《Inheritance Side Stories》 Origins: Claire Dirty and determined, Claire walked down the street. Her belly cramped from lack of anything to eat, "I blew that asshole last night for a place to sleep, but no way him or anyone else is getting my cunt unless they earn it," The uncouth language makes her smile a little as she mumbles to herself, "Worthless fucking mom, so wrapped up in herself that she can''t even look out for her own kids, and that piece of shit she''s with," Claire shudders. Stepping around a corner, she doesn''t even see the man she runs straight into, "Tha fuck out of my way!" She growls before she even sees the man. When she lays eye on him, she comes up short. He''s a young man, but powerfully built. Dressed in leathers and several gang tattoos are visible on his neck and face. Oops. The guy reaches out, , grabbing her by the front of her shirt and slamming her against the brick wall to their side. Clair''s head swims, lights exploding in her vision as her head slams into the solid surface. "I think you owe me a proper apology," The man growls, his teeth are stained from tobacco and his breath is enough to make her blanch. Between the stench of the man''s breath and the throbbing pain in her head, she''d probably throw up all over herself if she had anything in her stomach to actually throw up, "Sorry," She manages with a whimper. "Not good enough, you''re a cute little thing, I''m going to take you back to my crib," He reaches out and roughly gropes one of her budding breasts, "You''re going to apologize with your little pussy, then you''re going to apologize to all my buddies." A wave of panic goes through Claire, sobering her thoughts as she takes in everything at once. It''s like the whole world slows down, every detail happening in slow motion. The man is clean shaved, a crinkled cigarette dangling from his lips. A metal stud pierces his left eyebrow and there''s a scar over the other eye in the same place as if there was once one there as well. Her eyes move down his body, seeing the way his neck is strained with the exertion of pressing her against the wall. His leather jacket is open, revealing a black shirt with the logo of some band she''s never heard of before seeing the white marble handle of a pistol tucked into the front of his jeans, He''s going to kill me, But it''s not until her eyes fall on her own feel dangling nearly a foot off the ground that she truly begins to appreciate the size of the man. When her eyes flicker back up to his face, she sees the cherry of his cigarette glow brighter as he draws on it. There''s a wicked glint in his eye as a smile starts to form on his lips. Not going to happen you thick bastard, She thinks to herself, wondering if her brother would be more proud of her determination, or more disappointed in her language. Adrenaline coursing through her body, the man doesn''t even have time for his smile to finish forming on his lips before she lashes out. Her fist catches him right in the throat. Not with enough force to hurt him seriously, but it distracts him, and more importantly he loosens his grip on her. As her weight falls on her shirt, she lifts her arms, falling to the ground while leaving the thug with only her shirt in his hand. She reaches out quickly, grabbing the pistol from his pants. With one foot, she catches the man in the side of the knee, causing the man to fall. She points and pulls the trigger, then she pulls it harder, but no amount of force will cause the weapon to fire. In front of her, the man is already getting back to his feet, murder in his eyes as he pivots toward her. Claire''s fight of flight instinct kicks in and she turns to run. Dressed in jeans and a bra, with a pistol in her hand, she sprints as if her life depends on it. Behind her, she can hear the man following. When she nears an alley, she quickly ducks into it in the hopes of finding a way to lose the man, but she''s horrified to see the alley end in a wall about twenty paces in. She''s still trying to come up with a solution, never even bothering to slow down in her headlong rush. Then she sees her chance. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. She jumps, her foot catching the brick wall, then she pushes off with every ounce of strength she has. She catches the fire escape ladder full in the face, clinging to it with her free hand while tossing the pistol up onto the landing. Blood is flowing freely from her nose by the time she''s able to drag herself up onto the landing. And not a moment too soon. She has just enough time to scoop up the pistol before she sees the man she is running from reach the alley. Her shirt is still clutched in his fist as he comes to a stop, his eyes searching the alley for where she might have gone There''s movement somewhere further in the alley, but she''s so focused on the man entering the man that it might as well be a world away. Her eyes dart between the man and the pistol in her hands. Looking at the gun, she sees a little round protrusion near the slide, How fucking stupid could I be? Safety was on. "Come out little girl, there''s no place to run," The man says, anger clear in his voice, "You come out now, I''ll rape you first then kill you fast, you make me look for you and I''m going to make you wish you were never born." Joke''s on you arsehole, I already wish I was never born, Claire thinks grimly, breathing through her mouth. The blood