The Beast

Where it All Began (Prologue) (Edited)

It has been 12 years since that life-changing day, but I cannot help but remember every detail as if it had only happened yesterday...

I was only an innocent child then, clueless about the world and what the people in it were more than capable of. I was still young, ignorant, confused.

I know better now.

But I still wish my eyes had been opened then... before it all went down.

I close my eyes, and I could recall the cold feeling as the sky turned dark that one fateful day. The 5-year old me sat with my legs hanging over the side of the porch, eyes impatiently scanning down the road, waiting for that familiar face to round the corner. I recall, so vividly, that I had been smiling so brightly against the rays of the setting sun and the cold yet silent wind brushing against my face. I was chilled to the bone in nothing but a dress, but I paid no heed.

How long had my papa been on a trip for work by that point?

3 days? 5? Or had it been a week?

Those numbers didn't matter to me anymore.

He was coming home.

I was swinging my legs back and forth, happily humming the tune my mother loved to play on the piano for me during the late hours of the afternoon. My papa loved the song as well, and my mama told me that if I sung it with enough love, the wind would carry it to my papa over the distance.

I sung it horribly that afternoon, but I had hoped the wind felt the heart behind it enough to carry my papa home.

An hour had gone by, but I refused to leave my post outside. I was imagining endless scenarios in my mind where I would greet my papa with a large hug right as he arrived. I would hold his hand as we climbed up the porch steps to enter the front door.

There, mama would greet us and we would all embrace warmly.

The front door creaked open behind me, and I turned my head enough to see my mama's face as she stepped out into the cool air.

"C'mon sweetie. It's getting cold. You can wait for your father inside," She whispered to me with a small smile on her face.

Her beautiful flaming orange hair was in a messy bun and her chocolate doe eyes gazed at me with worry despite her smile. In her hands was one of my favorite jackets, the one with the sewed-on flowers that had shiny beads. Mama had given it to me for my birthday this year.

Even so, I shook my head stubbornly and continued gazing at the road with my eyebrows scrunched up. I was persistent. I wanted to see my father first. I wanted to know he was alright.

Realizing I was too stubborn to listen, my mama gave a small sigh. "I'll give you some candy..."

My face lit up at her words, immediately forgetting my previous mission and I ran inside, squealing. It wasn't as if I didn't love my papa enough. Candies were just something else.

Mama trailed behind me, chuckling amusedly to herself as she shut our front door behind her.

Candy was my ultimate weakness.

She took a caramel candy from her pocket and slowly handed it to me with a twinkle in her eyes, making me giggle.

"Thanks, mama!" I unwrapped the candy and popped it into my mouth, smiling at the yummy flavor. Mama took the opportunity to wrap me up in the jacket as I did so, but at that very moment, the sound of the doorbell ringing echoed throughout the house. All too soon, the candy was forgotten and I ran to the front door.

"Papa's home!"

Mama was laughing loudly, something I loved to hear and she didn't hesitate as she opened the door for me.