Esmeray (Queen of Darkness)

01

(Eight Years Earlier)

Twirling a piece of her hair between my fingers I start to hum a song and she shifts so she's facing the fire. Aponi does not belong in this world. Her heart is too pure and kind for an Aura, to.....whole to be broken. Ever since she was young I could tell that she was a gift. A gift meant to be held and protected not crushed and hidden. Sadly, when you live in my city, my section, everything eventually becomes broken. Hearing the doorknob I turn my head and quietly get up from my spot behind Aponi. Grabbing the knife I placed on the table when my father left and I stand over Aponi and hold the tip out, my hand shaking at the thought of me having to use it. People have tried to take me and Aponi, but none of them have made efforts to when my fathers around but word got out that he got a job in the factory and now people are bolder. As the creek of the door fills the room I clench my teeth. He won't lay a finger on my sister, not one. Falling over the floor a shadow spreads like fog filling the space till it touches my toes.

"Aponi?"

I sag with relief. It's just dad. Setting my knife down I pull the door open the rest of the way and he blinks surprised as the door pulls away from him.

"Father."

Rubbing my cheek with his dirty hand he gives me a brief smile, the same smile that always holds pain, then shuts the door. Noticing the knife on the table he frowns before picking it up and walking to the kitchen.

"How was work?" I ask following him in.

He shrugs and puts the knife away, "I've heard rumors that a Draw day is coming."

My lips pinch together. Another one? There was one just last year. Rubbing my hands down my arms at the sudden chill of the room I sit down and my father lets out a deep sigh. A Draw day is like your day of death. Once you turn ten it becomes the biggest thing you fear, because on that day you risk losing everything. When the day comes every child at the age of ten is brought out into the street and lined up from biggest to smallest. After everyone has been assembled a guard, or 'Reaper' in the people's terms, chooses three of the kids and takes them away. No one knows what happens to them when they get taken, they only know they never come back. At least....not alive.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe its-"

My father gets cut off by a loud bang. Scrambling to my feet my father rushes past me and looks out the window. Watching his expression I see his features change from curiosity to horror. At his look I know that that rumor wasn't just a rumor. Running to Aponi I shake her awake and she groans as she rubs her eyes. Looking angrily at me she rolls back over but I jerk her back and order her to her feet.

"Get to your spot and don't come out till I get you, understand?"

"What?" she asks numbly, her mind no doubt still asleep.

"It's a Draw day A. Get in your spot!"

At my tone her eyes grow wide and she looks toward the door. "You could be-"

Shushing her I look over at my father who stares at me equally distressed as Aponi. It's true. I'm ten. My birthday was just last month. So that means now it's my turn to stand in the line.

"They won't take me." I tell her softly, "Just go."

"Okay." Walking away I watch her retreat until she suddenly spins on her heel and tugs something off her wrist. Shoving into my chest I pry her hand off and I look down at it. It's her bracelet, the one I gave her when she had her first nightmare. The one I told her would make her strong.

Without another word she scrambles off and I pull the bracelet onto my wrist and look at my father. Pulling me into a hug my nose stings at the smell of alcohol and metal. That's his smell. The smell I'll always remember. Opening the door he holds my hand and I look up as the rain starts to come down harder. Maybe all that junk was true. Maybe something bad will happen.