A Story Untold

Chapter 2

 I searched the house making sure not a speck of dust was spotted. If there was a tiny speck, I was in for a beating. I was still healing from the last one, and still had scars. I quivered at the memory. I went back up to my room, and sat on the window seal. I looked down at the ground, thoughts swarming my mind. ‘When will life just end?’ ‘Why was I cursed with this life?’ ‘Is there something wrong with me?’ I quickly shook my head of all thoughts, and pushed the raven-black hair back behind my ear. For the longest time I had long black hair that fell below my butt, but for one of my punishments a few weeks ago, my father had cut it all off, it now was it my shoulders, all at uneven lengths. I began slowly humming a simple tune. I leaned my head against the house, taking in the breeze. Closing my eyes, I heard the birds chirping, the moo-ing from the cows. Sometimes a bawk from the coop. Sounds I was so familiar with. Oh, how I wish to be free, to dance in the rain. To ride a horse. No one telling me what to do. To travel, and see the world. Maybe even fly, to soar in the clouds, and have no fear.

    Sadly, wishes were wishes, never in my world coming true. I watched the sun rest, letting the moon take its place. Then, I heard the sounds coming from down stairs.

    “Lillian!” I heard my mother yell. Getting down from my perch, my hair hitting my neck. I kept my head down, and reached where my parents were, and their guest.

    “Yes mother?” Keeping my head down.

    “Head up girl,” I snapped my head up, hearing the warning in my father's voice. There stood them, and a man, probably in his forties. He had a bald head, growing bread. A huge rum belly. He had this nasty look on his little gray beady eyes. He smirked, while looking me up and down. 

    “Is this her?” The man asked, looking at my father.     

     “Yes, this is Lillian.” I was surprised to hear him say my name, but dare not speak. 

    “She seems to be very obedient, I’ve seen you’ve trained her well.”

    “Yes we have, she certainly can hold her tongue.” Not in my mind, I felt safe in my mind, a place where I could say anything and everything. My mind was the only place I could escape this cruel world, and my little window sill.

    The man circled me, I kept my head up, but did not look him in the eyes, I can never do that, for it shows disobedience. He nodded as if in thought, “I’ll have her, she’s perfect.” That’s when it clicked. My parents were giving me away, they weren’t keeping me. I felt myself start to shake. Eye’s fill with tears, I was terrified. I was petrified, but I dare not to let the tears fall. ‘Don’t show emotion, don’t show emotion,’ I chanted in my head, and I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the little drops won’t fall.

    “Take her, we don’t want her,” My father turned towards me, and for the first time, he smiled at me, “We’re finally getting rid of you, you’re eighteen, and we finally found someone who would take you,” He then snickered, “Don’t worry girl, he’ll take just fine care of you, probably even better than us.” My father than turned towards the man, “You can have her tomorrow, she’ll need time to pack.” The man nodded and went to leave. But before that he grabbed me by the waist, and squeezed my left breast. I started shaking, no longer able to hold in my tears.  That’s when he whispered into my ear.

    “I can’t wait to see the red on our bed, you screaming my name.” He gave it another squeeze as tears escaped. He walked out. As he did, I wondered what I had done to upset the world. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

    “Mama? What does that mean?” Both kids tilted their heads. I shook my head. Forgetting that my kids were still little. I made a mental note to filter the story, but I seem to get so wrapped up into the story.

    “You will learn when you are older, but dears this story will never be finished and you'll probably fall asleep before I'm done. So no more interrupting.” I tired to be stern with them, but I giggled when they fell into pits of giggles as well.

    “Okay Mama.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I noticed my parents were out of sight. I ran to my room and fell on the floor. Crying, never did I think this would happen to me. I thought they would keep me. I guess not. I whimpered as I remembered what the man had said. Knowing exactly what he meant. I shook my head, ‘no’ I thought, ‘I won’t let this happen, I can’t. I need to leave.” With that last thought I pushed myself off of the ground, and grabbed a bag. Quickly throwing a pair of pants and shirt, than changing into shorts and a shirt. Knowing a dress would slow me down. Changing my shoes to boots, and made sure there was room. I went down and grabbed some food, fruits, and some bread. I looked around to see if there was anything else I would need. I saw my father’s carving knife, I shivered at the memories, but grabbed it. I knew that it could come in handy. With that I ran, the darkness being my friend. I didn’t think, all I knew was that I wanted, no needed to be free, To soar, like a bird.    

