Okayy, Soo, I decided to start writing more short stories. But I kinda liked this one so far, and please.. I know I have some grammatical issues, but this is just a MAJOR rough draft, If you people Like it, I'll write more, and try to make it to a novel instead, buut Your choice.



Cypress Hill
By: Myrna Luna :]

The soft pitter patters of her feet tapped lightly as she ran. Almost running out of breath; huffing as she kept running. The young girl looked back at the fire, burning spontaneously everything to the forest floor; bouncing off from the burning cabin to the trees. Men stood with guns, torches and pitch forks; an angry mob. The six year old girl kept running, just as her parents advised her to do. As soon as she got as far away as possible, her body tumbled to the floor. The snow lightly fell on her face, melting as it touched her skin; face burning with anger and fear; tears strolling down as she had realized she had just lost her parents; killed because of her idiotic and childish fault. Her eye lids slowly closed as everything around her faded to black.
The soundless and motionless town; almost everyone seemed dull and looked lifeless. The houses around were all but white cookie-cutter houses; almost impossible to know which house was yours. As a van traveled down the empty road, one stared out the window as they drove by. Her eye brows scrunching down as she looked out to the lifeless town, her eyes looked back to the strangers who were in the front seat. The man had looked in the mirror, looking into the girl’s eyes, “Welcome to Cypress Hill.”, and his monotone voice whispered from his pale, cherry pink lips. The woman had turned around, manages to smile; half way only, as if she always had trouble doing it. “You’ll see your new home in a couple of minutes.” Turning back around, she looked down at the road.
The girl who sat uncomfortably in the back seat continued looking at the town, almost everything happened so quickly; but she blamed everything on herself. But that was almost eleven years ago, where everything went tumbling down. Every since that day, Addison Greyly had been bouncing from home to home ever since the cops had found her lying in the cold, dead snow by the river bank; investigating the fire that was cause the night before [which the hunters left no evidence for the police to figure out]. This was to be Addison’s fourteenth home; and she knew she wasn’t going to last one more minute of it.
As the car bounced into the plain drive way, Addison waited to get out, taking one deep breath, she slid the door open. The man, who was known as, Nathan Johnson, held her bags, keeping a straight face as he walked in the door. Mary Johnson nodded to Addison, trying to say that it was safe to go in. Holding her breath, Addison had finally walked in, gripping tight to her guitar handles, her eyes began to wander and inspect the house details. Things seemed a bit livelier. The walls were a bit more colorful than the outside; the couches had an odd shape, which gave them pizzazz [in an odd way].
Smiling sheepishly, Addison tried to compliment on their house, “It’s very nice, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. It’s outgoing…”
Mrs. Johnson had finally made an appeasing noise; a giggle. “Please, you are too formal for us. Call me Mary and call my husband Nathan; But only when we are inside the house.” Her face had begun to look a bit more concerned, ”But when we are out there, please do call us Mr. and Mrs. Johnson…the world out there is very strict—especially here in Cypress Hill.” Her emotions had changed in a quick instant, “Who wants dinner?” Her small body hurriedly walked into the kitchen, Mr. Johnson was sitting down in his recliner [the only thing that seemed normal in the living room], reading the paper. Rocking back and forth on her heels, Addison looked at Mr. Johnson, “Umm... Mr. Joh—umm, I mean, Nathan, where might my room be—just out of curiosity?” Mr. Johnson looked up from his paper, his glasses half way down his nose, blue eyes staring at the clueless girl, “Right, your room.” Standing up from his recliner, he placed his paper on the coffee table. Grabbing her guitar and one of her bags, Addison followed the odd man. “I’ve already placed most your bags in your room while you talked to Mary.” Opening the door, Addison peered in, her room was decorated in some of the bands that she favored, such as Owl City, Nevershoutnever and 3OH!3. Her room was painted in a deep, majestic purple, with bright green bed sheets. A laptop was also placed on a clear computer desk, which school books were placed right next to it.
“Wow…” Addison was left speechless, she actually loved the room. Unlike the rooms she had in the past, most rooms, she’d sleep on ratty beds, sleep on bunk beds; never getting a room to herself.
A chuckle was heard coming from Mr. Johnson, smiling for once, “The missus went crazy trying to decorate your room, trying to make it perfect for you.” Leaning on the door framed, looking at his foster child. “Make yourself at home; dinner will be done by seven. Oh and the bathroom is the second door next to your closet.” Walking out, Mr. Johnson closed the door behind him, a smile spread across his face.
