If Only

Chapter 1

If only I had courage.
If only I had strength.
If only I still had you with me

You walk through the woods on the grassy path. Trees tower above you as the sun gets lower in the sky. I need to rest a bit you think to yourself. You walk off the path and into the brush a couple of feet.

You sit down at the base of a big oak tree and sigh at the relief of being off your feet. You reach down and rub them gingerly through your boots. They throb lightly from the walking you're always doing, but it's now just a constant dull ache you've gotten used to over the past 2 years. You set your bag on the ground next to you and pull out your water jug.

You take a few gulps and put it back in your bag. You look down at the necklace you're wearing. A simple polished stone hanging from a long leather strap. You hold it in your hands a couple of seconds, kiss it, and tuck it protectively into your shirt.

You lean your head against the tree and close your eyes. You slowly fade from consciousness into a dream, one you've had many times before:

The sounds of screams are heard throughout your village as Jimin hides you protectively behind him. Father stands in front of Mother and the both of you, like a barricade that would never fall.

"Give us the boy." A guard says gruffly.

His bloody sword is held tightly in his hand as he inches closer to the four of you. Who's blood is that? Is it someone you knew?

"No way! You're not taking my son!" Father yells as he puts an arm out defensively in front of you all.

A flash of silver slices through the air as the guard's sword comes hurtling towards Father.

He grabs the guard's arm before the sword makes contact. But Father is weaker in comparison, and the guard soon overpowers him.

"NO!" Mother screams, as the sword is embedded in Father's chest.

You and Jimin watch in horror as the guard pulls his bloody sword out of father, who drops on the ground dead.

Mother runs at the guard screaming, arms out and flailing.

"No! Mom!" Jimin yells.

The guard slashes his sword across Mother's chest and she falls dead on the ground next to father.

"Jimin..." you whisper in terror as you see the guard step over your parent's dead bodies and towards the two of you.

"Run Y/N! Get out of here!" Jimin yells as he pushes you back. The guard grabs Jimin by the arms and begins forcefully pulling him out of the house.

"Brother No!" You yell as you reach out your hand to pull Jimin back. Instead, your hand finds his necklace, which rips off of his neck.

"I SAID RUN Y/N!" Jimin yells desperately, as another guard comes in the house drawing his sword.

Your eyes flicker down to Jimins necklace in your hand and back at the guard. Behind him, you see Jimin struggle against the other guard's hold as he's dragged into the street with the other boys.

You turn around and race to the back door. You rip it open and run outside. You see many other families screaming as guards drag sons, brothers, and lovers into the street.

You run past it all and towards the woods. You pass bloody bodies and screaming people as you run faster and faster away from it all. You race into the trees and run on for an hour or so, feet bloody, lungs burning, tears streaming down your face.

"No....They took Jimin...they took my brother...they killed my parents...." You say hyperventilating, as the green of forest rushes past you in a blur.

You finally slow down and collapse on the forest floor sobbing......

While you sleep under the tree, reliving a haunting memory in your dreams, a man walks the path you were just on. He's got long black hair that curls at the bottom, almost covering his playful-looking eyes.

He tips a glass bottle of alcohol up to his lips and downs the rest before throwing it in the woods opposite you. He shudders at the disgusting taste and totters over to your side of the woods. He then finds a tree and begins to relieve himself.

As he's buttoning his pants back up, he spots you a couple of feet in, sleeping against the oak tree. He smiles to himself as he quietly sneaks up on you. He double-checks your sleeping figure before carefully opening your bag. Inside, he finds a smaller bag of coins and takes them.

As he hops away from you he lands on a stick that loudly snaps. You open your eyes at the sound, completely awake, and see him looking back at you, caught. You lunge at him pushing him out of the woods and onto the path.

You pull him to the ground, straddle his waist and pull your knife out of your pocket. You hold it up to his neck as he holds both his hands up, one still clutching your bag of coins, In scared surrender.

"Who are you!" You yell at him as you glare into his dark eyes.

"Whoa sweetie, if you wanted to do this you could have just asked nicely." He says smirking as he reaches for your bottom.

You press your knife harder into his neck, just enough so he feels its sharp edge, and he quickly pulls his hand back.

"Alright! I'd like to live please." He says as he puts his hands back in the air.

"Give me my property." You say sharply as you reach with your other hand for the bag of coins he holds tightly. He takes this opportunity and grabs the knife out of your hand, flipping you over on your back and pinning your arms at your side with his legs.

"Well, well, well, look who just got on top." He says as he smirks at you and spins your knife in his hands.

"Get off of me!" You yell angrily, as you try to wiggle your arms free.

He holds them tighter with his legs as he puts your small purse of coins in his pocket and says slyly, "I think you secretly like this."

"Not a chance creep!" You yell up at him.

You hate feeling trapped and powerless, and this man has beaten you in both areas.

He then notices the necklace around your neck poking out from under your shirt. He lifts it and looks at it pensively.

"Hmm, what's this? Is it valuable?" He asks as he looks down at you triumphantly.

"I said off!" You scream as you load up and spit in his face.

"Ugh! You witch!" He yells as he reaches up to wipe his face.

You pull your arms free and punch him in the stomach before kicking him off of you.

You jump up as he lays hunched over in the grass moaning in pain. You scurry over and snag your coins from his pocket and your knife from the ground as you walk away from his crumpled form.

"Hey wait!" He calls to you as he stands up shakily.

You ignore his call, head back to the oak tree, pick up your bag, and lift it over your shoulder. As you walk back out of the woods and onto the path again, he asks, "what's your name anyway?"

"None of your business." You say as you walk away from him.

"Oh come on sweetie, I was just having some fun." He says pouting at you.