Radiant Age, Winter, 1115
"Feodora Cicer, get over here right now!"
Mother tugged my ear, ripping me from outside into the kitchen. I was shaken up by the sudden assault.
"I didn't do it, mom! Mom, I didn't do it!"
I thrashed about but I couldn't get away. An eight-year-old was no match against a grown woman. The group of boys and girls all huddled around the outside door, laughing and teasing at my scolding.
Frightened, I looked up at the scary orphanage mother. Ignoring my pleads, she continued her relentless scolding despite the group mocking me from the sidelines.
"That food was for everyone, not just you Feodora! Why do you cause so much trouble?"
This morning, someone snuck into the kitchen and ate the scarce fresh vegetables used for dinner. Me, being one of the only one to snack on vegetables out of all the kids, I was blamed. "Of course it was Feodora," I was sure the kids said. But it was more likely they threw the food away to point their fingers my way.
The orphanage mother was livid though. I swore I could see steam fuming from her ears.
She went on and on and on... All I wanted to do was cry in my bed, but… I held back my tears as best as I could. The annoying kids at the door wanted to see me cry and I wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.
"You're cleaning until the afternoon. Go get the mop, Feodora. I want this place spotless for the cooks!"
She chided before shooing the kids away.
"No one bother's Feodora. She's in time out."
Mother warned, motioning the children to play outside without me.
I gritted my teeth and did as I was told. Annoyed, I made my way to the back of the house, got the mop and bucket, and slogged my way back to do my unfair chores.
"What the?"
The chairs were tossed, flour and wheat wasted on the floor. I could hear the other kids laughing and calling me names from outside.
"Tsk, I hate everyone..."
After I cleaned up, I was tired and wanted to be alone. Mother inspected my work and sent me outside. So, I made my way to play alone at the edge of the orphanage's gates. There was a forest that always looked tantalizing to explore.
There I would stand, gazing deep into the unknown trees and lush green. A part of me wondered what was in there, far away from this horrible place.
"Out of the way, Banshee!"
A girl yelled before pushing me to the ground. My chin hit the dirt. I rolled over to look up to see a short dirty blond girl. She had sapphire eyes and a bandage on her cheek. Her name was Lila and despite her being short, she pushed others around daily.
"Freak."
Lila spat my way.
"W-Wait up, Lila!"
Two other girls, Anna and May, followed her like pets circling their master. I clenched the dirt, tired of being looked down on. But being how I was at that age, it was too hard for me to stand up for myself. I watched it as the trio, Lila, Anna, and May, found their new victim.
"Give it back!"
A new girl with short pink hair and an abnormal robe dress was being bullied by those monsters.
"Come get it!"
Lila happily chimed.
She tossed her victim's stuffed animal around to her friends, keeping it from her. The pink-haired girl looked like a dog, running about, chasing her things desperately.
I've suffered this abuse for nearly two years. I used to be kicked around and picked up but today was my breaking point. For the first time I screamed while awake, towards the monsters bothering that little girl.
"Leave her alone!"
Frustrated, I yelled at the group and rushed over to them. Lila didn't waver, she approached me, ready to stand on her ground.
"Shut up, Banshee!"
Lila walked up to me, put her nose close to my face and pushed my chest with her finger.
I shoved her away.
She did the same back to me.
"What are you going to do? Scream at me, Banshee?"
"Stop calling me Banshee!"
My knuckle faded into a ball of darkness, and my body heated up abnormally. The blood inside me boiled hotter than ever as I brought my fist back. The daylight around us faded into pitch black, like the sun turned off. I swung and heard a large pop when my knuckle punched Lila's nose.
The sun came back bright, revealing my bully, face and mouth full of her own blood. I shook my knuckles, waving off the pain.
"Oh my gosh! Mother! Mother! Banshee hurt someone!"
One of her friends ran away, screaming for our orphan mother.
The purple aura around my fist faded away, and what was left was the blood from her nose. In fear, the other bully watching this unfold ran inside also.
"Cowards…"
It was that day I realized what those three girls really were. They were nothing but cowards, pushing others around. Annoyed, I turned to the pink-haired girl. Her stuffed animal was lying on the dirt, so I picked it up and handed it back to her.
"Ah…"
In a panic, she took it from me. The fear in her eyes made my heart drop. I must have looked like a monster too in her eyes.
Slowly, I attempted to reach out to her.
"Ah, A-Are you- "
But instead of taking my hand, she backed up.
"M-Mother! Mother!"
Scared, the pink-haired girl ran, crying to the orphanage mother too. Kids gathered around soon, and it wasn't long before said mother came out to see what I've done. Lila was tussling in the dirt, squabbling in pain. Just by looking at her, it was clear I broke her nose. She would have to be sent to the nearby hospital.
A well-deserved hit, I say. As for my punishment?
"Tonight, you'll sleep in the cellar, Feodora. Learn from your actions, my child. We'll find chores for you to do tomorrow. You have a lot to do to make up for your unruly behavior as of late."
"Okay, Mother."
The door shut on me, the long steps separating me from the world above. It was winter, cold, even at my age I knew this was cruel. But instead of complaining, I rolled onto the floor and got comfortable. I was tired, angry, and annoyed. But all I could do was pray that tomorrow would be a better day.
I tried my best to close my eyes and sleep. It was the only remnant of peace I'd get. Being alone was the only thing that would give me… peace.
"I never heard myself scream at night."
I whispered in the cold air. In my eyes, I wasn't a banshee like the bullies called me. Even with the night terrors and horrible dreams faced, I would rather deal with those than endure the hell made by the children upstairs.
"I just want to be alone."
Eventually my mind stopped racing, and I drifted off into the nightmarish world of my familiar night terrors.
"She's so loud! Hurry up and grab her already!"
