Yura, the last of that brave warrior, gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. A sword that had been tested for hours. Full of dents to its limit. A couple more blows and it would shatter. The young warrior gasped in exhaustion, but still defiant, despite being covered in wounds. Wounds that would take her to the grave before dawn.

In a last-ditch effort she rose to her feet and raised her weapon defiantly. Warning an unknown enemy. "We will never let you kill these innocent people”. Broken and on the verge of tears. "Never!"

She looked back, seeking the support of her comrades. Comrades who face the same fate as her. A tear welled up to meet the smile on her lips. They were all there. They would resist together, and die the same way. A battle cry resounded among the millions of flakes falling from the sky in that eternal winter. A cry that renewed their meager strength. They charged before expiring their last breath, with a cry of freedom for their people.

Suddenly, the damn unavoidable YouTube ad ruined the climax. When it finished, all that remained was the release date announcement. Emily was perplexed. "Why is the protagonist of the prequel so wounded?! OMG! Is she going to die?!"

Uneasy, she tried to imagine herself in such situation. "How could someone endure such a borderline situation? I would probably give up. Maybe because I don't know what it's like to have friends like that, supporting you against the impossible."

As soon as the promotional trailer of her future favorite video game ended, she began to feel a strong urge to play it. However, dejected, she realized. "It won't be out for another damn year! The wait will be endless! I hope in the next video, they clear up all this hype they've created."

Emily placed her cell phone on top of her school bag, turning off the autoplay. Then, lost in thought, directed her gaze out the window of the high school bus. She couldn't wait to lock herself in her room and play some video games for hours, specifically the prequel to that same video game. Despite having played it a million times, it still kept her entertained. Although, lately she had left it a little aside, because she was very addicted to one that perfectly combined role, survival and strategy.

Emily frowned, realizing that today her mother would be at home. She snorted, defeated. "She'll surely keep an eye on me. I bet she'll make me keep my bedroom door open."

She reached her cell phone, searching through her favorite videos for another one to watch. "In short, I won't be able to play today."

But her evasion urge was strong and her craving sought an alternative. "I can always read an old edition of any of my favorite comics or manga. I can camouflage them among the class books easily. Mom doesn't usually come into my room, she just sniffs in from the hallway every now and then."

As she turned her gaze again to her school bag, a feeling of guilt flooded her when she noticed her school bag full of textbooks. "Shit! I should be studying for next week's tests."

A feeling that was getting bigger and bigger. "I've been playing too much instead of doing my homework and studying. This will take a toll on me."

Each year she found it harder and harder to keep her grades afloat. "I've never had such bad grades. I'll end up repeating a year if I keep like this. When mom and dad find out they're going to kill me!"

Out of nowhere, she felt someone sit next to her. Surprised, she quickly pocketed her cell phone. No one got on the bus on the way home, only the students got off, so normally, no one changed seats. Friends were always together as soon as they got on the bus. But that wasn't Emily's case. Emily didn't have friends like everyone else, only had stalkers. She began to feel a growing pressure in her abdomen. Her inseparable traveling companion "Fear", was elbowing her. Although anyone would think "Fear" was imaginary, its effects were not for Emily.

Emily didn't intend to turn around to see who it was. She knew it was a mistake. Despite being such a pretty girl, she was the target of both Beth and her four friends' harassment and the depraved stares of any undesirable boy. Boys used to approach her a lot, although she wasn't sure if it was because of her looks, her personality; or both.

Emily was a 17-year-old girl, very tall and developed for her age. Her hair was red, of a very dark tone, and her eyes were of a hypnotic green color. She was gorgeous and always smelled like flowers. Combined, were the perfect blend to arouse the interest of any boy in the age of wet dreams. However, she was very shy, insecure and fearful; though some seemed to like that.

The sun was not far away from setting. A faint dark hue enveloped the whole exterior, allowing the light from inside the bus to reflect the entire interior into the windows.

Emily took advantage of this to check out that it was a boy. She breathed relieved. "Thank God it's not that whore." Emily disgustedly assumed that it would be George.

She wanted to get up, but she couldn't leave without him getting up first. She was sure it wouldn't happen. He would just sit there until Emily tried to get off before he did. She knew he was doing it because that way he could indirectly touch her ass. It had been years since her cherished friend "Courage" had been with her on her daily basis, so Emily just trembled and silently suffered through all the shit that was coming down on her.

Her stop was approaching. Minute by minute, second by second; meanwhile, her anxiety was overwhelming her exponentially. The penultimate stop arrived. Here, most of the bus got off, including her. When the bus stopped, Emily was almost shaking. Her also inseparable but weak companion "Wrath", was trying to force her to face George and ask him to please get up, but “Fear” stifled any attempt by “Wrath”. It was like fighting a colossus. Too many years she had fed it, always fleeing all confrontation.

To her astonishment, George got up before her, letting her out. Incredulous, she hurried to get off the bus.

As she was getting off, she realized that behind her, in the aisle, there was someone even taller, perfectly keeping his distance. Emily smiled slightly, relieved, as she whispered to herself. "Now I understand why George let me go in such a hurry."

