It's been a long time since I've uploaded something on Wattpad. I apologize for that. This is a short story I wrote for my creative writing class. I really like how it turned out. Constructive criticism is welcomed. :)
Without a Brother
A branch whips my face as I sprint. I’m sure I’ll have a red mark across my cheek from it. I try to concentrate harder on looking for the outline of branches that cross my path. The moon casts a faint glow on the trees. My foot lands in a puddle and I know I’m too close to the water. I duck my head when something black appears in front of my vision. I feel the branch graze the top of my head. Dead leaves crackle under my feet. A owl hoots in the distance, sending shivers down my back. I hear a man laugh behind me. It was the same voice of the man who killed my brother. My brother was his first victim and I was going to be his next. This is the end.
I jolt upright in bed, holding a hand over my heart. My heart beat is sporadic and refuses to calm down. I thought tonight would be different and that the nightmares wouldn’t come. But I was wrong. Three weeks have passed since my brother was murdered. Many believed I would recover quickly and go after the man that killed him. Instead of that, I shut everything out completely. The fire inside of me has gone dim without my brother. He was my only family left and the only person that understood me. I still want to find Ryker, the man that killed him. But something I have never felt before has stopped my vengeance. Fear.
I flung the covers aside, my bare feet hitting the cool hardwood floor. I can’t go back to sleep if those nightmares happen again. I open my door and walk down a hallway. There are several doors on both sides of me. I pass by a dead plant that sits on a table. I don’t understand why someone doesn’t throw it away. I walk by a door and hear low voices coming from the room inside it. I recognized most of the voices, but some sounded new. When did new people arrive? And what were they talking about? I could only pick out a few words. “Tomorrow…..Need…..Ryker”
I knew I heard his name. They were talking about Ryker, the man that protects the lake creature in the mountains. This was a meeting about the mar who killed my brother and I wasn’t in that room. I felt something inside me stir, it was something that hadn’t happened in weeks. A fire grew inside as me as I became angry. I open the door and it slams into a wall. The people that surround a table all look up and look at me. I recognize most of the the faces, but some I have never seen before. The expressions range from anguish to agitation.
I hear a low voice mumble, “Blair.” I easily recognize it was Hayden. He was in this meeting and I wasn’t. Ryker didn’t kill his brother.
“Where was I when this meeting was organized?” I say. I try to make it appear more as a statement instead of a question.
“Who are you?” A womans voice asks. Her voice is cold and demanding. I don’t recognize her. I can see her icy blue eyes bore into me as she judges my appearance. She doesn’t think this girl whose hair is probably a birds nest and is wearing pajamas could possibly be important.
“Lillith, this is Blair. She is one of the best warriors we have,” Hayden says.
The other people in the room nod in approval. I walk up to the table where they were all standing. A large map lays on it. A large red circle stands out of the green and blue of the map. The circle was in the mountain.
“She doesn’t look like one,” Lillith says. “She shouldn’t be in here,”
“I don’t care about your opinion. I want to go after Ryker.” I say, my voice breaking when I say him. The only thing I can see is my brothers face in my mind.
