The sun set down as the moon rises up. The Millers household soon start to set the table. They turn on their laterns when they heard a loud crack of stones in the basement. The floor door open by a black gargoyle. She's all cover up in her a plain blue dress. Her hairs in a neat bun.
"Morning pa, ma!" She call them.
"Poppy, morning. Did you say your morning prayer?" Her mother ask her.
"Yes ma'am."
"Good, come now. Let's all settled down to eat." Her father said.
"Yes sir." She sat down with them. They grab each other's hand and start praying over the food. Poppy look over at her parents who were now eating their soup. She look a bit nervous to say anything.
"What's the matter Poppy, is something wrong?" Her mother sound worry.
"No ma'am!"
"Is it the food? I can make something else!"
"Now Martha, let Poppy eat. She can't be picky all the time."
"It's not that, pa." She look a bit nervous to even ask. She look up at them, she tuck her bottom lip under her teeth, "I... I want to see the world!"
Pa slam his cup on the table angerily.
"Not this again!"
"James.." his wife try to calm him down.
"I said this time and time again, it was a bad idea for her to be around the Reed's boy! And look, she's still thinking about it!"
"I'm going to be twenty soon!" Poppy told them. "Why is the english world so bad? What reason can it be so dangerous, pa?"
"As long you lived in our house by our rules, you are forbidden to be out in the English world. It is forbidden!"
"But why?" Poppy sound frustrating, "Why can't I go out there and see? Everyone else have seen it but they still came back!"
"That is different!" James yelled, "they go out for work and chores. What your asking is the impossible!" He told her.
"James!" Martha grab his fist hand. Poppy gets up and ran out side.
"Poppy!" Her father walk out to chase after her. "Poppy!" He couldn't see his daughter ran to the woods. Her skin tone made it so hard to see her. She started crying as she ran to her hideout. Poppy land on the hay bed to cry. She couldn't understand why her father is like this. She wanted to see the world, she wanted to see what she see through the magazine that her and Michael see. The colors, the people, everything that they think is beautiful. Only thing is, she didn't see one person that look like her. Not one person have horns,a tail or wings. They all look like her parents instead. She didn't understand why was that. She's allowed to see the world, she wants to meet new people. She wants to make new friends. The only friend she ever had was Michael. He's the only person who was her friend but he was shun out of the village for "forcing" David. She heard about it from her ma and Michael's mother. She was crying how her husband didn't even give her a chance to say goodbye to him. Even Poppy didn't get the chance to say goodbye. That was four years ago. She have no idea how he is or where he is. All she have left of him is these magazines that they read together with all the woman's clothing. The woman pose for the picture, they have their hair done and make-up done. Michael told her they're models. Models who are supposed to be pretty for the camera and show off the outfits. Poppy love the colors of the clothes. She made a few similar outfits for herself but her father found out and yelled how it's not appropriate for a woman to show off skin. She look through the magazine's again to admire the beauty of the outside world. She wanted to go out there and explore it. Poppy wipe her tears, she clap her cheeks together. Okay Poppy! No more crying! You can't be a big baby about it. Poppy sigh to herself. She place the magazines back to their hiding place. Poppy left her hideout to walk back to her house. She sigh to herself, trying to give herself courage to talk to him. She saw her house up ahead with the lights still on. She can hear her mother yelling at Pa.
"I wish you haven't been so cruel to her!" Her mother cry.
"Martha... she'll come back!" Her pa place his hand on her shoulder.
"What if this time she doesn't!" Her mother cry.
"Martha..."
"No, James! You need to stop loosing your temper with her. You need to stop shutting her down! Poppy is a young lady now. She'll be 20 soon and we ..." Ma start to cry again. "She's at a marriage age already. One day we won't be here anymore to look after her. One day Poppy is going to all alone."RR in fear. "I can't keep thinking this is okay!" She told him.
"Poppy... *Hic* we have to tell her."
"Martha, never!" Pa told her.
"How can you be so cruel! Poppy needs to know. She needs to know the truth!" Ma's voice croak.
"No!" He stomp his foot. He kneel down next to his wife, "Poppy is our child. And she'll always be our child. She doesn't need to know."
"We have to tell her." Ma cry some more, "I can't live with myself if she's going to be all alone! There has to be others like her! She can't be the only one. She can't be."
Poppy over heard everything from her parents. She felt sad for her ma. She slowly back away from her home. She went back to the forest to have a stroll. She sat by the river bank where he pa would take her to go out fishing when he didn't have to feel tired. She didn't want to think about it but could it be true. She look at her pure black skin. When the moonlight hits it, she notice how it sparkle like galaxy. None of her parents have this same skin color. None of them have a tail, horns or wings. She also noticed that Michael doesn't have of those features as well. Not even the girls from her village, (though her parents not too.) No one is like her. Why is that? She always have the feeling that her ma and pa isn't her real parents but she didn't care. She loved them. She just didn't know why she's so different. She sigh heavily at herself once she gets up. She needs to comfort them. Let them know that she knows. But she didn't know how to. She walk back to the house when she heard a strange crack sound. She could have sworn she seen something move from the other side of the stream.
"Hello?" She call out. She felt a bit scared from the silent. She shook her head from it. She turn her back on what she thought she heard.
BANG!
Poppy yelled in pain. She have never felt pain like this before. The gunshot hit her right arm, thankfully the bullet just gazed her. She hold her bleeding right arm as she kneel down. She heard a loud splash on the stream. She look over to see a man with a black mask that have three red scars across its face. She look at the man in fear. He wore a long black trench coat. A belt with weapons. He hold a gun that look to be a sniper.
