Atlantia's Beginning

Chapter 1: The Day my Life Changed

As a child, I didn't really know who my father was. My mother never told me about him. However, I didn't really care since my mother cared for me and I thought I didn't need anyone else. Granted when this story begins, I am about a few months shy of turning 5 so I didn't really have a grasp on life yet. However that changed the summer before my birthday. My name is Atlantia Brooks and this is my story of how I found who my true father is.
Let me begin by telling you about my mother.My mother, Coral Brooks, was a kind and sweet woman. She told me when I was 3 that she was a siren and of course that meant that I was as well. I had actually shifted for the first time a few days before this day that changed my life. We lived in a nice apartment in Manhattan close to the Empire State Building. It was a pretty nice area to live and everything was in walking distance from our house. Anyway, the day after I had shifted, which was a Sunday, my mom took me shopping so she could throw a party honoring my first shift. She told it me it was a pretty special thing in all siren's life and I believed her. I now know she just wanted a reason to spoil me. We were in the grocery store that was about 3 blocks down from my apartment building. My mother the moment we entered the store, was on edge. She hurried me into the grocery store and told me to pick out a cake while she gets the other groceries. She warmed me not to stray from this spot. I of course nodded but being the 5 year old I was, immediately forgot her warning and was absorbed into the array of cakes on display. My eyes weren't pulled from the cakes until even my little five year old brain realized that something was wrong. My mom had not returned and it had been a good amount of time. Forgetting my mom's warning, I walked away from the cake display in search of my mother. I wondered every aisle of the store but I couldn't find her. My mother had told me about this power that all sirens had. We could locate where all sirens were in the world. It was how, according to my mother, that she knew that we were the last sirens alive. Myself I have never used the power since I was 5 years old and it didn't make sense for me to use the power. However, my little impatient five year old ass wanted to have her mother so she begin to search within to see if she could spot Mother. I ended up being able to activate this power which allowed for me to locate my mother. She was in the alley that was located at the back of the store which didn't raise any alarms in my head since I was still an innocent five-year old girl. I made my way out of the store and rounded the corner that led into the alley. I saw Mother talking to a group of men and women. I slowed my walk and hid behind a trash can since I figured it was another of those "grown-up" talks that my mother sends my to my room so I can't listen. From my hiding spot, I could still hear the conversation.
"I don't know what you are talking about." I hear my mom say, "I don't have a daughter." I frown at that.
"Come now, Coral" A really tall man said stepping closer to my mom. She stepped back frightened but was stopped by the two women behind her, "We all know you have a daughter. We don't need to hurt you or her. We just need to know where she is?"
"I will never give up my daughter's location." Mother spat at the man. He looked happy at that response.
"Well, we have ways of making you talk. We will get your daughter's location." He said smiling. I reacted because I figured he was going to hurt my mom.
"Mommy!" I shout stepping out if my hiding space.
"Honey," She said looking frightened, "You need to go back in the store,darling. I will meet you in there soon." The man waved his hand at that.
"Your daughter doesn't need to leave." The man said walking toward me. "What's your name, little one?" Of course, I shouldn't have answered this question but I am five and unknown to my heritage.
"Atlantia." I answer.
"Atlantia," He said smiling sharing a look with his friends. "My name is Dr. Thorn. Can you come with us, so we don't have to hurt you mom?" He held out his hand but before my naive five year-old brain could make my decision, my mother made my decision for me.
"Run, Atlantia!" She screamed. She opened her wings and her hands extended to the claws. Mother attacked the two women behind her. They shrieked as her claws slashed at their throats. I expected to see blood but the two women just exploded into gold dust. I stared shocked. My mother tried to attack the other two men with Dr. Thorn who were like at least 8 feet tall but they easily stopped her. One of them grabbed her neck and I hear a crack and I watched as my mother's body fall to the ground lifeless. I don't know what really happened next but all I remember was my screams and when I quieted the two giant men were gone and gold dust was fluttering in the place while Dr. Thorn was wrapped in green vines. I ran to my mother and shook her arms because being the five year old I was, I still had a part of me that believed she was sleeping.
"Mommy, please wake up. Mommy please." I cried out wrapping my arms around her broken neck. Her wings and claws were beginning to fade but I knew it was normal since Mother told me about it when I changed.
"It allows for sirens to hide." I heard her say.
"Mommy, why do we have to hide?" I remember saying.
"People are afraid of people that are different so we hide so they aren't afraid of us." She replied.
I would have stayed crying and reminiscing the fond memories of me and Mother but I could hear the vines ripping behind me so I ran.