She was born on a cold, quiet night- a severe contradictory to her years later in life. Merely a speck in someone’s eye, she was never really meant to be what she was. Not according to those who bore her. She was brought home, wrapped lovingly in a blanket. The first of two, the second of which would come not long after. She was given her name: Zoen Tradius Jr., after her father, Zoen Tradius Sr. It wasn’t until her brother was born, at her age of 2, when her name was changed- and her brother was given the name, instead. Her brother became Zoen Tradius Jr, while hers became something entirely different. With little time or effort, nor much concern for her future, she was given the name ‘Blazz’. And from then on, that would be her name- a name that would, in many, many years, become far more than a second thought.
~ The little girl hopped down the stairs as recklessly as she always did, excitedly grasping something in her hand. She giggled as she hopped along, her father not far behind, playfully trying to catch up with her. With a joyful squeal, she hopped onto the back of the couch and flopped over it. Her father came to a stop and put his hands on his waist, while she quickly dug something out from under the furniture. She tugged out a short, red piece of cloth, one she had cut out of the curtain herself with a pair of safety scissors. Her father wasn’t so happy to see what she did with it; she had taken it and painted it with a messy, large letter B. With an unhappy sigh, her father crossed her arms.
“Go throw that away. I thought your mom told you to get rid of it already.” He instructed, not quite happy to see his daughter’s “art” project. She only lowered it a bit, still beaming at him.
“It ma hero cape! Cape, like.. Like supah hero! Im hero! See? Cape!” She giggled, holding it up again. Her father, ever short on patience, simply stepped over and pulled it away from her.
“I told you to throw it away. Don’t do that again.” And with that, he dragged it off, Blazz following after him with unhappy cries.
“Nooo! Am hero!”
“You made a mess! Mommy and Daddy have to clean up after you all the time! If you would quit breaking things every time we left you alone, maybe we’d let you have more fun around here!”
Without a last word from Blazz, he threw the curtain scrap into the kitchen trash can, then stormed off. Blazz stood still, waiting for him to leave the kitchen. As soon as he did, she walked up to the trash can and pushed it over. With a thump, it fell, and the lid popped away. By the time her father came running back into the room in response to the sound, Blazz had already dragged her ‘cape’ from the mucky garbage and begun scrambling off again- dragging around bits and pieces of food and mush from the trash.
“HEY! GET BACK HERE!” Her father screamed out at her. She only responded with a giggle, which did nothing but make him angrier before he sprinted off after her.
--
Hours later, her mother had finished dinner, and Blazz came trudging back down the stairs with bloodshot eyes and a badly tanned rear end, courtesy of her father, who descended behind her to make sure she was going to dinner. Her mother said nothing of it. Dinner passed without a word from Blazz, who then stood up to leave. She was interrupted by her mother.
“You sit right back down here until you’re excused, young lady.” Her mother instructed, only to fall on the deaf ears of Blazz. Being ignored only seemed to cause her to fume over, as she angrily stood up from the table.
“BLAZZ ZOEN TRADIUS, YOU SIT YOUR ASS BACK DOWN AT THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.”
--
The rest of the night passed by quickly, just like every other night. Just like the night before that, and the night before that. Her brother, Zoen Jr., sat on his own on the couch, watching TV. Blazz simply wandered up to the couch and crawled onto it- before her mother interrupted her again.
“NO TELEVISION FOR YOU. GO TO YOUR ROOM AND GO TO BED, YOU’RE DONE BEING TROUBLE FOR THE NIGHT.”
Blazz, once again, just sat there on the couch without heeding her mother’s words. Before her mother could come barreling over, her father put a hand to her chest and stepped over to deal with it himself. Without warning, he reached over and gripped the top of the little Tradius’ head and yanked her up by the hair, dragging her over the couch and dropping her on the floor again. The little Tradius was set off bawling again, only to be met with scorn from her father, who bent down and slapped her across the face.
“Shut up. You have no right to be crying after giving us this kind of disrespect. Go to bed, or I’ll put you in bed.”
