Warriors: Rising

April 1998

Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada

Cold. The cold, freezing winds continued to whip across her face and she trudged through the snow. The large empty plains of land made her feel small, afraid, and alone as she tried to hide from the harsh air making its way to the bare parts of her body that weren’t covered by her layers of clothing.

She continued with purpose and motivation. She had no other choice but to give in. She was being cornered and all she had to blame was herself. She shouldn’t have run away with him for a better life that wasn’t even a guarantee. She shouldn’t have betrayed her people or her family. And now she’s put not only herself in this position but the growing child in her stomach.

She continues, rubbing her bump, giving comfort to her soon-to-be newborn, but also trying to give comfort to herself.

“Everything will be fine.”

She whispers, barely able to speak as the painful freezing air enters her lungs. Her espresso brown hands were riddled with frostbite as she focused on getting to a safe destination.

Closer. Closer. This was all she had left. She knew that there was probably no future for her. She would be locked away for her crimes against the very people she called friends and family. But there was a future for her. For the baby girl that she would be meeting face to face soon enough.

BANG! She gasped as a shot rang off, flinching but protecting her belly without hesitation. She let out a few shaky breaths as she looked at the large metal gates in front of her. She made it. She almost shed a tear as she gazed at it. But she was soon sucked back into reality by the voice of one of the guards.

“Stay where you are!” The female guard barked as she pointed her rifle.

“Take off the hood and state your name.” She ordered, her eyes were as cold as ice.

With shaky hands, she slowly takes off her hood, revealing her face to the guards. With tears on the brim of her eyes and a lump in her throat, she stated her name, loud enough for the guards to hear.

“My name is Reyna Reed-Ashton...”

The guards looked at each other. They knew exactly who she was.

Reyna swallowed the lump in her throat and a tear ran down her cheek as she continued, looking the guards straight in the eye.

“....And I’ve come to turn myself in.”