The Mythicals Never Forgotten Mate

The Mythicals NEVERFORGOTTEN Mate chapter's 1-3

" Sophie, I'm hungry" My brother complains for about the hundredth time tonight... I sigh because I know; I know he is starving and tired. We have walked what feels like hours in the dark on a dirt road with no sign of civilization in sight, just more land and trees... I pull my backpack off my shoulder and reach in, handing him a cheese stick, the very last piece of food we have. " Here, eat this; we will stop soon I promise" He nods as he takes it... Jason has learned not to complain about what he eats and this is because some nights we don't get to eat anything. Father used to order and eat an entire pizza for himself. Sometimes when he would stumble back home in a drunken stupor, I would be able to convince him that he had eaten all the leftovers already. Some nights he would believe me; others would end with his handprint across my cheek

" How much further?" he asks, rubbing his eyes with his right hand.. I sigh once again, knowing that eventually, we will have to stop.. There's no point in walking any further when I can't even see where we are going... and perhaps we are far enough where the police will not be able to catch up to us... that would be my biggest fear... the police dragging Jason back to our Bastard of a father and throwing me into prison for kidnapping... He was never up for the father of the year award, but at least when mom was alive, he was tolerable... ever since her death, the man has been drinking and gambling every fucking penny we had, including Jason and I's trust fund built by our mother... I swore the moment I turned eighteen that I would leave and take Jason with me... and so here we are now...Two nights after my eighteenth birthday. I thought about hijacking his car, but I couldn't risk Him or the police using GPS to track us down.

"Sophie!!" Jason whines, bringing me back from my worries.... I take a deep breath. The palms of my hands move to hold my face... lifting my eyes back up and I look around once again with the flashlight ... still nothing but darkness. And a dense forest filled with dirt and more darkness... I turn to look down at my little brother, but as I do, something catches the corner of my eye... it's a light!... I squint, trying to get a better look. "We're almost there Jason I promise" I grab his hand and follow the dark trail lit by my flashlight into the forest .... The hint of light comes up quicker than I expected and as it comes into view, I'm taken back by the source of it .... There's a candle, flickering inside of an old window... It's a house. The old building looks abandoned but not destroyed. It almost looks.... Preserved.... But how does that happen? A house in the middle of a forest? I used the flashlight, trying to see if I could find any note of another house nearby but had no such luck. It was clearly the only one around " Sophie I'm scared" I picked my younger brother up and balanced him on my hip... "It's a house, little bug; all we have to do is turn the lights on" I try to reassure him without letting my voice shake from fear as well... to be honest, I didn't know what we might find. All I could do is pray some serial killer did not build this to hide his victims. All I knew was it was our only option to get any rest.

" This place is safe I promise, would sissy ever put you in danger" His little head shakes against my neck, telling me he knows I would never do that. I take a deep breath in before walking closer to the house... Why would someone build an entire house in the middle of a forest? Seconds later and I'm watching as my hand reaches for the handle... I hesitate for a moment, realizing I hear music coming from inside... " Hello?" I try to call out but don't get a response... the music continues playing... the only light is the glow of the candle's flame sitting in the front window by the door. ... I hold Jason tighter before turning the knob and walking inside...

One Week Later

Castor

I'm underneath the ford that's been my free time project for months now. I've been in the garage at home almost all day working on her since Dad didn't need me at the Shop today. I tried to convince him I didn't mind coming in any way, but he insisted I take the day off since both he and I have been working almost non-stop. And one day, I swear to pay him back for everything he has done for me... Who knows what kind of life pops saved me from... Children from the snake clan, especially when they are orphaned. often join the underground crime world because... well... people expect nothing more than that from snakes...