Crescent Moon: Aloura Cullen

Chapter 8

Aloura

"Come now Aloura, you have to focus not only on what you see but hear as well. Remember the enemy won't wait for you to try and find them, if they see an opening they will strike you down the first chance they get." Father says as his voice echo's off the tall thick trees while he moves with stealth trying to get me to pin point his location.

"Found you!" I say as I quickly flash in front of him and smile.

"Well done my little one, now on to combat learning. You have the combined strength of both your mother and I, so anyone foolish enough to try and fight you is in for an unfortunate demise. Now I'm going to show you how to defend yourself first then move on to fighting back." He says as we walk to the wide opening between the large trees. Usually he's more playful when teaching me something, but this time is different.

Whoever those people were the other day must have been strong to make father so serious. Not to mention mother is also teaching me to cover my tracks wherever I go and about herbs that can help mend a wound. Al is learning as well since she's pretty much always here with us. I love having her here but it makes me sad knowing her family doesn't care where she goes, specifically her cruel father.

"Father how much longer must I train, I would really like to spend time with Al." I say in a tired voice.

"Until I'm certain you can defend your self. Look my sweet reason, I know your tired but we just want you to be safe, do you understand." He says in a gentle but stern voice as though talking to a young child.

"Yes father, I understand. But can I eat soon?" I ask. He simply smiles and replies, "yes of course".

We must have trained for hours before we finally went home. The sun seemed to have been consumed by the candescent horizon. Once we got home mother and Al started supper and I head for the bathroom when I heard a knock on the door. Before I could get to it, father was already there to open it.

"Where is she! It's time for her to come home." A sleazy voice from the doorway says.

"We really don't mind her staying here for a couple of days, obviously she doesn't feel safe going home right now." My father said as he steps outside causing the man to stumble back. 

"She's my daughter, I don't care if she feels safe or not, she's coming back home. It's bad enough she's a freak, now she wants to befriend savages. I don't need people asking questions. For all I care she can stay out here, I don't want that thing in my-." The man suddenly stops. Mother and I can hear father's knuckles crack as the man gulps and takes another step back clinching his teeth.

"Like I said, Alice is more than welcome to stay here until she feels like leaving, her and my daughter are friends and I'd like to keep it that way." Father says as he starts to come back inside.

"Father there is a letter from Al's mom he's supposed to give her." I whisper just loud enough from behind the door for him to hear.

"And I'll take the letter for her as well." He says but before the man can respond father's already reached into the man's coat pocket and retrieved it.

"How did you, so that's why she likes it here, it's a house of freaks. I won't stand for this I'll tell-" the man's cut off as he gasp for air.

"Is that a threat to my family, if so I don't see the point in letting you leave." Father said with his hand barely gripped around the man's neck, but strong enough to cause damage to a weak human such as him.

"My love that's enough, not in front of Aloura." Mother softly says from the kitchen. That's all it takes and father let's go of the man's neck then turns and shuts the door in his face.