part one of chapter one: eris-

The forest invited us in. Trees of wide diversity waved to us while being persuaded by the short but strong breezes.“Race all of you to the fort! Last one there is a smelly Troll,” yelled Logan. He darted away quickly with his dark red plaid shirt willowing in the wind. Everyone but me rushed after him attempting to pass. I waited until I couldn't see them anymore, then teleported to the fort. The fort is a treehouse we built when we were eight, we slowly added to it till it was like another home to us.
I waited for the slow-pokes. As I did I gathered the papers that littered the floor, Hunter was studying the last time we were here and left a huge mess. As the group neared closer I became invisible and walked out. James huffed catching his breath. For once, he was not last, so he was given the honor of dubbing Connor as the smelly troll. Then I came up behind Connor and yelled “Boo!”. His scream echoed in the dense forests. Everyone laughed out very loud except for Connor.
“Eris that was not funny!” His tone was aggressive and hard. But I still dared to speak. “But you screamed like a little girl and you should have seen your face. It was absolutely hilarious.“ He crossed his arms and climbed up into the treehouse. We all sat down with the exception of James. “
I've gathered you all here today to discuss a very important situation that would be beneficial to everyone. My father will now be working at a school for monsters. And his spot grants him the ability to send children like us to this school. He wants all of us to enter. All that is needed is some signatures on this paper.” James passed out a red piece of paper and a pamphlet to each of us.
“Nightingale Academy? That sounds pretty cool. What's his position?” Asked Aaron. James through his hands up to his shoulders and shrugged and sat down on the sofa. “You don't know what your dad's new job is going to be? Why didn't he tell you?” Aaron asked. James seemed annoyed, and choose to ignore Aaron's continuous questions. “Who wants to play some Mario Karty?” Hunter suggested, trying to lighten the mood. Logan, Connor, and James accepted the challenge. Aaron, still a little hurt by James’s refusal to answer him, went to the corner and sat down with a nice reptile-men vs mankind book. I don't know why he loves those so much.
I went outside and sat beneath a large oak right beside the treehouse. A swift breeze lifted my brown hair so it flowed around me. I grabbed the darts I keep under a rock and made a target in a nearby tree with my knife. The red fluffs at the end of each dart made the center of my target disappear. Eventually, tired of the game, I grabbed up the darts and put them back under the rock. Then I started towards the treehouse when...
Crack!
Deer never dared to break even dirt, wolves never howled in this territory, rabbits stayed in their tunnels, fearful of both us and the wolves out there. That left very few options, and only one made sense. I was being watched.
I reached for my pocket knife, but then it hit me like a bullet. Someone came up behind me. They covered my mouth. With their other hand, They yanked my knife out of my hand and tossed it aside, grabbing my hands and pinning them to my back. As I struggled, the person held on harder. DockTape covered my mouth and tied my hands behind my back. Some sort of black hood was put over my face. Then I felt myself being dragged. I was put in some sort of van. The DockTape was ripped off. Before I could yell or scream for help, a wet cloth was pressed against my face. I held my breath and struggled against the person’s grip. Eventually, I ran out of air and inhaled. My mind-numbed. I kept breathing normally. My vision grew hazy. My mind went blank. I sighed and passed out in the car. Nobody knew I was taken. The aggressiveness of playing Mario Karty drowned out my cries.
I woke up (or semiconscious you could say) in a well-furnished room, Luxury you may say. Glassworks and paintings of various artists stood displayed along the walls. I squirmed around on what seemed like a couch. This must be the drug’s side effects. I sat upright and looked out in front of me, a woman and two kids sat on another couch. “Good morning Eris Woods. I hope it wasn't too hard getting here.” The woman said smiley. The boy tried to speak but she shushed him. Then I recognized the two kids. I don’t know them all that well, I've at least spoke to them once or twice. I believe that their names are Tristen and Raylynn. “What do you all want from me?” I growled, hating being vulnerable like this, void of my knives.
