EARTH'S DEFENDERS: battle for survival

The funeral was held in their hometown. A somber gathering of families, friends, relatives, coworkers, their teachers, and Agatha's friends who came to pay their respects. It was the cloudiest day of Denise's life. Even the black theme of the day seemed pale compared to the darkness that had taken residence in her heart. Realizing she would never again taste Mom’s cookies, feel her fingers brushing her hair, or make love cards on Dad’s birthday made her lose taste for living.

Denise was only able to survive because of her sister, who became the rock she leaned on.

After days of intense discussions between the two families, it was decided that it was best the girls go live with Aunt Lilian, who was a widow.

So that was how they left the city for the quiet life of the town. Aunt Lilian always made them feel comfortable and happy, going the extra mile to do that. She was genuinely kind to them, and Denise was grateful they had her. But, no matter how warm her home was, she could never replace their parents.

Aunt Lilian worked at the local postal office, and every time she went to work, Denise and her sister would wander down to the stream, enjoying the serene silence that wrapped around the water. It became their refuge. But Saturdays were much more lively, they could go to the movies, parks, or attend gallery auctions, and they even went camping once. Sundays were for church, long hours of sermons followed by Bible quizzes at home, where the winner could request anything she wanted. Denise wished she could have her parents back, but that was impossible, even to the Almighty God.

Agatha still kept in touch with her friends, and when they came visiting, they brought large bags of chips, vanilla cupcakes, and plenty of sweets for Denise. Life seemed okay, or at least that's what everyone thought. Unknown to them, Denise was being bullied.

The girls in the neighborhood had become a constant pain in the ass. At first, it was just verbal taunts and mocking, which she shrugged off, telling herself the girls were just acting out because of their own broken homes. But the harassment escalated quickly. Soon they were throwing sticks at her, yet she stayed silent, afraid that if she spoke up, she would be sent away.

Sadly, things didn't go as she hoped. That day, on her way back home from the salon, she was cornered by two mean-looking girls, who blocked her path. “What do you want?” She asked, glancing around for anyone who might help, but it was a lonely pathway.

The taller girl stepped forward, landing a brutal blow to Denise's nose. She cried out and stumbled as the girl taunted, “Come on, get up and fight me back, you little piece of shit.”

Denise got up, one hand clamped over her nose as warm blood seeped through her fingers.

“Oh, looks like someone got a broken nose,” the second girl sneered, kicking her on the stomach. “But that's not going to stop us from teaching you a lesson,” she added with a vicious kick to Denise’s face, sending her collapsing to the ground.

Blood dripped from Denise’s mouth as she tried to get up, but a sharp pain tore through her body, forcing her back down. The world turned blurry, and the ground spun beneath her. One of the girls picked up a large stick and raised it, aiming it at her. Denise closed her eyes, bracing for the worst when a familiar voice cut through the chaos.

“Don’t you dare.”

She opened her eyes to see the girl with the stick charging at her sister, but Agatha moved quickly, dodging the wild swing before sending the attacker crashing to the ground with a sharp kick to the chest. Without hesitation, she went after the other girl, pinning her to the ground. Agatha grabbed a sharp-edged stone and pointed it at the girl's face.

“Please,” the girl begged through tears, “I wasn't the one hurting her, please.” Agatha's eyes blazed with fury. “If you ever lay a finger on my sister ever again, I promise I will hunt you down and torture you to death.”

“I won't… I swear, please let me go.” She whimpered. The other girl, still on the ground, scrambled backwards on her palms, realizing too late that Agatha wasn't the kind of person you picked a fight with.

“Get lost.” Agatha ordered.

Neither of the girls needed to be told twice before they stumbled to their feet, tripping over each other as they ran down the path, without looking back. Only when they were gone did Agatha let the stone fall from her hand. The rage drained from her face as she turned to Denise lying on the ground. “Are you okay?” she asked softly, lifting her gently as she inspected her injuries.

“I think my nose is broken,” Denise muttered. Agatha crouched down and guided Denise onto her back. She obeyed, resting her face against her sister's shoulder, arms wrapped loosely around her.

“No more going out alone,” Agatha stated, her voice firm but trembling with fear she couldn't hide. Denise didn’t reply, as the pain made speaking difficult.

“Ow…ouch, it hurts,” she winced when the nurse cleaned her nose.

“Don’t worry, it isn’t broken,” she assured her. “Just a small cut.”

“I’m all done,” she added soothingly, applying the pain reliever and plastic strips. Denise got some stitches on her face; that would definitely leave a scar, but that was the least of her worries. She was more shaken by Aunt Lilian's reaction. She hadn’t seen her cry since the funeral. She blamed herself for not protecting her, and her anger extended to the girls' parents as well. But soon enough, the bullying stopped, and the girls who once tormented Denise avoided her like a plague. That, at least, brought her some relief.

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