PERSEPHONE

PROLOGUE

A woman, adorning a red hood, walks quietly towards the Forbes' household. She carries a basket on both hands, while a letter was tucked away in her pocket. She quietly walks up the front steps and places the basket on top of the brown Welcome mat. She bends down and unfolds the blanket, where a baby girl was sound asleep. She puts the letter beside the baby and places a chaste kiss on her forehead. A tear coursed down her cheek as she knocked on the door and ran down the steps in a hurry. She hides behind a tree as she watched the front door open to reveal Elizabeth Forbes, in her late 20's, wearing a nightgown. She looks down and gasps as she see's the baby. She scans her surroundings before picking her up and closing the door behind her.

The woman in the red hood turns around and walks away from the house where her baby now resides. Her hands clenched into a tight fist as she stared into the dead of the night with fire in her eyes.

"I'll come back for you, my child. No matter how long it takes," She whispers.

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"Caroline! Can you call your sister down for dinner?" Liz shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, Mommy!" 7 year old Caroline enters the pink and purple room she and, as she was told to believe, her twin sister shares. She see's Persephone sitting by the window sill, reading another Nancy Drew book, her eyes focused on the text inked on the coffee-colored paper. She taps her sister on the shoulder, startling the said girl as she dropped the book on the floor.

"Care, you've got to stop doing that," Persephone pushes her thick-framed glasses against the bridge of her nose as she bends down to pick up the book.

"Sorry but Mom said dinner's ready," Caroline kept her eyes on her sister as she put her book back to where it belongs. She always thought there was something different about her sister. Deep down, she knew she was different but she couldn't figure out what makes her so.

"I'll be down in a minute. I just need to go to the bathroom," Care's eyes narrowed at her figure, knowing what she has done.

"You pee-d your pants again, didn't you?" Persephone stopped in her tracks and embarrassment graced her face.

"....I-it was an accident," She was close to tears as she see's Caroline's judging stare.

"That's the 5th pair today, Seph! God, you're such a weirdo!"

"I'm not! I didn't mean for it to happen!" 7 year old Persephone already had tears streaming down her face. She idolized Caroline very much and hearing the person she looks up to the most call her a weirdo was an arrow to the heart.

"What is going on?" Liz exclaimed as she entered the girls' room. She saw Persephone clutching her dress, while Caroline was glaring at her in disgust.

"What is happening here?" Bill Forbes enters the room, concern etched on his face as he see's Persephone kneeling down, her hands covering her face, and her dress wet from her tears. He see's Liz tending to Caroline instead of the girl sobbing in the middle of the room.

"Bill, great timing. You take care of her. After all, she is your daughter," Liz stands up and grabs a hold of Caroline's hand. They immediately leave the room, Liz bumping into bill on her way out.

Bill sighs and approaches Persephone's crying figure. He embraces her smalls frame and quietly hums her favorite song. Persephone melts into her Father's embrace and asks, "Daddy, am I a weirdo?"

"What? Honey, no. Who would call you such a thing?" Bill looks down at her daughter with worry. Persephone was his precious daughter. Anything that hurts her, hurts him.

"Caroline did. Daddy, I think she hates me,"

"No, baby. Care doesn't hate you. And you're not a weirdo. You're Persephone—my beautiful and smart, little princess. As long as Daddy's around, no one can hurt you,"

Persephone clings to his words with hope. Her Dad was her protector, her Knight in shining armour. Nothing can hurt her now...or so she thought.