She knew she had taken great risks lately. After the attack on Brinton she had vowed to get revenge on the leathers who led the attack. Sure, the life they had stolen from her was far from perfect, but it was hers nonetheless. She had killed quite a few since the incident, but now felt foolish because of her actions. They were nothing but small fish in a big pond. Her life had been given to a higher purpose since birth, and here she was risking everything for petty revenge! What if I had been caught? Stupid girl!
The black hooded outfit she always wore had given her the reputation of being known as The Phantom. The sightings had been reported all too often, in too narrow of an area. If anyone really was looking for her, all they had to do was mark the incidents on a map to get an approximate location of where she must be. She had accidently left a pretty good trail to follow. I risked everything!
She sat up out of the hay and shook it off. Best to just learn from mistakes the first time and don’t ever repeat them. Jade hopped down from the loft, out of the barn and up the stone walkway toward the house. She had spent several hours out here and was getting really hungry. Sweeping through the front door, she could now see old man Ben cooking in the kitchen. She normally didn’t like when he did that because she was afraid he would burn the house down, but this time she was glad to see it.
Shaking the pan over the oil cooker, the old man seemed to be smiling at nothing. “Oh Jade,” he said when he finally noticed her standing there. “I’ve got something here for you,” he held out the pan filled with eggs and a side of ham.
“Thank you, daddy,” Jade said with a huge smile as she guided his hands to put down the hot pan. Then she gave him a kiss on his cheek and embraced him in a hug.
“Oh, Jade. What is it, sweetie?” the kind old man said when it seemed she was never going to let go.
A hard sniffle followed by, “Nothing daddy. I’m just glad you are here,” was all she could say as her eyes filled with tears.
When they finally sat down at the table, Jade inhaled the ham and eggs that were placed in front of her. She felt guilty catching herself wishing there was more. Ben ate slowly and told his old stories as he usually did. Stories of when his dad taught him to fish as a young boy. Of skipping stones along the pond with his friends and talking about the girls in town that each one of them would marry some day, but hoping to steal a kiss long before that day came.
But he also stopped at odd times during his stories, just staring out at nothing. Jade would clear her throat to get his attention and remind him of where he left off. “Oh yes,” he would reply, and carry on about his adventures.
It was clear to Jade he had led a simple life. Not much in the way of danger or excitement. Jade loved his innocence, and in a strange way found herself being jealous of it. His emotions were always in check. Highs were not too high, and lows were not too low. He was always in a good mood and didn’t seem to have a care in the world. He could never possibly relate to her world of violence and death. The raw hate she had felt on occasion and the deep sadness were feelings that no one’s mind was ever meant to endure. She wouldn’t change a thing about him.
After they were done talking, Jade went upstairs to her room. She removed her clothing and walked over to her filled washbowl and began to scrub down. After that she brushed her teeth with a paste made of salt and soda before she finally lay down.
As she lay on her bed, her mind wandered as usual. Images of the normal life she longed for and may have finally found were conjured. She daydreamed of the cute boys that would smile at her back in Brinton, the very ones she was not allowed to talk to.
As the images floated around her head, her hands began to slowly caress her breasts. One of the boys’ names was Kotin, she remembered. Her hand slid between her legs as she envisioned Kotin walking down the paved street with the tight black pants he always wore. He had no shirt either as his lean muscular frame glistened with sweat. She let out a soft moan, remembering how she would look at him from across the street and hope to catch his eye just once, even if she could not talk to him. Another long moan escaped her lips as she arched her back, burying her shoulders and head deep into the pillow.
Then she opened her eyes quickly as she sat up. What was that strange noise coming from outside? She listened carefully as the strange distant chirping sound became louder and louder.
Jade quickly threw on a robe and ran downstairs. “Father! Dad!?” she called as she ran from room to room searching for him. Panic began to fill her as the chirping sound continued to get louder and seemed to be right outside the house now. “Ben! Do you hear this? Where are you!?” she continued yelling as the chilling feeling began to consume her, with the only friend she had ever had nowhere to be seen.