• Run, just keep running i kept saying to myself as i tripped and stumbled my way across the roof. a bullet whizzed past my left ear, i ducked my head as one of the men jumped out to grab me you know what happens if you dont they were gaining on me, i couldnt outrun these guys, let alone six of them.i was coming closer to the edge of the roof. i had two choices, face them, or jump.
    My feet flew from the edge and i held out my arms in that short moment of free fall, maybe i'll actually die this time. well i guess lady luck wasnt on my side today. i felt my broken, bruised body hit the ground with a loud thud, and i was lifted up by the cold hard hands of Marious, my own personal bodyguard though he mostly protected me from myself. " you shouldnt have done that Cressidia" he whispered onto my ear. i really hated that guy, hated him with a passion. Marious was my cousin, Mare's top 'employees', they were more like his secret police... but they were scary, every member had absolutely no memory of their past lives from before they began working for him. well thats was because they had been given some sort of chemical that wiped it away, then they were given what my cousin, mare called an 'extreme makeover'. it mainly enhanced their abilities like strength, brains... you get the picture. and it didnt really help that afterwards they all look like friggin' supermodels. more robot than human. just slimy little puppets for whom they served. in this case Mare. i began living with my cousin after my father was arrested eight years ago for murdering my mother, he didnt do it of course... but we never had the money for a good lawyer so, he was sentenced to life, all the better for Mare. My fathers arrest just gave him another person to order around... well good luck with that.
    Marious carried me back around the front of the huge mansion. Even if I did hate it here, anyone would have to admit it was beautiful. The outside was made entirely of brick and ivy grew up the walls like a soft, green lace. the many windows were mostly mad of beautiful stain glass images of our family tree. they went from me all the way back to my great grandfather who built the mansion. It was a bit like snow white's cottage, but huge.
    He opened the huge front doors with ease, swiftly bringing me into the beginning of the many hallways that filled the house. He tapped lightly on the ever so familiar door into Mare's study "come in" said the cold snakelike voice of my cousin. We entered the small room. It's walls were filled to the brim with all kinds of books and documents, and the small patches of wall that you could see were a painted a deep purple. My cousin was sitting in a huge chair in the middle of the room, writing vigilantly on a small piece of paper among the many that inhabited his desk
    "what did you do now cressidia?" Mare lifted up his head to reveal the set of dazzling blue eyes that had been hidden by the long, lightning blond hair that draped over his face. Before i had time to respond Marious chimed in. ''she jumped off the roof"
    "again" Mare let out sort of a sigh, sort of, he never really showed any sympathy towards my 'accidents' nowadays ''set her down there" Marious plopped me onto the couch across from the desk and was then shooed away by his master. As he closed the door. i heard the click of the outside lock. "you dont have to lock it you know!" i shouted after him "if you haven't noticed, I CANT WALK!!"
    "there's no meed to shout Cressidia" my attention was once again diverted to my cousin.
    Mare continued writing " why cant you just stay put" he said through gritted teeth. this wasn't the first time i had tried to 'leave' " well i didnt mean to fall off the roof" i huffed " i just want to get out of this stupid place, but you wouldn't understand" i got up from the couch and walked towards the door. i felt a horrible tang of pain surge through my left leg, i let out a small whimper. Mare stood up and helped my back to the couch. He examined my lag, pressing his hand down in it in different up and down my leg, he pressed down on my thigh and lets just say it hurt alot "oh god,right there. it hurts" i could tell he was getting angry
    "one of there days you're going to kill yourself"
    "yea right" He called to Marious who silently entered the room." take her back to her room" I was once again lifted from the couch and carried down the hall.
    "what are you, my eternal babysitter?!" after making it back to my room instead of leaving as he usually did, Marious stayed behind, quietly watching me as I sat at my deck drawing, as i always did. He walked over to the desk and ripped my drawing away from me. i lunged for it but instead tumbled over onto the floor, having forgotten about my leg
    " what are you drawing anyway?" he pranced around my room as if he was king of the world " give it back!" when he came my way i stuck my foot out and sure enough 'thump' that bid head of his came tumbling down. I let out a triumphant laugh "thats what you get, and if you must know i'm drawing Tristan" tristan was my best friend when i was a child living in england with my father, and when I came here and had to leave tristan behind, the only thing that kept me going were the memories I had of my best friend, and so I wouldn't forget anything about him I drew Tristan almost every day.
    Marious got up and jerked me to my feet and then, rubbing his head he went back to his place on my bed and flopped down " why do you always draw that stupid kid, he's probably dead by now" I wanted to sock that jerk, right in the face, maybe i'd break his nose. After discovering that my father was a 'killer' Mare decided it would be best to 'get rid of' all of the people from my past " your lying, he'd get away from anyone mare sent his way" i couldn't bring myself to believe Tristan was gone, i'd never accept it.
    I turned to him" can you please just go away?!" he shook his head and walked over to the balcony, he leaned his back against the brick wall and ran his hand through his cherry blond hair. i hated the way everything made him look perfect. he held out his hand to me "stop trying to resist me, you stupid child" he swooped over me and wrapped his huge arms around me " i dont to hear any more of your s**t" i socked him in the gut and stomped back into my room locking the glass doors behind me. i heard balo let out a triumphant laugh. god he thaught his smart-a** jokes were so clever "why dont you and your perfect self go jump off the balcony!" he ran to the edge " as you with, i'm only here to serve" and with that he jumped, i would have pushed him myself it it did any good. that guy is a total freak, its like nothing can kill him.
    i heard balo climbing the stairs to my room once again, he slipped back inside and returned to his place flopped onto the bed "well that was refreshing" he said with a smirk. " you really are like the most annoying 'thing' i've ever met! you robot freak" the smile on his face vanished. "i'm the freak?" he slowly got up and walked over to me, then before i could react, pulled out a dagger and plunged it deep into my left shoulder. i winced as the sparks flew from the open gash.
    i rolled up my sleeve, revealing the spiraling black tattoo swirled up and down my entire arm, then looked up to where the dagger had entered my mechanic arm "damn you" i whispered, but Marious was gone, as he should be.