The Girl I Met On Winter Road

- Memories Of A Forgotten Past-

"Our society goes as far back as the dark ages." Juliana began. "Orders like the Eye of Horus, the Templars, and many others including ours all started around the same time." I sat down on a love chair nearby and kept listening, the others found seats as well, except for Juliana. "Each was established to protect things, ours was similar except that we used shadowy methods." I raised an eyebrow. "So you killed people, you're assassin's." I said flatly. Juliana sighed. "Not at first no, we worked in the shadows, keeping tabs on those in power and passing on the information to those who could handle it and sometimes we had to."

Chad nodded. "There is always something going on behind the scenes, a war in the shadows, we fight that war." He said with certainty. "If that means taking a life when we have to then we do, but we aren't for hire." I just shrugged, looking at all of them. "Murders murder, no matter what you use to justify it. My father always taught me that sometimes killing is a necessary part of life, but that doing so still makes you a murderer." I countered. Rosie frowned. "Yes fine we assassinate people, which makes us murderers, but we only kill those who would cause harm on a nationwide if not global scale." This was starting to annoy me, this talk of moral semantics.

I turned my attention to Juliana. "Ok semantics aside what does any of this have to do with me?" I asked. She sighed. "Because your family is one of the oldest and most devoted supporters of the Rose Society." Well consider me stunned, like what the ever living fuck man. This had to be a joke. "Your real surname isn't Wulf, it's Griffin." Juliana said, walking over to a picture on the wall. She took it down and handed it to me. It was a colage of family crests, in order of importance. The Griffin family crest was second to the top. "Let's say for a moment that all of this is true, then why was I raised as Wulf? Why would I be raised in a false life?" Juliana sat down beside me, putting an arm around my shoulder.

"Because you are the last Griffin. You have to understand Jack that your family is seriously powerful and well connected." I was lost, like totally fucking lost. "You we're born in Santa Barbara California, your parents wished you to live a normal life so they kept you hidden from the society, don't you remember?" She asked. I racked my brain but I seriously had no idea or memory of the place. "No, I have no fucking clue what you are talking about. I was born In New Jersey and we moved to New York when I was five." I said with certainty.

Juliana shook her head. "No Jack, when you were five is when your parents were killed and you were kidnapped by another organization." I snorted. "Bullshit, how can you prove any of this?" I asked angrily. Chad got up and walked to a safe hidden behind the mirror. He tossed a file into my lap. "There is your proof man, everything we know about what happened." I opened the folder, and what I saw almost made me puke.

There were pictures of a crime scene, two bodies horribly disconfigured and mangled. The body of the woman was pinned to the wall with stakes, almost like she was crucified. The man was nailed to the floor on his hands and knees, with spears coming out of his back, their tips in the floor boards. I turned the page and found a report with the names of the victims.

Derrick and Shannon Griffin, age 34 and 36. One child, Jack Griffin, age 5, location unknown.

I wanted to puke. There were pictures of both of them, when they were alive. A particular picture stood out to me. It was a picture of Derrick and Shannon holding a little five year old boy up in the air by his arms. Soon as I saw it I had a vague memory of the sea breeze and ocean. Of being swung on a swing almost, laughter in the air.  "I...I remember this." I began, my fingers brushing over the picture. "Mom and Dad told me we went to the beach one time when I asked about it." Juliana rubbed my shoulder in comfort. I wanted to scream, to punch something, I was so confused.

I kept turning the pages until I saw a birth certificate with my name on it.

Jack Griffin
Male
Born October 6, 1995
Saint Elisabeth Hospital
Santa Barbara California

It wasn't a coincidence. There was no fucking way. The next page was another report. I slammed the folder closed. "Ok, tell me who kidnapped me, and why you waiting this long to pull me out." I said coldly. Juliana sighed again. "Oh Jack, we had no idea where you were, the whole society was looking for you, it took years." She opened up the folder again and flipped to the last few pages. Servalance photos of me and my family at the skate rink a few years ago, a couple photos of us on vacation, all the photos were taking within the last 5 years.

"The organization that killed your family and robbed you of your life is called The Cricle." Juliana said. "They are old, so old in fact that no one really knows when they were founded but what we do know is that your family used to be apart of it." I just shook my head. "They control everything, literally. The are tied into every government and influence the world economy, and they hate us." She finished. I looked straight into her eyes. "Why?" was all I asked. "Because for as long as we can remember, the Rose Society has fought and foiled them at every turn. They are our greatest enemy and oldest rival." Rosie stood up. "I'm going to get us some water." She said as she walked into the kitchen, coming back with 4 glasses. I nodded in appreciation and drank my glass.

"Your family specifically Jack, has been at war with The Circle ever since they split and joined the Rose Society." Juliana said. "The Circle believe that the masses cannot govern themselves, that they need to be controlled and guided. The Circle are puppet masters." I grimaced, I hated assholes like that. "The Rose Society believes in the freedom everyone has as an individual, polar opposite dogma from The Circle." I put my hand up.

"Ok so my actual parents are dead, and The Circle kidnapped me and gave me a false family, because they hate us? That doesn't make a lot of sense." I said. This time Rosie laughed. "Jack the Griffin family holds a ton of power and influence in our society and the world, by kidnapping you and murdering your parents they dealt us a huge blow." I sighed. "So why didn't they just kill me outright? Wouldn't cutting off the entire family be best?"

Chad was the one to respond. "While that would make sense, we know that they used you against us. The leaders and head families can't risk loosing one of the most powerful families." He grimaced. "They kept you hidden and blackmailed us with you, we had to wait and plan for years before we had a shot at rescuing you." This time I laughed. This was totally bat shit fucking crazy. My ADD brain was in hyperdrive. "So now what? What do you need me for? And why was it you guys and not the other petals that rescued me?" I asked.

"Like we told you earlier, we lost our fourth member, Jackle, last year." Juliana said. "There can be no more than four members in a single petal, making sixteen members in total and four leaders." She paused and sighed. "We needed and new member to fill the gap, and we also finally got the green light to get you, plus we were the closest team to your actual location." It made sense, as crazy as all this was.

"So I'm the heir to an exedingly powerful family, one that funds and supports the Rose Society, and I'm also apparently the potential new member of your team, where does that leave us?" I inquired quietly. "Like we said before, you'll be one of us, once you agree we will take you to meet the elders and they will test your authenticity, once proven you will gain access to everything you are entitled to." Juliana replied. "How much am I worth?" I asked sarcastically. Rosie laughed. "Billions Jack, your net worth is in the billions." she said. I almost felt my eyes bulge out of my head. I was a fucking billionaire!? Sweet.

"Ok...wow uh...this is some really heavy shit you guys." I stammered out. Chad chuckled and slapped my knee. "It is, but we need you to really focus and answer our original question. Do you want to join us?" I got up and looked at all three of them. "If it means getting back at The Circle, then yeah...I'm in." I said hotly. Juliana jumped up and hugged me. "Oh yay! I'm so happy you decided to join us!" she giggled like a child. Chad laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. "Welcome to the family little brother." I smiled shyly. Rosie walked up in front of me. "Welcome home Jack." I didn't have words, to be honest I was still in shock.

Here I was, 18 years old, my family murdered, surrounded by a group of assassin's that called me brother. Apart of an ancient society that no one knew existed, fighting a war that no one would see. "What the ever living shit have you gotten into Jack?" I said to myself.