In Love With Earth's Enemy

Chapter One: My Name Is Valentine.

My name is Valentine Louise Ortego. My name is derived from an old American holiday that is no longer celebrated. It is suppose to represent love, passion, and romance, but those are not words I would use to describe myself. Actually, since the Scales invaded, I would say I am the exact opposite. 

Let me take you back a little bit. When I was 4 years old the Scales invaded Earth. I watched as their ships crowded the sky casting a dark shadow on everything. We were instantly outnumbered. My dad grabbed me and hurried me out of the yard. Something swooped right over our heads as we hurried in the house. My mother was working in the garden, my father and I watched her from the kitchen window as she ran to the house. The shadow on her face grew darker as she neared the house. Right before she reached the handle, a big, black, scaly monster flew down. When he flew away she was gone. Anger.

My father and I left our home, we learned how to survive. These monsters were unlike anything we had ever seen. We had to be careful trusting anyone. When I was a young teenager, my father had created a small community inside a cave. It wasn't ideal, but we were making it work. My father never turned anyone away. He was always willing to help anyone who found us. One day a young man showed up, he was beautiful. The women in the community showed him to the small watering hole that we all bathed in. A few if us noticed the young man didn't have a belly button. It shouldn't have been a surprise when he slaughtered nearly the whole community that night. My father and I watched in horror as he went from his human form to his dragon form in seconds, his skin just tearing away to show the scales underneath. We barely escaped with our lives. Hatred. 

Here I am 20 years old, surviving in a world once ran by humans, now destroyed by invaders, monsters...Scales. My father looked at me, his eyes tired, "Hurry up, through these trees."

"Where could we possibly be going?" I questioned.

"I heard a rumor when I went to the Mines the other day." My father goes to the Mines every month for supplies. It's risky, but its the only way to trade and barter for food.

 "There's a rebellion starting" He said with a confident smile. His words stopped me in my tracks. 

"We can't join a rebellion! We are barely surviving as it is! They outnumber us 3 to 1!"

"Shh Shh! We can't just survive. We have to be free. Whatever it cost." He tells me sternly. Whatever it cost, I don't want any part of it. I hear a twig snap. We both look up quickly going back to back to check our entire surroundings. I pull out the pocket knife in my backpack. They are here. A dark headed man walks out of the woods. He has a scar on his face, just below his eye going down his cheek. He's handsome. They always were. "A rebellion you say?" the gorgeous dark haired man says "I'm looking to find a cause worth fighting for, can I tag along?" he smiles. My father isn't fooled and attacks the man, but with ease the man dodges his knife. I take a step forward, but before I could make a move I am knocked to the ground by the transformation of the Scale. My father take one look at me, "Run!" he yells. 

"I am not leaving you!" I cry. The Scale comes down for a blow at my dad. I watch in horror as my father swings his knife cutting off one of the Scales feet. A loud cry comes from the monster's mouth. "I'm done playing with you old man!" and with one swing of his tail my father's head falls to the ground. I crawl back in shock on to a trunk of a tree. Then, I remember my father's words to run. I run as fast as I can. I run until I hear no one behind me and in a bush of thorns I drop to my knees and cry. I am angry. I am full of hatred. But above all, I am longing for revenge. No matter the cost.