Prologue
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I couldn't breathe, but yet I pushed myself faster. Every limb in my body protested the lack of rest, but I didn't care. My brain was dominant now, and it told me to run.
My bare feet slapped the ground hard, surely embedding rocks and shards of shattered beer bottles in the sensitive soles of my feet. The glass wouldn't be a problem if my neighbors weren't too drunk to remember that glass laying on the streets could pop a wheel of a car- not that they were ever sober enough to drive anyways, but still.
Or get stuck in an escapee's foot. I winced as a large, sharp object impaled my foot. The blood came in earnest, and I knew without a doubt that once I was at my safe haven, I'd be trying to clean up my foot for days.
Once again, I didn't give a damn. I was escaping the place I'd once called home. A smile spread across my face as I revelled in my triumph. If I weren't only just down the road from my house, I'd be whooping and hollering like I'd just won the Superbowl.
But, I hadn't won yet. I still had four miles left before I was semi-safe. Then, I'd have to convince the police of what they had done. What they stole. My chest started a dull ache at the thought. I'd grown accustomed to this type of pain just as well as complete physical pain- emotional and mental pain. I'd endured it for two years. I could keep up until I reached my destination and then I'd be free to sob like I'd done the first few times. But, then I'd stopped when I realized that my obvious pain gave them pleasure.
How sadistic.
I cringed and shielded my eyes, as I reached the highway and some idiot with their bright lights on passed me. Once the spots cleared from my vision, I continued blindly down the sullen streets. There were no working street lights- only the glow of the moon led me.
I was nearly thrown to the side by a gust of wind as a black truck passed me, coming dangerously close.
But, then again, my whole life had been nothing but getting knocked down- and also kicked while down there- and danger.
I came to a stop light and paused, trying to decide whether to take the short cut or go the longer, safer way. The street was dead silent, nobody anywhere to be seen. The only semi-working street light flickered quickly, illuminating the small convenience store across the street. Long forgotten trash blew across the street, rustling wildly as the first snowflakes of the winter began to fall.
I looked up at the starry sky and asked myself what I had done to deserve a life like this. Snowflakes fell steadily in my grimy, flattened ringlets, on my face, remaining on my eyelashes.
If everything and everybody was as gentle as snow, the world would be so much better off.
I would be so much better off.
Instead, I was broken.
My heart leaped as I heard the faint hum of a car coming closer. I turned to see a pure white Prius pulling out of my neighborhood.
My older sister, Lillian.
I tried to run, I really did. My feet dragged painfully, weak from the morning I had endured. I didn't even have the strength in me to put my hands out in front of me when I fell. The ground was wet, so the fall had little impact.
I distantly heard a car door opening and closing. She must have parked at the Stop 'n' Shop. I desperately wanted to run, but I didn't have anything left. I had no clue if she'd bring me back home or if she'd just call them to come get me. I honestly wasn't sure which was worse- waiting and wondering what would happen next and crying over my failure or just getting it done quickly.
I decided death would be better than both.
I hope Lily had a gun or something.
The click of high heeled shoes sounded on the pavement. I was surprised when the stopped beside me, but the pain I expected never came. Instead, my sister's arms came around my tiny frame, pulling me off the ground.
"I know where you are going," She told me simply, walking towards the forest.
My throat was too dry to ask her how, so I stared at her, open mouthed.
"I brought you some money and food. You know where you're going. I've instructed him where to take you. They will be expecting you," She remained calm, which was amazing considering the situation at hand. "You have power that you have yet to tap into. Use it wisely."
I was suddenly on my feet, wobbling unsteadily. Lily righted me then reached behind me. I wondered idly if it would be a weapon.
But, instead, it was a backpack. Small enough for my ravaged body to handle. Filled with who knows what. She unzipped the bag and pulled out a water and some kind of granola bar. I smiled, taking them and downing both in the blink of an eye.
"Now go, before they find you," She said, turning her back and strutting away like nothing had happened. Like she didn't just help her sister escape torment.
As I turned to the forest with a renewed sense of hope, I heard, "I love you, Aiydin. Forever."
But, then again I could be wrong. I began to walk further into the woods, deciding that she had said those three little words that I hadn't heard in years. I stopped dead in my tracks as the squeal of tires on asphalt rebounded off of the forest's trees.
Diving behind the nearest trees, I heard a door open and shut forcefully enough to break the frame.
"YOU HELPED HER YOU LITTLE TRAITOR!" My mother's voice boomed, sounding more like a man's.
My sister remained silent. I peeked around the tree and immediately wished I hadn't. A large, sleek gun was trained right on Lillian's forehead. I held back a blood curdling scream.
Lillian was going to die.
It didn't matter that she was her mother's child.
I wanted to run out there and stop her, but I knew it would be a wasted effort. Lily and I would both be killed, and our attempt of escape fruitless, a body bag as our souvenir. Our death's would be ruled as a drive by or a gang attack.
After all, why would the Sinder children want to die? As far as anyone else knew, we led a luxurious life, filled with fun and lavish accomodations. We were the third-in-command's children, after all. Our parent's best friend the Alpha.
What a great cover story.
Little did they know that I lived in a piece of crap, run down, apartment by myself, surrounded by people who were constantly drunk off of their ass.
Yeah, lavish all right.
I moved back to the center of the tree, taking notice of something on my neck. It was a golden locket. I opened it gently. Inside, there was a photo of my family years ago, when I was younger. We were happy then. Our pack not corrupt.
On the other side, my full name-Aiydin Lys Sinders- was engraved with the 'and' symbol beneath it. My eyebrows furrowed together at that. I had no clue what it was for. Flipping it over, I noticed another engraving.
Never forget where you came from- Lillian.
A tiny heart lay beneath it.
And in that moment, I knew that Lily had indeed loved me when everyone else seemed incapable of it.
"I love you, Lillian Marie Sinders. Forever," I whispered, tears streaming down my face.
I stood, chin high, and began walking after slinging the bag over my shoulder.
Not a cry escaped her lips as the bullet was fired. I didn't need to see to know that she was gone.
I hoped that she found a better life up there with the lord.
*
I pounded harder on the red painted wood door. I had been standing outside of the house for ten mintues, and nobody had come to the door. I cursed under my breath, trying desperately to keep my blood flowing to my limbs. I knew that I already had hypothermia- I didn't need frostbite, too.
Suddenly, the door gave way and I fell towards the ground. Strong arms held me tight against well-defined muscles.
I didn't even need to open my eyes to know who it would be.
Evan. My one and only friend.
As I leaned into his chest, breathing in his comforting scent, I knew that our plans were different now. I knew that he had figured out everything that had happened by now. I knew that we would forever be different.
"Aiydin?"
"Yeah," I croaked sleepily, feeling like I had been under a pile of bricks all day.
It wasn't too far from reality.
"She died the way she would want to. She died for a cause. For you. She is the bravest person ever."
I nodded into his chest, fresh tears building up. I didn't register him carrying me to his room. I only remembered curling up next to him, his warmth spreading over me like a protective blanket, like we had a million times when he snuck into my tiny dungeon of a home since I was eight and he was ten.
Closing my eyes, I prayed for my sister to have a good life.
And for me to find a way to make it through.
***So, whaddaya think. Note: this is the restart of 'Destiny' by my alter ego, kaijairene1543. Its gonna be A LOT different though as you can see. Im not even sure if it will follow the same plot line... :/.
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Thanks!
-kaija