What woke me up wasn't the fear of the horrid creatures abusing me in my dreams. It was the voice of people, a more frightening reality. I caught the eyes of the two girls, Anna and May, the two who were bullying me this morning. Lila, nose knows I broke, wasn't with them.
"Get off me! Let me go!"
I struggled but they overpowered me. They wrapped a cloth over my head and carried me up the steps and into the winter night.
"What are you doing?"
I struggled but they were strong together and overpowered as she pushed forward.
"We're sick of you, Banshee!"
I could feel the ground under my feet change from grass to dirt to rocks. My heart dropped as my feet lifted off the ground.
"Let me go! I-I said, let me go!"
My body suspended for a bit before I realized how much danger in. They did as I told them. Together, they threw me down.
"Ahh!"
They let go, and I spun in the air with nowhere to grab onto. As I fell, the cloth flew off my face. My body hit the steep ground, and I started to roll on my side. I barreled down a hill as my body twisted and slammed, picking up speed as it rag-dolled down the embankment.
"Nnggg."
I slammed into a brush of trees, coming to an instant stop. My body hurt all over as I pulled the bag off my head.
"Where am I?"
It was dark and cold. I found myself in the uncanny forest alone. Only in my nightgown with no shoes, I wandered aimlessly. My short red hair was dirty and full of twigs and cobwebs. The soles of my feet were cut up and covered in blood, dirt and mud. Uncontrollably, I started to tremble as I looked at the cold forest around me.
"Someone?! I need help!"
I cried out, but my tiny voice stayed tight in my throat like one of my night terrors. Slowly, I started walking around but was unsure where to go. Did I fall from here? Or maybe over there? There was no way to tell. I was disoriented and confused.
"I'm lost…"
I was only eight years old, and I've never been outside of the orphanage. Everything outside was terrifying.
"Ggggrr…"
A growl from a bush nearby caused me to fall over. I brushed off the dirt in my eyes and watched the wolf-like creature emerge from the darkness. The wolf's body and fur were bright silver. Its lush eyes were fine gold. The creature looked rich but smelled like burnt wood.
"A b-beast?"
The orphan mother would warn me that beasts roamed outside, in the wild. The children were strictly permitted to stay within the gates to protect us from beast. They roamed the world to devour vessels like us.
The wolf lunged at me, catching hold of my arm. Its razor-sharp teeth latched on me, and I screamed from knife piercing pain. The beast swung on my shoulder as if trying to separate my arm from its body.
"Arrgg! Ahh!"
It let go and tossed me to the side. On my backside, I rolled over and attempted to crawl away. But the pain surged through my small body, keeping me in place.
"H-Help."
I tried to scream, but it was like I was trapped in a nightmare. No matter how much I tried, my voice wouldn't escape.
"I won't be bad, please mother. Save me!"
I took to my feet as the beast rushed after me. Its hot breath touched my neck, and I braced for the pain. The ground shook with a brilliant light from behind me and the wolf screamed in pain.
Confused, I fell back to the ground and shielded my head with my arms.
"Save me… please… someone save me."
"Little one…"
I rolled over to see what happened, a tall man with pure white hair and a large hatchet stood over the slain wolf. The beast turned into a fine white powder of dust and vanished under his legs.
"She lives another day."
His voice was cold and grim, like it was being filtered through a grinder as it echoed through my ears. He approached, towering over me like a building out of place in this dark forest. In a black tattered jacket, dark pants and a skull mask that hid his features, the man seemingly looked down at me. I was shaken by his appearance.
"Are you afraid, little girl?"
I couldn't speak as I gazed at death itself. With a large hatchet in his hand, he traced its blade along my cheek. I whimpered like a wounded mutt as my legs buckled together. As I clawed at the ground, I felt the blood trickling from my shoulder where the beast attacked me.
"What are you doing out here, child?"
He came closer to me and touched my cheek with his large, rugged hands. They were ice cold, as if he was a dead body that's been out here for centuries, wasting away in the winter nights.
"Has someone left you here to die?"
I opened my mouth to speak but the fear took over and captured my words. This was scarier than my night terrors. The pain was real and everything hurt. I couldn't control it anymore and I finally cried.
"I-I. Aah!"
I don't know how long I cried for either. The world was cold, and I've never experienced anything outside of that isolated orphanage. What was a child my age supposed to do when faced with reality? I rubbed my eyes, but they hurt from the dirt getting in them. I was cold, tired and everything hurt.
"I-I…"
I tried to speak but the hiccups broke up my words. As the tears rolled down my cheek, a cold sensation, like ice on the skin wrapped around my back. When I opened my eyes, his large arms were around me, holding me in his embrace.
Nothing about this man was warm but for the first time in years, I felt… safe. As if the only thing in this cruel world was a demon sent to save me from that beast.
"We are vessel unwanted to the world, young child."
He held my shoulder as he faced me. The skull mask obstructed his face, but I could see warm blue eyes piercing my soul.
"You aren't fit to live in this world as you are now. At this rate you'll die a young child, never able to experience life."
He brushed my red hair, a mess from the ordeal. Gently, the skull masked man pulled the bangs out of my eyes.
"You have lovely blue eyes."
Even his fingers were like ice as they traced my skin.
"Tell me, child, do you wish to die?"
My heart pounded against my chest at the question. I shook my head from side to side. It was the only thing I could do. No matter how much I tried to speak, I was too frightened for words to escape.
"I see."
My feet lifted off the ground as the man carried me in his arms. I held on as we went darker into the forest together. As I looked up to the sky, the moon was bright, and the wind was ice cold.
If this was how the world was, maybe I needed to get used to the chill of the winter? Exhausted and in pain, I still drifted off to sleep in the arms of the demon sent to save me.