“A trade I suppose. It’s simply information for information. Tell us what we want to know, and we will give you the information you have always wanted to know. Oh and if you lie or not answer and there will be big consequences.” Raylynn said. The blackmail seeped through, huh this should be fun, I thought.
“Have you passed out any time recently?”
“Literally just now, you drugged me to bring me here remember?.”
“Any times you have felt not in control of your own actions or mind?”
“Doesn’t everyone sometimes?”
“Who are your biological parents, have any clue?
“Don't know, I was told I was just left outside the Woods house, alone in a golden blanket. Whoever they are they sure are some crappy parents!”
“Have you experienced any abnormalities in your life?
“Depends on the definition of abnormal.”
The list continued on and on. Question after question, minute by minute, I grew more impatient and restless. The pressure of the questions began to cave on me. I tried to keep a mask on. “What color is your blood?” The woman demanded, handing me a small pocket knife of a golden coloring. “You’re going to trust me with this?” Tristen looked confused as I was. “Just do it!” She said stern like a rock.
I stabbed the knife into the palm of my hand. The pain was nowhere to be found as I expected. The look on their faces gave me satisfactory. Orange blood dripped slowly down my hand. I gripped the knife and pulled it out of my palm. The cells began to repair themselves immediately. “How many more questions and representations do you all need?” I impeded. My last straw was steady waiting to be pulled. “That will be all,” Tristen threw me back my dagger. “What about my answers to all the things I want to know?” There was only silence.
“What made my parents not want me?” I screamed, tears swelled and ran marathons down my cheeks. ”Don't cry. It's not that we didn't want you or love you. Godlings belong in the mortal realm to train and develop skills. Your father and I couldn't …” She continued on but I could barely hear. The women's tears swirled into mine. I interrupted her, “You have to be lying, you can't possibly be my mother!” The last straw withered down to nothing. I clutched the dagger close to me in a defensive stance. “Come any closer and I will use this,” I bared my teeth like a barbarian. With a slight twist of my wrist, I was gone.
I breathed in the fresh air deeply. The treehouse stood directly in front of me. I was free but for how long? It was dark out and the boys were still playing Mario Kart. I climbed up the ladder into my separate loft. The usually warm sheets felt Freezing. Then I turned in for the night. Sweet dreams are a thing for children and normal people. Nightmares roamed in the paddock of my brain. The crimson horses feed off of my scarred childhood and fears.
A small girl running through the woods being chased by a monster in human flesh. In desperation she screamed and screamed until her throat was raw, nobody came to save her. Not paying attention she tripped over a root, which entangled her slowly. Her struggling only made the vine wrap faster and faster. The creature came face to face with her. Its body resembling her own except for its eyes. The irises of the monster, black and yellow. The creature whisperers in her ear, “Everyone loves life because it is a beautiful lie but death is a painful truth!” The monster left the little girl letting the vines engulf her till nothing remained visible.
Shaking… and more shaking! “Eris wake up, you are gonna want to see this!” I jolted up bumping my head into James. “Ow, you’re so very welcome!” James said sarcastically. We both laughed then exited the treehouse. A wooden box as large as my head lay on the thinking bench. Engraved on it was ERIS WOODS. James, Aaron, Logan, and I all stared at it until I picked it up and brought it inside. The wood was smooth as silk. I lifted off the top and inside were three envelopes, a black and gold dagger, two books, and a red necklace set. “Read the letters Eris!” Cried Aaron, who was jumping around with excitement.

