Karina: A Cinderella Story

“You stupid girl! Why do we even keep you around? Get out of my sight!” My stepmother screams at me as she pushes me to the ground. Before I even have time to react, she steps over me and lands on most of the fingers of my left hand. “Worthless excuse of a human!” She says as she continues to walk toward the house. She is quite a horrible woman. I don’t know why my father ever married her or what goodness he saw in her. Caroline has been married to my father for 6 years now and she has never treated me like anything more than a slave. Except for when my father is around. My father, Jacob, is always away on business trips. So I’ve never told him about the treatment, he probably wouldn’t care anyways. He is always gone, ever since I can remember. I usually only seen him once maybe twice a month for a two day visit. Before he is off on his next adventure. Honestly, I think he married Caroline so that he would know I was looked after and could go about his business without worrying about me. I wish I would have been in the car with my mother the night she was killed by that drunk driver when I was 10. All the goodness in my life ended that day. I have begged and pleaded with my dad to let me go live with my grandparents, my mom was there only child and I know they would let me. He always tells me he would miss me and that I have a new mother now. Ya right! I wait for Caroline to disappear so she can’t see me get up and start walking to my safe space away from her and everyone else in the world. It is a beautiful cliff with a small creek flowing into the river. My friend Lexi and I found it when we were 10 right after mom passed. She lives really close to us or used to before she headed off for college a few weeks ago. She was always destined to get out of this tiny town and went straight for “The Big Apple” as she calls it. I can’t help but laugh thinking about the last time we talked. “Come on Karina it will be great! You, me and the Big Apple. You gotta come with me, I’ll be lost without you there.” She exclaimed as she grabbed my arm while were walking down this very same trail. “Lex..you know I can’t. How would I afford it? I don’t even have a high school diploma thanks to Caroline.” If I was being honest, I really wanted to go with her. To get as far away from here as I could. Far enough that Caroline’s talons couldn’t reach me. “Well, when you change your mind tell my mom and dad. Dad already said he would get you on the first plane out of here. All you gotta do is ask.” Thinking back to that moment really hit me hard. I couldn’t help but tear up thinking about all the things Lexi was doing and that I had never gone this long without speaking to her. Maybe I had made a mistake staying here. I mean technically I’m an adult, no one would even consider me a runaway. As I make my way to the edge of the cliff it is quite beautiful. The sun is just beginning to set, it is framed by each side of the gorge and a every shade of orange I have ever seen is in the sunset.. I can no longer see my house and I am almost to the little creek and cave that houses it within the cliff. There is something so peaceful about being in the silence of the earth and listening to the world around me. The creek pools I one spot before reaching the river, creating the perfect sized pond to swim around in. The pond shimmers with the moonlight peaking through the cave entrance and the sound of the river is soothing to my soul. In our little cave Lexi and I had slowly brought blankets, pillows, food, lighting, pretty much anything she could think of that I might need in case of an emergency and I couldn’t go home. This was one of those times and I was so grateful I had such an amazing friend. Lexi was the one that thought about everyone else first and always put herself second. She used to skip meals at school and put what food she could into my backpack or stash it here for when I missed meals. No one ever understood how we could be friends. We were polar opposites, like Emma Stone being friends with Wednesday Addams. She was sweet, but definitely a fireball, and so confident. She defended those that needed it and never shied away from anyone if she could help it. She is tall, thin, freckle faced, with fiery red curly hair and bright green eyes. Me on the other hand, I’m short, really thin and I have dark brown hair with eyes almost black. I’m still fairly pale skinned, but Lexi is a beautiful fair complexion and I just look sick and like I’m going to faint. Normally I would swim but that shove wasn’t the first time Caroline had hurt me today. I had fresh cuts on my back from the whip she carried around just to use on me. Apparently she thought she could whip me to death. Not likely. I just turned 18 and she hasn’t broke me, I won’t let her. I honestly don’t know how she has kept up her hatred so long. I’m not sure what I ever did to earn it. First it started with spankings, then it was paddles with holes, tree branches, and ever since I was about 16 she uses this whip. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t have to use as much energy with it or really even move. She also hasn’t allowed me to attend public school since I turned 14 because I couldn’t keep all my wounds covered and she was worried about getting caught or my dad finding out. It’s only been a few weeks since Lexi left, I wonder if the offer still stands? Will her Dad still help me if I asked or would he turn me away because I didn’t accept the first offer?