Depicted Soul With Blood

Chapter 8

Mommy Eloisa went to the garden all by herself, walked on the path towards the tree. The tree that was there since she was born, the only one who kept by her side.

This was the tree that her mother planted before she died the day she was born, a simple yet the first and last gift she had received.

"It's been a while, precious. I have been waiting for this moment for so long. So very long." She whispered and stared at the tree, it's leaves more alive and dancing as the wind blows.

Eloisa went to the back of the tree, where a handwritten words were carved. The words that started her love story that until now she's waiting for the man who she fell in loved with.

The man who never loved her and the man who pretended to adore her.

"Truth was always mean to me, my dear friend. I've been blinded by it, lived my life for lies. But, it won't last long, I'll get my man and we will live forever, just like in fairy tales." Eloisa said then touched the carved words, refreshing the memories of the past.

---

"I already told you young lady, there is no spare nor left over food here. Now scram!" He yelled once again, like he always did to her.

Young Serena have no other choice but go home with an empty stomach and be scolded by his father and step mother.

"Don't even speak to me with that dress and attitude, Serena. There is only one thing I will tell you, go away from my store!" The owner of the boutique splashed her with water, getting her wet.

That's her daily life, being rejected just seeing her and treated kike a beggar, not even a child.

"Look, it's the girl in that dirty dress, looks like my mommy already threw water to her, she deserves it." The 3 girls looked at her disgustingly and laughed.

The boy in the other side threw a bucket of water, "Here yah go, bought some water for yah to bath! Do you need soap? Here, catch!" The same boy threw a pile of rocks at her head.

Her head felt the rocks and she knew she already have bumps on the back of her head.

"Oh, the girl's gonna cry! Pity you, no one wants to be your family!" He screamed.

People laughed at her, men and women, girls and boys. No one dared to stand for her nor helped her, just Serena standing on the middle of the road.

She was soaking wet and hunger already weakened her.

She held her tummy with both of her hands around it, hoping the hunger would fade away.

Her long dress filled with dirt and smelly small food garbage, with her bare feet on the ground in the middle of the day.

People around have known her, she even has a nickname. Kids would call her Smelly Bare Footed Girl, the adults would call her a stupid smelly brat.

Everyone hated her but there was the only one who cared, the tree her biological mother planted before she was born.

She walked to her house, hoping her father wouldn't see her taking her foot in to the house. The house that was her mother's property, but since she was the only one who have the blood running in her body, it was clearly hers.

Not his father's nor his step mother's territory. But, as a young child at the age of 7, she can't live alone like that.

Serena slowly opened the big front door, her feet was ready to step in the wooden floor slowly and quietly.

She looked around and no one was there, she went straight to her room, the basement.

There are only 6 people in the house, she and her father's other family. There are many rooms yet she let her stay in the basement for fun.

Her room was full of boxes and old furniture while her stepsisters' room are full of wonderful toys and useless things.

Serena went to her old smelly bed with pillows that don't look white anymore and a blanket full of patches.

Her stomach kept growling and her small body was shaking because she didn't eat yesterday.

To lessen the pain and hunger she's experiencing, she went to her desk and took her time painting something amazing.

It was the only thing to do if ever she felt hungry or upset, it was a hobby she liked and loved.

Her first painting was the tree in their garden with the light blue skies and different flowers around.

It was her very first painting and very spectacular art, which almost was torn in to 2 pieces because of her step sisters.

The paintbrush was still in contact with it's hair, although it falls when she washed it with water.

The paints she used was spare or leftovers from her step sisters who have art lessons, she even have to add some water to it so she can use it to longer.

She even have to sneak to their rooms, take some and leave without any trail. That is when she learned to sneak without being noticed or even a trail.

Her trembling hands touched the white canvas, she is drawing something new.

The pencil was almost as little as her thumb but if it still works, then she will use it. She didn't want to waste anything or her own life.

She didn't want to give up and die with names that people made for her, she want to live with her name in the history books.

But, her trembling didn't stop nor did she. She picked her one paintbrush and took the palette then made an art.

For a few hours and little did she know that it was in the middle of the night, she finished her artwork.

