The East River (On Hold)

Chapter 1

Everyone in my village has dull brown hair and grey eyes. Everyone but me. I have jet black hair and green eyes. I was born this way from what my aunt told me. I've asked her why numerous times but she never gives me clear answers.

I'm treated differently for it. Some people try to avoid me completely, and those who can't interact with me as little as possible. At one point in my life I thought they were all afraid of me. I thought maybe everyone in the village hated me, but I realized it wasn't that either.

Today was turning out to be a typical day in the market. My aunt had a vending station where she sold clothes that she sewed. She sat in a chair sewing while I interacted with people in the market. My aunt made clothes for just about everyone in our village. Men, women, and children. We sold clothes in a variety of colors. If a variety includes many different shades of grey and a few tones of faded blues and greens.

"How much?" A woman asks me. "Two pieces." I respond. She hands over the money and I pass her the faded shirt she was asking about. She never made eye contact. People try not to, it goes hand in hand with avoiding me I guess.

I sigh heavily. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Taryn." I purse my lips tightly not arguing. I lean against the table with my back to the market. My aunt and I aren't very close, I'm not very close to anyone. She raised me but she's always felt more like a nanny than family. I remember growing up always asking about my parent but she never answered any of my questions. Not one.

I wondered if they looked like me, or if they looked like everyone else. What happened to them? I also wonder where the rest of our family is. As I've grown older I've stopped trying to get answers and accepted my life for what it is.

I sat watching my aunt while she worked. She always kept to herself and I always kept to myself. I suppose it should make me sad but for some reason it didn't. I'm a loner and I guess it's a good thing.

"Excuse me miss?" I'm caught off guard by the unusual greeting. I turn quickly and face the man looking down at the shirts on display. He looks up at me and my eyes widen in shock. His green eyes mimic the expression on my face. I scan him up and down. Green eyes. Jet black hair. "You look like me." I say. His face scrunches in confusion. "What are you doing in Northland? He questions me.

"What?" I ask back. My brain feels completely numb. All I can make out is that for the first time in my life I'm seeing someone who looks like me. No grey eyes, no faded brown hair. "Citizens of the East River aren't supposed to be in this territory. How did you get here?" He asks me. The East River? I've never heard of it.

"I live here." I state, but it sounds like a question. His eyes look past me and at my aunt who is now standing, and unreadable look on her face. She takes off running. "Aunt Keela?" I call out after her. The man places a hand around my upper arm. I feel uneasy and glance at him. "I'm an official member of the guard of the East River. I will explain more along the way but you need to come with me."

I eye the man up and down. He's dressed in black cargo pants and a thick black shirt. He seems to be official but I don't know if I can trust him. He starts glancing around the market place. I look around too and notice we've started to attract a crowd. "Ok. We're going now." He says.

He grabs me underneath the arms and hoists me up over the table, landing me on the other side. My mouth hangs open, not at all expecting him to lift me like that. I'm not very tall and I don't weigh much so it isn't that. It's the fact that he just picked me up like I was a child.

The man pulls my arm, forcing me to walk with him. We make our way the the end of the market to a black suv. Not many people in my village have cars. We can't afford them. He opens the door and practically throws me into the car. I'm too shocked to protest. He runs around the car and hops into the drivers seat. He pulls away from the market quickly. I feel my head spinning.

I place hand hands on either side of my face, rubbing on my temples. "Buckle up." The man says. I turn towards him and finally take the time to study him. He was actually quite handsome. I've been think of him as a man but looking at him now he can't possibly be more than ten years older than me. He has a small scar underneath his lower lip.

"What?" I ask. "The seatbelt." He says, pulling on a strap across his chest and motion towards my side of the car. I follow his gesture and notice a similar strap by my right shoulder. I pull it forward and then look back at him. He grabs it with one hand and pulls it across my body. Pressing it into the bottom of the seat with a click.

"I've never been in a car." I say. "I can tell." I cross my arms awkwardly. "Why do you look like me?" I ask him. "You're Riverian." He says. Never taking his eyes off the road. "No, I'm Northern. I've lived in Northland all my life. I was born here." I don't know why I'm so defensive of a place that has never truly felt like home.

"What's your name?" He asks me. I huff out, annoyed at the lack of explanation. "Taryn." I say. "Nice to meet you, Taryn. I'm Jasper Navarra. We have few hours until we get there so why don't you sit back and let me explain."