The Duchess

8 years ago… /Kestrel Black (aged 10) point of view/ I was watching a movie in my room when suddenly I heard a commotion going on downstairs, peaking my interests I decides to investigate looking from the top of the staircase I sees a large, muscular man who has a angry expression shouting at my stepfather (Colton), whilst my mother (Esme) is crying behind him begging the man to leave promising him that they will get the money, as it turned out that my stepfather had built up a large debt with dangerous man to fuel his gambling addiction and now one of his ‘men’ had been sent to collect payment. Disregarding my mums pleas and my stepfathers excuses for not being able to pay the debt, the ‘man’ looked coldly at them both and questions in a serous tone, “where is your daughter?, she will be the compensation for the bosses money”, in which my stepfather then replied nervously “she’s in her room up stairs first door on the right” whilst my mother fell to her knees crying hysterically shouting at the ‘man’ to take her instead, with that I heard footsteps coming closer to the stairs, scared I run back into my room and quickly get under the bed, covering my mouth I hear the ‘man’ reach the stair case the footsteps then get louder and louder as he moves up each step until reaching my bedroom door, he forcefully swings open the door and walks towards my bed, at this point my eyes are closed tightly and my breathing is heavy wishing for my mum to come save me, he then says in a emotionless voice “ Kestrel I don’t have time for your games the boss is waiting come out now “, scared I stay frozen to the spot suddenly a large hand grabs my arm and pulls me out from under the bed now face to face with the ‘man’. Fear runs across my face as soon as a look into his dark empty eyes he then reverted his gaze back to the door in which he proceeds to walk to towards tightening his grip on my arm I’m forced to follow him, when reaching the bottom of the stairs I see my mum with her head down sobbing and my stepfather with no expression stood near the front door, as we carried on walking to the door I start to cry trying to grab hold of my mum she also holds me tightly but the man then states “ Esme if you try to go against the bosses order there will be punishment “ hearing this my mum loosed her grip and looked at me with guilt in her eyes before I was dragged out the house she said to be strong and hold on to hope that she will come a rescue me from this nightmare that was 8 years ago she never came.