The Lost Kingdom

Chapter 1

            When Kay left her daughter's room, her husband and oldest son, Ben and Liam, were talking to someone at the door.

            "Who is it Ben?" she asked her husband as she came closer.

            "A traveler looking for shelter. Papa won't let him in," Liam answered. As Kay came closer, she saw what looked like an old man in a large hooded cape. She could see why Ben didn't want to let him in.

            "I'm sorry sir," she interrupted him and her husband's conversation, "I'm sorry but we don't have any room. We have several children and my mother here. We just don't have room." Kay tried to look genuinely apologetic, and not let her disgust at how the man looked, and smelled, as she said this. After she had spoken, the man lifted his head and showed them his face at last. He looked old and worn, as if he had been traveling all his life. Long, terrible scars tore a path down his face, from one side to the other. Whatever had left the scars appeared to have cut right through his left eye, but as it was hidden in the shadow of his hood it was impossible to tell.

            "Oh, well that's too bad." He spoke in a thick, gravelly voice, that made even Ben cringe. "I suppose I'll just have to kill you then," he smiled and chuckled as Kay gasped and Ben protested, pulling Kay and Liam behind him. The stranger pulled his hand out from under his cloak and Kay gasped again as what appeared to be a large bear claw imbedded in his hand came into view. 

            "Now, who should I kill first?"  He mussed to himself as he inspected the monstrous claw, "Mommy...Daddy...or sonny? Hmmm..."

            "Don't you touch my family!" Ben yelled, taking a protective stance as his wife back away and Liam ran into the other room.

            "Mmm..Daddy it is," the stranger muttered, glancing at Ben. Suddenly he attacked, slitting Ben's throat and pushing him to the ground as Kay screamed. Awoken by the commotion, the three other sons in the house rushed out of their shared rooms to see what had happened. When they saw their father on the ground, dead, and their mother being held in place by the stranger with the claw against her throat, they began searching for weapons.

            In the commotion, with everyone trying to get weapons, get their mother away, and being distraught over their father's death, the little girl had also come out of her room. She came down the short hallway and arrived at the door just as chaos broke loose. The stranger slit Kay's throat, there was a moment of total stillness and silence as she fell to the floor. As soon as her head hit the dirt floor of their small house, all three boys attacked. The small girl didn't quite understand what was happening but just as she was about to go and try to wake her mother, Liam came out of the other room carrying an ax in one hand and a sword in the other. He paused for a moment, taking in the scene before him. When his eyes landed on his sister, he leapt into action, putting the sword in its sheath, running over to her and pulling her towards the back door. As they ran they heard their brothers' screams. The girl turned and looked back. She couldn't make much sense of what she saw, but there was one thing, one image that would stay with her forever. And as Liam ran one piercing scream drowned out the others and rang in his ears.

            "MOMMY!"

I'm sorry these first two parts are so short, I'll try to make the chapters longer in the future. Please comment any suggestions you have and tell me any mistakes you see, it would really help me out! And tell me what you guys think, I NEED TO KNOW!!!!!!!