Author's Note:

Hey guys! I'm here with a brand new supernatural-type story, yay! I hope you all will come to enjoy this one because I'm going to be playing into some new territory with some of this stuff, might make up a few creatures myself….

Anyway, this story should remain T rated, mostly for blood and swearing.

Ok, enough of my babbling, you guys want to read.

Past….

She was barely five when the playground bullies stuck gum in her hair…..she cried for nearly an hour when the teacher told her she'd have to cut off some of her wavy auburn locks…..it wasn't fair! Why'd those mean boys have to go and ruin her hair like that?

It wasn't bad enough that they caused her to have one of the worst haircuts of her life….but the very next day they kept teasing her and picking on her over her lopsided pixie cut, she never felt so humiliated in her life.

So she ran, she ran as far away from those mean boys as she could….she knew where part of the fence was broken and she was small enough that it was easy to squeeze through the opening to sit between the fence and an old air conditioning unit that was busted.

She remembers how much she cried and how terrible she felt…..she felt so ugly and betrayed by her classmates, she wanted to stay in that little hiding place forever.

She didn't remember how he got back there though….how he even managed to find her.

"Hey little one…what's with all the tears?" She should've been scared by him, he was a stranger after all, and her parents warned her never to talk to them…..but was barely five….and though she was scared at first, she was sad and wanted to be comforted.

Sobbing harder she threw herself towards the older boy, clinging to his red jacket for dear life as she cried and cried, between her hiccups and tears she told him how mean and ugly those boys were, how ugly she was now….

"You're not ugly," The words were a bit of a shock to her, his voice was so serious she had to lean back to look at his face to see if he was teasing her…..but his face was solid, firm, his honey eyes glued to hers she felt a rush of fear and longing….peering into those odd colored eyes.

"I-I'm not?"

"No, you're beautiful, remember that ok? Don't let your sorrows keep you flightless, ok little bird?" He brushed down her hair, probably trying to tame the frizz, before brushing away her tears….and probably some snot, with his sleeve.

The bird comment made her giggle and his eyes twinkled like stars, "I'm not a bird! I'm Brittany, I'm a girl," She says with a smile.

"Are you sure?" He grins and she feels proud for causing it, "Ok….Brittany, you're a girl, a girl who should get back to class now ok?" He sets her down, gesturing to the broken fence.

But she didn't want to go back….even if he said she was beautiful, that meant very pretty, according to her daddy, "But what about those boys?" She asks, the tears springing up in her big baby blue's again.

The kind boy laughs and brushes his finger under her eye, catching a stray tear as his eyes glint with mischief, "Next time those boys pick on you…..punch them,"

"B-but that's mean!"

"They put gum in your hair….called you mean names, and that was very mean of them wasn't it? But they didn't care…..it'll be an eye for an eye little bird…..just a quick punch will get your point across,"

Brittany was confused…..punching was fighting, it wasn't aloud at school, "I don't even know how to!"

"It's easy, curl your hand into a fist, then swing, put your whole body weight behind it and never hold back,"

His tone was serious again, his eyes haven't lost the spark of mischief and she could feel it rubbing off on her, so she listened to him.

When she got back to the playground and the boys saw her, they flocked over to pick on her some more and she did just what the nice boy said, she punched the biggest boy right in the nose.

She broke it.

And that wasn't the first time she got in trouble….as she got older the boy would show up to help her, comfort her, he'd wipe her tears and clean her up, call her 'little bird' and give her advice.

Once when she was nine some girls stole her favorite dress up doll….she was mad and upset, flustered, she had asked nicely for it back…..they refused.

So when she went to the teachers to get help they wouldn't listen…..they said the girls would give the doll back if she asked nicely and waited….that only made her more upset.

