Someone was shaking my shoulders violently. "Come on, dear, we've got to go." a woman's worried voice said quietly.
I opened my eyes, to be met with large, forest green ones.
I carefully stood up, and looked at the woman more closely. She had a curvy figure, but she was very short, like me. Her brown hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her beautiful face was taut with stress, deep lines running across her forehead. I remembered her face, whether I wanted to or not. I could recognize it anywhere.
"M-Mom?" I asked, my voice high, like a little girl's. Confused, I looked down. I wore a frilly pink dress with white stockings and black dress shoes. It was the same outfit I had worn on my eighth birthday.
"Your father is coming, Snow. We have to go now." my mother urged, her voice starting to quiver.
"Is...is Daddy drunk again?" I asked cautiously.
Mom didn't answer. She never did when I would ask her.
The front door burst open. "Hey Angela, I'm home, baaaabe......" a deep voice slurred.
"Snow," my mother said, kneeling in front of me. Her hands rested on my small shoulders. "Grab your backpack. It's filled with everything you'll need. Go out the back door; your father won't see you then."
"But...where am I gonna go?" I asked.
Angela Black was silent for a moment, her green eyes piercing through me like a spear. "I don't know, sweetie. That's for you to decide." she said, as her eyes started to tear up. "I love you so much. You're going to make someone very happy someday." she whispered. She knew I didn't have much time before my father would burst through my door and.....God knows what.
"I love you too, Mom." I said, hugging her tight.
My mother was on the brink of tears. "You'll be ok, honey. You're so special, one of a kind, and the world will know that someday. You're my little snowflake, but you will never melt."
Those words had rung through my head for the past fifteen years like a bullet hitting a bell.
I nodded, kissing her in the cheek. I shrugged my backpack over my shoulders. It was heavy with food and water bottles and such, but I could bear it.
"Please be safe, Mom." I muttered. She smiled sadly, saying nothing. A tear escaped her eye, and ran down her cheek.
I took a deep breath, backing towards the back door, which led out into the woods.
"Aaaangela....you know I don't like it when you hide from me, babe..." my father was getting irritated.
My mother's face constricted with fear. "Go now. You'll be ok."
I nodded quickly, hoping she was right, but I was more worried for her safety than for my own.
I bolted out the back door and darted through countless oak trees until I could no longer see my home through them.
I turned around to face the old wooden house, out of breath.
I stood there, frozen, for what seemed like forever, until I heard it.
Two gunshots.
I covered my mouth with my hand and sunk to my knees in despair. I held my head in my hands and sobbed.
I was an orphan. All alone, a little lost snowflake, gone astray. At least, that's what everyone always said when they found out I was orphaned.
I felt a tapping on my back. I reluctantly stood up, wiped my eyes, turned around, and froze again. It was the man with the knife from the alley. The man who tried to take Bella. This time, he had a gun pointed at my small head.
I was terrified, and fighting with myself. One part of me urged the man to pull the trigger, I had nothing left to live for. Another part echoed my mother's last words in my head.
You're so special, one of a kind, and the world will know that someday.
You're going to make someone very happy someday.
You're my little snowflake, but you will never melt.
The man smirked. "Such a delicate girl. You think you're so strong, don't you? You put up walls that no one has penetrated yet, and you call it being strong-willed, when it is really your greatest weakness." he then frowned. "Such a stupid girl."
You will never melt.
He pulled the trigger, and I felt undescribable searing pain, then nothing.
***********************************************************
I shot bolt upright, a mixture of fear and confusion went through me.
Someone was knocking at my door, very loudly. Jack, I thought, smiling slightly.
I trudged towards the door and opened it, trying to forget the dream. I failed horribly.
"I told you you didn't want me waking you-Jesus Christ, what happened to you?" Jack asked incredulously, looking me up and down. (not like that, get your minds outta the gutter. It's dirty in there. :3)
"Good to see you too." I muttered teasingly.
"No, I mean..were you crying?" he said worriedly.
Confused, I brought my hand to my lower eyelid. It was damp. I must've been crying in my sleep. Shit.
I shook my head, dismissing it. "Don't worry about it. I'll be over in a half hour." I said.
Jack looked reluctant, but obeyed my wish and left.
I closed the door behind me and sunk to the floor, my back on the brown oak door.
Mom....
I felt hot tears well up in my eyes as my throat constricted.
Hugging my knees to my chest and resting my chin on my forearm, I slowed my breathing and closed my eyes, trying my best to calm down.
I sighed, blocking out any thoughts from the past. "Can you even here me cry?..." a voice said from somewhere nearby.
I lifted my head up, looking around.
"I know you're broken deep inside..." the voice continued. "I swear I'll put you back together..."
I smacked my hand to my forehead. "I'm an idiot." I muttered. It was my ringtone, the song "Home", that played when I had a notification.
I stood up slowly and walked around until I found my cell phone. A notification from various addictive games that I hadn't played in forever, but never gotten around to deleting them. God damnit, FarmVille.
I sighed deeply, turning off the smart phone and plugging it in on the counter by my bed to charge.
I couldn't think straight. Flashes of the nightmare clouded my head whenever I tried to push it inside.
I couldn't just not think about it, either. You don't just not think about something like that.
I groaned, holding the bridge of my nose. After a moment, I glanced up at my reflection in the mirror. I looked like Death had a stroke, had three kids, and fell off a cliff.
I changed into a hoodie and jeans, grabbing my brush and eyeing the rat's nest on my head. I frowned, knowing the pain to come was imminent.
*****************************************************
(Twenty minutes later)
My hair was somewhat straight now, at least. My scalp may or may not have been partially torn to shreds in the process, but I had gotten it done.
I didn't bother putting on makeup besides mascara and chapstick. My eyes were no longer red where they should've been white, so they looked their natural green-brown color again.
I studied myself in the mirror again quickly before finally prying my thoughts away from the dream and bouncing out the door.
"You look better." Jack said, laughing. I tried to blow a stubborn strand of brown hair out of my face and accidentally ate it. I coughed for a second before pulling it out of my mouth, a look of disgust on my face.
Jack sputtered and fell over on his side laughing. "Glad you think it's hilarious your neighbor almost died!" I scolded him. This only made him laugh harder, until his laughs were nothing but an almost silent wheezing.
I sighed in exasperation. "So, are we going to start, or what?"