нσиєу[SHURI UDAKU]

[1]

Anansi was not born from warm things.

She was not privileged enough to have a mother who did motherly things. Oh no Anansi was not born to happiness. She was born in secret to an unknowing father and a terrified mother.

She was born to grief.

Anansi was born to a mother named: Ogechi and a father named: Zuri. A mother that stood next in line to lead the Jabari and a father sworn to serve Wakanda. Two people who should have never crossed path's...

Yet they did.

Anansi's birth would only cost one of them their title. Her birth would also cost Ogechi her mind...

"You were named after a god, did you know girl?" Her mother would whisper to here every-time she were to visit her in her isolation.

Ogechi was a whispy woman, her body broken down over the years of her exile. Anansi's cousin told her she was just sick, but Anansi knew better than that.

She knew her mothers sickness was something that could not be so easily cured.

She knew this even before the woman had fully succumbed to her madness, had known it in the way the woman walked. Had heard it in her voice when she talked, seen it in her eyes.

Anansi learned at the tender age of 4 to never look her in the eyes. Looking her in the eyes was the equivalent of being sucked into a black hole; Anansi feared if she stared too long she'd be pulled into the madness next.

Her mother's madness would haunt her for years to come. It would leave scars, but those would heal as they always do. The worst of it, however, would haunt her dreams.

She couldn't escape Ogechi there..

"Anansi girl," Her mother purred while crouching over the frightened 5-year-old. "Have you ever seen the true face of a god?"

There was blood everywhere, clinging to her mother's skin, soaking her clothes. Some of it was even hers. The scent was too overpowering. Ogechi pulls a blade high above her head—

BANG!
BANG!
BANG

Esi slaps her hand against the wall sending a series of dull thuds throughout the house "Anansi girl! You think you can sleep in eh?! Get up you will be late for training!"

Anansi shot from her sleep with a muted scream. Her hand flew to her shoulder where a faint scar almost tingled as if remembering how nerves almost worked there.

Shakily scanning her bedroom she almost took a deep breath in relief. She was safe here, far away from Ogechi. And far away from that wretched place.

Esi clicks her tongue so loud and annoyed that it nearly shakes the house "Eh, are you ignoring me in my house? After you begged and begged to be trained with the Dura you still dare to sleep?"

Esi clicks her tongue again voice growing closer to Anansi's door making her spring out of bed in panic.

"The county—no the princess! is in great hands then if you are the one to be protecting her!" Esi swings the door open looking particularly annoyed only to stop and frown.

Anansi stood in front of her mirror dressed for training. She stares back at her stepmother with surprise "Ah? Am I taking too long? Sorry."

Esi narrows her eyes and points a finger at her with warning "Tch. You are not slick, girl."

Anansi smiles innocently back at her still trying to deny that she overslept. The mother-daughter duo stares at each other willing the other to look away first. It's Esi who cracks first, she flicks her wrist making the bracelets that adorned it clack "Hurry before you're late."