Frozen Butterfly, Epilogue

Epilogue – Athanatos

January 10th, 2020

Emily was mesmerized by the dazzle of the crystal-like, resplendent flakes swirling in a delightful dance around her body. The whoosh of winter air entangled the flakes within the coldening cloth of Emily's attire and shimmered in the glow of the fresh, brisk air. A tug at her arm awoke her out of her haze, making her remember that she was still with Daddy and his unknown friend on the extensive dirt road that had been covered in diamond like snow, to the farm she was being raised in. Emily's father bent down on one knee in front of her and held her by the arms, giving a sly smile.

"Sweetie, you know Daddy wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you. You know what I do for you is out of love," he uttered gently, reassuringly. It calmed her unease, except only slightly. Why had her Daddy awoken her in the middle of the night only to have her stand out in the middle of a snow storm, her tangled crimson hair, and her pink footed pajamas, still messy from her slumber? Emily’s silvery eyes dropped, fixating on the top coat she was wearing that glistened with melted snowflakes as thoughts rushed through her mind.

“Do not worry, Mr. Keating. All Athanatos require this in their fresh, young years. I presume you turned out a little more than fine,” the man said to Emily’s father in a monotonous tone, puzzling her further with the use if his last name instead of his first. She tilted her head up to see the man who was talking; a face that was slim and pale, with brunette hair hanging past his shoulders and slight bangs split in the middle. By the looks of it, this man was no friend and his looks almost scared her. Her father’s look gave understanding, with a hint of bewilderment.

 Emily's father had silver eyes just like she did, a disadvantage that all Athanatos possessed; something that set them apart from the rest of the world. Unlike her crimson hair that curled up at the ends, his hair was brunette and straight along the sides. She wouldn't have known he was her father if their eyes and pale skin hadn't been the same.

“I was 10. She’s only 6,” the gruff of Emily’s daddy's voice made her scared and sent her legs to retract. The man noticed instantly, grabbing firmly onto her delicate wrist that could have easily been dislocated by this rough man, followed by Daddy’s grip on her forearm as he stood up from kneeling, almost as if he were going to tug her to the closet to get a belt after she had been bad... Suddenly, down the snow covered, once dirt road, a faint screech of a speeding vehicle could be heard, causing Emily to panic.

“Daddy,” a bellow erupted from her mouth, causing the rough man's hand to cover up any word she had to say after that. As the car inched closer, she thought to herself, 'Why were they being so mean? What had she done wrong?'

“I’m so sorry, baby girl. I’m so sorry,” her daddy said in a weak voice, giving in to what was happening. Tears streamed down her eyes in full, blurring out her vision, blurring out the headlights only yards away that were inching closer by the second. “This will only make you stronger.”

They say pain builds character. In Emily’s case, it only made a monster.

 -

In the 1800's, 200 years or so ago, a super human species was born with genetic mutations without realization. Upon finding out the powers that this species was born with - a higher sense of smell and sight, a larger hearing range and the strength of a bear - the regular human residences lived in fear that their society would undergo a take over, that they would become just like them; abnormal and frightening.

For years, humans tried to live in peace with the species possessing silvery eyes that glowed when the sun went down and for awhile, they could. Lumbering could be done faster and more efficiently while their speed and strength would show hunting for food to be easier. Something changed, though, after 50 years of attempting to coexist with something unlike them; a man with silvery eyes had accidently killed a passerby with his strength.