Twisted Daydream

Chapter One

She doesn’t remember much from before, just crumbs of memory, like an old jigsaw with missing pieces. Then again, I suppose that’s a good thing; after all who’d want to remember their own parents trying to murder them in cold blood?

You see Annora was special even amongst her own kind; maybe too special…

The Ternion’s were like so many other wiccan communities, fueled by traditions and their faith in the Coven; because without its protection and guidance they would be lost, alone, and it’s less than common for their breed stand alone and survive.

The fragments Annora recalled weren’t all bad, she remembered her father’s bitter-sweet cologne and the smell of lilac and mud-pies.

Those few moments of joy seemed grayed now.

She was even beginning to forget what her parents looked like.

But she’d never forget what they did, no matter how hard she tried.

Perhaps she should be grateful, a man she never knew swept her away, he made a deal for her life.

A deal.

Like she was an overpriced stereo or something.

She was barely four years old for god’s sake and still trembling from the horror of the last few days when the car came to a stop at a large house that stood alone in a clearing, she reminded her of a dollhouse she used to have as the grey blue clouds and black sky hid her from the pretty stars…

A woman stood at the porch steps with a horde of children, there to view her like a new aquarium attraction.

All those eyes on her made Annora’s grip tighten onto the tattered rabbit already snuggled in tight to her chest. The scarlet haired child was surrounded by all these new faces that made a that feeling crawl up the back of her neck and itch to run as fast as her little legs would carry her.

She wanted to go home.

She could though could she, not anymore; not after everything that had happened.

She jumped at the bang of the car door, the older man that stole her away offering her a halfhearted smile.

They all stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next… well that is until the eldest boy rolled his eyes with a groan to the rest of his family, shoving and stepping over his siblings “for god’s sake.”

Annora stood still staring up at the boy, he took a knee, blue eyes scanned her over, looking for something he couldn’t seem to place before voicing his disappointment “she doesn’t seem powerful, or dangerous!”

“Kai!” his mother scolded him from her perch to which he shrugged “what? you said she was dangerous, just seems like another annoying kid to me.”

Annora watched the boy as he spoke, his eyes never even turning to speak to the dark-haired woman glaring over to him. Joshua just seemed to watch the scene play out, paying close and cautious attention to his eldest boy. Kai watched girl, still looking for the horror his parents had promised, her green flecked blue orbs seemed to be engulfed by those dark blue pools staring down at her, so dark and cold…

It all happened so much quicker than can be put into words, Joshua laid a hand on Annora’s shoulder, to offer her comfort, to break the trace but that was all it took; she flinched from Kai’s querying stare and Joshua’s innocent touch at the same moment as the lining trees burst into angry red flames and the car just behind the small group flew up into the air and exploded across the meadow like a scorching firework into the black night sky.

Annora starts to gnaw on her bottom lip, she didn’t mean to, but now everyone was scurrying like rats to clean up her mess while the other children ran into the safety of their home in fear “Josette get Annora inside.”

At her father’s command Josette runs to the small child but before she has a chance Kai flashes her an almost tender smile “hey I’ll take the little fire starter in, you should go help dad.”

She looks at her twin brother with skepticism “are you sure?”

“Yeah, besides it’s not like I have any magic, or you know, a fire truck… so what good would I be.” The way his voice turns, the mild tilt of his head, your heart would clench at the sight if you saw it.

Not that it lasted longer than it took for Josette to run along like the dutiful daughter, the innocent woe is me act melted away as Kai once again knelt beside the girl and smiled his best smile. His instant change in persona. his dry wit confused and enticed the small redhead, she’d never met anyone like him before. “hey Annora, so I'm Kai... You want to know a secret?”

Her bright eyes sparkled at the thought as she nodded, and Kai whispered, the still raging fire illumination his smile into something cruel and making the blue pools of his eyes black and empty as he playfully bopped the end of her nose “I think you and I are going to be the very best of friends.”