The snow that once had fallen is no more. The love that once lasted forever no longer exist. For all we know it’s been a war between ku Chang and lee sung for over 220 years. They went to war that soon ended in an utter defeat. Neither did Chang or sung won the fight. The story says that the warriors fought in Stangers Mountain but soon disappeared and was never seen. By the time the people went to go check out the mountains it was soon discovered that the whole entire mountain was covered with red snow, but none of the bodies was found. When the people came back from the mountains they told that general that there was a strange wind. They said that the wind told them “ Just because you saw it doesn’t mean it happened and for that you will not know but you will feel.” They said that the general played it off till his whole entire team including him got sick and died from an unknown illness. This story has been an urban legend for years. Stranger mountains has now been turned into The Red Snow Mountain and nobody has set foot on the mountain ever since. I looked at the book in my hand and rolled my eyes. “I don’t believe in urban legends or fairytales. There’s no such thing as a happy ending especially with me. With my whole family as a team of assassins we trust our instants not what we read.” I told my best friend Jayla. She looked at me like I was stupid and laughed at me. She said “Hope I don’t know what to do with you.” Even tho I was serious I can’t help but wonder what really happened back in the 1800’s. I couldn’t help but ask myself how come they couldn’t find the body? Not a trace of human remains in sight. My whole life I killed people, I buried people and I cut them up but there was always remains. “Hope? Hope? Are you there? Hope?” Jayla replied but I never answered. She said “I have homework to do I’ll call u later. Have a nice day boo.” And walked out the door not saying any other word. I’m lost in my thoughts wondering what is to come of this world. Sense I was thinking to much I decided to go to sleep. While I was sleeping I heard a faint voice. It kept repeating “Hope get up! Hope get up! Hope run!” And it soon got louder that’s when I suddenly got woke up. I was met face to face with war soldier. I quickly grabbed my sword that was on the side of my bed and placed it up to his neck. When I looked into his eyes it seemed cold. It seemed like he was long gone. I tried to slice his neck up but he drew back into the corner. He stared at me that’s when I saw his eye glow red. He growled at me and charged towards me. I jumped back and jumped off the walls. I took my sword and stabbed him in the place where his heart should be. He was bleeding but he wasn’t dead. I thought to my self in horror “I had a lot of people trying to kill me before. How come he’s different? Why is he not dead I stabbed him in the heart? He should be dead!” He grabbed my sword as threw me and the sword out the window. I was struck by glass in my left eye. I managed to take minimum damage while hitting the ground. The man jumped out the window head first. I moved out the way. His head hit the ground and cracked his skull. I thought it was over so I dropped my guard. The man got back up but he was staggering. At this point I was angry so I used lighten speed to slice his neck then I closed my sword. The man’s body soon dropped to the ground and never moved. “I stabbed him in his heart how did he not die? He cracked open his skull and still was able to move. How in the fucking world was he still able to fight in his condition? How come he ain’t fucking die?” I kept saying to myself. I didn’t go back to sleep that night it was 1hr till I had to go to school. My mom and my dad was out. They left a note on the fridge that said “we’re going on a business trip we’ll be back in three days.” I can’t say I was surprised by what they had said. They always left out the house without warning, but I can’t say it was always like this. When I was little we use to spend time together and we all slept in the same bed. That all soon changed on my 10th birthday but it was to painful I didn’t want to remember it. I grabbed the medical kit, removed the glass from my left eye and patched it up. The glass didn’t hit any major part of my eye so I will be able to see in the about 20 days. On my way walking to school I was lost in thought about this morning. “Who was that guy? Why was he after me? Did my family offend him in some way or his family? What the **** is going on?” I thought. While I was thinking I bumped into somebody. It was a women. She had long red hair and a beautiful figure. She helped me get up. I said “thank you Miss.” She looked at me and said “young lady I’m sorry that I’m being nosy but what happened to your eye?” I put my hand on the patch and said “glass hit it”. She asked me “what’s your name?” Without thinking I told her my name was Hope. She looked at me and smile. Her smile was warm. It looked as if it was like a mother when she first see her baby. She said “well Hope I should be off. I hope your eye get better miss.” As she walked away I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Soon as she disappeared into the crowd I realized I never gotten her name. I stopped looking into the crowd and started back walking to school. Soon as I reached the