Daughter of Hades

Chapter One

The girl sighed, her hands tightening as she stepped off the bus, feeling like she was about to die. The unkempt yard looking very out of place compared to the rest of the houses, all neat and tidy. Dread dragged her down as she made herself walk across the broken, cracked concrete. Wanting to cry, she pushed open the door, and instantly, the smell of alcohol licked into her nose. She cringed, her purple eyes scanned to house.

"You're late, Jane."

She jumped, turning to the voice. Her step-father, not that he deserved that title, glared from the doorway. He was obviously drunk, swaying as a bottle shook in his hand.

"Well, some more people were on the bus, so it took longer." Jane growled, keeping her head low. Her back stung, as if his presence brought back memories... "I have a lot of homework, so I'll go to my room."

He grabbed her arm, anchoring her back. Panic sprung in her heart as he spun her toward him, so close the smell of his breath made her head hurt. "Do not speak to me again, Missy. I gave you and your mother this house, and I can take it away."

Jane held his stare, unflinching. When she said nothing, the drunk shook her angrily, slapping the side of her face, hard. Yelping slightly, Jane, glanced up, unaware of what was next. A huge fist connected with her left eye, and she cried out in pain. Holding her head close to where she couldn't wrench free, her step-father muttered right next to her, "What did you learn today, hmm?"

Trying to hold back her tears, Jane glared at him, her eye throbbing painfully. "I really don't care what you think I should say, because you are not my real father. So please, go on and abuse me. Do you know that's what this is? Child abuse. I'm a minor. You shouldn't really be able to touch me. If mom finds out..." Her voice shook. Where did this courage come from? "If mom finds out you're in trouble. Do you want me to tell my mother? Let me go. Let me go right now."

Shocked, the man did what she said. Shrinking back from reaching distance, she ran up the stairs, shut the door to her room, and locked to door. Her head felt as if it had split in half, and she checked to mirror. Sure enough, her left eye was bruised. She wept silently, curled on her bed, wanting so badly to take the pain away in the way she learned she was able to long ago.

She rose from the mattress, walking to the window, opening it and easily dropping to the ground, due to the hill the house was built on, and escaped to the forest.

In the tree line, she found what she was looking for, a flower. She simply blinked at it, and it withered and died without hesitation. She bent to pick up the petals, when the snap of a twig altered her attention. A huge, black shape lifted her above the ground, tossed her, and gave a bloodthirsty howl. A shadowy dog, the size of a garbage truck, ran at her again. Leaping to her feet, Jane dodged as the thing barrelled past, snarling in rage. It skidded to a stop, whirled, and jumped.

A sudden thought came the, one that never came to her before, and she summoned the power. At first, it was small, then, it drained her, her energy run dry. She cursed, knowing that she had just done something stupid, just exhausted herself while the huge dog was coming at her, and she yelled, thrusting her hand forward, and a gust of wind followed.

In the wind, shapes swirled towards the monster; ghosts in battle armor, holding spears, old timey guns, and swords. Shocked, Jane collapsed against a tree, her eyes wide with fear. The shapes attacked the large monster, who howled in anguish, exploding into shadows, leaking into the ground.

"Well done, young half-blood." A cold voice said behind her.

Too tired to turn, Jane weakly cried out as jaws of a sudden second large dog picked her up by the collar of her shirt. "You have been what we are looking for, young daughter of Hades."