The Guardian

Chapter One

"BEEEEP"

I rolled over in my bed to turn off my alarm. After laying there a moment I made my way to the bathroom to take a shower.

Afterward, I stepped out and slid into my robe and I caught my reflection in the mirror. I had just turned twenty last Sunday and noticed that not much had changed about myself.

I wasn't tall just about five-foot-six, my hair was red, and my eyes were green. I looked so like my mother and the thought of her brought tears to my eyes.

I had lost my mother to my father who had killed her ten years ago.

My mom and I were locked in the bathroom trying to hide from my dad. My mom told me to go out of the window and never come back. I started to protest but she told me it was the only way. So I did as she had said but I didn't run away, no I just hide under a little spot of the house. As soon as I had hidden I heard my dad kick down the door and my mom scream. Then I heard three gunshots and everything went quiet.

I got up slowly and peeked through the bathroom window, and I saw my father standing there with blood all over him. I gasped and he turned and lunged at me. I ran barely dodging his grasp.

He shot at me and yelled, "I'll find you Katie Ball, and when I do, I will be the last thing you'll see!"

I told the police what happened but they never caught my father. Since I didn't have any family, and I was a prime witness in the case, a nice policewoman said she would look after me until they solved the case. After a few months, the policewoman adopted me. Sadly she passed away last year and I still missed her dearly.

I pushed the memory out of my head and started to get dressed. I couldn't help thinking about what might have happened to my father. Did the police ever catch him? No, if they did I would know. Was he still on the loose or was he dead? The questions where starting to give me a headache so I pushed the thoughts aside and headed out to the hall. I grabbed my purse from the rack near the door and locked the house up.

The café where I worked was just a few blocks from my house so I decided to just walk there.

I had been working at Olivia's Café for about two years now, and everybody in my small town loved to come there.

The café was a small, brick building that had a homely feel about it. That's why everyone loved going there. I always got there early that's why I always opened up the café. I unlocked the door and headed inside. I had thirty minutes before the café opened so I decided to get started on making the coffee.

It wasn't until I had finished making the coffee that I noticed a man coming towards the café. He looked to be in his mid-twenties with long, brown hair and was wearing sunglasses, and he was caring and enormous duffle bag.

The only reason I noticed him was that I had never seen him before in my life. Which was off because nobody new ever came to this little town, but all the same I went over to the door and unlocked it for him.

"Hello welcome to Olivia's Café. What can I get you on this fine morning?" I exclaimed.

"Coffee." the man replied.

"Okay, what kind of coffee would you like?"

"Black with one sugar."

"Okay, for here or to go?"

The man didn't respond so I asked again "Sir, would you like your coffee for here or to go?"

The man seemed to snap out of his daze and asked, "Can you repeat what you said please?"

I was beginning to get irritated with him, but I didn't show it. "Would you like your coffee here or in a carry-cup?"

"Here," the man replied.

So I took him to a table and told him to wait here while I get his coffee. I went to the back to grab a pot of coffee when I heard the door open. I peeked around the corner to see something I didn't think I'd ever see in my entire life.

My father walked into the café looking around. I freaked and dropped the cup I was holding. The sound of the cup smashing on the floor made my father look towards the kitchen. Which was where I was! I dropped to the floor and crawled out of the kitchen, but then as I was crawling I bumped into someone. I looked up slowly and saw the man that had asked for the coffee.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a worried voice.

He put a hand out to help me up, and I accepted it. Once I was on my feet I poured out my story to him.

"That's my father," I whispered, "when I was younger he killed my mother and threatened to kill me as well, but I escaped and never saw him again. Or at least, I hoped never to see him again."

The man thought for a minute.

"Look I was sent to help and watch over you so stay here and be very quiet." The man said.

I hid behind the counter and peeked out. I watched the man walk up to my dad, and pull a gun out of his pocket. My dad saw him and froze.

"I'm just here for the girl," my dad said.

"Put your hands up where I can see them and don't move!" The man yelled.

"Look, boy," my dad said," you can walk away and not get hurt if you just turn around and leave."

"NO! I'm not leaving her. Do as I said!"

"Fine, you leave me no choice." My dad said in a hushed voice.

Then, my dad changed into a horrible monster. He seemed to just fold in on himself and take a new shape. He was now green and his arms slide out of his slimy body into six tentacle-looking arms. I covered my mouth so I didn't scream. I expected the man to freak and probably take off running, but instead, he put the gun back in his pocket and calmly walked over to the bag he had brought with him, and take out a bow and arrow. My now monster dad shrieked in fear and lunged at the man. The man shot an arrow at my dad's stomach and my dad started bleeding green blood.

I felt helpless just sitting here and watching the man fight my monster dad all by himself. So I crawled over to the bag and looked in, and found all types of weapons but I pulled out a sword. It had red jewels on the handle and was shining even though no sun was shining on it. Wielding the sword, I found it was surprisingly light.

I walked over to stand next to the man and yelled: "HEY YOU GREEN SLOB I'M OVER HERE!"

My dad and the man looked at me. My dad rushed me and I sidestepped him and stabbed the sword into his neck. He screamed an awful scream and fell to the ground. Then a hole slowly appeared on the ground, swallowing up the green goop before sealing itself.

The man gently took the sword from my hands and I asked, "What is going on? My dad just... What was that thing? And who are YOU? Why do you have a bag full of medieval weapons?

"It was a lagooner" the man started but I cut him off.

"A what? Is there going to be more?"

"Yes there will and I will be here to help you along the way".

"Wait, what? What do you mean to help me along the way? What way? What is going on?

I started to feel weak and the man noticed. He put a hand out to steady me and walked me over to a chair.

"This is way too much for me to take in."

I looked up at the man and he said, "I understand what you are going through. It will be okay. I will help you get through it and you will soon understand."

"But I still don't know who you are." I retorted back, now starting to get scared.

"My name is Peter Hill, and I am your guardian."