Hestia's Daughter

Prologue

∞∞∞∞∞∞

Prologue

∞∞∞∞∞∞

My step-parents always told me to stay away from fire. My step-father called me a monster and told me that I was a danger to his so called happy family. My step-mother was the complete opposite. She was caring, nice, and didn't care about my obsessions. She, unlike him, let me play with her kids; Jada and Flamis.

Jada and Flamis are twins and only a couple days younger than me. I had just turned eight (they were to turn eight in the the next three days) when I was adopted and introduced to the family of three. Three years later, once we had turned eleven, Step-Mother met a man that had a lot of money and was very handsome. His name was David List. Once she remarried, she became Antonia List, instead of Antonia Jones.

Jada and Flamis are also adopted. But they were adopted when they were two. And when David told Antonia about losing his twins to his ex-wife, they took a DNA test, and David was their father. I was heartbroken.

I didn't want this monster to be related to my best friends, my only friends in fact. I hated David. And he hated me. He was just awful.

It's been six years since then. Six awful, horrible years stuck living with the monster that Jada called 'daddy'.

"Kids! Come down!" His appalling voice called. I know when he says 'kids', he doesn't ever mean me. He always means Jada and Flamis.

Jada and Flamis come down the stairs and I hide in the spot I found two years ago. I always hide here when I want to know what was happening. Which was most of the time... And by that, I mean all the time.

"Kids, I have something important to tell you," He hesitated. Which was unusual for him. He took a shaky breath and continued. "You're not normal. And there are many other like you out there. There is a place for people just like you. It breaks my heart to send you there, but I have to."

I was startled to see David with any emotion. But there was something crawling at the back of my throat and it made me whimper. I clawed at my neck and tried to make it stop. It did. For now.

"Daddy? What do you mean? Mom, what is he talking about?" Antonia started to cry. David held her. "Mom? Mom, what's wrong?" Jada got up to hug Antonia, but Antonia only cringed back. Jada looked broken. I started to retreat back to my room, but the talking began again. Let's just say I'm a little curious.

"Your mother and I have decided that it would be safer if we sent you to this place." Jada was about to say something, but David cut her off. "I know you must have mixed feelings about this. Believe me, you mother and I both do, but it's for the best and it will keep you two safe from any danger."

"What about Sahara?"

Great... Now the conversation was pointed to me. I hear David suppress a sigh.

"Who?"

"My sister. What is going to happen to her?"

"We do not know if she is like you two." I noticed that Flamis hadn't said a word, which is pretty unusual.

"What do you mean we're not normal?" Jada asked quietly. Flamis' eyes gazed from Jada, David, to Antonia, then to me. I gasp.

"How could he have known?" Flamis meets my eyes and mouthed 'I need to talk to you, later'. I nod my head. He held my eyes for just a couple minutes, then looked away. I could feel heat rushing to my feet. Why?

I'm not sure. I retreated back to my room finally. I closed the door and plopped on my bed. I could hear Antonia's cries from below. I could hear David's booming voice.

That's when it started. The same burning in my throat. I clawed and rubbed at my throat. Nothing was working this time. I heard a bloodcurdling scream.

It wasn't until my throat burned even more, that I realized it had been my own.

David busted the door open to find me having a mental fit on my bed. Antonia rushed to my side and tried to help the best she could.

All I could see was red. A fiery, hot passion, type of red. I wanted it to stop.

David dragged Antonia out go the room and down the hall.

"Away from me." I thought bitterly. The burning subsided. Oddly enough, the burning stopped completely when David popped into my mind.

Oh how I wanted to do terrible things to that man. Just like he did to me.

I wanted to make him feel unwanted. I wanted to make him feel everything that I had to experience through the six years of living with him.

More than anything though, I wanted him to feel pain. Pain that can never heal, a wound that will take it's time healing, yet never cease it's harm. Flamis and Jada came running down to my bedroom.

"What on earth? Sahara, what did you do? We need to get out of here. Now. There's a fire starting! Get up!" Flamis grabbed me gently, but something inside of me collapsed. My whole body felt like it was on fire. I could hear the sirens off in the distance. I pulled my aching and burning body off the ground and ran out. Jada and Flamis at my heels.

I ran out into the street just in time, as the house was suddenly engulfed with flames. I saw Antonia and David huddled together, for warmth or comfort, I'm not sure.

Flamis walked up to me and took me in his arms. I pushed him away and ran down the street.

"No! Vesta!"

"Mom!" I could hear Jada's surprised cry.

"Safara no! Sweetie, come back!" I hesitated.

Antonia had never called me sweetie. She never liked when other parents did that. I looked back. They were all staring at me. I gave them a sad smile and kept running.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I don't know what my real name is. Antonia calls me Safara. Jada calls me Sahara. Flamis calls me Vesta. David calls me a pig, and on special occasions, a donkey.

I call myself the girl who doesn't belong. I don't belong. I can't belong anywhere. There is not a place in the world where I don't belong.

Everyone knows that I don't belong. David has made that clear. I've never understood David's hatred, but it was clear.

He wanted me out of precious life. I gave him exactly that. I ran away. I never wanted to return. Granted, I had nowhere to go, but I would find someplace to go.

It would be ten times better than what David is trying to do. That, I am sure of.

And I will never be pushed around again.