Red is for Revenge

Chapter 1:

I walked down the alley. It was one of the quickest ways home. I felt energized and ready for action. New York City seemed quiet that night, too quiet. I kept my wits about me never dropping my guard. This city was not known for being the nicest one. I saw something out of the corner of my eye in amongst the shadows. I smirked and kept going acting like I hadn't noticed anything. My training told me to let them think I was the prey and they the predator. When in all actuality it was the other way around. I noticed four figures jump across the alley. They were obviously male but they didn't seem human to me in the slightest.

Then suddenly out of the darkness an arm snaked out and wrapped around my neck. My grin grew wider and I let out a fake gasp in surprise. I then brought my hands on either side of the elbow. I pivoted my hip to the right and pulled on the arm flipping my "attacker" over my shoulder and onto his back in front of me. I heard the air leave him as he hit the ground with the force of a category five hurricane. I quickly grabbed my trusty long sword and released it from its sheath making it visible. I moved in front of him and put the blade against his throat.

"Now sweetheart," I said in my southern drawl. "Why would you attack a fourteen year old girl on her way home? It just isn't right." I then noticed he had a purple dragon tattoo across his chest. "Oh you're one of those simpletons who wish to be gangsters. How droll that is." I looked up briefly to see the four figures crouching above me. The wannabe gangster tried to get up I moved my foot onto his chest holding him in place before looking back down at him. "Not so fast my feeble minded friend." I looked at him amused.

Then he decided to spit on my shoe I watched it land on my nice leather boot with a look of distaste. "For your information," he hissed. "We're a real gang and when the rest of the purple dragons find out about this you will be in big trouble."

I was no longer amused I was fuming now but I beamed coldly towards him. I moved my sword farther against his neck it to where is drew a little blood. "Now, now, those are fighting words little one. I doubt you could handle me in one of those," I said like I was talking to a little kid. "I could snuff you out like a light in so many unpleasant ways. I would torment you to no end and then you'd be begging me to end you."

"You wouldn't kill me you aren't the type."

"I wouldn't kill you, huh? Someone like me with years of training wouldn't kill you? Why don't you test the waters and find out sweetie? See what it's like to face someone who'll fight you back. I'll kill you if necessary."

"It isn't necessary though is it?"

"Not really no, but this is," I said removing my sword from his throat but not my foot from his chest. I then proceeded to hit him in the head with the hilt of my sword. The pommel effectively doing all the work required. I left him there knocked out and continued my journey home. I looked up to see the four figures still watching. "Good night, fellas," I said waving.

I reached my sister's apartment in a few minutes. I knew without question that I intrigued the figures that were watching and that they followed me home. I could feel their presence not far behind. I'm already out of school. I have my high school diploma and my bachelor's degree. I'm an intelligent individual from Georgia who was in all the papers and on the news.

The one whose parents died two weeks after she got out of college in a tragic accident, the one whose brother was to busy with his family to care for her. The one whose twenty-four year old sister had to be her new guardian when she should be out enjoying her life, who instead is stuck taking care of her. Outside she doesn't seem to mind too much but inside I know she's at least a little upset. She doesn't really have to cook for me or buy me stuff. My parents and my grandmother left me a lot of money when they died. I get a certain amount of it each year till I turn eighteen. I sometimes get so angry about it I hurt people. I've gotten a better wrap on it lately but you never know what might happen next.