Before Death

Chapter 2: Longing

I felt terrible. Lack of sleep took a heavy toll on my eight year old body. My mother had always been a cold and emotionless woman, but even she had to react as to how I looked.

"Look at you! What happened?" My mother asked sternly.

"Nothing." I mumbled sleepily.

My mother grabbed me by the hair and dragged me in front of her mirror.

I do not remember much about my mother now - the last time I had seen her was when I was ten years old. I wonder what her name was.

A ragged little girl looked back at me from the mirror. Her hair was tangled with pine needles and her face smeared with grime. But her lips were icy blue and she had a yellow tinge to her.

I slept standing up while my mother washed my face and brushed my hair out viciously. Then she left the room. I heard raised voices but, before I could investigate, darkness overcame me.

I woke up in a cosy bed of furs. My head hurt. I sat up with a start as I remembered the events the night before. I saw a woman sitting at the edge of the bed, frowning.

I was hungry. I saw some sort of bread on the bed next to the woman.

I grabbed. She grabbed. I was faster. I clutched the bread to my face and ate with a ravenous hunger.

The woman gave a cry of disgust and reached out to take the bread. I bit her hand and drew blood.

"Demon child!" came her cry and she ran out of the room. I heard a key turn in the lock.

Without a shred of remorse, I got up and moved to the window. My legs almost buckled under me but with great strength of will I came to look at the outside world.

A blizzard was raging. A flurry of pure snowflakes rained down on the growing pile of snow. I looked further away, hoping to catch a glimpse of the treeline, but a white screen blocked my view.

I heard the key turn again and, fearing reprimandment, I jumped around. It was my mother. Warily I stared her down. Looking away would be submitting.

"I cannot believe you snuck out into the forest. Were you not listening all the times we warned you about the dangers out there? The wolves were howling last night."

I found it safer not to reply.

"You will stay here, without supper, for tonight. And don't you ever even think about going NEAR the woods again."

She slammed the door and locked me in, but before her steps grew faint, I was already plotting my next forest adventure.