The Factors

Chapter 4 (Ashlee's POV)

"Mommy look!" I screamed, getting ready to jump off the swing. Lillian turned from grilling burgers to see me jump off the swing. I landed on the soft green grass, the swing going back and forth behind me. Lillian laughs and says, "Be careful, Ash." I get up and brush myself off.
"Time for dinner," Lillian says suddenly.
"Yay!" I reply and head over to the patio.
And we just sat and talked about anything. "Just remember, Ashlee, I won't always be here. Just defend and protect yourself as best as you can. I love you, sweetheart," Lillian says. But my 6 year old brain focuses on my cheeseburger.

Light swarms my vision, fading the memory. I was in a nightmare. But I wasn't. I wish I was. Screams shake the room, realizing they were my own. Scream after scream came and drying out my mouth. Tears flooded my face and new, violent screams erupted. The men came towards me.
"YOU MURDERED MY MOM!" My brain shrieked. My head throbbed as I crawled backwards. All of the sudden, a knife appeared in one man's chest, ash replacing him. The other man looked alarmed, but moved faster towards me. But he too, disappeared in a puddle of ash. And they were gone.
"Mom please," I whisper, but I already know she's dead.
"Mom I love you, please. Mommy! Please!" I scream. I haven't called her Mommy since I was 7. "Mom!"
But she was gone.

The door made a creaking noise behind me. I whip around as the door became fully ajar. Four kids older than 12 but younger than 18. They stare at me hovering over my dead mother.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? CALL 911! MY MOM WAS JUST MURDERED!" I scream at them.
"There's nothing we can do," a boy said from the four.
"NOTHING YOU CAN..." My head is pounding and black dots appear everywhere.
"5, 4, 3..." the smallest starts.
After 1, I black out.

I wake up sprawled across... a picnic blanket? Yes, it was definitely a picnic blanket. I sit up.
"Maybe it was a nightmare," I said, hope filling up inside me.
"Nope, sorry, not a nightmare," a voice says.
I look behind me to see the four kids that were in my house...
"What the hell?!" I shriek.
"Hey, calm down," the oldest looking kid said.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN!? My own mother was murdered right in front of my eyes! Tell me to calm down when your parents are murdered in front..."
I stop talking when looks of sadness appear on their faces. The smallest kid looked like she was about to burst into tears.
"Let us start by introducing ourselves. My name is Zack, 17," He held his hand out to me. I didn't take it, though.
"Why..."
"You can talk when we are done talking. Nathan, 18," The oldest boy said.
I was about to comment, but the oldest girl interrupted me.
"Hey, I'm Emma, 17, but I guess you could call me Em," Emma says.
Zack points to the younger girl as she takes her eyes to meet mine.
"I'm Carry, 13," she says quietly.
I look at the faces of Nathan, Zack, Emma, and Carry and still see the sadness drawn on their faces.
"I know you have a million questions..."
"Yeah, I do, starting with..."
"Stop interrupting me," Nathan says with a stern voice.
"No side comments either," Emma adds.
"Anyway, to start, we are called the Factors. What happened to your mom, happened to us," Nathan starts.
'That explains their faces,' I think.
"We are basically part warlock part warrior created by our ancestors long ago," Emma explains.
"Those men you saw; that killed your mom; they are servants of Edvard, the evil warlock. They are programmed to kill Factor parents. Some members of the Factors are sent to rescue their offspring. Then, their offspring can be brought to the Factor Headquarters, or just FH, to train to fight off Edvard's servants and Edvard himself in case of war, which occurs often." Nathan says.
"Further information will be presented in Factor University," Zack adds.
"Any questions?" Carry asks.
And they all came flooding out like a waterfall.