The Most Powerful (The Unforgiven)

Chapter 2 (A Harsh Family)

      "Be ready in five," the stage director called. Brianna came out of her dressing room, wearing her usual tight leather booty shorts; black, lacy push up bra, and leather six inch heeled hooker boots.
       Of course, behind her followed a dance choreographer, damp with sweat. Really? She also smelled of alcohol as she walked by, with a sly smirk on her face.
      "No regrets," she mumbled, shoving past me. Seconds afterwards, the stage director shoved me closer to the curtains. Dave, my manager, urgently looked over my clothing, (bleached jeans and a pure glittered blazer) and ratted my messy bun just enough to fall out through the performance.
      "Remember: sexy, but not slutty. Cute, but not childish. Rebecca, not Brianna." He shoved me inches from the curtains as they lifted, and a small town theater crowd appeared. Unfamiliar, and infancy all collashed into a small building auditorium of Cadillac high school. Vikings.
      Just before they announced my all famous reputation, I could hear my manager shaming on Brianna about being a drunk whore. (Which was true, unfortunately.)
      "- Rebecca Conrad!" The announcer cheered as I tuned in. As I sang and danced, people in the crowd seemed amazed, as though it was something they've never seen before. Yet, some in the crowd looked unnamused with a blank expression.

      When the song was finally over (before I had another nervous breakdown) the pop hit song struck it's last beat and the lights went out, I scrambled to get backstage.
      The crowd cheered wildly as Brianna went on stage minutes afterwards. Yet, the cheers sounded somewhat disappointed when she did her performance.
      When she came backstage, she stared at me as though I had ruined her one and only chance to being a big hit. She had a vengeful look in her eye, especially when our manager said, "great job, Rebecca!"
      After in my dressing room, I sighed in relief and stripped into my clothes once again. A "Rock n' Roll" T-shirt with jeans and Converse. I threw my dirty blond hair into a messy bun yet again. I urgently smeared off the makeup on my face, and left a deep residue of foundation and mascara, giving me a somewhat natural look.
      I threw my performance clothes onto the floor carelessly. I stared into the large mirror aimlessly.
      There has to be more to life. Something with a purpose. Destiny.
But it seems destiny had skipped right over me, leaving me with a wretched family and a fickle twin sister.

***********

      "Where are we going?" I whined. My legs felt stiff and wobbly from walking so many miles, along with my dancing/performance routine.
       "Here we are," Brianna said. Her southern accent was obvious when saying anything along the lines of that phrase.   The view was not something you'd expect. You'd expect a green valley, or a sunset, or maybe even a beautiful Forrest with gorgeous animals.
      But there were just Pine trees. The woods, with a trail that could've lead to the smallest valley you'd ever see... with no grass. Michigan was truly not a place for me.
      "You dragged me all the way here for this?" Brianna simply smirked and ran ahead. "And why didn't mom come?" I mumbled, glancing around at the swarms of mosquitoes. This was finally the month of May. When we first got here, it was January. Snow time.
      In Michigan, Winter sucked. The snow was packy and slushy and heavy, rarely light and pretty with floating snowflakes.
      Brianna, for some odd reason, has been waiting for this season to come to visit this area. I honestly had no idea why, but even weirder, she only brought me.
      I pranced on the trail in the direction Brianna went. Eventually, the trail became a two parter. I yelled out Brianna's name, which gave me no reply. I felt tiresome and weary already. Of course she ditched. What else is new?
       Down the first trail it was filled with sunlight and Oak trees. And oddly, to the right, it was dark from thick pine trees that blocked the view.
      Normally, anyone would choose the light trail, but I've learned that looks are extremely deceiving. And, most likely, Brianna went down the dark trail.        Somewhere she can fit in.
      I jogged the curb of the trail, and looked ahead to see a bright field. The field was as though it was in a movie, it was perfect.
       I ran into the field, glancing back at the cave of Pine trees. As I turned to the field, a Crow cawed in a direction to my right.     The field was magnificent, until you laid your eyes on a creepy, century-old house.
       Determined and unfearful, I quickly made my way to the abandoned house. It had a stone wall with no roof, and window holes without panes, along side doors without the rest of the door.
       I stalked up to the "window", and stuck my head inside. I quickly jerked away when I saw a skeleton halfway crumbled to dust.
       "Brianna!" I hollered. No reply. I turned towards the trail I came from, and stopped dead in my tracks. A bloody ten year-old or so stood, naked and beaten, holding a hand out to me.
        "They didn't help me," he whispered in desperation, disgracing the thought of hope. The boy was gone in a flash (in mid-air) as soon as birds flew rapidly overhead.
       Every bird near by was flying away from the location I was... the house. Some birds were in such a rush that they bashed into one another, and still didn't stop to rest after being possibly injured.
       I didn't know whether I should find Brianna, or get the hell out of here. As I decided to leave the woods, expecting Brianna to already be out, spirit like lights in a distorted form of a human arose. I ran for the trail, quickly ducking under branches.
      How could this be happening?
      This was obviously something demonic...
I swiped a glance behind me. I was utterly horrified. It was like a stampede of angry souls, coming for me.
      It seemed that time stopped, like everything moved slower, except for the spirits. And just to my luck, I hadn't been fast enough. I made it to the edge of the trail, out of the woods. As I was about to pass what seemed to be the safe zone, I was struck by spirits.
       I felt as though I was being electrocuted, and I simply shook in excruciating pain, falling to my knees. I fainted, giving my body relief of what I had felt.
      And so it began.