Defying Limits

Chapter 1

         Her feet dragged across the leaf scattered floor. She searched for a safe haven, one that she knew wouldn’t be found. It had been days since she had felt the warmth of a quilt, the comfort of a mattress, the safety of some one's arms. Blood trickled down her neck from the gash along the side. She knew she didn’t have much time, but she wasn’t quite ready yet to die. Though her eyesight got blurry, she traveled on, tripping over rocks and lose branches as she went.

         A faint light glowed on the horizon. She squinted, trying to clear her eyes. She hadn’t been traveling East, but West. It couldn’t have been the sun, and it was too bright to be the moon, especially with the cloud covering. With her clothes soaked through and through she let out a helpless wail. Her call for help. She tried to run towards the light. It was growing closer. It was moving. It wasn’t a house, but a person. Her legs gave in; she collapsed on the ground, the light still growing brighter.

         This is it, she thought as the person came upon her body, broken and bloody lying amongst the leaves, this is how I will die. He must be from the village that had raided mine; he must be here to end me, and the last of the village bloodlines. Spirits of the Earth please let me go painlessly.

         Her eyes closed, leaving her imprinted with the red eyes that he possessed. She felt his arms scoop her up and lift her high. Her head spun, she knew what would happen. He would drop her and she would break her neck.

         His breathing came uneven from the running, she could feel his chest rising and falling with the heaving, “Miss, what is your name? Where do you hail from? Miss?”

         He shook her lightly in his arms, as her right eye cracked open, “And what does it matter, Sir? You are here to kill me. But if it’ll amuse you. My name is Rain, my family and other loved ones called me Bunni. I came from the North Village, the one your people demolished. So please, spare me the fake security and end the bloodlines already.”

         Her eye shut again, but only for a brief moment, for he shook her awake once again, “I am not here to kill you. I am known as Fang. And I’m far from what any village has to offer.”

         Both eyes opened this time to stare at him. His face was soft as it looked stared back at her, with a faint glow. She thrashed in his arms as eyes widened. HE was glowing. HE was making the light she was running to. He held her close, tightly. She couldn’t breathe. He was going to kill her. She gave in. The black that rimmed her eyes finally swelled around, twisting itself to cut off her gaze. As she drifted away, she felt his breath on her ear, whispering words of comfort.

         She awoke several weeks later, light filtering in through the makeshift blinds on the window. She looked around, she was tucked tightly into a king sized bed, several blankets upon her. At first, she thought she was back home and the siege had been nothing but a terrible dream. As she sat up, however, she felt a stinging pain shoot down her neck. She screamed in agony, and within seconds, there was a man beside the bed.

         “Bunni, what’s wrong?”

         She screamed again, confused, lost and terrified. She thrashed once more, trying to flee the situation. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her once. When that didn’t work to calm her down, he shook her again. Over and over. Finally, she settled and stared at him. He climbed onto the bed and held her close.

         “It wasn’t a dream. Your village was slaughtered by the South Village. Your family, your friends, all dead. Your lover as well.” He gently wiped away her tears as he told her the story.