running from her nose tickles her lips as it runs down her face, though she doesn''t dare reach to wipe it away for fear that her moving will draw his attention. I''ve never shot one of these before, She thinks of the gun in her hand, her heart racing like it''s never done before in her life. When the man is almost directly below her, she shifts her weight, prepared to move. Down the alley, she''s dimly aware that one of the doors is part way open. A drop of blood drips from her chin, striking the man on the back of the neck. He looks up. The second that follows is a blur to her. Claire steps off the landing, gun aimed downward. Her feet catch the man on the shoulders. She grabs a fist full of his hair with one hand and screams. Her other hand shoves the gun against his shoulder right where it meets his neck. The kick from the gun is enough to jerk her hand into the air, her fingers going numb and the pistol careening out of her grip. Under her, the man goes limp as if he''s a puppet with his strings suddenly cut. She rides him down, landing on her feet with one hand on the ground in front of her to catch her balance. Already her eyes are darting around for the gun and she sprints the short distance to the weapon, snatching it up and spinning toward the man. She takes a deep breath, but doesn''t lower the gun when she sees no sign of movement from the man. A sudden creak from behind her causes Claire to pivot, pulling the trigger even before she knows what she''s shooting at. To her credit she keeps hold of the gun this time, even if the shot goes wild and strikes the wall nearly three stories up. "Shit girl! Put that thing down before you hurt someone who doesn''t deserve it!" A older black man says, his beard peppered with white. Claire takes in the sight of him. He''s missing a hand, replaced with one of those claw prosthetics she''s seen in the movies before, dressed in simple clothes, there''s a dirty apron covering his front. Her aim adjusts directly toward the man when she sees a gun in his hand, "Yeah that''s not happening. I''ve been at the mercy of every bloody tosser I''ve met since leaving home, never again." The man takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a long second before he lowers his own pistol, "Ok, keep it, just don''t point it at me unless I do something to deserve it." Claire can hear someone talking inside the building, but can''t make out the words. The man glances toward the door and speaks loudly, "It''s alright Lilly, it''s nothing serious. Can you take the first aid kit to my office and see if you can''t scrape up a hot meal. I''m just talking to someone who could use a little help." "My name''s Brandon," His eyes turn back to Claire, "This is the back door to the city soup kitchen," His eyes move from the dead thug, her shirt still in his hand, then to her dirty and bloody appearance, "What you did just now, I caught part of that, you''re quick and you''re resourceful, good qualities for a kid on the street. I just wish I would have been quick enough to help," His eyes move to her gun again. This time, she lowers it part way, but still keeps it pointed in his general direction. "What you just did, he probably deserved it and more, I won''t judge," He sighs, "I probably shouldn''t, but I''m going to help you," Claire had the gun pointed back at him even before he can finish speaking, "You''re going to put that thing away, and we''re going to get you a hot meal. Your gun can be our little secret, but the others working inside are going to get really skittish if they see it." Regular knight in shining armor, ain''t he, She thinks skeptically. "Here''s what I want you to do. We''re going to switch spots. I''m going to make that guy go away before people can ask any unwanted questions. If the cops get involved, they''re going to want to take you home, and something tells me that''s not something you want. You''re going to take your shirt and put it on, then put that gun away before going inside. My office is the first one on the right, you go in there and wait. We''ll take care of your cuts and scrapes, get you a hot meal, and see if we can''t find you a cot so you don''t have to sleep on the ground tonight." As Claire moves toward the alley door, she stays as far away from the man as she can, not putting away the pistol until she''s at the back door, What the fuck have I gotten myself into? She wonders as she steps inside. Side story: Candy Store It''s still strange to take them out like this, You think as Anna clutches your arm just a little too tightly. Meanwhile you hold Eve''s hand on the other side to prevent her from bounding off to who knows here. "Can I go into the candy store?" Eve says, looking up at you with barely restrained excitement in her eyes. Anna barely seems to hear as she looks at the stores along the road with a mixture of fear and wonder. You consider for a moment, "Yeah, we can go in," You finally say. "No, by myself, I''m big enough to go in without anyone else," She says. Her mischievous smile is nearly enough to dissuade you, but you finally relent. I keep telling myself that I''m trying to give them a normal life. To do that, I''ve got to give them some control over their own lives. "Ok," You say reluctantly, releasing her hand and reaching for your wallet. Opening it, you start to reach for a twenty, but before you can Eve reaches out and snatches a whole stack of bills from your leather billfold. "Thank you!" Eve exclaims before darting into the store before you can protest. Anna finally seems to notice something is going on and looks first at you, then at where Eve just was. You can see the question clear in her features. "She''ll be fine. She''s just going into the candy store for a minute," You say in an effort to ward off her worry. She fidgets, clutching your arm just a little harder, "Are you sure it''s ok?" There''s just a faint tremor in her voice. You can see that she''s trying to look into the store, trying to see where her sister might have gone. As the minutes tick on, Anna becomes more and more tense. Between Anna''s growing agitation, and the thought of what Eve might be doing with all the money she just took from you. