#2 The Legend Begins: "The Burden"

Mary rocked herself in the fetal position on her bed. The lights were out, and the sun had long since set. Eighteen years old, living alone in her dingy apartment, pregnant. The news had hit an hour ago, and the revelation kept stewing in her head.

The child's father left. Panic stricken, he ran off, wanting nothing to do with Mary and her burden. Such a typical attitude in downtown Malum.

Staring off into nowhere, Mary continued to rock. Her eyes wide. Her lips slightly open. Her black hair left in a tangled mess. She breathed heavy, puffing her cheeks, beginning to spit through clenched teeth. The shadows cast amongst the room began to dance. Shapes swayed and transformed. Darkness melded together, becoming one.

An arm crept up the wall. Mary gawked, her heart racing. Another arm swayed along the wall. A head emerged from the floor. Two glowing red eyes opened and pierced thru Mary's soul. She stopped her rocking. Goosebumps ran up and down her skin, hairs standing on end. She pressed her back up against the wall, pushing into it like it was her only escape.

The head rose further still. A gaping mouth with fangs, inhuman and grotesque, began wailing an ear splitting scream. Mary slapped both hands against her ears and squeezed them tight, trying to block out the sound. But there was no escape. The sound was coming within her own head.

Mary jumped out of bed. The demon haunting her disappeared, but the scream continued to torture her. She ran to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. When the bang of the door hit, the screaming stopped. She backed away slowly, trembling.

Passing the mirror on her right, she spooked herself out of the corner of her eye. Her heart skipping a beat, she shuttered before realizing her reflection. With only the moon as lighting, Mary looked at herself and saw all she needed to see. Two blackened dreary eyes, trembling lips, and an unkempt mess of once beautiful hair.

Mary was so pretty, but the burden life set upon her cast an ugly shadow. Lost in herself for a moment, the misery she constantly felt began to reflect in the mirror. Taking a pair of scissors lying on the counter, she grabbed a handful of hair and began hacking away. Chunks at a time, hair fell to the floor. Hasty, careless, and in the dark, she snipped away, cutting her fingers and stabbing her head. Tears ran from her cheeks. Blood ran from her forehead.

When she was done, Mary's beauty left her. Her hair was now a short uneven mess. Her eyes enraged and her lips fuming. Destiny had taken its course, and Mary suffered because of it. She clenched her hand and punched the mirror. Her one ugly reflection broke into a hundred.

This short story is a prequel to my eBook "A Hero's Rise" (PS: The book isn't as depressing as this)