He was there for her again, walking beside her as she stomped off across the playground to find the girls, "They're not very nice are they? Why don't you ever play with your sisters?" He was the same as when she last saw him….she thought for sure he would've gone away by now, her parents said he was part of her imagination…

"My sisters have their own friends….mine just like to play pranks on me," She paused beneath an oak tree, sulking in the shade she keeps her voice low.

"Then they're not real friends…..friends will share and ask for things, they'll listen to you and help you, play with you. Those girls stole something your mother bought you, they had no right,"

"So? You want me to punch her?" Brittany arched an eyebrow, she was pretty good at that…..her father actually suggested they enroll her in some kickboxing classes when she was younger to try and 'work' all her anger out in a positive way.

It just made it easier for her fight back when need be…."No, a punch is too nice….biting sounds more fun," She looks up at his suggestion, meeting those familiar golden eyes that twinkle in the shade, glowing with mischief and….something….she couldn't tell.

"B-bite? But…."

"She won't stop picking on you till you stand up for yourself, just like those boys, just one quick bite and you'll get your message across,"

"Ok…."

"That's my little bird,"

She didn't see him after that…..once she started walking again he didn't follow, she found the girls again easily and the one with the ponytail and braces was still playing with her doll.

Brittany did ask for it back again…..the girl said no and even got annoyed at her, getting up in her face and telling her she didn't deserve a nice doll like this one…..and once again she did as he told her, she grabbed the girl's arm and bit her.

That was the first time she ever tasted blood.

Her sisters never saw him, they never saw him, even when he showed up at her sixteenth birthday party…he even brought a present.

But he only showed up later…..when everyone was outside and she was in the kitchen, trying to get some peace and quiet from the hollering and laughter…..for some reason huge crowds made her anxious, but she didn't mind the pictures….."Little bird happy birthday!"

Whirling around she nearly falls out of her swivel chair, clutching the countertop she tries to calm her pounding heartbeat as he lingers in the kitchen doorway, holding something behind his back, a bright warm smile on his face.

"Y-you…what…?"

"I brought you a gift!" He walks over to her and sets a small black box on the countertop, he was keeping some distance between them…..which she was grateful for.

She holds her tongue, she's old enough to know that this isn't normal…..he really can't be part of her imagination right? "Oh thank you," she slowly opens the gift, feeling anxious and a tad frightened…..but he hasn't hurt her in the past, and she felt that he wouldn't hurt her now either.

Inside the box was a smaller dark blue velvet box, a jewelry box, opening it slowly she stares at the ring in awe.

It's silver mostly….with a solid ruby right in the center…..there are small engravings along the band and she can see the twinkle of smaller jewels surrounding the ruby.

"It's beautiful! You didn't have to…." She looks up at him, feeling emotion building in her throat, this is the nicest thing she's ever gotten….

"I wanted to," He leans against the counter, a small smile on his face, "It's a tool too…..when you wear it, it'll protect you,"

"Protect me?" She echoes, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"No really, I promise," His tone was serious again…..and she pulls the ring from the box carefully, slipping it onto her right ring finger she sighs softly.

"Thank you,"

"Anything for you Brittany,"

Present…..

"Why do we have to load all this stuff ourselves?" Brittany grunts as she heaves the last box into the back of Jeanette's little hatch back, "Couldn't we have hired some high school kids to do it?" She brushes a few stray strands off her damp forehead and glowers at her younger sibling.

Jeanette's violet hued eyes glimmer innocently behind her glasses and she lifts her shoulders into a shrug, "I thought it'd be fun for the three of us to pack our things,"

"Yeah! Our first road trip together, it's going to be fun!" Eleanor hurries down the driveway towards them, a light green duffle hanging off one shoulder, "I packed enough snacks for all of us…until we get to the next major town,"

"See it'll be fun,"

Brittany smiles warmly at her two little sisters, "Yeah, with you two at my side nothing can go wrong,"

She twists the ring on her finger, hoping she didn't just jinx them.

Lots of backstory for the first chapter! I apologize! But everything will make more sense as the story continues, thank you for reading!