Warrior

Chapter 3: Valarie

My name is Valerie Storm, and I am captain of the Warriors.

I was 11 years old when this mayhem started... A little girl, lost in the rubble and bloodshed of today's land. Terrified. I remember that day like it was yesterday's dream-No. a nightmare.

My older brother and I were already aware there was something wrong with the industry, it was all over the news. But I was too young and blind sighted to understand the severity of the situation.
However my brother was not.

Each night him and my mother would go to the kitchen and discuss something, every night I woke up and tried to join in or listen but they always told me to go back to bed, I never knew what was going on, but I always insisted on knowing.

One night, seemingly indifferent from the rest, they gathered in the kitchen and spoke once again, this time the atmosphere was very tense, unlike the other nights this one seemed to be filled with fear. As usual I would walk down my stairs and turn left to the living room, I would hide behind the kitchen door to hear what they were saying and as always my mother found me.

"Val hunny go back to bed please"
She said this in such a soothing tone but her aura was worrisome.

I gave her a tight hug that seemed to last forever, she didn't want to let me go and held me so tight, the young me could sense her discomfort and I asked her,

"Is everything alright?"

She grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes, her sparkling green eyes were filled with darkness and I could see she wanted to speak a thousand words to me but nothing left her mouth. She was silent. I didn't say a word even though my mind was wondering why my mother was acting so strange?

"Do you know why I named you Valarie?"

Finally. She had spoken.

"Of course I do! You told me it meant that I was strong!"

I stood up and scrunched my face into the most serious face an 11 year old girl could make, flexing my arms like I was a Eddie Hall; the strongest man in the world.

My mother smiled. The purest form of happiness I would ever see on her. I can't remember the last time I had seen her smile like this, everything so pure and naive. She used to always smile, her smile was contagious as she lit the world around her and everywhere she went she left a trail. She was beautiful. Emerald green eyes that were so alive and full of excitement, her luscious brown locks that was always let down trailing down her back, her cheeks so rosy and soft. She was so young and elegant. A stunning woman of wonders.
How that image changed in such a short amount of time is mind blowing.

From an evergreen forest to the dead bark of a tree. Her once bright, youthful eyes, now filled with darkness and despair. Her now dull and lifeless thin hair carelessly tossed into a tiny bun, small empty patches on her scalp signify the stress slowly eating her whole. Dark circles under her eyes as sleepless nights have attacked her, never resting.

"I named you Valarie because when you were still inside my belly, I was in a bad situation."

My young eyes filled with worry and doubt,

"What happend?"

"Sweetie... you never got to know your father"

I looked back at her confused, it's true I never met him before. As a child I prayed I could meet him, for him to come back and say hello. When I saw other families with their fathers I felt sad, envious and confused because I was never given an explanation to where he was, was he dead or alive? No one told me. In fact we never spoke about him in this house, my brother is 7 years older than me and our dad was in his first 7 years of life before I came along. As I grew older I stopped asking, so why was my mother asking me now?"

"I-I'm sorry" my sweet mothers voice breaks as she utters those words,

"I should never have kept you in the dark about him, it's hard enough for you to not have a father in your life yet the truth was just too much for a small child to handle,
When you were still inside me, your father and I had been having a rough patch, he would leave every day only to come back at night, and even then he would be cooped up in his office for hours. I wound wait for him to go to bed but I always fell asleep whilst trying. One night I had enough, I was sick of his antics and I stormed into his office filled with rage. I screamed and shouted at him and he just stared at my blankly, your brother was who was 8 at the time came rushing in only to find your father stare at me, no expression on his blank face, his eyes so empty it seemed like he wasn't even there. I pleaded him to come back, for him to stay at home and spend time with your brother, for him to spend time with me! And help me build up a space for you when you would come into our lives. And still nothing, he just stared at me for a while and then sat back down at his desk and typed on his computer again. At that moment I was so enraged I dropped the books off the shelves and screamed, I screamed so loud that I even made him flinch.

However that was almost a fatal mistake.

At that moment my heart was hurting me in the most excruciating way, it hurt so much that the pain was unbearable, this time I screamed, but I was screaming for help. Your brother ran to me whilst your father had stood up from his chair a few feet away from us. His face still empty, but traces of shock, pain and guilt washed over his face, his eyes now watering but he didn't move. I couldn't look at him. The pain was overpowering, I was so scared I would lose you that I turned hysterical. Your brother came rushing in with our neighbour and they had called the ambulance. After that I blacked out.
Only to wake up in an infirmary with a babies cot beside me. A nurse had come in and told me I suffered from Cardiogenic Shock, I was lucky I had help otherwise you; the baby, and I wouldn't have made it... The nurse proceeded to ask me questions, one question was 'what experience troubled you into going into shock', at that moment I realised it was all because of your father. He almost killed not only me but you as well. I hated him. I wished I would never see his face again. And somehow my wish was answered, I never saw your father after that, for better or for worse.
Anyways, after that moment in the hospital, the nurse handed me a beautiful baby girl, I took her in my arms and cradled her, she opened her eyes and looked at me, her bright red eyes shocked me, so red and vibrant, and incredibly rare... at that moment I named you Valarie. I chose that name because it means brave and strong. You fought the battle of life and death and came into this world miraculously without a father and yet you always have a smile i your face and seem to always lighten up my day. And I know one day you will do great things, just like your grandfather and father used to be. You are strong and brave and always remain a fighter. Just like we need you."

My little mind was so full, my mothers words were replaying in my head as I tried to make sense of all the things that were going on.

"I know you are confused and very overwhelmed Valarie, but just remember exactly what I told you. One day you might need this."

What did she mean by that? Why would I need that information? My mind was so full but I accepted it, and with that I went back to bed.

If I knew what would happen that night, I wouldn't have even closed my eyes...

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What do you think will happen over night?
Find out in the next chapter x