The Demon and The Fox

Back to school. Another school.

'What date is it today?' A high pitched voice inquired.  

'30th of June' another voice replied in a bored tone. 'Why?'  

'School is starting soon...' the voice whined.  

'Yes. Yes it is.' was the reply that came with the same level of boredom.  

'Lets try our best then.' the voice sighed.  

The girl whirled around to face her sister. Her chocolate brown doe eyes made her look like she was always sad while her straight brown hair reached just past her shoulders. Unlike her sister, she wasn't very tall. Instead, she was barely 5 ft 2 while her sister was a towering 5 ft 5.  

'What's up Emma?' her sister stared back at her.  

'Nothing Thyme...' Emma squirmed under her sister's gaze. 'I'm just nervous for school.'   

She watched as Thyme's face soften. Her sister hugged her tightly.  

'We'll be fine.' Thyme assured and tucked her into bed. 'School starts tomorrow huh? Good luck.' and with a smile, she left.   

(THYME'S POV)  

 It wasn't the first time Emma had acted this way. Due to our financial instability, we were forced to keep moving. Emma, who is only 11, never made any friends- although I'm pretty sure she had stopped making an effort in doing so. Our story isn't like any typical tale of a father leaving his household for another women. Our father, was killed. Mother never talked about it, neither did we ask. All I knew was that we had buried an empty coffin because his body was literally in pieces- 'We couldn't even find his head!' they'd said.  

 My relatives tell my sister and I that it was a wild animal that got him. But I never believed them. I studied animal behaviour in high school and know for one, that animal wouldn't behave that way, at least not in New York. But if that was what they wanted us to believe, so be it. What's done is done right?  

Pushing myself off our dusty sofa and brushing off my faded ripped jeans, I pulled my sling bag over one side of my shoulder and walked back to the room my sister and I shared. Mom wasn't home. She was never home, actually. Being a young mother, she could still live off her youth, working as a call girl. I wouldn't call her irresponsible or negligent, I understood that she was very busy trying to make ends meet. Busy doing what, I didn't want to think. I only hoped she would find a nice man to settle down with so that she could finally be happy. That of course, I had most doubts.  Nice and rich just didn't go together.

Knocking on the door, I called for Emma.  

'Coming!' she squeaked as the door creaked open revealing a little girl in a white dress which reached her knees. She looked like a doll. So small and fragile. I was envious. Look at me. My features so sharp, even my sister is scared of me. I sighed inwardly and took her hand.  

'We'd better make a good first impression.' I smiled warmly at her, as if willing her to trust me.   

She smiled back.  

'So pretty.' I thought. I suddenly felt glum and depressed. My sister had clearly taken after my mother who looked like a teenage beauty queen. The only similarity I had with my mother was our gender. I towered over my mother and sister. Sometimes, it made me feel like the man of the family. It made me feel like I needed to protect them.  

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I know that June is a very weird month to start school. We just moved you see-   

My thoughts were interrupted when a soccer ball cannoned in our direction.   

Pulling Emma behind me, I turned and kicked the ball back. The impact of the ball touching my foot made a loud 'bam', before it went flying back to where it came from. I watched it fly back, listening for the bounce the ball on the pavement. Instead, I heard a 'thud' and a few screams.