Addison stood awhile in her room, waiting for silence. After awhile, Addison placed her stuff down, throwing herself on the bed, happy than she was in the past foster homes. Although Cypress Hill seemed like a boring town, she could get use to the Johnsons.
After putting her stuff in the drawers and placing her guitar in the guitar stand, Addison walked in the bathroom, awed once again. Posters of some guitarist she knew, like Slash from Guns N’ Roses, Carlos Santana, and then a poster of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The wall colors were a dark red with a black band going across the middle, candles placed around the bathroom. A smile was spread across her round, childish face, for the first time in so long, Addison felt wanted, feeling love from these strangers.
Addison came out with a towel around her torso, her deep, black hair dripping with water; letting her towel drop down to her ankles, Addison walked to her drawers, picking out her bra and underwear. She didn’t know what to wear, not knowing if the Johnsons wore casual clothing while eating dinner or formal; finally deciding on some dark jeans, with a not so revealing, purple v-neck t-shirt. Drying out her longish black hair, Addison put on her purple beanie, letting it sag at the end of it; than placing a couple of hair pins, just in case if it had fallen. Fixing up her bangs, Addison looked at herself in the mirror, her light tan colored face, brought out her light gray/green eyes.
Finally coming out of her new room, she looked down at hall way clock, 6:50 P.M. was what it read. “Just in time…” muttering to herself as she made her way to the dining table. The lovely couple laughing with each other as they placed three sets of plates, drinking glasses, etc. Mary was the one who finally noticed Addie standing near the doorframe, with her arms crossed and a soft smile spread across her innocent, baby face. “Oh, why hello there, Addison, you are just in time for dinner. Does Italian sound good to you?”
Walking to where they had a pitcher of homemade lemonade with a hint of mint; Addison had placed it in the middle of the table. Mary brought in the traditional fettuccine with alfredo sauce decorated with parsley; Nathan had brought in the salad.
Addison couldn’t help but to let out a comforting sigh; this was the first she ever had a home cooked meal with her foster parents. She had felt a lump start to form in her throat, they actually did care; she was blessed with such wonderful people, she now felt she didn’t deserve them… knowing that there was to be havoc coming their way; she just knew it. Clearing her throat and clearing her mind before she had tears flowing down her cheeks. Sitting down the table, the Johnsons decided to say grace, this one time. Before they had said or started anything, Addison interrupted, “May I?” Surprised, the couple had exchanged looks and nodded. Taking a deep breath, she had begun grace, “I would like to thank you today for this wonderful meal, that Mary and Nathan Johnson had prepared for this evening. Thank you so much for this wonderful couple to have taken their time to let me in their home. Amen…”
You see, Addison was of course different than any person around the area. Her family was Polytheism. Meaning they believed in more than one God; they were Egyptians. Well her ancestors were, but as centuries passed, their beliefs stuck on to Addison’s great, great, great grandparents, which than intertwined with the Native Americans after her Grandparents met; Believing in the Native American Gods along with the Egyptians.
The Johnsons followed their Amen after Addison; of course Mary’s eyes flooded with tears of joy, and Nate couldn’t help but to smile, of course they’d be happy that Addie said grace and said all those nice things about them.
After dinner, the complete family sat in the living room, near the warm fire place, no one spoke, no one moved; it was to peaceful to ruin that certain moment. Only but the sound of the clock rang as it announced it was nine o’clock.
Standing up from his favorite place, Nathan had stretched, “Well, looks like it’s time for me to go to bed,” Chuckling as he made his way up the stairs, Mary had stood minutes after Nathan had disappeared from sight, “I don’t want you to stay up late, Honey. You have school tomorrow.” Walking over to where Addie sat, placing her motherly kiss on her forehead; disappearing seconds later. Minutes flew like seconds, finally standing from where she sat near the fire place, she put the fire out and walked to her room. Letting out a satisfactorily sigh, she had walked into the bathroom, shutting the door as she had strolled in. Not even having a second to gasp, the hand covered her mouth in an instant. Only a cynical chuckle escaped his lifeless lips, as he let his hand drop from her mouth, “Miss me?” letting his British accent stroll out from his tongue.
Addie felt that steam was to come blowing from her ears, “Ayden! That isn’t funny! You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Calming down, but her eyebrows kept burrowing on her pale, tan skin, “Wh-what are you doing here anyways! I told you to butt out!”