Slowly, she let go of her fear, her anger and all her stress. She knew that if he was around, nothing bad would happen to her. She turned slightly and whispered. " Thanks, Ian."

If Emily had turned until she could see his face, she might have seen Ian smiling back at her. But Emily didn't, so Ian didn't smile either.

When they were already in the street, and each one of them was walking towards their respective houses. She looked back out of the corner of her eye, but Ian didn't give her a single glance. It was obvious that he held a grudge. She didn't blame him. After all, she was responsible, in part, for their lost friendship.

Grief-stricken, she picked up her cell phone and headphones and headed home with a crestfallen face. She still had about a ten minutes walk to her street.

It was already late afternoon. Reddish tones tinged the darkened sky that the sun had almost abandoned. The street lamps were beginning to take over in those ancient streets of a town that would never become a city. The cyclical world crises had been determined to prevent it.

Emily walked slowly, staring at her cell phone, mesmerized by anything that would make her forget that disgusting day. A day just like any other. Always courtesy of those bitches, Beth and her four friends. Today, they had harassed her since first thing in the morning, as soon as she stepped foot in the school. They were like ass and shit, always together. She hated them almost as much as she feared them.

"You're like a worm that crawls into your ear and slowly eats your brain. Little by little, tearing you apart." She whispered in disgust.

Although, she shouldn't complain too much either. Today had not been one of the most horrible. Luckily, she hadn't been pushed or tripped. She hadn't even been spit on. They had just stuck a piece of paper with a pathetic red drawing of a cow on her bag. She had smelled it as soon as she began to hear the laughter of everyone she came across. She didn't find out until she reached the bathroom and took off her bag. She was thankful she didn't have to endure anything else.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Collecting herself, she realized something. "Actually, the day had a good thing going for it. Richard greeted me." That was more than any high school student could hope for. But it was certainly just that. A greeting. He never spoke to her if someone was present, nor did he ever defend her from Beth and her hateful pack.

The only way Emily had to escape from them, was by staying close to Ian. No one at school messed up with Ian. But Ian didn't go to her same class, and he wasn't her friend either. He had been in childhood, but her mother had managed to end that. "He's bad company and a bad influence on you. He was turning you into a savage like him! Haven't you had enough of everything you've been through because of him? Stay away from that scum or you'll deal with me at home." That had been her mother's automatic phrase until she accomplished her purpose. Destroy what for Emily, had been the best friendship of her life.

Emily walked disconnected from the world, lost in her own thoughts, until someone no taller than her stepped right in front of her, interrupting her path. Seeing his feet, she thought in relief. "It's not George, that's for sure!".

Emily always walked looking at the ground, so she knew almost everyone by their shoes. That behavior had been taught by her inseparable friend “Fear”, putting its hand on the back of her neck and pressing down until she lowered her face just enough to avoid any stares. Always elusive.

Emily did what she knew best, tried to dodge him without seeing him. Without taking her face off her cell phone. She had no friends or acquaintances who would stop her on the street to greet her, the only ones who stopped her were to tease, taunt or leer at her. So it was either run away or confront someone. However, she couldn't remember the last time the latter had happened.

Emily took a step to the right and continued her path, or so she expected. The person moved just enough to hinder her again. It was obvious that this was no coincidence. Whoever he was, he was doing it on purpose. He was looking for her.

She hadn't seen who he was yet, and she didn't feel like it. Maybe it was a habit. Too many times Rebecca, Beth's best friend, or rather, her most rabid dog, had done it to her. Instinctively, Emily frowned and without taking her eyes off her phone tried to dodge him again. This time, she took a quick step to the left and dodged him, or so she thought.

Surprised, she felt her left earphone being tugged and taken away. Emily froze, hesitating whether or not to look. She had also suffered this many times in high school. So many times, that she had learned the best approach was simply ignore it, and that's what she did.

She tried to continue on her way, but before she could put the earphone back on, an old woman's voice startled her. "Aren't you tired of walking around with your head down? Looks like you've got it glued to the ground. So long under the yoke of fear that you've gotten used to running away? That's no way to live. Face your fears or they will devour you, child." She was no longer a child, or at least, she didn't feel like one.

As usual, Emily was lost in thought. "She must know me well to say something like that. If I go straight ahead and ignore her, she might complain to Mom. And I don't feel like putting up with her yelling at me again, calling me rude and telling me I'm a disappointment as a daughter. I'm tired of it. Very tired."

Emily let the air out of her tense lungs, very slowly. She relaxed her face and blurred her visible anger until she looked tired. This tended to work well with those who were looking to argue for the sake of arguing. To her surprise she didn't recognize the old woman when she finally saw her, and the old woman didn't add anything else either. Emily simply waited for her to finish what she had started. But there was only an uncomfortable silence that only the cars mitigated.

The old woman was short and shabbily dressed in dark clothes so old, that they looked as if they predated Emily's birth. She looked to her like one of those old country ladies who always dressed in mourning. The old woman leaned on a long badly carved cane and wore a cloth covering most of her white hair.

