Renee Forever

Prologue- Year: 1803

Renee was dying. And it hurt.

After months of research and exploring her town, Renee finally found her family. Her dead family. And it became quite obvious that she was next on the murderer's "Need to Kill" list, as she was tied to her bedpost with a rope that burned and left marks on her tender skin. As attempts to struggle free failed over and over again, hope of freedom- and life- slowly faded away until all that was left was despair. She tried distracting the venomous villain with comments, insults, and questions such as "Why did you choose my family to kill?" and "Are you supposed to have that rat on your shoulder?", but responses were few and far between, with the exception of the vile of poison the murderer held in his gloved hands being untwisted or gleaming knives being sharpened. And anything he actually said was with a voice as smooth as glass and comebacks to Renee's insults slicker than ice.

"Fine." Renee said. "If you won't talk to me, then I'll talk to you. Deal?" No reply from Mr. Silent-But-Deadly. "Okay, then. I'll take that as a 'Yes, I'd love to engage in small talk with the girl I'm about to murder!'" The murderer was as quiet as Renee's corpse would be, and made a display of taking off his black trench coat, which reached down to his ankles. The victim gasped, "White! You're wearing white? But...but you're supposed to be clad in black head to toe! I mean, that's what I imagined someone like you would wear. Not like I imagine malicious men like you on a regular basis, or anything. Ugh, I'm rambling again!" And with that, she shut her mouth dramatically, making a show of how she was not rambling anymore.

"Black is the color of love." the masked man snarled. "So I wear white. Any more questions?" Before Renee could inquire further, he interrupted. "Good." He spat. "I don't want to hear your rambling anymore. Which we both know is what you do when you're nervous."

"Wait...how'd you kn-" Renee was shushed by a sharp needle haphazardly thrust against her lips, tip facing up, luckily.

"No more questions or I'll sew your mouth shut, got it?" The once cool, calm, and collected murderer was now breathing heavily. The point of the needle barely brushed the top of Renee's lip, but it was enough to allow a single ruby droplet to slide onto the silvery point. "Not a sound." he warned. "Make this less painful for the both of us."

Renee, in last attempt to free herself, studied the knots in the rope. Seems easy enough to untie. She mused. If only I could get his knife. The murderer was now pacing near the wall parallel to Renee's bedpost. She quietly moved her hands up using only her elbows, and maneuvered awkwardly until the rope was within her fingers' grasp. She made not a sound as the stranger across from her murmured something resembling a prayer as he paced increasingly faster.

"Before I die," the girl started.

"Hush, child!" he hissed, whizzing over to Renee. "Or else..."

Renee took her opportunity, stomping on the weasel's foot and squirming out of the rope that she's been loosening as she stalled her killer. "Ha!" she triumphantly shouted, running out the door straight into-

"Aw, come on!" Renee's shoulders slumped as the hope-slaughterer forced her back into the room, this time pushing her onto the bed itself. "Can I have an opportunity to say my last words?" After the snake grumbled a yes, she inhaled, "I forgive you, as long as you never do this again." She was greeted by a confused look, for the assassin was shocked that she would be so noble at a time like this. "Or I'll put in a bad word for you when I get up there." she quickly added, sensing how her murderer looked as if she was the one killing him. But he would not be weakened by something as insignificant as a question.

With a tear dripping onto the innocent girl, Renee's brother pulled off his mask and shoved a nasty tasting vile of poison into her mouth. After he couldn't feel her heart beating, he glanced at her dead body. "I hope, someday, you do forgive me." And with that, Renee's brother flew out the window, dying as he splattered onto the cobblestoned streets below.

********

Renee awoke to the sound of birds chirping in an annoyingly cheerful way, just continuing their precious little lives that could be stopped at any minute. A stray cat with ginger hair and white stripes nimbly pounced up onto the roof of the building next to Renee's and gulped up a tiny bird, who was happily whistling a tune that reminded Renee of a wedding song she once heard, unlike the music of countless funerals these birds will never have. "Wait!" she yelled, startling not only the cat but herself. "Why would James kill me?"

Questions tumbled on top of each other like obsessive fans shoving to get a good look at their favorite performer. Then everything she was wondering seemed to panic and dash out of her mind, making way for the tsunami of tears that were shed by an innocent little girl who had no idea why her one and only sibling would inflict harm on her. Then came the greatest shock of all, "I'm...alive?" Renee finally realized the incredible predicament she was in.

Renee wasn't dying. And that hurt even more.