Blood + Tears (all 15)

Prologue

sang- 15 years old.

My blood and tears mixed together on the cold stone floor. Moving hurt too much after my mother's last punishment. She said that this was a lesson. It was supposed to help control my emotions so what happened today wouldn't happen again. Emotions were to help me control my animal. My animal form. My Amara. My animal form that my mother hates.

I whimpered as I moved my arm an inch. My back was healing. Last night's punishment had my back in shreds, courtesy to my mother's whip. I knew I was going to be sore for the next few days. I forced myself to move through the excruciating pain. Unsteadily, I walked to the window until the chain around my neck stopped me. The thick collar around my neck and shackles around my wrists rubbed my skin raw, but I had to look out the window. It was barely a window. It was a five by five inch hole that was here when my family purchased it from the previous owner. It was that window that made me wish for the sky. For freedom. For being myself.

Myself. People would fear me if they found out what my animal was. When my mother found out what I was, she instantly made me a prisoner. The times that she let me out, she'd claim that I was a non-shifter. Claimed as a non-shifter, I was bullied for being defective, for being a disappointment, for being an embarrassment. I had been shoved and beaten by the kids in town. Even my older sister Marie participated in it. I rubbed the scar on my stomach, remembering when her shoe cut my stomach. The cut was deep and my family didn't want to spend money to get me stitches. Thankfully my healing powers activated but it had to battle the infection. The wound was so bad that my powers couldn't stop the scar from forming. Even the older people of the town wouldn't talk to me. They would sneer at me. They never helped when I was laying in the main street after I had been beaten by a group of kids.

Tears ran down my face as I stared out the window. I want to leave. I want to be free. But my parents would never let me go. They'd make sure that they would kill me before letting me go.

Sang, my animal Amara whispered. Her voice soothed me, reminding me that what she was is different than what people say. leave. Take the chance. We can be free. You can be free.

I shook my head. We can't. They'd hunt us down. They'd kill us.

Amara growled. They're killing us right now. They shouldn't cage us. We were born to be free. Would you rather die here in this shitty dungeon or die while surrounded by air, by grass, by freedom?

I knew she was right. If I was to die, I didn't want to die as a coward. I wanted to be free. No, I deserve to be free. Okay. Where should we go?

I know a place where no one would dare enter. The forest that lays in between Arcadia and Lycandros is a dangerous place. A place fit for us. Amara whispered.

I smiled. I was going to be free. Closing my eyes, I let us merge. Our full magic surrounded us healing my wounds instantaneously and melted the chains from my neck and hands. The melted metal splattered to the ground, but it didn't harm us. Opening my eyes, the dark room was lit with my glowing violet eyes.

I walked towards the door, forcing it to unlock. I walked through the house that has been my prison for the past ten years. I approached the door when someone appeared. My father stared wide-eyed at what I was. He knew what I was, yet he allowed his wife and child to beat me. He always claimed that it was to protect me. But he was afraid. Afraid for himself if it was found out that he had made a creature like me.

He stammered. "Sang, how did you get out?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I'm leaving. I'm not coming back. If you or mom or anyone from this town come looking for me, I will kill you."

His eyes were downcast. He took a step towards me. "Sang, I... I have something for you. I've been waiting for you to finally escape."

I tilted my head in confusion. "What?"

He ran a hand through his graying hair. His copper brown eyes met mine. "I love you. You might not believe it, but I love you. You are so much like your mother."

My eyes flashed, and he flinched. How dare he say something so hilarious about love. He didn't know one thing about loving someone. "She is not my mother."

Dad sighed. "No she isn't."

It was silent as I comprehended what he said. The woman who had taken care of me until I was five, who had beaten me since then, that woman wasn't my mother. I growled. "Then who is my mother?"

"I can't say," my father spoke quietly. He walked over to a picture and took it from the wall. A small safe was lodged into the wall. He quickly opened the safe and took out a large bag. "This is an enchanted bag. It will hold anything without changing the weight or size of the bag. I've been collecting any books that might help you about survival and our history. I also placed some weapons, money, food, papers, and other stuff for you. Learn them. Teach yourself anything to defend yourself, Sang."

A tear ran down my cheek. "Why are you doing this?"

His own eyes teared up. "I'm sorry, Sang. I should have been a better father. I should never had let this happen." He motioned to the doors. "Do not come back, Sang. I will make sure that your stepmother and stepsister or anyone from this town will not hunt you."

I nodded, looping the strap around my shoulders. "Goodbye."

He swallowed. As I opened the door, he whispered. "Goodbye, Sang."

With a push, I was in the air, leaving everything from my behind me. I was free.