The Marks (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 1: The Beginning

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end us where we start from". - T.S Elliot 

Chase Groven and Rikki Palsh were chasing each other down the steep pavement on their new bicycles, in their quiet neighborhood at dusk.

"You'll never catch me!" little ten year old Rikki yelled.

"Oh yes I will!" Chase called after her.

Chase pushed the pettles on his bright blue bike to the limit as he sped after Rikki. Wind whipping his face and carrying the faint smell of the autumn leaves. Rikki's dark brown hair was flowing behind her as she mockingly held up Chase's army soilder toy. It was his favorite one and she had taken it... again.

Chase was used to this type of torment. Rikki and Chase had been friends since they were babies. Growing up just down the block from each other, they were inseparable. Everywhere Chase went, Rikki followed,  and vice versa.

"Give it back, Rikki!" Chase screamed.

"If you can take it!" Rikki sung back.

The toy soilder was firmly being held in Rikki's left hand as, she too, peddled full speed down the hill towards Chase's house. As he inched closer to her, the dark Mark on her right arm became more visible. Chase found himself often staring at it, jealous that hers was in a more visible location.

When a child turned ten, they grew their first Mark. The first one is simple, it represents maturity. It looked like a triangle with a swirl right in the middle. After ten years old, the Marks came at different times. Each one meant something different, and it was up to each person to discover that meaning.

Most Marks were commonly known. There was the Mark of luck, of intelligence, of adventure, of danger, and many more that were all common knowledge to the people. Some of them, though, are uncommon, and therefore up solely to the person to find out its purpose. Most Marks meant good things, but there were the occasional few that did not.

Chase was also ten, so also had his maturity Mark, too. The night that Rikki got hers, she called Chase right away and told him. He asked if it hurt, and she told him it felt like a road rash. It burns for a minute, and then it's gone. Three nights after Rikki got her first, Chase got his. Rikki was lucky enough to develop hers on her right arm, easy for people to see and her to show off. Chase's was on his lower back, making it more difficult to show people. Not that many adults cared, they had dozens. But the other kids at school were not all ten yet, so only a small few had the Mark of maturity.

Chase was now directly behind Rikki.

"Last chance to give it up." He said.

"Never!" Rikki laughed.

"Have it your way."

Chase used one arm to carefully reach closer to Rikki, attempting to grab it from her. His fingers were just out of reach. He tilted the bike just a centimeter closer and once again reached for the toy. His fingers were just closing around the soilder when he suddenly felt himself go crashing into Rikki's bike. The two of them went flying from the bikes and onto the grass, hitting heads in the process.

When the world finally stopped spinning, Chase sat up and rubbed his head.

"Look what you made me do!"

"Me?" Rikki asked, offended, "YOU slammed into me!"

"Only because you stole my soilder!"

"You're such a dork." Rikki laughed as she gently smacked Chase on his knee.

He laughed back and shook the dirt from his hair.