Leaning on the wall, he smirked, he always loved reminding her why he always followed her, [though he really did have a purpose, he isn’t any kind of stalker or anything.. <.<] and as soon as he opened him mouth to remind him, Addie cut him off.
“Don’t even give me that Crap, Ayden. Remember--My parents canceled it--When they died...” Although that may have seemed kind of harsh, it was true, well which is what she thought.
Ayden chuckled, “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Addie—you are so naïve. I was born to marry AND protect you. It was part of our parents’ deal, to keep the treaty alive. And it is what I plan to do, until death do us part.” Smirking as he leaned a bit more towards Addie.
Way before Addison and Ayden were born, there had been a feud going on between two of the ‘royal’ families, the Greyly’s and the Stone’s. They had soon agreed that when the Chief Red Water Greyly’s daughter bore a daughter of her own and the son of Chief Adahy Stone’s son bore a son, they were to be engaged and start a family of their own. And that is what happened, Chief’s Greyly daughter, was blessed with a daughter which she named Addison Schuyler Greyly-Akhem. Minutes before Addison’s birth, Chief’s Stone’s son’s wife had bore a healthy baby boy, which she named Ayden Sachem Stone-Moon; From that moment on, The two families agreed to have young boy protect the beautiful baby girl until their passing; And that is what they intended to do.
Addie had rolled her eyes and opened the door, successfully hitting Ayden in the face with it; only but a single chuckled escaped the seventeen year old girl’s lips. “How’d you get in here anyways?” Turning around as she plopped herself on to her bed, grabbing her guitar as she did.
Coming out from the bathroom, he began to rub his nose from where it had begun to sting, of course, being the guy that he was, he let out a chuckle soon after, “So violent aren’t we?” Strolling over to where Addison was sitting, standing over her, he crossed over his arms across his chest, “The window was open; it was unlocked so I manage to get in easily. Which is quite odd, you’d expect everyone to be so a**l about someone breaking in their homes.” Mumbling that last part of his sentence to himself, as he quickly began to think; Getting plowed in the face with a pillow.
Addison had thrown one of her thousand pillows she had on her bed, to Ayden’s face; but something then just hit her, what if she was changing or got out of the shower? Her nose began to crinkle at her thoughts, “Ugh—you disgusting perv.”
A smile crept up on his slender, pale face; he knew exactly what she was referring too, “Well, excuse me for being a normal guy. We like that sort of stuff,” Holding the pillow as he came in closer to her; leaning down, maybe a couple of inches away from her beautiful, innocent face.
The sound of thunder rand in the room, Ayden had stood straight up, a hand mark printed on his face. His jaw had almost hit the floor; this was most certainly the first time he was slapped by the ‘innocent’ Addie. His eyes fluttered for several of minutes, yet he couldn’t stop smiling. Again, opening his mouth to speak, she had cut him off.
“Don’t even say anything, Ayden—“ Her eyes closed as her temples throbbed with pure hatred and disgust.
The two teenagers had gasped as their breathing had stopped along with their hearts; they had heard the door knob jingle along with a couple knocks.
Mary had popped in her head and of course that worried look was noticeable on her motherly face, “Addie? Is everything alri—“ Her head cocking over to one side as she noticed a small animal on Addison’s lap, “Is that a—cat?” Mary had let her body come in completely into Addie’s room.
Addie cradled the small cat in her lap, hesitating as she regained her thoughts, “—Yeah…” She needed to come up with a quick explanation to Mary about the cat and the thunderous noise that came from her room, “You see, this poor, defenseless, idiotic cat was being followed by a huge white owl, and it just so happened that—it accidentally smacked itself on the window, thinking that it was open, so I just let him in…and I noticed his paw was broken…”
The petite cat was covered in a black fur coat, but with a white spot surrounding its left eye, and a crescent moon on the cat’s forehead. The cat waved its tail swiftly from side to side as it caressed his head on Addie’s chest, purring as if he were happy being with her.
Mary sat next to Addie, “Well,” petting the odd cat, “I guess we can keep him, I mean I always wanted a pet, but we never did have a reason to get one, till now that is.” Again, that soft, motherly smile appeared on her face, she wasn’t even forcing it either.
Addie was surprised indeed, she had actually hope for, ‘Get that rabid creature out of our house’ or something to get this thing out of her sight, but she guessed she could keep him in the closet or something. Clearing her throat, she spoke up, “Thanks mom, I think his name is going to be, Artemis.”