Chapter 3
1000 Words
Morning arrived with an unbearable amount of pain. Anaya rolled on her back in her sleep and the wound rubbed against the mattress.
It hurt a lot to move but Anaya couldn't stay asleep all day.
Anaya took a few deep breaths and thought about the life she would have after leaving this house.
Her waist made a cracking sound when she got off the mattress. Sleeping at a difficult angle caused her waist to become sore overnight.
It was only five in the morning and the house was still dark.
Anaya went down the stairs with bated breath and light footsteps so no one would suspect her movements.
She took a quick shower in cold water and cleaned the bathroom before leaving just as sneakily as she came.
She owned very few clothes and she couldn't afford to get them dirty with blood.
Since Anaya dropped out of school, she was expected to contribute at home by doing chores.
She wore her hair up in a bun to keep it out of her face and went downstairs to start the morning chores.
Because of the lack of light, Anaya went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. At this time and age, everyone owned a dishwasher but his family did not have one.
It was a waste of money since they had someone to wash it for them every day.
Anaya searched for her gloves but they were nowhere to be seen.
With a weak body like hers, she was bound to get a bad cold if she touched the water with her bare hands so early in the morning.
But since the gloves were nowhere to be seen, Anaya went in with her hands.
The party had many guests and there were many dishes left to clean. Anays spends more than thirty minutes cleaning and wiping them.
After the dishes were done, she set off to clean the entire kitchen. Bending down to sweep the floor with a body full of wounds was harder than it looked.
Anaya could feel the tug on her skin every time she moved. However, she didn't have any choice but to grit her teeth and endure. A little more and it will be over. She kept reassuring herself.
Anaya's chores were endless. After cleaning the kitchen, she picked up laundry from all over the house.
With the laundry basket in hand, she went to her parent's room and silently picked up the clothes that had to be washed.
She didn't lift her head in fear of being seen.
After that, she went to Lupe's room. Her room was a sharp contrast to Anaya's room.
It was bigger and had large windows. The window gave a beautiful view of the sunrise and filled the room with light. Anaya lived in the dark attic and rarely had the chance to see a sunrise.
But Anaya knew better than to stay and look at the beauty of the rising sun. She was not worthy of seeing it. With her head down, Anaya picked up the dirty clothes and left Lupe's room in silence.
She spoke very little. If not spoken to, she never uttered a single word. If she didn't do anything wrong, then no one would come to say a word to her.
Sometimes weeks would pass and Anaya still wouldn't speak. It has become a habit.
Growing up, the more she asked, the more she spoke, the more she suffered. She had learned not to speak.
All her work was done in silence. After the chores, Anaya went to knock on her parent's door and before they could open the door, she went back to her room in the attic.
The only thing she did not do in the house was cook breakfast.
It was because she did not have any cooking skills and the parents did not want to eat bad food.
Gonzalina woke up due to the knock and went to get ready and make breakfast for everyone.
Fenrir had a job that was good enough and let them enjoy a good life.
Gonzalina went to Lupe's room,and gently woke her up by cuddling her and tickling them.
The attic was right above Lupe's room, so the giggling reached up there as well. Anaya huddled in a corner for a few minutes and listened.
When the voices stopped, she waited for another half an hour and then got out of the corner and went back downstairs.
The first hour after waking up was family time between the three and Anaya was not allowed to be seen around that time.
She had been beaten up once before because her presence in the morning ruined their mood.
Since then, Anaya hasn't interrupted their family time. She was always silent, because of what she might face.
She stood outside the kitchen and waited for the food to cook. Gonzalina made a hearty breakfast every day for her daughter and husband. She served them up and had them eat it.
"Your breakfast is on the counter." Gonzalina threw at her before joining her husband and Lupe at the table.
"Mom, why are you weird to my Sister?" Lupe asked.
"Oh, shut up! If not for the love I have for you, I would have dealt with you by asking me such questions, "Gonzalina stated.
"Mom, but you should be treating my sister how I'm being treated in this house since you're our parents," Lupe replied.
"I said, you shouldn't interfere with your sister's case. She means nothing in this family". Gonzalina changed her mood to correct Lupe's thoughts.
"Alright, mom! I'm sorry"Lupe pleaded.
Anaya went to the counter and saw a plate of mashed potatoes and a sausage with a piece of toast on the plate.
She took the plate and went outside in the
courtyard to eat under the sun.
This repetitive cycle had already soaked into Anaya's mind. She didn't have to think before getting up and doing anything, just like a robot.
- Writer