Blazz just kept on crying, which prompted her father to once more pick her up by the hair and drag her off. Her brother crawled up to watch her from the couch, until her mother pointed at him.
“DON’T STARE AT HER. You mind your OWN business.”
The little boy swiftly turned around again, sitting down and staring at the TV without another word. The night eventually came to a close, with the little Blazz sitting alone in her room, sniffling quietly to herself.
~ The little girl hopped down the stairs as recklessly as she always did, excitedly grasping something in her hand. She giggled as she hopped along, her father not far behind, playfully trying to catch up with her. With a joyful squeal, she hopped onto the back of the couch and flopped over it. Her father came to a stop and put his hands on his waist, while she quickly dug something out from under the furniture. She tugged out a short, red piece of cloth, one she had cut out of the curtain herself with a pair of safety scissors. Her father wasn’t so happy to see what she did with it; she had taken it and painted it with a messy, large letter B. With an unhappy sigh, her father crossed her arms.
“Go throw that away. I thought your mom told you to get rid of it already.” He instructed, not quite happy to see his daughter’s “art” project. She only lowered it a bit, still beaming at him.
“It ma hero cape! Cape, like.. Like supah hero! Im hero! See? Cape!” She giggled, holding it up again. Her father, ever short on patience, simply stepped over and pulled it away from her.
“I told you to throw it away. Don’t do that again.” And with that, he dragged it off, Blazz following after him with unhappy cries.
“Nooo! Am hero!”
“You made a mess! Mommy and Daddy have to clean up after you all the time! If you would quit breaking things every time we left you alone, maybe we’d let you have more fun around here!”
Without a last word from Blazz, he threw the curtain scrap into the kitchen trash can, then stormed off. Blazz stood still, waiting for him to leave the kitchen. As soon as he did, she walked up to the trash can and pushed it over. With a thump, it fell, and the lid popped away. By the time her father came running back into the room in response to the sound, Blazz had already dragged her ‘cape’ from the mucky garbage and begun scrambling off again- dragging around bits and pieces of food and mush from the trash.
“HEY! GET BACK HERE!” Her father screamed out at her. She only responded with a giggle, which did nothing but make him angrier before he sprinted off after her.
--
Hours later, her mother had finished dinner, and Blazz came trudging back down the stairs with bloodshot eyes and a badly tanned rear end, courtesy of her father, who descended behind her to make sure she was going to dinner. Her mother said nothing of it. Dinner passed without a word from Blazz, who then stood up to leave. She was interrupted by her mother.
“You sit right back down here until you’re excused, young lady.” Her mother instructed, only to fall on the deaf ears of Blazz. Being ignored only seemed to cause her to fume over, as she angrily stood up from the table.
“BLAZZ ZOEN TRADIUS, YOU SIT YOUR ASS BACK DOWN AT THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.”
--
The rest of the night passed by quickly, just like every other night. Just like the night before that, and the night before that. Her brother, Zoen Jr., sat on his own on the couch, watching TV. Blazz simply wandered up to the couch and crawled onto it- before her mother interrupted her again.
“NO TELEVISION FOR YOU. GO TO YOUR ROOM AND GO TO BED, YOU’RE DONE BEING TROUBLE FOR THE NIGHT.”
Blazz, once again, just sat there on the couch without heeding her mother’s words. Before her mother could come barreling over, her father put a hand to her chest and stepped over to deal with it himself. Without warning, he reached over and gripped the top of the little Tradius’ head and yanked her up by the hair, dragging her over the couch and dropping her on the floor again. The little Tradius was set off bawling again, only to be met with scorn from her father, who bent down and slapped her across the face.
“Shut up. You have no right to be crying after giving us this kind of disrespect. Go to bed, or I’ll put you in bed.”
Blazz just kept on crying, which prompted her father to once more pick her up by the hair and drag her off. Her brother crawled up to watch her from the couch, until her mother pointed at him.
“DON’T STARE AT HER. You mind your OWN business.”
The little boy swiftly turned around again, sitting down and staring at the TV without another word. The night eventually came to a close, with the little Blazz sitting alone in her room, sniffling quietly to herself.
