The Enchantress

Chapter 1 (Marie PoV)

Chapter 1

I guess you could say that I knew my life would be shit from the very beginning. It all went to hell when fucking Rebecca Johnson stuck gum in my hair in the fucking 3rd grade. That was the worst moment of my life. I still have traumatic flashbacks of blonde hair that smelled of hot dog water. It has been crippling to my future success, I'm sure of it. Or maybe that's just my horrible sense humor coming out to cope with my crippling depression and anxiety. Who knows? I guess it could be said that I had a lot going on in my life right now.

The building was fairly full of people who were all gathered in the center, focused on the wall opposite of me where my mother was seated. She was a tall slender woman with black hair and brown eyes. Her crimson lips contrasted sharply against her alabaster skin. She was terrifying. And, more importantly, she was in charge. I pick at my nails as I vaguely listen to the business going on around me.

A loud bang comes from the door to my left. Two large men trample inside dragging a skinny pale dude with greasy blonde hair behind them. The guy is crying, continuously muttering "No no no no..." under his breath. I kinda pity him. Not much, but the feeling's there so it totally counts. I tune into the conversation around me concerning the man. The people in the center of the room parted to let him kneel on the ground in front of Mother. She looked down at him with a slight sneer.

"Explain." she spat at the man. He winced and started to stutter. Mother rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Can you do it without sounding like a complete idiot?" she ground out as he continued to stutter with no real words coming out.

"I guess I have to do everything around here." she takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I give you the supply and you are supposed to have my money, which you don't. Now, why is that? When you sell my goods, you give me my percentage of cash, understood? I. Want. To. Know. Where. It. Is." she punctuated each word with a slam of her fist on the arm of her chair. I let out a huff of laughter.

"I-I j-just I don't I uhm, I-" he continued to stutter. Mother beckoned Dean over with a crooked finger. Dean was around my age, he's like half a year older than me, we grew up together. His father was my father's closest friend. When my dad passed, the responsibility of this "business" fell to my mother, and when Dean's dad passed Dean took over his position of close informant. Dean was cool, slightly stoic and emotionless, but cool nonetheless.

Mother leaned over and whispered something in Dean's ear. He nods and motions for the man to be taken away. I assume that I'll be reading about his body being found sometime in the future.

"Marie, come over here darling." Mother called out. I looked up in shock for a second, I didn't expect her to actually want to talk to me. She never talks to me anymore.

I take my time getting up and walking over to her. When I finally stop to stand in front of her she was smiling at me. She rarely smiles, not anymore at least, the sight of it conjures long forgotten memories filled with happiness and love.

"How are the girls? How old are they again? I can't remember the last time I visited..." Mother trailed off. She was talking about my sisters. Well, my half sisters. None of us are fully related. Mother doesn't take care of us anymore, she gives me the money and I become the parent as she runs the business.

Before I was born, my mother and father were the heads of an infamous crime ring. They were feared and dangerously in love. It was almost like a Bonnie and Clyde love story. Mother never told me how they met, she never mentioned him again after he passed. He had been killed in a shootout with police at our house. I was three. Somehow, Mother got away and we never went back. After he was pronounced dead she became hysterical, she was reckless.

She used her body as a bargaining chip, to make deals, to get what she wanted. That's how my sister Anna came along. I was 5 years old at that time. When I turned 13 Mother had Sophie, and that's when she started to leave more and more. Eventually she just stopped coming. Then, just five months ago, Lucille, or Lucy, came into this world. Sophie calls me mom sometimes, and I can't even bring myself to correct her. I don't want her to know that her biological mother doesn't actually care.

I guess that the summary of this is that my mom runs a drug ring, I am a parent to my half siblings, and we live in a shit apartment.

"Things are fine, we need money for groceries and rent. Sophie is turning 5 next month. She keeps asking when we can move, the girls hate sharing a bed." I listed off. Mother shook her head before responding.

"You know why you have to stay there, we have to stay close to our clientele. I wish the children would understand. Anyway, how much do you need?" I wanted to point out the fact that they are children, therefore they shouldn't have to ever understand, but I am cut off by the snap of her fingers. A man rushed over with her purse. She pulled out her wallet and looked at me in questioning.

"600 for rent and 250 for food." I responded. She pulled out a wad of cash and counted it out before handing it to me.

"When do you graduate? Soon, right?" she asked me. I nodded and told her that my last year of high school had just started last week. "Alright, good, because I am planning on having you in our ranks as soon as possible. But, your education is vital."

I nodded along to what she was saying, not really paying attention, it was all old news.

"It needs to be soon because I could be gone at anytime, our family has many enemies as you know, remember that." I continued to nod until she told me that I can go. I rush out without hesitation.

It seemed as if though I had been out longer than I thought, I could see the sunrise in the horizon. I shook off my sleepiness before walking towards my old motorcycle. Today was going to be a long day.