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. When Eve finally exits the store, she''s holding two large bags in one hand, and a massive fountain drink in the other. You can see her cheeks hollowed as she sucks at the straw, and around her lips are clear smudges from candy that she has already eaten. While Anna seems to relax at the sight of Eve, her arm full of goodies makes you wonder just how hyper the young woman is going to be shortly, "What took you so long?" You think to ask. She grins around the straw before she releases it from between her lips, "Had to get a refill, they give free refills," She says in a rush. Refill? That drink is huge. "The candy in there is SO good. I love the cotton candy, and the caramel, and the milk chocolate, and the gummy bears," She continues in a rush. "You''re supposed to pay for candy before you eat it," You say firmly. Eve''s eyes widen as her grin grows, "Free samples! I tried EVERYTHING!" She says gleefully. "And did you say ''refill?'' for that?" You''re amazed she drank so much already. My God, she''s going to need the bathroom before we get home. "Anna!" She exclaims, reaching into one of the bags she produces a bag of cotton candy that she thrusts toward her sister, "Cotton candy! Try it! It''s AWESOME!" Anna reluctantly takes the bag. Meanwhile, you lead both of them back toward the car. You can tell that Eve is already well on her way to a sugar rush, but you strongly suspect that it is barely beginning. When you have both of them in the car, you quickly get in and start toward home, watching in horror in the rear view mirror as Eve shoves one piece of candy after another into her face, punctuated by long drags from the drink she is clutching in front of herself. You''re only half way home when you hear the words you fear the most, "I''ve got to go potty," Eve whines, just a hint of urgency in her tone. "You''re going to have to hold it, there''s nowhere to stop between here and home. I''ll stop right in front of the house if you have to go that bad," You reply. She mumbles something, but there''s no further comment from Eve right away. "I''ve got to go potty," Eve says again a couple of minutes later. This time you hear a little more urgency in her tone. "Stop drinking that soda," You say to her, hoping to minimize the problem at the source. "It''s empty," She whines. Great, you think sarcastically. Glancing in the rear view mirror, you can see Eve squirming, "Just a little further," You try to reassure her. Eve is making whining sounds by the time the mansion comes into sight When you slow in front of the mansion, Eve bursts from the car even before you''ve come to a complete stop, running for the front door. You watch her go, feeling a bit of humor as you see that she''s still holding both bags of candy as she vanishes into the mansion. The Beginning "I''m so close. So close. A few more weeks and I''ll have it." Dave thinks to himself, his notes spread nearly out across the countertop and a vial of off white fluid twirling between his fingers absently. "A couple more tests, then I save her. We''ll have our happily ever after. She''ll be happy, healthy, and young forever." The thought puts a smile on his face. As if the simple thought of testing summoned her, one of the girls he had purchased appears in the doorway of the lab. "And maybe I can stop putting these poor girls through hell with these endless tests." "You know better than to interrupt me when I''m working. He snips at her. However, as soon as the words leave his lips, he knows something is wrong. There''s fear in her eyes, unshed tears threatening to spill down her face. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Come quickly, it''s Belle." Dave is out of his seat and rushing for the door even before he realizes he''s moved. He shoves past the girl, not even really seeing her as he darts through the door. It''s not until he reaches the top of the stairs that he realizes he has no idea where he is going. He has a heartbeat of pure panic, then his eyes fall on two maids near the bottom of the entry hall stairs. Before he even knows he''s in motion, he''s running that direction, roughly shoving one of the maids out of the way, he looks down on Belle, clearly haven fallen down the stairs and her limbs twisted into impossible angles. The sound that escapes his lips is like a wounded animal, anguish rising up in him in a wave that threatens to completely overwhelm everything he is, everything he was, and everything he would ever become. He nearly drowns in his own despair before he realizes that Belle is looking at him, not dead in spite of the massive