Chapter 13- Hurtful Memories

The next morning, Zena wakes to the sound of bustle in the kitchen once again, and a strong smell of sizzling meat drifts through the small house. She smiles faintly to herself as she lies in bed and drinks in the feel of the morning, thinking that it must be a dream for her to be experiencing such a wonderful morning.  She basks in the shaft of sunlight pouring in through the window above her bed, her eyes closed as she stretches like a kitten in the warmth of the sun. She sighs and sits up in bed, pulls the sheets around her, and scurries to her dresser.  She pulls out a pair of black cotton sweat pants and a thin black cotton t-shirt that look like they’ve never been worn.  She meanders languidly out of her room and quietly into the bathroom to freshen up, paying little attention to the sounds coming from the kitchen.  As she showers, she slowly finishes pulling herself out of the dream-like state she’s in, and the scent of her warm vanilla shampoo fills her nostrils.  The warm water flows over her, and her muscles relax as if by command.  Again she sighs, happy with her current state.  She rinses off and then steps out of the shower, drying herself as she does so.  She changes into her clothes and brushes her hair back into a high pony, then dries her face and pads back into her room to pull on socks and her heeled boots.  Then, after she is satisfied with herself, she shuffles out to the kitchen to see what’s been cooked up for breakfast.  She stands in her doorway and leans against the frame as she watches a similar scene as the day before play out before her.   

Wolf places a plate at each spot on the table and smiles casually at her as he takes his seat.  Zena takes her seat and closes her eyes as she pulls the savory scent into her nose, the gamey smell of the roast bird, the spicy smell of the spices, and the tangy smell of the lemon. She smiles happily, her eyes still closed, her mind slowly fading back to her childhood. 

                In her mind, she sees a young girl in pigtails, trotting carelessly into the kitchen before school.  The smell of pancakes and maple syrup fills the air. The delicious aroma of maple sausage and eggs follows close behind.  The small girl with the dark pigtails and large eyes climbs into a wooden chair at her table and watches her mother dish her up breakfast.  Her mother places a heaping plate in front of her ten year old daughter, kisses her forehead, and sits next to her at the table while she eats.  A father walks in with the morning paper and folds it under his arm.  He leans in and kisses first his daughter and then his wife on the cheek. 

                “How are my favorite girls this morning?” The Father asks as he takes a cup out of the cupboard and pours himself a cup of fresh coffee.

                “Really good, Daddy!” The young girl replies happily, making small patterns with her fork in her syrup and watching them fill back up slowly with the excitement of a child.

Her parents smile and her father takes his coffee cup with him as he kisses both of his ‘girls’ goodbye before work.  Once he leaves, the young girl eats quickly and finishes, hurrying as to not miss the bus for school.  She swings her backpack onto her back and rushes out the door, waving good-bye to her mother and heading for the bus stop.

A tear falls slowly down Zena’s face and her vision starts to blur.  Her face burns and her eyes start to hurt, she pushes back from the table violently, shifting her plate and glass dangerously close to the edge of the table. She gets up and rushes back to her room, slamming the door shut and launching herself into her bed, burying her head in a pillow. 

Wolf looks down at the meal he had prepared, confused and trying to figure out what was wrong with it.  Unsure what is wrong, but not willing to take a chance, he pushes his plate away and scratches his head worriedly.  He had never had a mentor before, nor had he known anyone who had had a mentor, but he was pretty sure making your mentor cry and rush to her room on the third day of you being there was NOT a good way to get on their good side…

He got up and cleared the table,  then wandered around the house for a bit before going to the living area to change into training clothes, suddenly unsure about what he was supposed to be doing…

Reviews

[Meat of Dog]

I like that Zena was able to wake up happy in this chapter, as opposed to her usual alert and focused antics. Her parents seem really nice, I'm sad that RFK murdered them, and caused her to abandon a potentially normal life to become an assassin (just because it is so abnormal and dangerous). I felt bad for Zena when her memories caused her to run away from the kitchen. However, it's nice that she is becoming able to show her more intimate emotions when Wolf is near, it feels like trust. Also, the fact that Wolf doesn't know what to do when Zena is out of the room keeps them tied together, as he needs her direction.

other suggestions:

-"the spicy smell of the spices" this is a little repetitive. I would find a different word than spicy to describe spices (it's also vague).

-"start to hurt, she" I would put a semi colon here instead of a coma

[Coyote Poetry]

A very good chapter. Even the hardest of people can be brought down by memories. I like the internal thoughts of Wolf. A excellent chapter. Thank you.
Coyote