Crimson

                        My scarlet gaze is filled with the built up hate from the past twelve years as I glare fearlessly at the cold, dull-red eyes that stare back at mine. I feel the cold of the metal that presses against my chest as my heart hammered against my ribs, hardly giving me enough allowance to breathe.

“I knew that you were bad news from the start, Ray Black.”

Ray smiled even as he moves his finger to the trigger of the gun, “Is that how you speak to your father, Lottie?”

“A father does not sell his children to be whores!” I snapped.

He laughed hollowly, “Please, Lottie, tell me how else I should earn money to support this family, then?”

I longed to slap that grin off his face. My slender arms squirmed in their bonds. I hated being forced to kneel to the bastard.

“Papa, I beg of you, don’t do this!” Lacie, my four-year-old sister sobbed, tears running down her cheeks.

I cursed under my breath, tearing at my boots with my fingernails, attempting to grasp the dagger that lay hidden in my right boot.

My older brother, Len, spoke up, “He’s not going to listen to you, Lacie.”

“It’s all for the better, Lacie! We’ll be rich if you do what the uncle wants later,” Ray laughed deliriously.

Ray jerked the gun away from my chest suddenly, dropping down so that his eyes were level with mine. I hated to see how much I resembled him.

He whispered, “Aren’t you happy, Lottie? I’m giving you a talent you can make use of. That’s the only thing girls are good for.”

“Don’t give me that sort of crap! I have plenty of talents that you refuse to admit are the best!” I spat in his face.

 Ray walked away, a crazed chuckle filling the air. I really, really hated him.

                        Night fell quickly that night. The pale-blue sky switched with the midnight-black sky just as the sun switched with the moon. It was a Hunter’s Moon tonight. My heart no longer twisted whenever I thought of hurting Ray. I knew that he would hurt us without a thought and it was why I had to fight him. I could not allow him to turn us in to prostitutes. How could he, even for money?

As Ray stalked up to us that night, I gripped my dagger in my right hand, having successfully torn through my boot and stabbed my hand in the process of reaching it. My bonds had been cut, along with Len’s and Lacie’s. I stayed motionless in the same kneeling position. My hand was shaking uncontrollably but not from fear, blood and sweat dripping from it.

“Hello, Lottie. Have you, perhaps, changed your mind about being disobedient to me?” Ray drawled out.

I panted, “You wish.”

I darted forward, and with a lightning-fast strike stabbed him in the chest, right above his heart. He choked as blood spurted from the wound. He coughed out new blood as he backed away, his eyes shocked. For some reason, tears streamed down my cheeks while I stared at him. Was I crying?

An uproar started almost immediately. The ship crew dashed at us recklessly.

Len picked Lacie up automatically, sliding a sword that lay nearby out of its sheath. Nearly robotically, I caught hold of Ray’s gun, shooting down the crew mates easily. What was wrong with me? Was I feeling sorrow for Ray?

This was not how I imagined it would go. I did not imagine killing everybody.

                        We inflated a raft and climbed in to it. Len found all the necessities we might need and we drifted away from the ship that was now filled with death. Still, tears never ceased to flow down my cheeks.

“Are you alright, Lottie?” Len asked.

I attempted to stop crying but failed.

“What’s wrong with me? It’s not like I feel sad for that bastard or anything…” I muttered.

Len laughed, “Just cry, Lottie. You know you haven’t cried even once for years already…”

I let myself sob and wail. Through all that, Len cradled me close.

I am Lottie Ninna-Nanna, my mother’s daughter, not Lottie Black.