“Dear Eris, happy late 13th birthday. You have grown so much and I have loved every minute I have to watch you. I wish you good fortune and luck for times to come!
Sincerely Olivia”

“Dear Eris, what a beautiful young lady you have become. Happy late 13th birthday! When I can, I will bring you the rest of your gift. Unfortunately, they don't travel well. See you very soon.
Sincerely Hayden”

“Dear Eris, I know last time I saw you was very rough, but I'd like to make it up to you. Meet me where the water turns red at 8:15, and no later than that. Please come alone and unarmed.
Sincerely your mother”

“Your mother, what does that mean. Oh, have you found your biological parents? The three letters from them, because these two have the same handwriting. Are you gonna go?” Aaron blurted. An unsteady feeling came over me. Logan covered Aaron's mouth and said “You okay Eris?” I was unsure of an answer. Right as I was about to answer when Connor yelled, “ Hurry Hunter is badly injured. He's bleeding out.”
I dropped the paper and rushed down the ladder. “Follow me,” insisted Connor. We dashed through the woods like zebras on the plains. Except we were running into danger. We stopped five feet away from Hunter. Connor did not want to see his twin in agony. I carefully tugged the brambles out of his wound and added medication to fight infections. A knee is a hard place to wrap so I put a cushion of padding then a brace on it. “You’ll be able to walk on it in a couple of hours.” I helped him up and Connor let Hunter lean on him. I teleported all of us back inside the treehouse. “Someone take him to the infirmary so he can lay down for a while.” Aaron and Connor both helped him limp over to our makeshift infirmary that sat in the smallest corner. “You good there James, you should probably get some fresh air,” said Logan. James turned paler than usual and then gave in, “Yah I should.“ I left my loft and gathered up my things. In a draw-string bag, I put my new dagger, a granola bar, a flashlight, a water bottle, my phone, and some earbuds. I climbed down the main ladder out of the treehouse stealthy, or so I thought.
“Eris where are you going?” asked James
“Oh I forgot you were out here, I'm just going on a walk.“ I twiddled my fingers
“To where the water turns red, Eris I want to come with you.“
“The letter said to come alone, She may not come if she knows you are there.“
“You already disobeyed the letter. You very clearly are armed.“
“No, I’m not,” I said as sarcastic as I could make it.
James rolled his eyes and we laughed. “ I need to go alone, I don't know why but I feel something bad would happen if you even were five feet near her. Something dangerous and deadly is waiting for me, I just know it. Anyway, I don't want anyone else hurt today.” I said seriously. James’s face grew dark, “When something bad happens, just remember I warned you! Also, I won't tell everyone else, this will be just between you and me. Please don’t get caught, or get into anything you shouldn’t” He forewarn. Then with a faint smile in a sort of smirk, he waved me off. I knew he was hiding something from that expression. I waved back to him before diverting my view to the wild forest in front of me.
The place where water turns red is the top of Ashtons highest roof. Ashton is an abandoned town in the middle of the forest. No one knows when or why it was abandoned. When I was little I would run through the streets pretending I was… actually, I don't remember what I was doing. But when I needed to escape the world and its stress, I would go to the highest roof and watch the sunset. The colors of the sky changed the Ashley River to the shade of blood. I would sit and wonder, why would the sun want to hurt such a beautiful river. But that was when I was young and that's over. I reached the roof in the nick of time to watch the start of the sunset. “I see why you loved this place. It's truly beautiful,” whispered Olivia, my biological mother. Long flowy blonde hair dripped down her back like a willow tree in the wind, the light blue shade of her eyes glistened like diamonds in the light of the evening sun, and freckles danced across her skin like flames in a fire. The greatest example of beauty I have ever seen.
“ You must be filled to the brim with questions,”
“That's an understatement. I am overflowing with questions that need answers, it has been keeping me up at night.”
“ Just wait until your father gets here. He is always late for important stuff. But he should be here soon. I hope so anyway.”
“ My fathers coming?”
Crack
“ Someones here and it’s definitely not your father,”
She grabbed my wrist and teleported us to the source of the sound. A small twig drooped as it tried to stay attached to its counterpart. “I want you to find the stalker and bring him to the balcony. I will wait for you and your father should be there too.” She said. I nodded, I already knew who the stalker was. I just needed to catch him.