Look Through Me

Prologue

Looking into the golden brown eyes of the hunter she was stunned that they showed no anger. There was nothing bad in them, just sorrow and regret. The longer she looked, the deeper she dug into his soul; persuading him that she was not the prey but the predator. The hunter stumbled backwards as his cowardly mind feared this little girl, a girl who couldn’t possibly harm a fly. She looked at him again and was amazed at the fear that had replaced sorrow and regret. Fearful of what that meant, she threw one more look of strength at the hunter and ran far away.

            Snow was falling while she was trying to find her way through the trees and bushes to get to her house in the woods. She looked up into the sky to see that dark was rolling in. Evangeline softly laughed to herself knowing that her father would not be so ecstatic about her being late. She searched left and right until she finally found a rickety old cottage she called home. It was small and only contained three rooms; a kitchen and two bedrooms. Evangeline slowly twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, but couldn’t do it careful enough for it no to creak.

Her father snored as he shook awake and hopped onto his feet, his face filled with concern. “Evangeline, where have you been? I was up all night, and for you to have the audacity to walk into here quietly and shameless at this hour!”

“Father, you don’t understand. There was a hunter, I got lost, it started to snow, and the next thing I knew night was rolling in!”

Her father looked her in the eyes and saw the truth. “What did this hunter look like, dear?”

“Sad golden brown eyes, Father. I didn’t catch anything else about him. Sorry, Father.”

Evangeline’s father picked her up and held her close, whispering, “Never underestimate the power of deception, Evangeline.”

That night she fell asleep in her father’s arms for the last time in a while.

            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cold rushed in as the door burst open, waking Evangeline abruptly. Boots pounded on the floor of the old cottage. Evangeline opened her tiny eyes to find three men grabbing her father from the couch. They looked much like the hunter she had seen the other night, but they did not have regret filling their eyes. Instead a darker anger filled in its place.  Evangeline looked at her father, but he wasn’t awake.

“Father,” Evangeline whispered, “They’re here.”

Her father’s eyes opened a slit and looked straight into Evangeline’s. “Do as I taught you, Eva. You are stronger than you know.”

Evangeline’s heart broke as her father didn’t struggle against the men taking him. She didn’t move, but acted as if she wasn’t there. Maybe they wouldn’t notice her.

“Run.” Her father said before he passed through the door.

The third man came towards Evangeline and turned to the second to ask what they should do with her.

“Take her. Maurine will love the company, until she is of age.”

Evangeline shot up and ran out the door before the men had time to decipher what was going on.

“Stop her!” One of the men called to the man caring for her father.

“She’s already gone, not worth the time or work to chase her. We were only sent to bring one back.”

“Yes, but if another is alive then we will surely have trouble in the near future.” The men jumped into their carriage and threw a few lit matches behind them.