PROLOGUE- BLOOD

I lived in a small house far from neighborhood with only my mother wit me. She told me that my father’s gone when I was still young because he fought some bad guys who wanted to take me away from them while we escape. I haven’t even seen even just a picture of my father but I am already grateful because my mother has told me a loving memories of my father. 

She have even described him as a man with an ash-gray eyes, muscular, tall and is a very handsome man. I have always imagines myself when I was still a baby being carried by my father as we walk to our home with my mother by his side. A picture of a loving family for me. 

Even without a father, I grew up well-loved and educated. My mother is a fine woman who always teach me good attitude to fight this one cruel world. 

As a kid, my mother has taught me basic martial arts which I don’t know what advantages will it bring me. I don’t use it to my enemies because she said it’s not good but she also told me that it will be of use for me in the near future. 

A very confusing reminder for me is the iconic line of my mother every time; whenever I leave for school, whenever I ask permission to play, whenever I touch a sharp object or even just by simply leaving her side. 

“If you get cuts or even get a wound, please never let a drop of blood touch the ground.”

It always leaves me curious but since I trust her, I always let it go and just obey her. I don’t always get to leave the house because I don’t have friends so my mother is always at peace. 

I always want to have girl friends but they always seem to be irritated at me. Boys are more easy to deal with but I always want to shut up and never interact with them because it seemed like it fuels up the anger of the girls for me, like I did something wrong.

Less interaction, less fight. I’d rather be alone but circumstances are just really not always in favor of what I want. After my boy classmate, Jeon, approached me, here I am in the comfort room, dragged by my girl classmates only to be scolded.

“I told you to stay away from Jeon, why can’t you do it?” my girl classmate is almost hysterical while shouting at me, her chest is going up and down because of extreme annoyance.

I stood up straight and sighed. “Look, I didn’t do anything wrong. He was the one who approached me. Why don’t you-“

“How dare you! Are you saying that it is his fault?” she slightly pushed me and all her other girl friends just crossed their arms and didn’t even dare to stop their friend. 

“It’s no one’s fault. He needed something from me so he talked to me. It’s inevitable because we are classmates so why do you forbid me to talk to him?” I asked calmly.

“Because he is my boyfriend! You are stealing him from me!” she shouted again.

Can’t she talk to me calmly? Her voice is quite high, it’ll probably deafen me. 

“I am not stealing anything or anyone from you. If you think that I like him, you are very wrong because I don’t. I don’t have interest in boys. I came to school to study and not to find boyfriends,” I explained.

Her eyebrows met halfway while still glaring at me. “Do you swear that you don’t like him… or any boys here at school?” 

I slightly smiled and held my hand up, swearing. “I swear. Promise.”

She rolled her eyes and slightly pushed me. “I don’t believe you. If I see you being close to a boy here, I’ll pull your hair from the hallway unto here and then we’ll lock you up in there. Understood?” she step forward to threaten me.

As if I’m afraid. I can easily escape from here by then because I also knows how to open a locked door. 

“Yeah,” I gulped a little to show them that I am slightly scared. 

She smirked and stepped backwards. “You should.”

They stared at me from head to toe and then an irritation flickered in their eyes again. 

“What an ugly creature. You don’t deserve even the ugliest man here. Let’s go, we might get infected by this ugly virus.” 

They all laughed and went away still talking about how I don’t fit to be here because of my physical features. Don’t they know that we have a mirror? I always get to see myself and I am neither of anything they say. 

I have a fair and clear skin which I don’t show because I usually use long sleeve shirts, leggings topped up with my skirt which reaches my heel. I’d probably look like a Muslim minus the cloth that is being wrapped around their faces. 

My mother always praises me for being beautiful so as the oldies from the far neighborhood. My mom told be to beware with boys because I will attract them through my beauty but they are not trustworthy so I am kind of aloof with boys. 

I am still young, still in high school so it is really not my priority to get into a relationship. No one has ever caught my attention so I am guessing that I am really picky with boys.

I sighed and lowered down my head while on my way to our classroom when I suddenly saw a black shoes in front of me. I raised my gaze and saw Jeon again with her usual smiling face.

“Hi Rose. I was searching for you since earlier. Good thing I found you here. Where were you from?” he asked, scratching his nape. 

“From the comfort room,” I answered. “Will you please step aside? I am on my way towards our classroom and is in a rush. Excuse me, please.” 

He smiled again and step aside. I thought he’s gonna let me go already but I didn’t expect him to step and catch up with my pace. I didn’t mind. Maybe he is also in his way to our room. 

I wandered my eyes around and saw another group glaring at me. They’re pretty famous here in school and I heard they’re violent. I just wish that they’ll let me slide even just for today. I had a bad day to day. Can’t it get any better?

“So, can I go with you?” I heard him asked.