trauma to her body. Through the pain, tears in her eyes, she smiles at him. Her lips part and it clearly pains her to draw breath to speak. "Love you." Belle says in barely more than a whisper. "More than anything." The last word tapers off in a rattle deep in her chest as the light seems to leave her eyes. END. The End "Great Grandma?" A girl, not yet in her teens steps close to a woman, perhaps in her late thirties. Far too young to be this girls'' Great Grandmother, at least at first glance. The older woman smiles, several lifetimes of wisdom in her eyes. She puts an arm around the girl and pulling her close in a hug. Without hesitation, the girl returns the gesture. The small girl''s bright red pigtails shift as she turns her head to look up at her great-grandmother. "Mom is worried about you. She thinks you spend too much time out here." She says, turning her gaze to where the older woman is looking. With a little smirk, the older woman glances toward the mansion from across the expanse of the estate''s back yard. "Your mother worries too much." She falls silent for a little while, then speaks again. "Everyone seems to rush into the future, always worried about what comes next, what tomorrow will bring. It''s a shame really, so many people lose the past, forget where they came from, and don''t appreciate what brought them to the present. Mind, the future is important, but the past is every bit as important." The younger woman turns her gaze back to her great-grandmother. "Is that why you come out here for a few minutes every day?" "Yeah." The older woman says. "But I won''t bore you with the story again." The girl seems to draw herself up a little straighter. "I like it when you tell me the story. Like you just said, the past is important, you''re my great grandmother, so in a way, your past is my past." With tears in her eye, the older woman hugs the younger a little tighter. "Don''t tell anyone, but you''re my favorite." Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. A mischievous smile tugs at the corner of her lips. "I know." "You know you''re too smart for your own good sometimes." The older woman says. The older woman turns her eyes toward the small graveyard, less than a dozen headstones in total. "That one is my grandpa?" The girl asks, pointing at one of the stones. "Yeah, my son. He was a good man just like his father. He lived a good life, passed away at the ripe old age of 89. You were born about a week later." A tear begins to crawl down the side of the older woman''s face, following the curve of her nose. "No parent should ever have to out live their child." She says, clearly to herself. After a short silence, she continues, mentioning who each person is, talking briefly about each of them until only a single headstone with two names on it remained. "I always thought my sister would pass first. It broke my heart when she proved me right. She had so much heartache and hurt inside of her. What happened to our parents, she knew what really happened and kept it bottled up inside of herself. She put herself through horror to protect me, and even once she fell in love with our husband, there was always some small part of her that was scared to be happy, like she thought she didn''t deserve it. Even so, she lived a full life, passing away of old age." The older woman smirks. "But even though she was scared to be happy, he made her happier than anyone I''ve ever known." With those words, her eyes shift slightly, looking at the other name on the stone. "Your great-grandfather married both of us. Some people thought that was wrong, but there was something special about him. He made me and my sister whole, and I''d like to think we did the same for him." She dabs at her eyes before continuing her story. "He gave us our lives, in more ways then one, and the bad man before him that made me young." She nods at the stone. "He was the one who found a way to let me grow old, even if he never found a way to make me age normally. It takes me a little longer to get older." There''s a long silence. "After my sister passed, I expected him to stay with me, but he surprised me. The very next day he walked out here, laid down beside her and never got up. He died of heartache. He loved us both, but there was a part of him that couldn''t survive the loss of even one of us." She turns toward the younger woman, kneeling and hugging her a little tighter. "For me, I just chose to pour my heart into our children, and then our grand children, and great grand children." "My mom looks as old as you are. Will you live forever?" The younger girl asks suddenly. The older woman regards her for a moment, considering her words before replying. "Not forever. But for a long time. I''ll be an old woman when your great-grandkids are born." "I was named after you. I''m glad I was named after you." The girl states matter-of-fact. "I know Eve, that was my idea, your mother was named after my sister, so it just sort of felt right." The older woman finishes speaking, dabbing at her eyes again. The girl suddenly grins. "I know what will make both of us happier." Eve raises an eyebrow at her great granddaughter. "I figured out where they hid the cookies." The younger Eve states with a mischievous grin. When the pair starts back toward the mansion, they are already laying their plans for how to steal the cookies, and how best to share them between themselves. END.