.

Every morning was the same; her Mother was in the kitchen with breakfast already set on the table. "Good morning my angel" her Mother said as she gazed at her daughter and smiled, "Good morning Momma". Katherine sat at the table and began to devour her breakfast. When she was done she got up and washed her dish. "Momma may I go now?" she asked in a rush, "Yes you may, but be back before it gets dark out" "Yes, Momma". She hurried out the door and started heading towards the willow tree where she hoped to find William waiting for her.

William was already there throwing rocks into the pond. "Good morning Ms. Katherine" "Good morning William, what shall we do today?" before he could answer there was a loud bang and a women screaming towards the village. "What was that?" Katherine looked at William with frightened eyes, "I am not sure Katherine, stay here while I go see" William stayed calm so he wouldn't alarm her and ran towards the village. Twenty minutes had past, which seemed like hours to her, she had never been so scared in her life and somehow she knew something wasn't right. She went against William's wishes and headed towards the town, with each step closer she heard yelling and people screaming.

Down the road, she could barely just see the village. She saw people running in frantic and men on horses.

Katherine finally reached the point of town, there was blood, everywhere. Her own village had been ambushed, lifeless bodies laid on the ground. She panicked and ran towards her home as fast as her little body could take her. "Momma!" she shouted out, nothing, "Father!” only the sounds of her feet hitting the ground. She opened her front door and quickly shut it behind her. She searched her entire home, but her parents were nowhere to be found. She knew she had to find them, that she had to be brave and walk back out into the village, bare the images of horror that laid on the ground to find her parents.

It was silent outside by the time she had the courage to open the door, hoping that it was all inside her imagination, that in fact this was all just a mere hallucination. She slowly opened the door and walked outside, nothing but silence, but the images of death that had haunted her still laid there. Her neighbors who she had once known were gutted as if they were an animal, blood covered their faces, slits of skin open from the neck and down. There were a few faces she had known and other's she didn't, old and young, men and women, even children. Knowing she shouldn't look, she couldn't help herself, she had never seen anyone dead before, but this was more then that and she just stared for a few moments, her little hand covering her mouth as tears streamed down her face.

She started walking towards William's house and had only gotten a few feet until she saw it. Right there, the unbelievable sight she had not wanted nor imagined. Both of her parents their lifeless bodies, limp, pale, and cold. She fell to her knees at the sight of the big gash in her Mother's stomach; the bloody mess that had drained out was everywhere. "M m mm Momma?" she grabbed her Mother's hand and held it, "Momma please wake up..." her voice getting heavier. “Momma, don't leave me, you mustn't leave me!" she started screaming. She couldn't bear to look at her Father who was only a few inches away from her Mother. She stayed kneeled, with her Mother's hand in hers, repeating "Don't leave me, I need you".

How did this happen? Why did it happen? Was all she could think about, who were these men that tortured her village, her people and her beloved parents?

"You there!" it was a voice she had never heard before. His voice had no emotion and came out as a deep growl. She jumped and froze, standing there in front of 3 larger men. Blood covered their armor; she knew better to think that it was theirs. The tallest man seemed to be the leader, he had silver hair and eyes that would scare the dead, the two other men were a bit shorter, one was pudgy while the other was much built.

"I guess we missed one, sire" the pudgy one proclaimed, hissing.

"What shall we do with this one?" the masculine man said, but he wasn't like the others, somehow his voice was calm and almost soothing.

"Let me slice this ones throat and be gone with it" pudgy said again.

The leader put his hand to his mouth and made an "hmm" sound. "What is your name little girl?"

She couldn't speak.

"Are you deaf child? I asked your name!" his voice grew darker and held up his fist as if he were to abuse her if she didn't speak.

"Kattthhherrine" her voice shaky that it came out in a whisper.

"You are very beautiful little Katherine" the leader said.

"Thhhhaaannnkkk Yooou siiirrr"

"Shall I do away with her now, my lord?"

"No! This one shall come with us"

"But my lord?" the pudgy one looked at the leader with a confused face.

"Don't question me!" it was then he tied up her hands with rope, they started walking away from the village.

Little Katherine had no choice but to follow, she was tied and being led by the same men who killed her parents, the same reason why she had her Mother's blood on her dress, but it was either do as they ordered or be killed. She knew at that moment, everything would change.