The Winter Wraith (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Chapter 1 - Raging Flame

Year: 1932

"But Mama-"
"Y/n, darling, do as I say!" The desperation the child sees in her mother, the panic in her eyes, frightens her more than the way the flames lick the top of the stairs as the smoke dances down the banister.
But the child has always been stubborn. "Not without you!"
"I have to help your father." her eyes search the flames engulfing the upper level of the house for any sign of her husband.
The child relents, dashing outside to join the small crowd gathered on the gravel road. As their focus turns to the child, they do not notice the first pillar break. They do not hear the first cries of the dying house, do not notice what is to come until it has already happened.
But the child does. As she watches her life collapse in the devil's flame, as she feels the breath of the house as it falls to its knees, she knows her life will never be the same.

~

The sting as the woman's hand connects with your cheek brings you back the to the present. In the years passed from your family's death, the Bennett family had taken you in.
At first you had been thankful, gracious, you had thought them a miracle. When a child's parents die they are often left to beg on the streets until the winter chill carries them to another life or starvation claims them. You had escaped this fate. Or rather, you had missed out.
A gambling drunk and a snake were your new family.
"I told you to have the floors cleaned hours ago! God, why did John adopt you. I swear, a street mutt would get more done," she hisses, spittle flying in her rage.
"Sorry, Ma'am." Sorry that your husband ensures you can't afford an actual servant, you think to yourself.

For all the pain she gave you, you couldn't help but pity the Bennetts. Having lost her first son to pneumonia at the age of six, Mrs Bennett was a bitter woman. Half the reason she can't stand to look at you is likely because you remind her of the son she couldn't keep. Then again, she does seem to just plain enjoy making your life a misery. Mr Bennett isn't around much, usually he's at the pub gambling away the few coins he has left from his youth. But when he is at home his temper is certainly one to rival Mrs Bennett's, and you'd do well to stay out of their way when they got at it. Your life wasn't the same as the honey-voiced mother you struggle to remember, or the bright and colourful house you once occupied. But this life is yours, and you're determined to make the most of it.

As if your thoughts had summoned him, you hear a rumble as the front door is slammed open and in tumbles Mr Bennett. To anyone else, this would be normal. But you and the snake share a rare look; he is never home before midnight and it's barely 6pm.

In a flurry of fuchsia skirts and grey hairs, Mrs Bennett glides towards the entryway.
"John, my love, you didn't tell me you were bringing guests." Her words are sweet but laced with poison.
"Where's the girl?" From your place down the hall, you can't see who this voice belongs to but it is male and sounds gravely, as if covered by a mask.
"What could you possibly want with that-" Her words are cut short and a strange gurgling sound fills the silence: someone is choking her.
"Mary! Leave my wife alone, she's not a part of this. Y/n, get your good for nothing ass down here!" Despite the slight slurs of his speech, Mr Bennett sounds the most sober you've ever heard him.
You edge down the rosewood hallway, fear crawling up your throat. A group of men cluster in the doorway, dressed in black with a red mark on their shoulder sleeves. As you get closer you make it out to be a strange octopus-like symbol with a skull at its centre.
"Yes, sir?" You say. Well, more like you squeak. The fear clogging your throat makes it hard to talk, you can't work out who these men are or what they want with you.
"See, just as I said," You're adoptive father grabs your arm in a vice-like grip. "Young, pretty, strong, a perfect candidate!" Wow, a compliment from him? Something was definitely wrong. "Worth just as much as that game of poker, maybe even more, eh?"
Your stomach drops as your (e/c) eyes widen in realisation: he's going to sell you to pay off his debts.
"Mr Bennett, please-" You lose your words as the same time you lose your footing thanks to the almighty shove he gives your back, landing you on your knees.
The men in the black uniforms share a look before one grabs your arms and presses a cloth over your face. You see the same thing happening to Mrs Bennett as she rips and claws at the men to no avail. As you fight to stop your eyes from closing, the last thing you see is your adoptive father's body hitting the ground with a bullet in his head as the group of men shout one phrase: "Hail Hydra".

A/n
Bit of an introduction to your life. Another chapter should be up within the next week!
Harley J. xx