Persistence is a virtue by Sophie Dyke (good books to read for teens TXT) 📕

The boy growled, clenching his fists. “You just did the wrong thing…” Before she could probably figure out what just happened she was on the floor, curled up in a ball from the pain. She fell like she was being stabbed by a million pieces before there were black dots smothering her eyes sight.

When she was home that night her ‘guardians’ were not pleased with her to say the least. For all she hoped for is that they wouldn’t hurt her as well. She couldn’t take it anymore, it hurt so much. She decided then that she could go, they were arguing in the garden so she could go through the front door. As she did though she had a feeling that something was going to happen. She, oblivious to this gut feeling, trekked down the road.

Every second she would look behind her back and then have a sense of someone following her, or rather a thing. She was scared for her life though she had been through worse and she knew it like she knew yesterday. She had had enough and if she were to go to heaven or hell then so be it. She wasn’t going to lose anything anyways. It wouldn’t affect anyone as she was just nothing.

It had been a few hours after that she had run away from home- if she could call it that. Whatever the thing was that was following her was very persistent and loved to hide in the shadows. That was until she was at that place. The place where there was fallen snow that was once covered in oozing scarlet blood. She stood there, wide-eyed as she felt the sense of da-ja-vu at this place. Swiftly, there was a sharp pain in her head making her fall to the ground in pain. She covered her stained ears that felt warm in her hands.
Darling…
“W-who is there?” Hira shouted from the fear erupting in her chest. She looked up to see a stranger though… the women didn’t seem like a stranger. Hira felt a twinge of…
…comfort and warmth.

Something she was not familiar with. The golden haired girl didn’t know how to react, she didn’t know what to do in fact. All she knew is to scream and run because, after all, she was a coward.

Please, don’t be afraid. Remember what had happened those numbers of years ago. Sweetheart, please remember me.

She didn’t know what to say. She was what was commonly said, speechless. “I- I ugh…” She tried but she shook her head, then freezing at the warm snakes sliding down her strawberry cheeks. Wiping them away, angry with herself, she looked at the ‘women’. “Look I don’t know who you are so why don’t you just leave me alone! I am no one to you like I am to nobody so why! Why are you talking to be! I am like a ghost! I am unnoticed! Dead inside! So leave me and forget me as I am just nobody! I-in fact you can call me miss Nobody Worthless for all I care!” She shouted, she was confused and she had never been called such beautiful words. She was never going to be called ‘sweetheart’ or ‘darling’ because no one loved her, no one cared.
The figure walked gracefully up to her and gingerly touched her cheek in her grasp. It seemed determined but gentle at the same time which made no sense to her.

You are not nothing, you are one of these things that will decide whether the world will end or not. When I died that night it wasn’t for nothing. Your father and I had died for something but you cannot allow that to get in your way. Sweetheart, my Hira, you have to be strong and fight those beasts and creatures. You have to stop the apoco-

With that the women had faded away with a puzzled, devastated Hira.

“What are they? Please! Come back! I need to know!” She franticly looked around her body on her knees.

“Who were you?” She whispered before she was disturbed yet again. She didn’t realise it but there was something stealthily watching with a pearl white mischievous grin plastered on their burnt, oily skin.
“She is no one important.” An anonymous voice slithered through the hollow winds that skilfully go unseen. She didn’t actually have a good look at where she was until now.

The scenery was quite literally bittersweet. Until now she noticed it was snowing and quite heavily at that. Everything seemed quiet; the clouds hovered over the country along with the distant chimes of the bells of the cemetery that was close by. Hira was almost certain that she had been here before when she was young. Obviously very young or she would of remembered it, she was curious if she actually wanted to remember it. Though she had learnt through her short period of life that you could never forget things as you only actually use 20% of your brain and the other 80% is for the unconscious parts of our brains. She knew that this place was full of something; it wasn’t good for that was certain. She could clearly see those needle sharp teeth through the darkness. That was what spooked her out though. No, it was the men that were there. They were not settling at all with their unnatural pattern of moving and the rags that hung from them. The blood that was splashes on their bold heads, their eyes. Ostentatious orbs stared into her soul with laughter. It didn’t fit them at all, how could something that seems so dead have such showy and rich eyes?

Her coffee eyes wide, her legs and hands were trembling along with the rest of her body. She honestly didn’t know what to do but freeze in place.

“What are you?” She screamed terror dripping in every word she spoke. Whipping her head around in the direction of the chuckle Hira didn’t know what to make of it.

Chapter 4

Before her was the most monstrous thing she had ever seen- and that was saying something. She personally couldn’t describe it, however if she did then she would probably say the impossible.

The monster grinned at her from ear to ear which caused shivers to run down her sides.
“I? Who am I? Well~ let’s see… do you want to play a game? I love games they are so fun isn’t they?” The voice was croaky like it hadn’t been used in so long that there was no room for the air or speech. It then coughed and hacked right in her face. She was disgusted to say the least, who would want this thing’s saliva all over them? She certainly didn’t, though that didn’t matter right now. This monster was the main focus.
It began to carry on before she could comment. “It is quite intriguing that you can even see my kind.” At this she raised her eyebrow in curiosity, what did it mean? “Most can’t see us due to their senses going down the drain hundreds of years ago. Ever since your kind came into this world and took over everything you had used us. We were loyal to your kind but you repaid us by hatred and throwing us into hell! We were your cousins!” At this she froze as a claw was raised in front of her.

Her almost statue still face was tossed to the side; tears that were tainted by blood flew in the wind. At that point everything seemed slow motion like an old black and white film that was broken. It kept slashing out, ignoring her crying to stop.

“You treated us like we were nothing! I hate you! All of you! You deserve this! Why are you so important-“

“Stop now!” Another voice, a more ancient and experienced one demanded. For some reason the monster had stopped though it was too late. Her cheek was torn off; Hira was already bleeding to death. There wasn’t much she could do anymore but give in, she was sorry to whoever that ghost was but she couldn’t. If a monster like that though she was the actual monster then she didn’t need anything else to tell her otherwise. She knew it took a monster to know another. That was when it was faded to the horrifying end of obscurity.

Smack…
Then there was silence, complete utter silence.

Publication Date: 07-10-2013

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Dedication:
To my English teacher for making me write this. It was very fun to write this genre!