Miracle Child.

Chapter one.

The day of my eleventh birthday;

Having no alternative I followed Bethany's advice and left for wal-mart the minute I finished reading the note. Normal eleven year olds got a Barbie on their birthday, or some new ribbons to tie their hair with, yet there I was a fragile and scrawny little girl ambushed by the cold on the restless streets of New York as I made my way to the familiar supermarket branch.

As soon as I walked through the electronic doors of wal-mart, the unnatural cold air coming from the AC was a slap across the face. How idiotic were they? It was freezing outside yet they still put the AC on cold? Pulling my worn out jacket closer to my chest I made my way towards the double wooden doors near the back.

As my feet moved soundlessly across the squeaky clean tiled floor I inhaled my surroundings, it was a habit of mine especially if I'm in a place that tends to change every day. My feet however, skidded into a halt as I noticed a room I've never seen before; the door didn't age very nicely, brown rust blossoming around the corners and the hinges of the metallic gateway, intriguing me beyond imagination. I wasn't used to things that weren't familiar to my eyes, I usually knew of everything that happened around this town, I mean I did have a lot of time on my hands growing up and no supervision after all.

My little eleven year old self was filled with excitement and curiosity. I made my way to the door ignoring its scary exterior.I was determined to find what was beyond those doors even if it killed me. My knuckles collided with the ice cold metal in a pathetic attempt at a knock. When I was met by silence I tried again yet this time I wrapped my small fingers around the rusty door knob and turned it clockwise, much to my surprise the door complied and began to squeak open revealing the contents of the room to me.

I was not expecting what I saw, much to my disappointment brown boring boxes scattered carelessly on the shelves that surrounded the room. The contents of the boxes didn't matter to me, because I knew that this was merely a storage room. Yet something struck me as abnormal, the eeriness that hung in the air made my skin crawl. Something was hidden behind those brown boxes and I intend to find out what it is. Retreating from the room, I shut the door ever so quietly behind me and continued my way to the destination I originally came here for.

"Come in!" A grizzly voice of a grown man spoke as I knocked on the double wooden doors, a proper knock this time.

Pushing the doors that seemed more of a wall to me with all my might I came face to face with a figure that did not match that grizzly voice at all. It was a tall man that towered over me like a skyscraper making me look even smaller than I already was. His muscles so strong they threatened to tear that shirt he was wearing to shredsif he were to flex. His threatening demeanor changed to one of smugness and mockery once he brought his head down to meet the gaze of a little girl, pale as the spotless tiles beneath his feet, her hair untamed and her clothes looking older than herself. He was judging me, but I was used to it; it's not like he had eleven year olds knocking on his doors everyday right?

"And you are?" There he goes with that accusing, almost mocking tone.

"Cassandra Roqua, sir. I was sent to you by Bethany McCarthy." I spoke loud and clear never hesitating. He was clearly taken aback by my harsh tone; I bet he was expecting a voice to match my exterior, I am anything but weak and I knew that well.

"Ah, little Cassandra, I've heard a lot about you. Please have a seat." He spoke his eyes never leaving mine. His neck must hurt by now hence he had to look down so much to speak to me.

Without another word I made my way to his desk sitting on one of the chairs placed directly across from his, the desk became a barrier between us and I was thankful for it.I liked my personal space.

"So, Cassandra; my name is Ethan Woods. I own this branch of wal-mart and a lot more, but that tale is for later. Now you're here in search of a job, am I correct?" He didn't wait for me to reply as he began to speak again. "You have come to the right place. You will be mopping the floors and responsible for emptying the inventory on the shelves, you will be paid weekly. Any slacking and you will be no longer a part of our staff, do I make myself clear?"

He waits for me to nod this time and when I do, confidently might I add, he smiles. Something about his smile however, irked me. It was fake, almost sinister.

"Great! Now that were on the same page, you start tomorrow. How old are you Cassandra?" He questioned me but something in my head told me he already knew that answer.

"Eleven today, sir" The slight sneer in my voice didn't go unnoticed, as he furrowed his eyebrows at my blatant response. That did not last however, as that dark smile of his made its way back onto his face.

"Well then, I have big plans for you Cassandra, big plans." He spoke my name in hopes of scaring me, his reply was like the last line of an open-ended book, it was as if his mouth was the gun and my name was the bullet, my ego being the target. He spoke my name like it was nothing. Meaningless. I smiled an oblivious smile not letting him affect me in the way he hoped he could. There were so many things he didn't know about me and I could use that to my advantage. He was a sugar coated lethal weapon, and I knew he was never going to be a man worthy of trust and loyalty. He was twisted in some kind of way, and even my eleven year old self knew that.