The Mysticals: Fly

Chapter One: The Orphans

"Is that all you got?!" screamed Avelle. She was screaming at Kenneth, the bully who was punching her.

"ARGH!", he exclaimed, "Why won't you stay down?!"

Avelle had wanted to say, "If I had stayed down, I wouldn't be alive. I wouldn't have managed to survive my parent's death when I was five. I wouldn't have run away from my abusive grandparents when I was seven. If I had stayed down, I wouldn't have survived seven years in the orphanage and have gotten into this fight. I didn't survive by staying down."

But instead, she said this, "I will never back down to anyone."

Kenneth scoffed, "Have it your way then."

Avelle braced herself for the punch. Kenneth was a strong and muscular boy. Avelle was thin and lean. She had more of a dancer's build than a fighter's, but don't let that fool you. Avelle was a survivor.

Most of the children in the orphanage were hungry. Avelle was no exception. Food portions were so small that it would take at least five of them to make a full meal. This is what children like Kenneth did, they took the food from smaller children to eat for themselves. Today, Avelle had fought back against Kenneth stealing the food of a newcomer, an eight year old boy named Kai. Kenneth was not happy about that. So he challenged her to a fight. She accepted and fought.

Avelle had lost that fight. She had been beaten pretty badly. So badly, that Kenneth didn't deem her worthy of continuing to beat up. She had to pull herself off the floor and wash the blood off her face in the place that almost qualified as a bathroom. Getting the blood off of her dark skin was easy, but getting the blood off of her dark and curly hair was way harder.

Once she had finished washing up, she headed to the dining room. The words 'dining room' are used very leniently. There wasn't there much silverware. Neither was much to dine on. It was just a room with a table. Rarely was a full meal ever given.

Kai sat next to her. "What happened?" he asked her.

Avelle sighed. "Don't pick a fight with Kenneth."

After 'dinner' (which was just scraps, by the way) the counselor decided to play a film. Like always, the counselor played a classic Disney movie. Avelle had a love-hate relationship with those movies. For one thing, they represented the times that she knew that she couldn't be beaten up, as Counselor Susan forbade fighting during movie time. A few years ago, they had always served popcorn with those movies. But whenever Avelle had watched those movies, she had a vague sense of....something. She couldn't tell but she didn't like it.

"Remember girls!" piped the counselor, a slender, young and obviously rich, white woman. "One day, your prince will come! And don't forget that when a boy is mean to you, it means he is in looove with you!"

That night, in the bunks Avelle's younger friend, Rebecca began to talk to her. Kai wasn't there because the bunks were separated by gender. Avelle could only hope that Kenneth wasn't beating up Kai.

"Kenneth is really mean to you," Rebbeca observed, "Does that mean he loves you?"

"I hope not," sighed Avelle. "That would be devastating."

"But the counselor said--" objected Rebbeca.

"The counselor is a filthy liar," interrupted Avelle.

"She says that there is enough food for everyone and that we are rich. And besides, I hate Kenneth. And if he decides to ask me out--" she shuddered.

Avelle would have wanted to say "NO" to Kenneth's face, but she had the vague sense that maybe she shouldn't. No one would stop Kenneth from beating her up. Who knows, maybe he would have killed her if she rejected him.

"Yeah," sighed Rebecca, "Kenneth is a jerk."