Day and Night

Chapter 1:Red Snow

After I finished brushing my teeth, I was ready. Ready to start my day and ready to hang out with my big brother Garroth. His smile always Beamed a pearl brightness that would keep everyone by his side.His skin was a lightened tan that made even the sun jealous. I wanted to be like him. I adored him a lot.

I kept my eyes glued to the mirror, staring at myself up and down. My skin wasn't nearly as tan, it was pale with little brown spots sprinkled all around it. I stared into my own eyes, in hopes of changing its color to the bright ocean blue eyes Garroth had.

"It's fine Zane.You can do this",I tried motivating myself, even though I knew it probably wouldn't work.

I walked out of the bathroom and downstairs to which I was introduced to my mom in the kitchen taking care of Vvlad(my younger brother). My mom always used to compliment my pale freckled skin, and my light blue eyes. She always used to say it was unique, but now with her taking care of Vvlad all the time, with him being sick, she had no time for me left.Now all she would ask me is 'How was your day'., when I come back from school. No special compliment, no small little kisses on my cheek. Just tired green eyes and droopy smiles from working all day.

I waved at her,"Where's Garroth?", I asked.

She looked up and pointed towards the door,"He's outside",She said and focused right back on making soup for Vvlad.

I took that reply with a shy smile and walked over the the door and went outside. There my wishes have finally been received.My feet were ankle deep in snow as I walked, and I showed the biggest smile that was ever was planted on my face. My pacing got faster,As I began jogging over to him, waving to him along the way.

"Garroth!!", I screamed. He looked up, his face making a distorted expression I've never seen before. I stopped abruptly in front of him and his friends.There were two kids, one was a brown haired boy, who I've never seen before. But the second one, the second one I recognized . She was a tanned, Raven haired girl, who was my mother's friend's daughter. I never cared for her, but she was nice.

"Who is this Garroth?", The brown haired male spoke."Is he your brother?"

Garroth just stood there without speaking a word. I could only wonder what he was thinking.

The Raven haired girl now spoke,"Zianna has such cute kids!", She cheered. She came running over to me until a swift flash of an arm stopped her in her track.It was my brother and without even speaking a word to her,looked at me. Like a predator looking at their prey. His eyes no longer sang songs of joy.

"What are you doing here Zane?!",He voice was stern but soft.His eyes wavered from one friend to the other,as if he was looking for their approval.

"I-I just wanted to hangout with you.....",I said trying to keep my voice steady.Garroth's teeth grinned together,but soon slowly descended into a sly smile.

"Ok,How about we play a game", my eyes beamed with excitement at this. My older brother and I , playing a game with his friends sent chills of excitement up my back. All I could mutter at the time was "Ok".

"Alright,does a snowball fight sound good to you two.", They both shook there heads in agreement.

"Sounds fun!", The raven haired girl said.

"Ok,This will be a snowball fight and our target will be Zane...", For a moment I could sense darkness in those loving eyes, but in the matter of me thinking nothing of it I flinched it away."Zane try to dodge as many snowballs as you can.",I shook my head. With my lack of agility and my small fatigue,I knew that was going to be hard,but still trying to impress my brother I ignored that. Three nine year olds against an eight year old, but I was willing to do it all for Garroths sake.

"Ok!Aim...",Both the Raven haired girl and brown haired guy took their stance.Garroth's mouth suddenly sent chill down my back. Not the excited ones I endured when coming outside,but ones that screamed for me too run away.His eyes were of that of a snake and his mouth was cut into an unatural smile,that rose from one ear to the other."FIRE!!"

As soon as he uttered that one word:I stood frozen,It was as if my entire body was dead,but I could still feel the jolts of pain as the snowballs hit me.I would try and move my body every so often to avoid the snowballs,but something always caught my attention.Garroth.

And with only a moment of hesitation from a snowball,I felt a painful screech coming from my right eye. The snowballs stopped.I could hear the small gasps from the nine year olds.

"Z-Z-Zane...!",someone gasped.

"L-lets go!", another one screamed.

Then I heard the small pitter patter of their small footsteps in the snow,recede.

Opening the one eye I hadn't even noticed was closed, I faintly screamed as I saw the sigh of blood that painted my hand.

I took a few steps backwards still holding my beating eye.The blood slowly painting the white ground with patches of red.As I slowly took steps forward,I stepped onto something.I look down and my eyes widened:

Within the snow there laid a rock.Which was crystallized with red.

I tore my one good eye from the snow and met that of a face of my horrified mother.My mothers face turned pale white and-

ZANE!!!!!!!!!!

"Shush,ZuZu it's just a dream.",I woke up to my mothers soft green eyes."Its time for you to get ready...It's your special day."

(Heavily edited  from the original)