Breaking Free

New Start (Part One)

    The never-ending spiral of life is impossible to evade. It sucks you in and the journey is filled with twists, turns, spikes, and obstacles. Bruises and scars prove that life never won against us. Losing my actual family at an early age, I barely remember my parents as the war took them from me. I was about one, and I couldn’t even remember what they looked like or why they died. I close my eyes then the visions of red spatter my mind. Violence, war, and bloodshed were my first memories. Then the Corbin’s took me in, and my life turned south.

    My “family” was the epicenter of the troubles. Hundreds of years of ruling Cliffwood made it how it is today. Every war links back to the Corbin family. The most recent one is the one my so-called dad started 10 years before I was born. The neighboring towns were far enough from Cliffwood, but that wasn’t good enough. My “dad” Killian wanted more room to expand the city. Mom wanted to help, but dad isn’t gentle. He demanded that the Ogre’s city, Cragtown, be destroyed fully and moved at least twenty miles away. That was already thirty miles away from the city now, and to move a town even further stressed the trading route.

    When the ogres asked to move to a different area, Maura, my “mom” snapped. She went on a rampage and demolished their town for them. Troops stormed in and began breaking down homes and forcing them to pack and move. Killian sent them on wagons to the new plot of land that was still under the control of the Corbin family. When they refused to build, hell broke loose. He declared war and sent troops to kill on sight. Luckily, the ogres knew and began migrating to land owned by the witches.

    Once mom caught wind of the plan, the army was sent to fight in the witch's territory. The ogres defended the town, but the troops were permitted to kill as they see fit. Countless witches and ogres, moms, dads, and even children massacred for the satisfaction of the kill. Killian and Maura showed up to the warzone once the point was made. They kicked aside the corpses of those killed and proclaimed that the war was over and the sacrifices made were to prove who the better race was. Killian kicked the corpses of the fallen as he laughed, making remarks that anyone that wasn’t human was lower and should serve the humans. Maura just stood by and smiled, the pictures proving that their hearts were dead for those people. There were smaller fights between then and now, but this was the bloodiest.

    Cragtown was rebuilt with help from the witches. The ogres prospered and trading became easier since they were closer in proximity to the other towns. Humans had then banned from trades thanks to the war, so goods went up in price. Everything was imported from neighboring towns that would allow trade with the citizens of Cliffwood. So many split stories and yet just one common factor, this family that has destroyed my life.

    I knew I wasn’t born into this family, but I am not an i***t. I see every aspect of life differently than the rest. I wasn’t like the people who raised me as their child, I was someone else’s before them. Their passion for hunting the creatures that supposedly threaten the realm disheartened me. I knew that those “monsters” were nothing like what was depicted in the stories I was taught. Between what school and home, I was forced to believe all the lies and false claims. With everything I was taught, I would have thought that the world would be at war. In reality, the world was peaceful. There are cities and villages of people that are just like me, just with a little extra. There are very few reports of a witch or vampire causing trouble but a human can accuse another creature and reports fly like wildfire.

    Growing up here in Cliffwood, I never had a single friend. I didn’t want to be associated with hunting or killing others, I was the one that wanted to save them. I became an outcast, singled out, abused, beaten, and ridiculed daily. I couldn’t stand the constant murmur of plans to hunt or the latest kill. Dillion and Autumn were twins, about 3 years older than me. They would go out hunting and come back, leaving trophies outside my door. When I refused to hunt, Killian forced me the first few times, going as far as to pull me by my hair as I thrashed trying to escape. My scalp dripping blood, I was forced to go with this family of monsters to look for camps on human land.

    The first kill I witnessed made me lose all faith in humans. It was a nightmare. There was a witch that was getting food for his family. Dillon ambushed him as Autumn crept in and tied him up. Killian interrogated him and forced him to tell us where his family was. Once he spilled, he killed him. No remorse showed in his eyes and my siblings smiled. He told us to split up and kill the family if found. The forest was quiet as I wandered, flashbacks of my childhood coming back. Seeing that man die triggered something familiar within me. Almost like a spark, the pain seeping into the crevices of my heart.

    After an hour, I stumbled across a child sleeping along with a woman. All they had was a few blankets and a basket. I woke the woman up and asked if her husband had left. She said yes, so I whispered what happened so the child would not overhear. My heart broke when I saw the tears roll down her face. I gave her what food I had and helped her get set so she could run without a trace of being caught. The woman chanted a spell of protection for herself and her son and began to disappear into the trees. This moment changed my life, the woman peered over her shoulder, whispered something, then vanished into the mist. Days after I had dreams of her and her family, one more vivid than the next. My dreams opened my eyes to a world unknown.

    From that day on, my mind was filled with questions and the desire to solve the riddles that have plagued me since that day. The fire that grew deep within led me to sneak out of the city and going to the next town over, the witch's city of Starhaven. I ended up finding a library and looking at the past of all creatures, good and bad. I’ve read so many books and writings of how humans reject all civil manners and just kill. I spent all the time I could there growing up teaching myself and learning medicine, history, and multiple languages. The hunger for more led me to the encounter that changed my life and led me to meet the one person that understands me. 

    I remember everything that beautiful night in Starhaven as the stars and the moon glistened above me. I blended in well so no one questioned me. Honestly, I looked like them. Since I was little, I have had pale blonde hair that was always kept long, emerald green eyes, and a smaller facial structure than most. My family passed It off as a genetic mutation that made me look the way I did. I wanted to believe it, but I can’t. I don’t believe in murder, hunting, or war. I loved how friendly everyone was to one another, even kids helping out instead of fighting or hurting innocent people. 

    My walk led me to a little shop lined ceiling to the floorboards in books, spells, potion recipes, and even diaries of those from long ago. Days, months, ever years ticked by, and the thirst for knowledge never ended. The unknown captured me and wouldn’t let me go until I knew a bit of everything I could know. One night I did run into a girl my age, we were 12 at the time. I was sifting through books on spells and she popped up behind me. I was so startled that I ended up tumbling into the bookshelf. She reached out and grabbed my hand to lift me back up. She introduced herself and told me her name was Salem. She was there with her little sister, Pandora, to help her find schoolbooks.

    She was unforgettable. Short silver curls framed her face, accenting her icy blue eyes. Standing just a few inches taller than me, her smile radiated warmth and comfort. I felt like there was something about her that I felt within myself. There was a spark, a tiny flame of magic or light, that meshed along with me. I think she felt it too. There was a glint of curiosity in her eyes and to be honest, I was curious too. She pointed me in the right direction on what to look at and what was interesting. After that day, I kept visiting and talking to her. She was born into a family of witches and taught me about the history she learned in school.

    A year or two after we met, I was able to meet her family. They saw me as one of their own and I told them everything I knew about myself and how I came to live in Cliffwood. I never said the family name because I know my family is notorious for killing for war and sport. I told them what I was being taught and they showed me the real truth. For years, I spent my time there in that family. Learning, growing, and just being happy.

I had to learn that over time that the ones that you thought loved you only helped for their gain. Being raised in a family that dictated every move you make is draining. Over time I came to understand why I was supposed to be. I am just a pawn in this family, disposable as the next. They wanted war, I wanted freedom.