gate a group of people surrounded me. “I hate crowds.” I mumbled to myself. As I was walking I saw a guy that was brutally beaten up. He was in pain and I couldn’t stand it. This always happens at my school. They always beat up kids for fun and nobody says anything about it including me. I always stay to myself but this even though I don’t know this person I couldn’t stand back and let this happen. He gave off a family type vibe. As he was laying on the floor I walked over there to him. I reached out my hand and said “it’s not good for you to lay on the floor. Do you need help getting up?” He looked at me with a sorrowful smile. His face remained me of somebody but I shrug it off. He said “it’s okay I got it. Thanks for helping me up.” I grabbed his had and pulled him up off the ground. I shrugged my shoulders and said “it’s good. Jus stay safe next time okay.” I said it with a smile on my face. His sorrowful smile turned into a full of joy smile and I was some what happy. After I helped him up to his feet I walked away without him. He called out to me but I ignored him and disappeared into the crowd. I finally gotten to my class and sat down in my seat. The teacher said “rise, bow, sit” I sat down in my seat and gazed at the door. A figure walked in. “It was that boy that was hurt at the front of the school.” I said to myself. The teacher said “Class. This is the new student Takiyama Mesuke. He is from Japan.” The teacher too her eyes off of him and looked towards me. She said “Mr. Mesuke. Please take a seat over there near the window.” Takiyama came up close to me and said “We meet again.” I said “mhm” and looked away from him. When class was over I stayed behind to catch up on my studying. He stayed behind and looked at me in my eyes. He said “Hope? How come you don’t eat with your friends?” I don’t even look at him I kept my nose in my book and said “ I don’t have any friends.” He said “ That’s a bummer you should have a lot of friends. Since you seem cool and all.” I said “mhm” but I still kept my eyes on the book. After I thought about it I realized nobody said my name. I looked up at him and we made eye contact. His eyes looked familiar and I’m not going to lie I scared me a little, but I didn’t let it show. Even though I know he don’t wanna have a smile on his face. I was going to ask him how do he know my name but class started and I didn’t wanna ask anymore. When school was out for the day I was packing up my bags. Tankiyama left his math book. I decided to pick it up and give it to him. I followed him down this alley way. Since it was mid-sunset I wanted to hurry up and get home. I said “ Tankiyama come get your book. You left it in class.” He paused but he didn’t answer. I didn’t move closer because something bout it was sketchy. He swayed back and for the mumbling to him self. I said “Well if you want it it’s on the ground.” He stopped swaying but he kept mumbling to his self. I went home and I decided to cook me some food instead of take out. I guess I was still shocked about what happened today. Two strange things in one day is crazy. I went into the living room and turned on the news. “ Brocasting live.” The news lady said “ I am on Kane street near an ally where a murd scene has taken place. I was told that the bodies was never found but blood was everywhere.” I dropped the television remote in shock. “ I was on Kane street. Don’t tell me. Was it Takiyama?” I said to my self in shock.

The news didn’t say anything else about it; but it still left my mind wondering. Mid thought I got a text messages from Uncle Tony. The only time uncle Tony ever text me is for a damn mission. I picked up the phone and opened the message. It said “Hope meet me at the convenience store 25 minutes away from your house. Make sure you are not followed. Come here ASAP.” I looked at it and rolled my eyes. “What did he mean by make sure I’m not followed. I guess I got to stay on guard.” I grabbed my sword and put it in a golf bag, I put on my mask and my hoodie to make sure I’m not seen and nobody would notice that I left out the house. Instead of walking out the door I went through the window. Little did I know what was lurking in the dark. As I was walking to the store I looked at my phone to see the time. “If I don’t run into any complications on my way it should take less then 25 minutes.” I was walking down the street to the convenience store almost about 16 minutes and 30 seconds away. I kept feeling like somebody had there eyes on me. I felt like it was moving closer. I turned around and met a blade to my cheek. I took out my sword and tried to hit them when they was open. They moved quickly and I could hit them. I was on my guard. I could tell it was a female cause we made eye contact and I look at her body movement. “Move to the left and then hit her from the right.” I said to myself. I ran and she automatically went right like she read my mind or some shit. “ I got to follow her every movement in order to get her out of my way.” I said to myself. She ran towards me super fast and I couldn’t keep up. She came and hit me in my rib cage with the back of her sword. I couldn’t keep up it’s like she knew what I was thinking. “Damn this chick is fast” I mumbled. “What are you doing here why are you after me?” I asked but she didn’t answered