Soteria by Aimee Orozco (classic books for 11 year olds .txt) 📕

Seven children born of light and hate
Directing and manipulating the world's fate
Seven children with no past
Now hold the future in their hands
Seven young adults with no clue
As to what to do
They must find their destiny
And defeat their enemy


A girl whose parents are dead
And no one pays any attention
She still has tears to shed,
But hides it behind a brave pretension

She is smart and fearless
Full of shy humility
But beneath her success
Lies timid vulnerability

The gods’ savior, Athena
The world’s hope, Soteria

SOTERIA

“Mommy, mommy!”
“What is it Tori?” Tanya turned around, spoon still in hand to catch the jumping toddler. Tori laughed holding a strand of her mother’s curls in her hand.
“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t clean the mix before I got to lick the spoon.”
Tanya laughed, throwing her head back, the light sound weaving through an otherwise empty kitchen. “I would never. Here you go.” Going along with her daughter, Tanya ceremoniously handed Soteria the cooking spoon. She put her down on her own feet before bowing down low. The charade was almost perfect if not for the big grin lighting up her face. Tori couldn’t stop giggling, nearly dropping her treat trying to contain the laughter racking her body.
“Silly mommy. I’m. Not. A. Princess.” Tori paused in between words to lick the chocolate chip batter. “I-” she stopped abruptly when a growling noise sounded behind her. She didn’t even get to turn her head before two strong arms swooped her up and tossed her into the air. She landed softly, laughing, into the strong arms. “Daddy!”
Tanya shook her head at her husband. “John how many times do I have to tell you not to do that? You’re going to end up dropping her one day!”
“I’m sorry baby. I just heard you laughing and wanted to get in on the fun. I didn’t mean to make you upset.” He leaned in close to kiss the frown from her mouth, forgetting for a moment the child he held on his arms.
Tori squirmed and pushed at the wall of muscle crushing her. “Daddy, I can’t breathe.” Tanya pulled her head away, laughing silently.
“Look what you’re doing to my poor baby. Oh, come here, Chiquita.” She hugged her daughter close, before she set her down. “John, do you remember what today is?”
The words every man secretly cringe at, mainly because the true answer is no, only put a smile on his face. “Of course querida. Today is the day I first laid eyes on you, the day I fell in love with your eyes, your smile, your laugh. You. Today is our anniversary.”
Tanya smiled, love shining in the depth of her eyes. “Yes. The day you made me laugh so much i-“
The glass windows imploded, showering everyone with shards of crystal. Tanya immediately ducked down, using the counter as a shield, not a sound escaping her lips. John launched himself across the table, catching his daughter, using his own body as a shield against any flying shrapnel. He laid an arm across her open mouth, trying to muffle any scream she might have made. Tori was silent, watching the shards as if through a dream. It all seemed too bizarre to be real.
Through the broken window, what looked like a grenade came tearing in. It landed five feet from the counter. “Tanya, cover your eyes!” John barked in an authorative voice, ducking his head in his chest and shielding his daughter as well. A bright flash illuminated the room a stark white, stunning everyone even though they didn’t look directly at it.
Heavy boots crunched glass, signaling that someone was walking in. Before john could recover enough to look around, he felt a sharp pain in his skull. Someone was grabbing his hair, wrenching, using it to move him. That someone yanked relentlessly, until John got to his knees. He placed his glass covered boot in his back, thrusting so that he fell forward, towards the counter. All the while, John kept his daughter safely protected within his arms.
Tanya gazed at her husband, fear glistening in her eyes. ‘What are we going to do?’ she silently communicated. ‘I don’t know’ John replied.

Publication Date: 07-06-2011

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
For all of my friends, new and old ;)