Bittersweet

Prologue - Where It All Began

Begin A/N-- MATURE READERS ONLY! This story contains adult subject matters, including - but not limited to - sex(consensual and non-consensual), violence, foul language. Read at your own risk!

*Chapter Warning: While I do not, personally, condone the acts commited within this chapter, be forewarned that it DOES contain a subject considered sensitive and wrong by many. If the matter of rape is disturbing to you, I suggest skipping that part. While the scene is not as graphic as I'd originally thought it might be(thank whatever deity you happen to worship for that), it IS described. That section is fairly clear, so skipping it should be pretty easy .Skipping will not get you lost, as long as you keep in mind that it happened as it is a huge point in the entire story's plotline ^.^

Photo to the side is the cover, subject to change at any time.

End A/N--

Song for this Chapter is: Placebo – Running Up That Hill

Bittersweet

             Prologue - Where It All Began

“You don't want to hurt me,

but see how deep the bullet lies.

Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder.

There is thunder in our hearts, baby.

So much hate for the one we love;

Tell me, we both matter - don't we?”

        They ran side by side, hand-in-hand, bare feet pounding across the damp earth. The breeze was cool against their heated flesh, a light dew kissing shoulders left bare by their matching shift-like nightgowns. Laughter, tinkling and sweet from one while the other's was a bit lower, huskier, meshed together. The sisters felt empowered, their inner sense of doing something quite naughty overridden by that age-old desire to taste the forbidden.

        “Father will be angry if he finds out we snuck out, Sephie.” Roisin's voice was quiet in the darkness, a hushed whisper that floated to her older sister as she pulled them to a halt just at the tree-line. Her sister tossed a side-long glance, the innocence dancing in her oddly coloured eyes overshadowed by her happy exhilaration.

        “Don't be such a worry wort, Rose! He won't find out.”

        “Promise?”

        “Of course! Besides, Elijah said he'd cover for us, just in case!” With a light squeeze and a tug to the hand held loosely within her own, Sephie was off and running once more. She never looked back as she lead the way into the forest that bordered their city, so sure was she that nothing bad would come of their night-time adventure from the home front. It was almost unfortunate that it never occurred to her that danger could come from a source outside of their insane Father.

        Their journey through the forest was uneventful, save for the occasional trip over an overgrown root or fallen log. Upon reaching the middle of the forest, they burst through the treeline into the clearing that marked the exact center of the Tri-Cities. It was the only ground in the whole of the area that was entirely neutral, left unclaimed by any of the ruling families. Even so, their Father had forbidden all of his children from venturing that far; he claimed it was for their own safety and perhaps it was – but if it was supposed to be neutral ground, why then would it be unsafe? That was the Sister's reasoning that night, if it were unsafe then it couldn't be called neutral ground now could it? No, because if something were to happen on neutral ground, it would affect the whole of the already-shaky peace between the Families. Right?