They were my saviors, and they promised to keep me safe.

Forever.

If only that were true. It was months later, everything appeared to be peaceful around the house, in our little world. Until the day I got a unknown number calling. I made a vow to never answer any unknown calls ever again, so I ignored it and got back to work. It was that evening, right before the guys returned home, there was a knock at the door but know one was there. But in the screen door was an envelope addressed to my old name.

Memories of my old life came back to me like a terrible movie. With the envelope in hand, I retreat back inside and head to the study immediately. Fear and anger mix together, tremors course through my body. I held it up to the light to see what could be in it, and the only light I saw was on either side, something filled the center. I wanted to rip it up and not think anything of it, but whatever was in here, it came from my past.

Everything stopped, time, my breath trapped in my lungs as I stared at a photo of me and one of the guys….naked. It was Zeth and I were having a moment together back in the wooded area behind the house, covered by thick brush and shade. The memory was fresh in my mind, we were hiding from Andrew who was in one of his moods, and was making everyone do the most ridiculous chores. Zeth and I didn’t intend to hide together, it just happened. And then our moment of weakness happened. But who was out in those woods that would take a picture of us and then delievery it to me, and under my old name!

The photo was of Zeth and I, but it had a large red X over Zeth’s body, and his face was marked out. The pen marks looked aggresive, the imprint of the froce applied to it was embossed. Whoever is watching me isn’t happy about my association to the men that saved my life from the coterie. I can barely sleep through the night as is. The memories were still fresh, tormenting me as they lingered right behind my eye lids. Feeling cold clammy hands all over my body that made bile creep up the back of my throat, it burned and makes it hard to swallow.

The sound of the front door shutting and heavy footsteps bring me back from the dark place in my mind. I could feel tears fall from my eyes freely as Andrew and Fredric walk into the study to see me. My body trembles uncontrolably and it was Andrew that closed the distatnce between us in seconds. Wrapping his arms around my small frame in an attempt to stop me from shaking. It was then that I knew my nightmare wasn’t over yet, that there were people coming after me, and they didn’t care who I on my side.

“You will never leave our sides ever again, Destiny” Andrew whispered to me, his sight dead set on the image of me and Zeth. “I will make sure of it, if that means more blood on my hands then so be it.” He was true to his word whenever it came to me. He has dropped more bodies than the rest of his brothers. He was an animal born man, made for protecting those he loved and trusted.

I can feel my sore wrist from the backfire of the gun I had fired so many times, the warmth and feeling gone from my fingertips, my ears, lips, toes, almost everywhere. I just wanted to go home, a sudden warm line slowly trails down my cheek, over a cut from the snow shooting past, I feel the sting as it stays and freezes up, oh how the boys would laugh if they saw me crying. My arm is raised as I take aim at a young German soldier, he has a moustache and fair skin with dark hair, short just above the ears, as it should be, there is so many emotions on his face I cannot focus on just one. Fear is in his eyes, he doesn’t want to die, I also see a little arrogance which confuses me but I can’t think. He’s slumped, tired. I can see his breath, quick and sharp, he’s nervous. If he had a cigarette I would actually believe he was smoking his breath was so visible

I move my shaking thumb over to the hammer and with some struggle I pull it down, the classic sound, click click click. I used to love it, but it had quickly become one of the many things that made my skin crawl.

A loud boom snaps me back reality, the utter shock of it makes me turn and cower, I peek over my arm and see a massive orange flame not too far, Men lying on the ground, most dead, some are screaming with missing limbs. Horror takes over my face as my chin and bottom lip tremble. I watch is a man takes a gun and puts it to his friends head. Boom. The man immediately silenced and slumps, he then turns it to himself and points at his own head, his hand is shaking so much, then he looks at me for a second and pulls the trigger, I flinch and look at his blood spray across the snow. I feel physically sick, the bile building up in my throat as I bend over and the very little food I had that day leaves my stomach and onto the ground. I take about twenty seconds to compose my self, coughing, I turn to where the man who’s life I was about to take was he’s gone, I see the steps in the snow, I’m not going to follow.

I feel someone roughly grab me and I turn to see another soldier, he pats my back as way of comfort and runs off and so do I in another direction to do what I signed up for.

But I shielded it with my hand and it burned up again to light me along the dark passage. I had no idea how long I’d been here in the underground. It can’t have been too long if my candle still burned; but time had stretched and warped and flowed out of recognition. Drafts flickered the flame which I had to keep protecting, tantalisingly hinting of escape to back above ground, but looking for the source just added to the torture. The vague light made horror friends of my dancing shadows along the walls as they followed me through the tunnels.

Why I kept walking I didn’t know; I knew I was lost but to keep moving seemed the logical thing to do, however, irrational. To keep still was to await fate, moving meant life; I had some control even if it meant just making the choice of going right, right and right. But right, right and right again and I never once went down the same passage. Each seemed to hold its own character, a smell, a hint of aged decay.

I just didn’t know how much longer I would have once the candle had burned through. I tried not to see or imagine how scratch marks on the floor and walls were not made by some predecessor. My hearing now so acute I was deaf. I’d heard numerous scuffles and screams and then the silence and decided it had been silence all along. The last imagined scuffle had been sometime ago, whatever sometime ago meant. Nothing to hear and soon nothing to see. I wondered yet again after my friends and how I had lost them so easily after we had all made the most solemnest of vows to stick together. Together we could over come anything. Together we had each become lost so easily.

