Twisted Spiders

Ch. 1

Eleanor stares at herself in the mirror, eyeballing the black eye that's finally beginning to fade. Under her eye is slightly swollen, black, purple, and blue splintering her skin. She got it only a few days ago after some bitch of a teenage boy tried to start shit.

"You really need to learn how to use your words." Phillip says, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame. 

"Oh, whatever. You really think I'd let him say that shit about me and my family?" Eleanor replies, clenching her jaw and turning towards Phillip. He was pretty pissed at her when he saw them fighting on the ground, especially since he's the leader of this community, it puts a bad look on him. 

"Eleanor Dabria, people are starting to talk." He drops his arms and takes a few steps forward, looking down at Eleanor like she's his child who got in trouble at school. Phillip's whole world collapses at the thought of people not liking him or his leadership. You would think they put a curse on his bloodline for how he reacts.

Eleanor narrows her eyes. "What'd I tell you about using my second name?" 

Phillip scoffs. "Sorry." 

"Mhm," Eleanor huffs, walking out of the room. 

Phillip isn't her biological dad, she has no idea where anyone in her family is. But, right at the beginning of the fall, Phillip found her in the woods while she was skinning a rabbit. He took her to a community he was building, Woodbury, and ever since then he's been as good as a father as he can- especially with a thirteen year old girl like Eleanor. 

"Look, El," Phillip starts, walking in front and facing her. "You sent him to the infirmary. People want you punished." 

"They weren't there." She crosses her arms. "They didn't hear the shit he said." 

"He was talking about how your family didn't want you but you know that's not true." 

"So? He's an ass. I can't fuckin' stand it when boys like him think they can walk all over me because I'm a girl." 

Phillip sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, knowing he needs to take a slower approach. His long face and long nose were easily recognizable in Woodbury's crowd, along with his skinny figure and tall height. "Alright, I'll talk to him and his parents-" 

"That's not good enough." Eleanor growls, speaking through gritted teeth. 

Phillip runs his fingers through her ringlets of curly ginger hair, his fingers stopping halfway through. "You need to brush this mane." 

El rolls her eyes and runs two fingers through the framing pieces of her hair. "You must know nothing about curly hair." 

"Milton, I literally cannot. Please cover for me while I go beat his ass again." 

Phillip's henchman, Milton shakes his head while working on blueprints. "Eleanor you know I can't do that." Eleanor actually really likes Milton. He's terrified of Phillip so he won't tell him anything El tells him, which El loves.

"But you can, you just don't want to." She groans, kneeling next to him and placing her head on the wooden picnic table he's using. 

"Correct, I-" Phillip busts through the door, causing both Eleanor and Milton to jump. 

"They're here." He says, motioning for Milton to follow.

"Who?" Asks Eleanor, standing up to follow Milton. 

"No, you stay here." Phillip orders, putting his hand out to Eleanor. 

The girl scoffs, clearly annoyed by being bossed around. "You actually think I'm gonna listen?" After a moment of silence, Phillip sighs and drops his hand, turning and walking outside without another word.