When Hatred Burns

Act1 Part 1 : The Beginning

~Act 1  Part 1~

The Beginning

~~~

How do I tell the horrific and painful truth of a past I wish was nothing more than a story? In reality it could be framed as a nightmare but if you think deeply on that and focus on all of it, it was what many adults would describe as a living nightmare. It could be one of those twisted fairy tales that some parents tell their children to scare them.

But most of those get an adaptation with a happy ending.

And most of these parents did it out of love. To prepare their kids for the future and the real world.

Unlike my parents.. or more specifically my father. He was the villain most of the fairytales spoke of. The darkness that warm caring mothers warned of.

Like most kids I was scared of the usual things. The dark, monsters under the bed.. and other childish things..

Unlike most kids my monster was real.. I just didn't know it until it was too late.

The first time I felt pure and utter fear was at the age of six. The pain in my lungs as I struggled and gasped for air. The heat of the angry flames of a crime I was too young to understand. I was so naïve, innocent. I ran to the arms of my monster when I couldn't see. What was supposed to be the warm and protective arms of a father... we're the bloodied fists of a murder.

I have no doubt if I had been a bit older he would have killed me too.

But I wasn't. I was young and I didn't understand why Mama wouldn't move. I didn't understand why daddy didn't cry. I didn't understand why my big brother was so scared and quiet all the time.

I didn't understand until the night a friendly maid, two years later, tried to take me away. She told me my daddy was a monster. That the fire that hurt my Mama and was caused by the monster in fairy tales. My big Brother tried to protect me from it. He was twelve when mamma died, he understood what happened. But he wasn't home so he stayed quiet. He stayed quiet for a long time after that.

I did too.

That maid tried to take me away, take me and my brother far far away. She had learned the truth behind the monster in our home.

But my father knew what she planned.. This time I could understand, even if I was younger than I should be at that mentality. This time no one was making it out other than my father...

That's what happened according to history..

A tragedy struck the Jinlai family once more. Someone out to get the General and his family.

A lonely man, his wife and two children murdered in order to strike fear into the earth kingdom.

That's the story he told anyways...

Truth be told he was violent and cynical. He killed his wife and years later, when someone found out he killed them, he planned on killing his own children but the elder of the two fought back. Long enough to get him and his younger sister out of that nightmare and away from that horrific place.

We disappeared from the inner ring of the capital.

That was the last night I ever heard the name I was given at birth be spoken by another. 

Luliyun Jinlai.. Forever lost. 

We disappeared from history and became nothing but a memorial to be hung on walls as strangers cried for us and hugged their own children tighter. It's an odd feeling you know. Knowing that many of the strangers we'd walk past as I was tugged along by my older brother, would go home and light candles for our family. A tragedy that struck the nation.