“Get the hell away from her! I said get away, you bastard!” she cried, grabbing the baseball bat from her sister’s closet. Her black hair was halfway down her neck, and pulled into a ponytail. She advanced on the heavyset older male leaning over a young teenage girl

The man looked up at her, and placed his large hands on his hips, “What can you do? You wouldn’t hit your father… You are just like your mother… Come here and give daddy some sugar…” He went for the taller, older girl with his hands out stretched.

“RINI” Screamed the 16 year old from her bed in the corner. Her oceanic blue eyes were wide in terror,

With a THUD, the baseball bat rung just as if the older girl had hit a home run. She dropped the bat, her long skeletal fingers were even more pale than usual. She stepped back away from the immobile body, and ran down the hallway. She pushed open a bedroom door, and turned to her left. Rummaging around in a nightstand, she pulled out a small silver pistol, and unlocked the safety.

Police sirens rang out, and her sister came out from the bedroom. The older man was following her onto the front lawn. The young woman grabbed a duffel bag from the back of her door, and hurried to the front yard.

“Daddy, why are you doing this to us?” The younger of the two cried the words as she shifted her weight uneasily, “Haven’t we been good girls?”

The man stumbled from side to side, and shook his head. He slurred his words, “Baby, you ain’t no good girl. You’re a downright nassssty little whore… Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been doing late nights you come home…” He shook a pudgy finger at his younger daughter, “Your mother should’ve taken you little sluts when she left me-”

“Don’t you dare talk to Alexis like that you dirty old letch!” the other sister cried, advancing on the two. “How dare you think of us in that manner! You… You…” Tears spilled down her cheeks as she held the gun up, “You deserve to die!”

At that moment two police cars pulled up. As usual, the cops misunderstood the situation. One of the coppers stepped out of the car, and held his gun up to the girl, “Miss just put the gun down, we’ll talk this all out.”

She looked between the man and his partners, “You’ve got it all wrong! I’m saving my little sister! That man is an incestuous, despicable, drunkard!” She waved the gun, “He’s been coming onto us all evening!”

Her father gave the cops a pleading look, “Come on, gentlemen… Do I look like that type of man to you?”

The cops looked between him, and his daughter, “Miss, if you don’t have a license for that gun, I’m afraid you can’t have it… You’re what? 16, maybe 17? Let’s go downtown and have a nice chat…”

She glared at them, “I am almost 20, and I have a license to own this gun. It’s my damned gun!” The police looked at her, and shook their heads. The young woman lowered the gun, and put the safety on. She ran a hand through her hair, “At least take my sister with you.” She looked worried.

The police sighed, “Fine, Roger, you’ll take her to the station?” His partner nodded, and ushered Alexis to the car, “Anything else, miss?”

Another officer looked at her, “What’s your name? For the report…”

“I’m Regina Burns, and yes… Don’t release my sister to anyone except me or my mother Molly… Molly Fairegold.” Regina rubbed her arm, and pocketed the gun, “Take good care of my sister, please.” She bit her bottom lip as the officer shut the door.

Her father looked to her, “You little bitch,” He murmured heading for the house, “I want you out. Tonight. I’ll beat the hell out of you if you come back, do you understand me?” His eyes burned with a strange fire, “Get out of here…” He shoved her off the porch as he went back into the house.

Regina picked up her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder. She looked down the street as she walked along the sidewalk to the mini-mart down the street. Her hand rummaged in the deep pockets of her jacket, and she found a few crumpled dollars. She looked to the sky as a small droplet of water fell between her eyes and rolled down her face. A bell tinkled as she pushed the door open, and she made her way to the counter.

She leaned on the clear plastic, and slid four dollars, “One pack, James.” She said putting her hand on her face.

The dark haired boy behind the counter raised his eyebrows, “Rough day?” He glanced at the window as he grabbed a pack of cigarettes, “Look at that, coming down pretty damn hard…”

“Rough is an understatement. I almost shot my father today.” She snatched the pack from him and waved her hand, “Keep the change.” Her eyes wandered to the window, “Yeah, great for those of us that have to walk the streets aimlessly waiting for their parents to become sober…”

“You say that every time.” He said rolling his eyes.

“The cops came.” She retorted, taking a cigarette from the pack.

“Well, you shouldn’t go home then.” He shoved her off the counter, “Not in here.”

She looked at him, “Won’t matter, he said he’d kill me if I went back.” She glared at him, “You’re sending me out there?”

“If you want to smoke.” He said, shrugging, “I have other customers.”

She looked around the slightly empty store, and stalked out. Regina looked at the flooding downpour and clutched the coat closer.

Not paying attention to where she was going, Regina bumped into a figure with his hood drawn. She dropped her pack of cigarettes and duffel bag. The figure bent down and reached for her pack, just as she reached for her duffel bag. Their eyes met, and he pulled back his hood.

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to bump into you like that…” He squatted there, holding her pack of cigarettes out to her. He had the most amazingly brilliant green eyes. They were so hard and sharp, like none she’d ever seen before.

Regina looked down, the cold stones set on her pack, “Whatever… It was totally my fault anyway.” She stood up, and attempted to brush past him once he stood.

The man caught her, and pushed her back. His hands rested firmly on her biceps, “Whoa, whoa, can’t you stay and chat?” His dark hair was dripping wet, and his goatee was freshly shaven. His eyes searched for some sign of confirmation.

“No. I… I just need to go, okay? I don’t have time for your flirtatious and completely futile antics.” She scowled at him.

He furrowed his brow in a frown, “Oh, I’m sorry if I offended you… Can I at least get your name?”

She grabbed his wrist, the sleeve of his shirt and hoodie sliding slightly. A shield dripping with blue blood was tattooed there. Her eyes shot back up to him, as he looked at her wide eyed. In a moment he had withdraw his hands, and she had placed a hand to her belt, “It’s reg-…” She looked away, “Reign.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets, “Oh, alright then, be on your way.” He brushed past her.

She turned around and fingered her gun, “Don’t I get to know your name?”

He looked at her again, “Why? You assume you’ll hear it soon?”

“Well, you are in a gang.” She said looking to his wrist.

“Yes. I suppose I am.” He smiled, “It’s Nigi.” He looked at her pocket, “Mind if I have a smoke?”

She pulled two out, having dropped the first into a puddle, “Only if you light mine.” She held out one of the thin sticks.

He took it and placed it between his lips. After a moment of digging in his pockets he found a lighter and lit his cigarette. Then he looked to her, and held his lighter aflame to her.

Reign held the end of the cigarette over the light and then took a long puff, and exhaled, “Thanks.”

He smiled, “No, thank you.”

She looked at him, and raised her brows, “Whatever…” With that she turned around again.

Nigi frowned, “Hey, Reign, you, uh, want to go catch a cup of coffee with me, or something?” He tilted his head, and in a whisper added, “We could sure use some one that could shoot… What the hell, why not a pretty girl?”

She looked at him, “Really? Are you paying?” He nodded, and raised his brows. She nodded, “Fine, but just for a bit.”

Nigi smiled, and looked to the driver of a truck getting gas. He nodded and then opened an umbrella, “I’ll walk you.” The man in the truck grinned and nodded, as the couple walked off together.