me. She hit me in my face and sliced me in my arm. “I can’t move as fast as her but what if.” Something came to me I have to check and see if my theory is right, so I ran passed her and she turned around followed me. “Hope hit a right .” I said to myself. I ran really fast and instead of turning right I hit a left. But I jumped on the rooftop to see her. She ran right she said “ How the **** did I lose her. Her thoughts told me that she would move right. Where the **** did she go?” So since I finally gotten answer I need I can use this to my advantage. I told myself since I was on the rooftops I should run straight. She heard my thoughts and followed me straight. I stop thinking and acted on impulse. When i closed my eyes and held my breathe I ran to her and everything started to moved in slow motion except for me. i opened my eyes and I took her blade out her hand and threw it as far away as I could. I hit her pressure points, so she wouldn’t be able to get up while I try to go to the convince store. Soon as I was done I exhaled and everything was moving back to the way it was. She female fell down to the floor and asked “What did you do to me?” I said “Don’t worry you’ll be okay give it about a good 4 minutes.” I looked at the clock and realized I didn’t have enough time left so I took a short cut. I couldn’t use my power again because I am weak especially when my eye didn’t fully heal yet. I got to the convenience store just in time. I walked in and my uncle was looking at me. He said “ Hope my niece you look bad. What could’ve happened to you while you was on your way to me?” I told him “none of your got damn concern.” He looked me dead in my eyes and said “is that anyway to talk to your uncle?” I rolled my eyes in disgust. I said “what mission do I have this time?” “ I’m going to have to wait to tell you that information. We are waiting on somebody else.” He said to me. I brought fruit punch drink and waited.10 minutes later the door to the convenience store. My uncle said “Ja’nia you finally made it back.” I looked at her and I recognized her. “Your the girl that attacked me!” I yelled. She looked at me and said “ yes I’m sorry I was ordered to do so by your dear uncle.” I looked at my uncle in rage. He tried to hug me and kiss me while saying “Oh my darling niece Hope did she hurt you so bad to the point you gotta look at me like that?” I was pushing him away with all my might. I said “listen here old man first off I’m not your darling. Second who the **** is she and why did you send her after me. So help me god if you did it to play with me I’ll chop your head off. Thirdly I want my answers answered fully no gaps in it. You got it?” He said “ Is that anyway to talk to you uncle my Hopey Pooh?” I looked at him rolled my eyes and was about to walk out the door until he said “ Okay Hope come back and sit I’ll explain everything to you.” I walked over there sat down with my legs crossed and my arms folded. He said “ Hope this is Ja’nia. Ja’nia is one of the top ninjas in the ninja clan. The ninja clan sent her to the assassination clan so she could help with some missions. Sense you are one of the top ten assassin right there beside me and your parents I decided to partner you two up. At first I was skeptical I didn’t think you and her was perfectly matched so I sent her out to fight. So now I have a question for you my dear niece. Did you find out what her special ability was?” I looked at him and said” Yes is have. While we was fighting I realized she was reading my mind. I didn’t find out at first. At first I jus that she was think on her feet and jus thought of which way I would move, but then I thought about it. There’s no way that she could’ve known every last move that I was gonna make. I didn’t know what to do but then I stopped thinking and she stopped moving. Then I realized she was reading my mind. Even though this was only a theory and I wasn’t every certain fit was correct but I had to try. When I stop telling my self where I was going she was lost and couldn’t find me but when I thought to myself that I was safe on the roof she looked at the roof. That’s how I found out.” Ja’nia looked at me like she was surprised that I pieced it all together while thinking fast on my feet. My uncle looked at Ja’nia and said “Ja’nia please tell Hope about your self sense y’all are going to be partners. Y’all should get better acquainted and build up on your trust. I know that an assassin and ninja don’t really mixed well but atleast try to for today.” Uncle T got up and walked out the convenience store and said “I’ll leave y’all to it. Have fun kids.” Ja’nia looked at me and said “ okay Hope what is your story. I noticed that when you and your uncle was talking you looked like you despised him. What is that all about?” I looked at her and said “I don’t wanna talk about that. How about you tell me your story first. How did you story go.” Ja’nia stopped looking at me and started looking at her fingers. I said “ Ja’nia you don’t have to talk about the past if you don’t want to. I can’t make you do something that you don’t want to.” She said “ It’s okay I’ll tell you I just don’t like talking about it so please don’t have me to repeat this story especially if I don’t wanna talk about it okay?” I nodded my head showing that I agree with her.

