Cinder Elliot

Prologue

"Elliot! Come see this!" My mother yelled from the grand dining room.

I dropped my book on my bed and made my way down stairs. I took my time and looked at every room I went past carefully.  Every step I made my foot caused a stair to creek.  

"Elliot! Do hurry!" My mother yelled yet again.

I sped up a bit, but not much. I noticed the big living area and paused to admire it for a fraction of a second, then I sighed and made my way past the reasonably sized purple kitchen and large hallway into the grand dining room.

I leaned against the door frame and saw my mother with a man and to other boys about my age. I glanced at the man's mean look face and studied it for a minute.   He had brown, almost black, eyes, he not to mention wore the flattest facial expression I'd ever seen on a human.  I didn't pay much attention to the boys, fore they were pretty average looking.

Within a few seconds my mother noticed me and gave me the signal to walk in.  I slowly walked into the room and looked into the distance shyly.  

"Elliot, I'd like you to meet Charle Tremaine and his boys, Kayden and Alva." she smiled

"Men, this is my boy, Elliot." She nodded

"Wer sind Sie?" I asked in German. My father was from Germany but moved to England when he met my mom. He taught us German before he died.

'Sie sind..." She paused after she realised she wasn't speaking English.

"They are your new step father and step brothers." She corrected.

"Victoria, does he not speak English?" He asked and then I realized even his voice sounded cruel.

"Ellie, Please speak for Charle." She forced a frown.

I gulped , took a deep breath and sighed.  "Hello sir."

It was an awkward silence for a minute before Charle pushed me outside with the two boys.

I reckon he wanted us out so he could talk to my mother about my strangeness. Kayden and Alva burst through the door with my favorite football and I slowly trailed behind them .

When I finally got to them they were already kicking the football back and forth.

"Hi Ellie!" Alva teased

"Greetings Elliot!" Kayden waved, he seemed nice.

"Hello Kayden....and Alva" I smirked

"Want to play a game of footy with us?" Kayden asked

Alva gave him an evil look "No!" he shouted "He isn't good enough to play with us Den!"

I looked to the ground and tried to make my way to the door, Kayden stopped me though.

"Elliot, I'm sorry about my brother....we don't have to play with him....we could play by ourselves." He offered.

I looked up at him, "Why do you want to be my friend? Nobody likes me...." I asked

He sighed, "I just like you Elliot."

"It's alright Kayden, just leave me be, you can play footy with Alva." I frowned

This time he didn't want to argue me, he just went back to playing with the football.

**********************************

When I walked back in I shut the door quietly so my mother wouldn't notice I had come back in. It was always gawky explain to her no one wanted to be my friend. Except now I did, Kayden. I know Kayden would get made fun of if he befriended me though and he was so kind I didn't want to do that to him.

I replaced my body back onto it's favorite place to rest, my bed. I picked up my book and found my place. This book was German and called "Leben selbst" which means "Life Itself'. I wasn't very fond of it, it was more of a woman book. It was something to do so I didn't care much if I liked it.

After a few hours my mother must have noticed I wasn't outside and so she went up into my room.

"Ellie....Why aren't you playing with your step brothers?" she ask calmly

"Alva is Niggard and Kayden want's to be friends but then he'll be like me..." I sighed

"What do you mean like you Elliot?" She looked concerned

"Teased, beaten, weak.." I could continue but I didn't want to.

She leaned in and hugged me. "Elliot....You're a strong boy for only twelve...." she was going to continue when she turned around and saw Charle standing in my doorway.

"Oh Charle!" My mother gasped "You frightened me, I'm not used to other people being in this big house." She giggled

"It is fine my dear...what is wrong with the boy?" He asked

"Oh, it's nothing..." she smirked. What she didn't understand was it was something to me and I was finally branching out for help yet being denied. It saddened me and I was envious that all the attention wasn't on me.

"Charle, why don't you talk to Elliot for a bit to get to know him, I am going to get dressed for bed."

"Okay." he moaned

He came over and sat by me and his normal mean face turned beyond mean.

"I don't like you boy, but you don't tell your mother that. You don't even look unless you mother is around, and as for my boys...Alva told me about Kayden trying to befriend you. Don't you go near Kayden anymore, understood?" He lectured  

I nodded trying to fight back tears.

"Good." and he walked off and shut my door. I threw my face onto my pillow and weeped, even my step father was cruel.  If only my father was here, then I wouldn't have to deal with this. The only reason he was here was because of my father, my father was a very rich author and when he died my mother inherited it. That scab of a man was all after my father's riches, not of my mother.

That night I dreamed of being with my father in Germany, which was one of our favourite places in all of Europe. We went around to all the shops and enjoyed their breads and pastries which was our favorite part of going there.

But just like every dream ends, I woke up. I stretched my arms into the air and brought them to a cross shape. I went down stairs trying to avoid stepfather. It was Sunday so me and my mother were supposed to do bible studies so I went up into her bedroom with my bible.

I sat on her bed to tell her to wake up, which was uncommon because she was normally awake much before me. After trying a little bit harder and she still didn't awaken so I kissed her forehead about to go out when I noticed how hot her face was.