The Blood Kingdom

Chapter 1

I should be dead. When your 17 living in a country where poverty is everywhere you do what you can to survive. Which includes stealing, trespassing, and trying to take care of your family any way you can. I live in the grusea province of queito. Not the worst, but not the best place to live in. And I'm not the only one willing to do anything for their families. Which explains why I should be dead. I feel like I might faint but I keep sprinting with the loaf of bread in my hand.

"HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE"
the man screamed from the corner of his market cart. I spare him a single glance before rounding the corner to the alley. When I stop I hack up a cough and feel my lungs trying to wheeze on with each shaky breath. After a few minutes, I regain my composure and start a brisk but steady walk back to my house. I live in a tiny cot just outside the city of grusea that my dad built to keep us safe. With everyone just trying to support their family in any way they can, it can make the city a dangerous place for anyone to be there at the wrong time.

I start to see the porch of my house come into view with my mom on the porch sweeping out all the dust. She's beautiful and the best mother I could ask for. Both my parents risked their lives to make their children lead better lives. And for that, I am eternally grateful for them. My parents have that overly swelling love where they are devoured by each other presence. Where they can just look at each other while never getting bored. Their love is like a fire all-consuming that when it touches anything in its path it leaves cinders letting you know it was there. Which explains why I have three siblings. Or had. It's still a sore topic for us to think about let alone speak about it out loud. I had two brothers that were taken from their beds four years ago to fight in a war they didn't ask for.

Collins and Furgo.
I feel my eyes welling with tears just at the very thought of them, at the thought that one day I will inevitably forget their eyes, the curves of their faces, or how their arms felt when they held me for the last time. We were informed of their passing by two officers coming to our houses saying they were died by suicide. Which my family knows is total bullshit. They had family and things to live for. They PROMISED my sister and I they would come back. I can't explain it but it's this FEELING. I KNOW they're lying. "Asune?" I don't know how long I was standing there but I quickly wipe away my tears and walk up the porch. "Hey mom." I heard how broken my voice sounds. When she looks at me her eyes soften and she pulls me in for a hug.

Nothing needs to be said for her to know how I'm feeling. After a few minutes, I pull away and say "I brought dinner" and wave the loaf of bread in the air for her to see. "DINNER'S READY." I hear my dad's booming voice sound. We walk in through the door to see my dad and sister around the table with meat stew in their bowls. I wave the bread through the air once again to show them and place it on the table. "Hey Lizzie" I say ruffling her hair. She grumbles but takes a chunk out of the bread. She's only 14 and knows what starvation feels like. I wish it wasn't like that. I look down at my food and say "I think I might get a job."

Everyone goes silent and I can feel their eyes boring through my skull. "To you know. Help out?" I say and lookup. My parents have told me over and over again not to worry about helping out by I think it's my time to start because I'm 17 and only have six months left before I am ripped from my bed as well. To my surprise, my dad says "That sounds like a good idea." I smile and turn to my mom and she doesn't make eye contact with me but nods her head and turns to give my dad a look I don't understand. "Does this mean your gonna bring more food home?" I look at Lizzie who looks like a predator about to pounce on its prey. "Easy there tiger," I say and chuckle while ruffling her hair again when I hear a certain coded knock on the door.

And we all know who it is.
The door swings open and we hear "Hello Respire family how are you this FINE evening?" My best friend Emiko walks in. "Hey Miko." I say and continue to eat my stew. She looks at me skeptically and puts her hand on my forehead and says "Are you feeling ok?" I roll my eyes and pull her hand away "I'm fine." She looks at me pretending to be hurt. "That's all I get?" "A hey Miko" "not a "Hello my dear best friend who I absolutely adore and love with all my heart?" She has always loved to have eyes on her and everyone's attention.

Where I am the opposite which might be why we fit so well. "I'm sorry," I say with sarcasm dripping in my tone. "We're gonna do it again." She says as she walks out the door only to walk back in. I then pretend she's a royal and practically fangirl over her. She realized what I was doing and mutters thanks as she takes a seat. "Are you going to eat?" my mother asks her. She shrugs and grabs a bowl with a few spoons full of stew and downs it in thirty seconds.

"When was the last time you ate Miko?" I lightly whisper. She looks down and says " Tuesday." I look at her and hand her another bowl. We talk for a few more minutes when the lights start to flicker. "Did you pay the bill?" My mother asks my father. And my dad's once playful expression turns cold as he says "It's not the bill." The last thing I see is my mother's eyes widen before the lights completely blackout.

Word Count:1087