A Place Beyond All Kingdoms

The News

Chapter 2

Fay:

"Ow!" I screech as the black string of my dark blue compound bow smacks my arm.The arrow hits a tree trunk near the black puma's head.

My long, thick, black hair covers my face. I throw my head back, attempting to get the hair out of my dark midnight blue eyes. My mediocre tan skin, gleaming in the moonlight.

"You okay?" Cole, my brother asks. He has black hair, pale skin, and dark green eyes.

"Yea!" My voice is uneasy.

The puma, growling slowly stalks toward me.

"I'm going home. You good to find your way back?"

"I've lived here for my entire life. What do you think?" I scowl.

The puma slowly growls, it stalks closer. I flinch backwards and pull an arrow. I load my bow. I prepare my release. The puma pounces....

I release the arrow. It lands in it's neck, the force from the hit, knocking it down to the ground. It falls with a loud thud.

I grab my machete, from my belt. I walk toward the animal on the ground, holding my knife out. Just in case, it's still alive. Once I reach it, I check for a pulse. Nothing.

For extra measures, I stab it in the neck. Blood spitting from the new wound. I slide my machete in it's case. And pull my arrow from the panther's pelt. I grab a once white, now, stained red cloth from my pocket.

I wipe the blood from the arrow, and slip it into my quiver. I sling the bow over my shoulder, and grip the panther by it's waist. I gather all my strength and throw the animal over my shoulder.

I walk, unsteady, towards my house. My brother and I, live alone. My parents were taken to the Land of Enchantment. For a crime, not bad enough to be punishable by death. But, bad enough to be banished.

Cole and I work as hunters. For a wealthy man, each animal, depending on the damage from the kill and what kind of animal it is, that's how many credits we get.

And this panther here, if the arrow did little damage, could get me a well-earned ten credits. I live in the Kingdom of Darkness, where the people are known for their multi-colored dark eyes. Black hair, gallons of dark makeup, skinny jeans. Black clothing, piercings, and loud, obnoxious music.

Oh yeah, and violent tempers, and angry souls. I'm sort of out of place here. I do look most of the part, minis the makeup. I don't wear it.

And the piercings, my ears aren't even pierced. And the ripped clothing. I do, have to wear black clothes. But, mine isn't ripped. I don't make music or listen to it either.

But, I do fit in, with the angry part, and bad temper. I make my easy toward my house. My mind whirling, I continue down a path. Making my way to my house.

~ ~ ~

I sit on the lid of an old icebox, in my garage. A sharp dagger in my hand. A small coffee table sits in front of me. Covered with blood stained plastic. A bloody panther living on top of it.

My hands, and clothing covered in blood. Once I finish skinning the animal. I clean the gleaming black pelt of blood. Umfoutunetly, I couldn't save the neck or the head.

I use a chainsaw to cut the animal's flesh, and wrap those in plastic. I store then in the long freezer, which my brother and l use to store meat to sell.

My brother opens the garage door. "How 'ya doing?"

I wipe the sweat from my forehead with my forearm.