    As I ran in the woods, I found a little creek, deciding to go to sleep, I climbed a tree, and fell into slumber. The chirping of the birds, is what woke me up. I smiled, I was free, free at last. My wish being granted. Free to be me, free with no rules, no chores, no nothing. Free. I laughed out loud. Finally being happy. I got down from the tree, going down feeling the grass. I then turned to the creek and cupped my hands. Taking some water, I quenched my thirst. Sighing in relief, I decided that I could make camp here. It was perfect, a creak, trees, quiet. I smiled. I just knew, life had to go up from here. It just had to, right? Yeah, It just has too, after what I’ve been through, life just has to go up. I looked into the creak, to see the crazy matted mess on my head, and my bangs slowly falling into my face, Quickly, I pushed them to the side. That’s when I heard it, ‘thump thump, thump,’ My heart pounded rapidly. ‘No, no, no.” I shook my head.

    “How could she of ran away! That little w***e! I’ll make sure to show her who’s boss!” I heard the man who I was to marry yell out. Without thinking a second thought, I grabbed my bag and ran, deeper into the forest. Deeper, and deeper, were I couldn’t hear there voices anymore. I leaned against a tree, as I caught my breath. ‘That was to close for comfort,’ I thought, ‘I’m gonna have to keep moving’ I looked further into the forest, and moved. I could not let them get me, who knows what would happen. I would probably die from the beating. I was close to my freedom, and I just needed to reach it. I had hit rock bottom and needed to make my way to the top. So I kept moving until nightfall, and decided to rest, I took an apple out, and ate it. Before finally falling asleep.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I was on the move again, I had to keep going. The sun had risen a while ago, and I traveled deeper into the forest. I had no idea what they would do to get to me, or how long tell they give up. Then, I came to a stop. I heard a loud growl, and something making the bushes shake. I took off, as I saw brown, ‘bear’ ran through my head as I kept running. ‘Why did I ran away, maybe I could have lived a happy life with the bald man, had kids, oh why why why?!’ I yelled in my head as I thought this was the end.

    Run, run, faster, faster, those thoughts kept repeating, repeating, inside my head. I pushed my legs, I kept hearing the Thump, thump, thump, as the bears paws hit the ground. I could feel my legs about to give out. As I ran I saw a cave. I don’t know what compelled me to go in, don’t know what pushed me to go, but I listened to the pull and went in. I saw a huge rock and hid in it. I watched as the bear ran past the cave, and waited for a few minutes, in case it would come back. After my waiting I let a breath out of relief. I stood from my hiding spot, and made my wait out of the cave. At the entrance I stuck my head out, looked right, left, seeing nothing besides birds I smiled. That’s when I heard it, a noise the bravest of all knights would cower at. A deep, low, growl. Louder, and deadlier than the bears. But yet, something inside me told me not to be afraid, not to run, to turn around. So I did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    “What did the lady see mama! What was it mama!” I laughed at my hyper little girl. Her brother did not appreciate this though.

    “Laveaha! Hush!” My little boy exclaimed at his little sister.

    “Sorry Ollie, but I can’t help it.” She threw out her arms, showing her excitement. I looked at the time to see it was 10:30 pm, way past their bedtime.

    “You two will find out tomorrow,” They both started whining, showing their irritation. I laughed, and shook my head.

    “Your mama is right kids, it’s past your bedtime,” I looked over at my husband, and smiled, as he walked over to me.

    “Fine,” My little Ollie drew out the word, and laid in his bed, followed by his sister. My husband and I tucked them in and took turns kissing them on the head. With that we left their rooms, slowly shutting the door. 

    “Honey how you holding up?” I looked over at my love, and laid a kiss on his lips.

    “I’ll always be fine as long as I have you and the kids by my side.” He gave me a soft smile, and kissed my forehead. Then suddenly threw me over his shoulder.

    “Good cause you are never leaving me,” I laughed out as he said that, wiggly.

    “Put me down! Don’t drop me! I yelled out wrapping my arms around him as he bounced me up and down. He laughed at me. I growled and mumbled, ‘Bastard’ under my breath. He laughed again.

    “You love me,” I rolled my eyes at that.

    “Sadly I do,” I laughed out.