The Bandits of Infinity Forest

Chapter Six

"Take care of her, Jedi," my mother tells me, passing me the baby as the arrow drains her life away. "Protect her! But take care of yourself, live in the forest, keep both of you alive."

I nod frantically, cradling the baby in my arms as tears course down my cheeks.

She smiles proudly, and dies.

I stand and race toward the forest, but for the second time that day, someone trips me.

A soldier looms overhead. "The king'n'queen need ya sista, kid," he growls.

I try to resist, but I'm only seven, he pries her from my arms, and, after calling one of his men to hold me, leaps onto his horse and gallops away.

"Lexie!" I croak.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

I jerk awake, shivering, hating my past, trying to forgive the king and queen for what they did.

It would've hurt, losing their baby like that, watching her struggle for breath as the pneumonia slowly killed her, knowing there was nothing they could do, I tell myself. But the rest of me replies: Yes, but they didn't need to kill my parents and take my sister because of it.

I argue with myself for hours, before finally falling into a restless doze.