Emily, tired of the situation, tried to resume her walk. She turned around and tried to put the earphone back on, but the old woman prevented her from doing so, calling her attention again. "What does that Beth call you? RedCow? Why have you indulged her for so long? Are you dumb?" A shiver ran through her body until, finally, her whole body froze and stiffened. For an instant, she heard again the laughter of the other students every time that filthy nuisance called her that.

Emily tried to look for a connection between the old woman, Beth and her disgusting friends. "Maybe she's related to one of them? Acquaintances?" She thought it was unlikely, but not impossible. And if so, how many people outside the high school were laughing behind her back, calling her RedCow? The old woman moved closer to her and asked. "What's with such a pathetic nickname? You're not even fat enough to be called a cow. It must be because of your red hair and those huge breasts"

Emily clenched her fists, showing as much discomfort as she could, however the old woman didn't understand that as a "Leave me alone!" And if she did, she didn't take it seriously. She just continued. "Does she hate you so much? Why? Because you made her crush stop talking to her and only had eyes for you?" Emily was stunned.

The old woman continued, satisfied to finally be able to get her whole attention. "But I'm not talking about the eyes of all those pigs who imagine you naked when they see you passing near them." Emily couldn't help but feel revulsion at the thought of boys constantly doing that when they saw her.

The old woman refreshed her mind with what should really matter to her. "I'm talking about the eyes of a good man. Yes, I know. Something so rare these days. A man with a pure heart. Something Beth will never have because, she doesn't stir anything in those hearts. Only disgust."

Those words came as a revelation. Like the words of an oracle revealing the answer to everything in a single sentence. So many years of insults and humiliations because the boy Beth liked had started to notice her?

Something akin to a faint tingle of happiness began to invade her as she thought. "There's someone who looks at me like that?" "Wait! Pure heart?! Who is he?! Richard?! It has to be! Richard is a good boy."

For an instant, she didn't feel so alone in this world. Like a merry-go-round of emotions, from happiness to sadness, to finally, anger. Anger towards the unmentionable one. "How is it my fault that he doesn't notice you, you fucking bastard?.”

Emily looked at the old woman, expectantly. "I want to know more! No! I need to know more! But why does this old woman know all this?."

After a few seconds, she thought she looked like a familiar face, but she didn't know from where. “Where had I seen her before? It must have been a long time ago. Maybe when I was a child?”

The poker-faced old woman blurted out. "You're dreaming if you think I’ll give you that boy's name, Emily."

She felt a shiver as she heard her name on the old woman's lips. She tried to hide her surprise, but the only thing she could hide were her words. "She knows me! But I don't remember her, and she knows it. I know she knows. Damn it! Where have I seen her? Remember, remember!"

The old woman twisted her mouth into a very creepy and disgusting smirk. Emily felt harassed and began to get nervous. Without realizing it, she ended up doing what she always did when someone made her feel that way. She lowered her head and stared silently at the ground. She even looked as if she was holding her breath.

Emily remained like that for several seconds, not knowing what to do, lost in thought. "How does she know all that? Maybe she's Richard's grandmother?"

"Courage" had never been one of Emily's faithful traveling companions. She had been feeling like a bug that everyone was trying to squash for so long that she was unable to do anything but think about running away. But all this interested her too much to let it go.

The old woman blurted out a final blow as she walked away. "Several boys at that high school you attend really like you, but only one is the source of your problems. And only one is, and will be your soul mate forever."

Those last words filled an emptiness as immense as her entire life. In just an instant, years of loneliness, sadness and incomprehension were hastily erased. Like a tornado of thoughts. "Does anyone really feel anything else for me than shame and pity? Does he go to my class? I wish it was Richard! Shit! I need to know who he is!"

Without knowing how, she began to feel something similar to happiness. It was something so extraordinary to her that it seemed foreign to her. Not even her parents provoked anything even remotely resembling happiness. They treated her as if they were constantly disappointed. She practically avoided them. Especially her mother.

"Sadness", one of her forever faithful traveling companions, let go of her hand. The relief from a heavy burden that was no longer there, allowed her to fill her lungs with more air than usual. Her voice, which until now always asked permission before pronouncing itself with a throat clearing, jumped out of her mouth. Hearing it, anyone would have noticed that she was terribly shy and fearful. "H-how do you know all that?" Her voice had trembled so much, that it sounded like she was about to cry.

The old woman turned around, mischievously blurting out. “I know a lot more than that, Emily. Much, much more! "What I don't know, I can find out in a matter of seconds. The question is not how I can do that, child. The question is if you want to hear what I have to propose."

Emily's eyes widened, not understanding what was going on. Then, doubt poisoned her. "This old woman gives me a very bad feeling."

The old woman kept walking away as Emily hesitated whether she should follow her or not. The old woman passed under a streetlight and the light flickered nine times. At the last blink and for an insignificant instant, the old woman's clothes changed. They looked like really tattered, also much darker. In addition, the strange cane on which she leaned, now ended in the metal blade of a scythe. Emily was petrified by that horrifying sight.