Wild Winds: Hydra's Story

The Reason (Backstory) Part 4

Hydra moved herself in her tree house. She'd done a little bit of work around and was proud of it as it'd taken a lot of strength. It'd been a few months since the incident and Hydra was not better in the slightest. The nightmares had gotten worse and worse and she was at breaking point.

Hydra spent most of her time in the treehouse or at the lake. She'd moved some of her belongings like her guitar and books into the treehouse in case she slept there instead of home... home didn't feel like that anymore and the tall trees that shaded the ground below had become a new home. A lonely home. But home.

When Hydra went down to the lake that day, she'd swim. The days where she had nothing better to do, she'd teach herself how. She'd splash around until she started moving, edging deeper and deeper each day that she strengthened.

She'd only go home for a meal, a chat with her parents or to clean her cloths. She'd also drop her stories off to Christopher every week on a Tuesday. It was a routine now.

Living out in the forest had made Hydra stronger. She'd neatened the brush around her treehouse and the path that lead to the lake. She'd uprooted wildflowers gently to plant around her tree like a small garden. Her parents came down per her request and together as a family they'd sit and talk.

Hydra's parents always told her that the village people were being horrible and they were glad she was safer even if she only came home once every few days.

Every night that Hydra slept in the treehouse she'd neaten her bed made from blankets and a pillow and sleep. It was peaceful. Her treehouse was bigger than her room back home meaning she had a lot more space to place her belongings.

She was now fourteen and eleven months, almost fifteen and her birthday was coming up.

Hydra stared at the words neatly written on the scroll. She smiled proudly at her new work. This story related to her.

The boy in the story had ran away deep into the forest, much deeper than Hydra did. He'd met beasts beyond imagination and befriended the animals that once were timid and territorial around him.

This was one of Hydra's favourite works and she was extremely excited to share it with Christopher.

She stared up at the sky, her breathing being one of the only sounds besides the rustling of the leaves above her. Hydra closed her eyes bringing in the scents of the forest.

BOOM!

Screams were heard from the direction of her village. Gunshots and yells filled with malice echoed through the forest.

Hydra leaped up from her spot, throwing her guitar over her shoulder and quickly packed her most important things into her satchel, jumping down from the tree and pulled the hidden bag out as well. She'd probably need it. She ran through the forest, her hair flying freely and her boots hitting the mud below her. All that Hydra could hear was the screaming and gunshots. The only thing that was echoing in her head... no it echoed through the forest too.

Once Hydra's feet landed onto the village's edge her eyes scanned what was happening. The gunshots were loud and painful to listen to. Screaming was still heard. The sound of children weeping even was heard until a gunshot fired and it was gone, the sound to be burned into Hydra's mind.

Hydra gasped and ran towards her parents house, tears filling her eyes as she scanned the village from afar. Blood was splattered, bodies littered the floor. Some alive and dying and some gone completely. Once Hydra found her parents house her heart dropped to her stomach. Her parents were dead, fresh blood spilling out of their wounds and onto the gravel below them.

Hydra dropped to her knees beside them, time slowing down as grief took over... even the trees stopped moving, the gunshots seeming miles away and the screaming silent. Tears poured out of her eyes. She noticed the shine of her mothers golden locket. Hydra gently pulled it off her mothers neck and put it into her satchel. She stared at her parents, the memory burning into her mind, cutting her open as if she was stabbed in the heart with a dagger.

"Well, well, what a precious child weeping over her dead parents." A voice snarled. A sharp pain ripped through the side of her white shirt. Her right side...

Hydra looked up as she bled. The man that towered over her had a black beard that was plaited unevenly. His eyes dark and emotionless. His clothing torn to shreds under his vest and his black hat covering his hair.

She glared at the man her eyes filling with angry tears. He showed no empathy or anything that he even cared.

"Goodbye little girl." The man pointed his gun at Hydra who's eyes widened and without even thinking she leaped up, pushed the barrel out of the way and kicked the man as hard as she could in the shin with her boot. He let out a loud scream, probably alarming his followers. She then kicked him in the balls and without a second thought as he was trying to recover, Hydra ripped his cutlass from his belt and slit his throat. She gasped at her action, her shock freezing her body as the man gurgled his own blood. She shook her head, taking one last glance at her dead parents and ran.

This wasn't the first person she'd killed... the second actually...

"HEY GIRLIE!" Another man screamed running after her. Hydra clutched the cutlass in her hand, nodding to herself.

If he comes too close I can cut him. I'm not killing another person... no way. Hydra had no idea how to use the sword in her hand. She would just have to wing it.

Hydra ran, her breathing rough as her feet slammed under her. Her two satchels slapping her hips. The wind whipped around her. She heard footsteps behind her.

"FUCK!" Someone yelled and then the crunching of leaves stopped with a thump on the forest floor.

Hydra sped up and didn't stop running, the adrenaline pushing her forward as tears slipped into her hair. She passed the lake, her guitar secure on her back.

Time Skip

Her eyes stung, her body growing weaker. She'd been running for a while now but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Hydra stumbled on a branch but she picked herself up and continued jogging.

The sun slowly crept across the sky but Hydra kept moving. Her legs ached and blood stained her shirt. She'd been running for hours... around four with no stopping. She knew that the coast wasn't far on horseback but running... running it was so far. Hydra knew that she had to get to the coast. She knew that there was a small coastal town that could help her, that didn't know about her past. Her vision dotted black but she could see the edge of the forest. She could clearly see the light of the sunset. She sighed in relief. She'd bee running west, just as planned.

Hydra tripped and this time she didn't get back up. The tiredness making her weak... and then her world went black.