I didn’t mind him, pretending that I didn’t hear him. It’s a bad indication. I thought he has a girlfriend? Isn’t our classmate who dragged me to the comfort room with her friends his girlfriend? Why don’t he spend his time with her instead? That way, my day will probably get better. 

I thought he already has stopped but he held my hand just right when we entered our classroom. 

“Rose,” he called me a bit loudly.

I stopped in my track and pressed my lips tightly before I looked back at him.

“Yes, Jeon?” I asked.

“Will you let me spend more time with you? I want to get to know you more. I like you, Rose,” he met my eyes bravely even if his cheeks and ears are as red as a tomato. 

I heard gasped from inside and outside our classroom. I didn’t know that a lot of them followed us until here. I felt those glare from the girls around which I didn’t mind just so I can face Jeon. I stood straight in front of him and looked at him intently. I know that he meant well but I think he will just add up to the bad things that I will encounter if ever.

I lifted my eyes to the girl earlier at the comfort room who’s face is already crumpled right now. I thought he’s her boyfriend? Why don’t she claim him right now and slap this jerk? 

“I am sorry, Jeon. You’re nice and all, but I really wants to be alone. I don’t want someone sticking to me. Thank you for liking me,” I bowed down before proceeding to walk towards my seat. 

I heard the boys teasing Jeon and the girls talking ill about me. 

I sighed. What do they want me to do, really? If I do that, they’ll be mad. If I’ll be kind, they’ll be mad too. Just… where will I stand at situations like this?

I am already expecting these but never have I imagined that they’ll wait for me on the way to our house, not far away from our school.

I slowed down my pace when I saw the girls acting like they doesn’t see me at all and it’s just purely coincidence that I saw them here even if it’s not the way to their houses. 

I almost stumbled on the ground when someone just suddenly stomped on my feet when I attempted to step. When they saw that I didn’t lose my balance, someone pushed my which made me fall unto the ground. I sighed deeply and slowly got up to touch my hands and knees. It has a few scratches, good thing there is no blood.

Just when I was about to get up and pass them all, someone from the back pulled my hair so I had no choice but to touch her arms to minimize the force she’s exerting. My scalp hurts. 

“Please, stop it. I am not doing anything wrong,” I said, my tone is almost begging.

If I lose my cool, I’ll just probably punch them straight in the face but I know that my patience is really long. They won’t even get to touch the last string of it.

“Do you think you are beautiful just because Jeon said he likes you? How dare you reject him? You probably put a cast on him or something! He is my boyfriend!” she exclaimed and pulled my hair more.

Another one claiming that Jeon is her boyfriend. Just how many of these girls are his girlfriend?

I lost my balance because my focus was on her arm to stop her from pulling my hair more that I didn’t notice someone putting her leg in my way to trip me. 

They all laughed when I fell and even pulled my hair more, dragging me even when I’m already crawling on the ground. 

“The next time you get close to any man in school. We will do worse than this, so don’t even dare, ‘kay?” 

And then they left me while laughing their lungs out while I am here, helplessly forcing myself to get up and go home. Mother frantically checked on my body and has calmed down after she realized that no blood has dropped on the ground because I only got scratches and bruises. 

I slept while thinking of the reason why mother is very terrified upon thinking that a blood of mine has dropped unto the ground. 

I was playing with a knife till it slipped on my hands and pierced on my skin then droplets of blood touched the ground.

“Mother, father! I got… cut… A blood! Mother, father,” I cried.

The next thing I saw is them, rushing to me and wrapping a cloth on my cuts and they frantically packed some clothes. I didn’t understood why my heart is beating erratically and horror has filled my whole being. I am shaking uncontrollably while seeing my young self being carried by my mother while my father is fighting against those wolves who I think, is after me. 

“Roselle! Run! Escape now. Bring Rose, run! Leave me. Save her!” my father, while fighting.

We are already far but I suddenly saw a man who was running to where my father is as fast as a lightning fought the wolves too. While fighting, he was frantically wandering his eyes as if searching for someone and I saw how fury burned his amber eyes as he held a wolf and threw it to a sturdy tree. 

It seemed like my heart has stopped beating as I was intently looking at him and as if he felt my stares, he looked my way and I felt my breathing stopped while my heart has beat faster than it already beats until I screamed in terror when I saw a wolf jumped to him, making him fall in the ground.

A touch of a cold water on my face is what wake me up from my dream. The first thing I saw is my mother, looking frantic as she held my hand. I immediately sit down my chest heaving up and down and my heart still racing as if I am being chased. I then knew why I felt cold when I saw a basin of water right beside my bed, on my study table. 

“What happened?” the first thing that I heard after I was deafen by the loud noise of my beating heart.

“Blood,” that’s all that came out of my mouth as my mind went haywire.