I was an infant when my mom left me. The sad thing about it all was she left me at the prostitution range. Her pimp took me to the orphanage in stead of raising me and make me live the life that women lived. I gues he pitied me but to be honest I don’t think of her as if she was my mom she was jus the person who gave birth to me nothing more and nothing less. That women don’t deserve the title mother. I lived in an orphanage my whole life. I was always picked on because of not having a mom. The only time I wasn’t picked on was when I was in the fifth grade. I finally found a family that loved me well part of the family. My step adopted mother didn’t like me cause my adopted dad payed more attention to me than to her. She would wait till my dad went to work and tell me to do the chores cook dinner and clean the entire yard. But as I gotten more attention from my dad she started to making the punishment more harder. I went from chores to getting abused by her. She would grab a bat and hit me with it while I would clean and hit my with a metal pole in my sleep and she would give my a little bit of food. When my bruises was to notice able she would say I would fight a lot with the kids in the neighborhood and because I was scared I agreed. So my dad thinks I’m a Juvenile delinquent. But when I was at new school where nobody knew me I felt safe a secured. At first I thought they was gonna pick on me about how I look but the kids didn’t mind. Some actually found it cool in a way. I was eating dinner by myself wondering what will happen when I get home. Two kids came up to me and said “hey! My name is Eh and her name is Nicole. Welcome to our school. You look so cool and healthy. Can I ask you something? ” I looked at her with a smile and said “Sure ask away.” She said “ when you eat do they go straight to your thighs because your belly is on flat.” I dropped my head to hide my tears “I think they go down to my thighs.” I couldn’t tell her I stopped eating because of the abuse that was inflicted upon me by my step mom. Nicole saw that I was in comfortable with the question and changed the subject. She grabbed me and said “Well what do you have planned for today after school Hope?” I looked at her and said “ I have to go home to my dad and my step mom they’re waiting for me there.” She sat down beside me and said “What a bummer. Well if you wanna go out one day here’s my number.” She grabbed my arm and wrote her number then she got up and left. After I was done eating I went to the classroom and went to sleep. When the bell rung and woke me up. I packed up my stuff and started to walk home. As I was about to walk into the house I noticed that there was security cameras put up. It was small but easily see able especially when you know the house from head to toe. My step mother hit me with a her hand soon as I came in the house and grabbed me by my neck. She grabbed me and dragged to the living room and screamed at me saying “YOU SLUT. YOU *****. YOUR JUST LIKE YOUR PROSITUTE OF A MOTHER. YOU TRYING TO STILL MY HUSBAND AWAY FROM ME. BITCH IMMA MAKE YOU FEEL MY PAIN” while cuting me with a knife and punching me in my face with her fist. She hit me in my face and I blacked out. When my hearing cut back on all I heard was sirens. My vision came back to me slowly and barely visible, but it was visible enough to see my adopted dad holding my hands crying and saying “Please don’t take her away from me. Please give her a chance to live. Please.” I tried to tell him that it’s going to be okay but I couldn’t talk. Instead of talking I went back unconscience. When I woke up I was in the hospital. I looked around at first than I said “ Pop pop where am I?” My dad was sleep so I pressed the button that said pressed when client woke up. I guess it notified the doctors because the nurse and the doctor rushed in. My dad immediately woke up. The next thing I saw was tears in my Dad’s eyes. The doctored was shocked. They said that I was suppose to be dead by tomorrow morning. I looked over to the doctor “how long was I in the hospital?” She said “two months.” I couldn’t show any facial expressions all I could do was stare off wondering how in the hell did I just lose two months of my life. The next thing I felt was tears. The tears was so warm falling down my face. It was like a waterfall full of hot water falling down my face. My dad came to hug me but all I could do is cry. The doctor walked out the room to give us a moment. When he put his hands around me it fault as warm as my tears. He kept repeating “I’m sorry. I am so so so sorry. I should’ve been a better father.” I tried to speak and tell him that it’s not his fault he didn’t do anything but I couldn’t open my mouth and find my voice. Even though I couldn’t find the strength to move my my arms and legs I still pressed my face against his shoulder showing him it’s going to be okay. But if I’m being completely honest part of me fault as if it didn’t. And little did I know I was right.