Raven

"Livia!" The voice filled her ear drums and she instantly recognized it. She didn't know what happened. It was like the whole time she was in a deep slumber and the panic-filled voice woke her up. She realized she was laying on a cold, stone floor, but didn't know how she got there. She tried to get up but as soon as she moved her whole body was filled with pain. She looked down and saw an arrow sticking out of her stomach and blood dripping from the wound. Her panic and fear rose and she found herself hyperventilating. Her head began spinning, causing her to rest it on the hard wall behind her and her chest went tight, restricting her breath. "Manny!" She screamed weakly with panic now filling her voice. The only thing she heard after that was her wall's voice echoing against the walls of the wet, dark cave. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she attempted to call Manny once more. No response. She placed her head on her hands as more tears fell. "Don't cry, little one. She just can't hear you, that's all," a soft woman's voice from a few feet in front of her assured. Livia snapped up and her heart dropped as her eyes met the entrancing hazel eyes of the older women in front of her. It was the only part of her that was showing. Slowly, almost dramatically, the woman stepped out of the shadow, revealing herself to Livia. "Mommy?" She croaked. The woman in front of her smiled as Livia took in her appearance. She had the same black hair as Livia but it was a little below the shoulder. Her hazel eyes stared down at the vulnerable Livia, spread across the hard floor. She was wearing all black and it looked as if her body was blending in with the surroundings and only a bit of her skin was showing. The small amount of smooth, light skin had Livia thinking how great it would be to reach out and feel the warmth of it again. She hadn’t done that in years and she found herself craving it. "Do you want to know why you are here?" She asked, walking closer to Livia. "Do you want to know about that arrow?" Livia quickly nodded her head as she had her now redden eyes trained on her mother. "It's because I wanted to show you exactly where you'll end up if you keep following that friend of yours...Manny was it?" When she saw the confusion in her daughter's eyes she continued explaining. "You see our family is what their kind is called Venandi, which is Latin for-." “Hunter,” She interrupted, recognizing the word from a book she had read a couple of months ago. What was the book called again? "What do you mean by their kind?" Livia asked, shaking her head in confusion. "Witches sweetie." Livia knew about Manny's abilities but she found it a shocker that not only does her mother, who she hasn't seen for five years, knows about it, but also she was applying that there were more of them. She continued. "Our family hunts them down and kill them because we are merely trying to help the world become a safer space. By being friends with one of...them, you are also turning your back on your family. And when you turn your back on us...prepare for it to be stabbed." The words in her mother's mouth sounded like venom. She talked as if Manny was disgusting. More tears began to fall from her eyes and she looked away from her mother's gaze. She felt like her mother suddenly became a predator and she was the prey. Anger filled her mother's eyes as she looked at Livia like she was disgusted in what she saw. "Mom. Manny is not dangerous. I have known her since you left me. Yeah, remember that. And for you to stand there and lecture me on how to live my life instead of actually being there to guide me-" "Choose." Her mother said calmly gazing in Livia equal hazel eyes unblinking. "What?" Livia knew what she meant but she didn't want to do that. "Choose." She said again, this time putting her hands behind her back. Livia put her head down and started chewing her bottom lip as the last tear fell down. "I choose Manny." Her mother finally blinked and turned away from her daughter. "Well then I'm sorry." "Mommy." These Were the final words Livia said before she saw her mother running towards her, grabbing the arrow from her stomach, holding it high and ready to strike. And then she woke up.