We were chosen as the most beautiful, brave and worthy of our city. We were told to be proud to be chosen. The truth being in my mother’s tears and father’s coldness as they bade me farewell among the baying crowds. Me just waiting for someone to call time on the bullshit and realising the mob were doing exactly that, but still doing nothing to actually stop it, in case the grain that made their daily bread and filled their bellies would be stopped. So there was a real limit to their empathy.

I should have a future with a family, sailing, harvesting, fooling around, growing old and wondering how I’ve turned into my parents. Not lost underground in some foreign land - my body never even left for the crows let alone burnt for the gods releasing me to find the ferryman. I always worried how I would find the him, now seemingly such childish worries. My spirit will be left to wonder this endless labyrinth. I don’t want anger but anger is coming easily right now.

But time has ended, the candle burns itself out; I feel hot breath on my neck.

He patted his shoulder and smiled. The look on his face gave him a sigh of relief. The last statement he made was, ‘ don’t worry, Gideon. Everything is gonna be ok’. Prince was the elderly brother of Gideon. They had lived inseparable for years after the tragic death of their parents. They had no one to lean on from their youthful age so they served as each other’s companion. Gideon was a weakling so his elder brother always had to give him the maximum protection he needed. He always took him to his music practice and made sure to help him rehearse back at home. Michael always saw his brother as a role model. ‘ Big bro, when I grow up one day, I will make sure to become a responsible person as you are, and also try to teach my family in the same way’ , said Gideon. Prince looked as his younger brother and breathed heavily....’ Hmmm.... if only mum and dad were alive’. It was getting nearer and nearer; the audition for the next top act in school. Gideon was not certain he would make it to the next round of the audition. Even though he had rehearsed for a very long time, it seems he was lacking an element that would be needed at this stage. That’s inspiration. Prince however made sure his brother could count on him in times of need. He was not going to let his brother down this time round. Every morning, he helped his brother to go through his piano practice and even got down his own lyrics to suit the sound of the rhythm Gideon produced. Soon, Gideon could feel the aura surrounding his performance that he knew it was his time to make a breakthrough. The day finally arrived. Lots of people trooped in the auditorium because it was one of the biggest events on the school calendar. Everyone one made sure he did his best to put out a great performance on that day. Gideon was the second contestant for the day. Backstage, he was feeling nervous the thought of him putting on a bad performance made him tremble. The first contestant went up stage and gave a thrilling performance. Claps of thunder echoed the auditorium as Gideon also began to follow next. ‘ What if I fail? What if everything goes wrong? ‘ Wild thoughts ran out of Gideon’s head that it could even be read on his face. Prince, noticing that his brother was looking blue, patted his shoulder and smiled. All he said was, ‘ Everything is gonna be ok ‘. That was what Gideon needed. He turned and gave Prince a tight hug. ‘ What could I have done without you? , he said. He loved his brother very much and had faith in him. In the end, his performance was marvelous and it was like a dream come true.

The wolf was not happy. His cousin AJ was wrapping him in bandages his orange fur bristling with anger. “Honestly Reg, I don’t like these pigs your describing. In Africa they’d be outcasts but I digress”.

The cousins talked more and the more they talked the more AJ’s mind built a strategy to take the pigs down.

The wolf and the lion walked up to the straw house. Reginald looked at AJ with desperation in his eyes. AJ smirked at his cousins face and extended a hand. Fire wreathed his paw with a liquid stream of fire sprung out and stopped just before the house. “Make a threat first Reg”

Reginald knocked on the door. No answer. He tried again. No answer. AJ rolled his eyes tilted his hand flames wrapping around the house “cracking cousin” AJ said a big smile rivalling his sister Cheshire. “You know you worry me sometimes” Reginald replied as he swore he could hear a squeal but he dismissed it as his imagination.

As they walked towards the stick house AJ suddenly thought of something. “ Hold on, didn’t you decimate the straw and stick house. They much have a ton of determination to get them rebuilt in just one afternoon and haven’t they heard of learning from mistakes.”

As they approached the stick house Reginald noticed that there were two pigs inside. Salivating at the opportunity, both lion and wolf huddled. After a quick scheme, AJ knocked on the door. The pig opened the door his straw hat pressing against the doorframe. The pigs cracked Texan drawl made AJ wince “Who are ya and why ya here” AJ silently wished his sister was here. Cheshire was always better with social magic “ hello, mr pig my cousin and I are new to the area and we wanted to get acquainted my I come in.” The pig felt himself being pushed aside as the lion walked past him ignoring all of the first and second pigs protests sitting down and started to twiddle his thumbs as unbeknownst to the pigs a magenta sheen covered the door suddenly the wolf stepped in through the window “ consider this a second attempt” AJ remarked staring at his now out phone. The two pigs squealed as the wolf making efficient work of two pigs. “Why didn’t you join in cuz” Reginald said angrily AJ looked up “This ain’t my fight I’m just given’ you a hand”

The third pig would be a challenge AJ flicked through his spell book and grinned at the page. He showed Reginald who laughed they walked up the the brick house.

AJ made a sweeping motion with both of his hands. A green pulse of energy hit the house the bricked started levitating into a pile. AJ was unmaking the house. Reginald looked at his African cousin and wondered about AJ’s arcane dabbling before dismissing the thought as the shocked face of the prim and proper third pig came into view. He got ready to pounce.