• The day I arrived to live with my aunt, was a day I learned many things about my family.
    Like that my father paid my aunt tons of money to attempt to keep her inside her house. And how she used him.

    "Hello, my dear."
    I couldn't bare to see if she was just as angry with me as everyone else. And for the longest time, I believed she was too.
    As my father rode off back home, my aunt placed her arms around my shoulders.

    "You don't have to worry, my dear... I don't think you've sinned."
    At that moment I felt like things were going to get better.

    That night we had talked up a storm. She told of many stories where she scared people and they thought of her as an insane child. Using that against everyone, she now gets money from my parents, everyone leaves her alone. Except for the occasional few. Till I got there, I thought life was just going to go down into Hell. But then, she made it worth living again.

    Many monthes passed and we were just waiting for that day when I'd give birth to some child.

    "Have you thought a name?" Her soft voice asked when she let me lay my head in her lap.

    "If he is a boy, I want to name him Dante Anderson Gorelash."

    "Such a bold name. The father's?" She playfully asked.

    "You know I've told you it a million times in those letters. But if he turns out to be a girl, I want to name her something sweet. Maybe Rose?"

    My aunt's nose turned up and her face grew sour. "Roses are common. Give the poor child a name that will be remembered. Like Victoria."

    It was my turn to give her the same look. I had a problem with a girl named Victoria. Always making fun of me, pulling tricks with the others. I just shrugged and kept thinking to myself about where Dante may be right then.

    The day finally came. I was alone. It was the scariest thing, I tripped and I could feel something trying to push its way out. I screamed and screamed till one friend came to me and he held my hand. Telling me that Aunt Celles was on her way with the doctor. I cried and cried wishing for it to stop.

    Three hours later, I had finally given birth to a beautiful baby girl.

    "What did you decide to name her?" Celles asked me as she held onto the tiny baby.
    She had pure white hair and pink skin. Then the name came to me. "Lilly Rey Gorelash."

    As I said that, Celles began to smile, pleased I had come up with the most perfect name.

    She grew up to be a beautiful little girl. Many people loved her as their own family. And they started to think the same of me. 20 years old and with a 5 year old daughter. We were alone. Sadly the next day after Lilly was born, Celles died.
    I don't know how, or what happened, but Max found her in her room. He wouldn't let me see or even let me get out of my room. He said that a new-mother should stay and rest. 'Let things be.' He kept repeating to me.

    The only good that came out of having him around was that no one had bothered me. No one thought I was crazy either. I was told, later, that he left town. Heard that a neighboring village was attacked. We never heard from him again.

    After they declared him dead, the men that stayed away, now came lining up at our door. And each day I'd either trick the fool or almost kill him with something blunt.

    It wasn't a bad idea of my aunt, Celles, to teach me how to use a bow and arrow. That had become my best weapon. Some smart men learned quick. Don't play with a lady when she is holding a sharp object near your manhood.

    Others... Had almost suceeded in commiting a form of suicide by breaking and entering my home.

    The village was pretty much peaceful. (That was if you weren't single, or female...) Many afternoons I'd spent walking Lilly around. And many I'd take her to some hiding place and teach her something about herself and her father.

    "So he was real tall? And handsome? Why aren't I tall?" She'd ask as we curled under a tall willow tree.
    "Tall, handsome. You should get some height soon. But most importantly, he would have loved you... You have his eyes. Cute smile. And you have his stubornness."

    "I am not stuborn!"

    "You have your mother's attitude. That's for sure." She crossed her arms and gave me her most 'gruesome' face. It was hard for her to keep it though, she began laughing.
    Those days together were the sweetest.

    I had remembered us venturing out to our hiding place one morning, when a black horse rode into town. Instictively, I grabbed my daughter's hand and held her close to me. But as he passed by, I loosened my grip. My glare was softening and almost smiled.
    Something about him didn't seem to settle with me. It was too familiar. And I swore I saw that tie I made Dante.
    "Couldn't be... They said he died..."