The Adalina Petrova Story

Chapter 1: The Spark That Changed Our Lives

Spring 1488, Bulgaria.

Katerina and I walk down the dirt road from the lake on our way home. As we walk Katerina speaks.

"Adalina?" says Katerina.

"Yes?" I say.

"Do you think father will be back soon?" Katerina asks in a quite voice.

"I hope so." I reply. It is all that I can say.

Katerina has been afraid that father will not return since he had to leave for work. She worries that he may become ill before he returns. I am her older sister, she looks to me for comfort. Our mother was never good at showing affection.

" Do not worry Kat." I say hugging her. "He will return safely."

We continue to walk along the road to our village. Katerina stops just before the road leads into the village square.

"What is it Katerina?" I ask her is a soft tone.

"I do not want to go home without father there." She replies.

I hug her. Just as I am about to tell her its alright we hear screams.

The screams are coming from the village. We begin to run to our home. As we run through the square it is empty. We run down the road in the direction of our home. And then we see it. A wolf is ripping one of our neighbors apart. I grab Katerina and jump behind one of the homes closest to us.

We sit with our back on the wall of the house. As the screams get louder I pull Katerina in close. Trying to cover her ears. I hold her so her eyes are covered and so are her ears

Then we hear mother scream. Katerina tries to get up but hold her where she is.

"It is momma! That is momma's scream!" Katerina quickly whispers. "The wolf has momma!"

"Shhh. Katerina. She is alright. If it had her she would have stopped screaming." I whisper is a calming tone.

Then the wolf runs past us looks back at us. It seems like he has stared at us for years. Then he turns and bolts off into the woods.

Katerina jumps up an runs to our home to check momma. I run right after her.

We get to our home and momma is sitting in the door. Her arm is bleeding. Katerina drops down in front of mother. She is not fully awake.

"Momma? Momma?" Katerina tries to keep out mother awake. I stand there watching them. Unable to move.

"What has happened here?"

I look up suddenly scared. There he was standing five feet up the road. My father.

"There was wolf. It attacked Momma." I say in a breaking voice. Trying to explain this to my father. Fearing what he might do.

"How did this happen? Where were you, Adalina?"

"Katerina and I were at the lake. We were on our way back when we heard screams."

"You left you mother?" He asked as he starts to walk over to me.

"Yes." I answer as he is less than a foot away from me.

He slaps me and I fall to the ground. He raises his hand to hit me again. Katerina runs up to stop him.

"Papa please no. I wanted to go to the lake. Adalina took me because Momma asked her to."

This wasn't first time my father has done this but it was the first time Katerina has seen it. Katerina looked at me with terror in her eyes. She thought our father was a saint. I hid the truth to protect her. But now she knew he was more like a demon from hell.

Knowing this would change Katerina's life forever. And mine too. Two years from now we would be in a whole new world. In two years we would only have each other.