Hunting the Lore

Chapter One

Wally poked the bruises on my arm.

"Why does he like to hurt you?" he asked.

"He doesn't like to do it. He does it to teach me a lesson."

"Are you going to cover them up?"
"Yeah. Before I leave I will."

My little brother leaned against me and sighed. He was eleven, he shouldn't worry about me the way he does. Kids his age should worry abou, like, video games and shit. Not how their older sister isn't in a healthy relationship.

Donovan and I had been together for so long though. That's what made it so hard to break it off with him. Plus, he could be so nice and caring. He loved me, too. How could I break up with him after all he had put up with? We'd been together for seven years.

I looked at my phone and realized it was time to go to work. Before leaving, and after covering my bruises, I gave Wally a kiss on the head and wrote Don a note. He'd appreciate the sentiment.

///

"Hey Sky," I said as she got in my car.

"Hey." She buckled herself in and I started to drive. "You kinda look like hell, Elma. Did Donny--"
"I've told you half a million times, no. He's never hurt me and you know that."

"Okay, whatever you say."

I turned up the radio some to kill the oncoming awkwardness. Skylar was my closest friend (one of my only friends in all honesty), yet I could never find the courage to tell her the truth. Probably because I knew she'd try and beat Don's ass. That's something I wanted to avoid, for obvious reasons. I mean, don't get me wrong, Sky's strong and all, but so is Donovan.

"A new school year means new kids to watch," I finally said, trying to spark conversation once more.

"Yeah. I'm going to miss some of the little punks from last year though."
"Same. Like Emma, wasn't she cute?"
"She was the little demon girl, right?"
"Yup."
"I mean, yeah, she was cute. . .but the demon ones kinda scare me."
"Said the vampire."
"Shut up," she replied with a smile.