The Blessed Curse

The Word is Initiative

Eighteen Years Ago – Belladonna Household

"Alright Blake, don't wander too far now, you know the rules!" the woman shouted. Her words fell on two sets of deaf ears as the young Faunus delved into the forest, just as she had time and time before. Branches and leaves tickled the girl's arms as she barreled down the narrow pathway, reminiscing in her hard work. She soon came to a small clearing, no bigger than the town square's fountain, but instead of water bathing the girl, it was light from above. The pathway had ended, leaving only one entrance and one exit – for most people.

"In we go!" Blake squealed as she dove headfirst through a seemingly dense thicket of branches. To any outsider's surprise, the girl had hollowed out the bushes around her, and was making a little room inside. The small room was barren, save for a few snack wrappers from the snacks that she "borrowed" from the kitchen when her mother wasn't looking. However, there was a small glass bottle near the far edge of the hole – which Blake did not leave there. "What's that?"

Blake approached the bottle cautiously, needing to crawl to avoid the hanging twigs above her – she had cut herself on them in the past, and she did not wish to repeat that incident. She soon reached the bottle and began to paw at it, watching the remnants of a red liquid swirl around in the bottom.

"Oh man, where did it go? I hope it didn't break, that was my last bottle!" a voice called from afar, startling Blake. Nobody had been anywhere near her hideout before besides her father, who could see through the brush's "advanced stealth technology" as Blake called it without any problems. Blake began to worry, what if the girl thought that she had stolen the bottle? "No", she thought, "I must take the ignition, like my mom said!"