The Toy Soldier [Sneak Peek]

The journey to obtaining happiness and fulfillment in life was never meant to be a smooth voyage. Marion Thorton knew this well, maybe even a little too well. She encountered hardships in life: abuse from her father, harassment by her peers, divorce from her sexist ex-husband, among others that she pushed into her subconscious. Nevertheless, Marion endured. Whenever she felt herself being knocked down, she would shake it off, climb to her feet, and keep pushing forward. She had no other choice, especially in her line of work. Being a teacher meant helping the next generations survive the world that could crush all of their hopes and dreams, like stepping on delicate branches on the cold ground.

Marion thought she had seen all, if not most, of what the world had to offer her. She spent every day waiting for the next one to come around the corner while preparing her students for what may happen. However, Marion did not expect to turn the corner to find her.

Her name was Juno. She was a small, fragile young woman whom Marion had known since elementary school, and she did not change much from back then. Juno’s eyes – two vibrant pools of blue – bore into those who looked her way, and even more so into Marion. Juno was kind-hearted and always put her best foot forward no matter the circumstances. She appeared professional, and to say she was the most well-mannered student Marion ever had the pleasure of teaching was an understatement. Ironically, however, she did not appear the way most students would choose to present themselves. While other girls in her grade opted to wear more vibrant, colorful fabrics and jewelry to showcase their sense of style, Juno was on the opposite side of the spectrum. Dull, cooler tones were more her palette, and she always hid behind a pair of thin-rimmed rectangular glasses. It almost made her blend in with her environment as Juno traversed the school hallways, like a phantom looming through an abandoned, broken down building from years past. Juno wore outfits that covered much of her pale skin, and she often kept the long brown locks of her pin-straight hair in a ponytail.

Academically, however, Juno excelled in nearly all of her classes, particularly in Literature, History, and Mathematics. She was an intellectual by nature, and Marion had great admiration for Juno’s gifts. Juno was also artistic, crafting artworks the likes of which could not be seen in most students her age. Maybe there were more skills that Marion did not know. Juno’s IQ was expected to be exceptionally high, and yet she remained in the same grades as her peers. Instead of making the jump to take college courses, she remained in high school.

That was the reason Marion was so fascinated by this girl: because Juno was a lot like her. On the outside, Juno presented herself as timid and polite to higher authority while hiding the intellect of a natural-born scholar. In a way, Juno was almost a spitting image of Marion, and Marion believed she was almost looking at a reflection of herself.

Almost.