"I finally found you, monster." He look down at her. Poppy look at the man in fear. She needed to fun. She needs to get away. She have no idea who is this man or what he's talking about. She felt her legs go numb. She's paralyzed from this moment. Move! Get up! He's going to kill you! You need to go! She try to move but she couldn't. She couldn't get up. Back at the Miller's house. Pa and Ma heard a loud gunshot. The two of them ran out in the dark. Pa hold the candle lantern in shock.
"You heard that!" Ma sound scared.
"Poppy?" Pa call out their daughter.
"Poppy!" Ma call out to her scared. They look around but she was no where around. They can hear a loud holler that sounded like Poppy. They both start to run in the dark woods calling out their daughter.
"POPPY!"
Poppy look at the man with a soft glare. She hold her bleeding arm. He points the sniper at her. "Your rain of terror is over!"
Poppy didn't know what to do. She look at him then look at the stream. She swing her tail to make him lose his footing. He fell back where he shot the sniper again. Ma and pa heard the gunshot. It wasn't far. They can feel the fear crawl into them.
"Poppy!" Pa call out to her.
Poppy ran as far as she could. She hold out her bleeding arm. She try not to look back. She ran in fear. She kept tripping over logs and fallen tree brand. Poppy ran as fast as she can. She needs to get him away from her ma and pa. "Get back here you damn demon!" The hunter yells as fires off another shot, hitting a tree that she passed by.Poppy duck down from the gunshot. She kept running off, deeper to the forest. She have never went deep to the forest before. She hope she can loose him soon. The hunter uses his scope to try and zoom in on Poppy as he noticed she went further into the forest, 'Let's see how long you last you vile beast.' He thought bitterly as he continues after her.The sky start to roar angerily. Lighting flash of light for only a second. Poppy grew scared by the storm. She look around to where she can find shelter. The hunter himself looked up to see the lighting flashing above him, he noticed with every flash of light he could see her footprints. A wicked grin appeared on his face as he soon follows it, all the while reloading his gun.Ma and Pa look around as the heavy rain start to pour. Pa lift up the candle lantern up high. They call out to Poppy.
"POPPY!"
"POPPY!"
The storm roar in anger. Poppy duck her head to cover her ears. She close her eye shut from seeing the lighting. She wish she was home. She hate the rain. She can't stand the storm like this. She crawl to a thick shrubs where it was dry. The hunter continues to look for her as he had to make sure to see what he was doing as the rain started to pour down, making it hard to see where he was and where he was going. Poppy look at her bloody arm. She rip a piece of her dress to cover the wound. When she touch it, the wound hurt her. She let out a small yelp from the pain.
"Tch. Damn rain!" He growled as he walks through the forest, looking for Poppy as he yells, "Come out you damn demon!"
Poppy can hear the voice of the hunter. She cover mouth. She can hear her own heart beating. She tuck herself in to a small ball in the shrubs.
"Come out, come out where ever you are-devil!" He called out before shooting in the air as a warning.
Poppy shiver in fear. She almost yelp. She move a bit under shrubs to be away from his prying eye.
He heard a bit of rustling nearby as he looked around, holding his gun to him.Poppy can hear her heart beat loud and fast. Her breathing grew heavy with fear. She search for something on the ground that she can used to protect herself. She can hear the crunching footsteps of the hunter nearby as the lighting clapped twice. Poppy didn't know what to do. She can hear the crunch of twigs snap.
"I know your here, monster. So come on out!" He sneer his voice together. Poppy slide her hands to something scaley. She feel it crawling through her fingers. The shrubs where moving, the hunter move the branches out of the way. Poppy grab the snake gently, picking it up. The hunter can see the blur figure, "There you are!" He grab her by the horns. Poppy yelp as he grab her horn and hair. She threw the snake at his face. The hunter let go of her as he try to pull the snake away. Poppy ran away. The hunter threw the snake away, "You can run but you can't hide, beast!" He yelled at her. Poppy kept running through the woods, she can see a clearing up ahead. She smile a little, hoping that she can hide in a field. When she got out of the forest, her smile soon fade when she was by a cliff. Under the cliff, she can hear harsh waters splashing through the sharp rocks. There is no way for her to hide.
"Heheh, I finally got you, beast." He hold up hold up his sniper, "Any last words?"
Poppy look at him with begged eyes, "Please don't!" She look at him.
BANG!
Ma and Pa heard the sniper. They ran off to get to the sound. But then they heard another sound.
BANG!
Ma was ready to rn towards it but Pa stop her from going further. She pull and hit him to let her go but even he knew what those sounds mean. He hold his crying wife who howl in pain of loosing a child. Pa try to hold it in but he couldn't. He hold his wife tightly as he cry with her. Two shot sounds is all they heard.
The hunter look over the edge to find Poppy. The waves crah together roughly, knowing that nothing could survive through those waves, he wonder. Why didn't it fly away? Poppy have wings but she didn't used them. Then, she beg for her life. He hint these creatures before, not once. No a single one have ever beg him for their life. He shrug it off once he walk away from the cliff.
Down in Manhattan beach. A body crawl it's self away from the sea. She cough heavily, spitting out the salt water from her mouth. She walked towards the shore to sit down. Her arm from where she got shot, still hurts. But what hurts her more is her side. She touch her side to only see blood on her hands. Her breathing start to slow down. She look up at the sky to see how pink it is. She felt tired from this eventful night. She wanted to close her eyes, but she saw the sun rises up. Everything became silent and black to Poppy.