Vóila! Another art of the day, a girl in a nice dress with beautiful designs all over and different colors in each petals, in each side.

Her stepsisters can't even draw a cloud or a flower yet they still have art classes and even have tutors.

It even has a cake and presents, with people around her. It was her, the one she dreamed last night for her birthday. The people around her was her father, step mother with her 3 stepsisters in their favourite classy clothes.

She thought they only did this to her because she was loved by them and didn't want her to be in danger, especially her father.

Little Serena was excited to show them her art, but she wanted to collect it before she could give them their individual portraits.

She was even caught staring at them for no particular reason, all they thought was she was planning to kill them. She was slapped and even was punished but they didn't know that she was putting so much effort to their portraits.

They even thought she was a daughter of the witch for being so weird and staring at them.

"They would be happy if I will put this at the altar, like a happy family in the house." She murmured in joy, then let the paint to dry, then she placed it to the wall.

She looked at it again not to admire her work, but to imagine how much happy and healthy their family and how much they will protect Serena.

Her stomach didn't rumble anymore and that was the time she will go outside, go to Señor Baston's restaurant, looking at the garbage for leftover food.

Before she could even went to the front door, someone took her hair and pulled her body away from the outside.

"This is what I've telling you, my love. Look at her going outside in the middle of the night. She must be taking some illegal medicine or something." Her stepmom blurted and looked at her annoyingly and kept moving her fan.

Her 3 stepsisters stepped in,"Why would we even take her in here? She is so smelly and look like garbage." The eldest of them all, Clarissa.

"Geez, daddy, you don't want to have some criminal staying in your mansion, right?" Fressa, the youngest muttered then pointed Serena, who has been lying on the floor.

The middle child stepped in, took her hair. Serena screamed in pain while her parents watched her causing pain to Serena. "Look at that filthy hair, gross! You must learn living outside and don't even think you are part of the family, you beggar!" Tasha exclaimed.

"Oh, kids, don't be like that to her, she is part of our family." The head of the family said, Serena's father.

"You shouldn't be outside roaming around like that, come on, take a nice hot shower and sleep in one of our rooms." He smiled and added.

Her stepmom and her stepsisters were shocked even Serena too.

Is this the start of my new life? The birthday wish I wanted?

She went to the room her father pointed out, the room she always wanted to have.

The room was clean and wide with new toys and furniture around.

She even looked at the closet, new and fancy clothes were waiting for her. Without any second thought, she went straight to the bathroom and had a nice and fresh bath.

It was probably her first bath after 2 weeks, she even smelled herself when she entered the bathroom.

She danced at the mirror with the dress she picked from her big closet. She endlessly never stopped looking at herself in the mirror.

Her father offered her to eat downstairs at the dining room, she never refused.

This the first time she sat with them, eat with them and even eat the dishes her father made.

There was so many food, it was like a feast. She didn't stop taking from each dish, tasting everything. She was so full, she even thought her stomach will explode.

She wandered the house like a princess in her gown, looking at every floor and exploring the mansion.

The mansion that her mother gave her and titled in under her name.

Her father helped her towards her new room, like he always did the her stepsisters.

"Do you want me to tell you a story, Serena?" Her father asked as she lie in her soft new bed.

Serena nodded with a smile, then his father picked a book in one of the shelves.

He sat on the corner of her bed, then started telling her the story. The story about a little girl who dreamed about everything, but life was too harsh for her.

The story of a little girl who have been wishing to the stars everyday yet neither one of them came true.

In the end, she died only to know that she only lived to suffer and not to live her life the fullest.

The young Serena thought and was confused, looked at her father for what kind of story he had read for her.

"You know, Serena, sometimes we should not be blinded to everything especially the truth. Sometimes you have to accept that it is the end and it was the real or the truth." He explained but Serena was still confused, why would he tell him a story of suffer and unimaginable destiny of a poor girl.

She just smiled back at him and gave him a kiss on his left cheek, the very first time she did to him.

The father hugged her and she responded back, Serena was so happy for everything that the world went upside down.

Her father turned off the lights and closed her door.

Serena stared at the window, there she saw the stars so bright in her room, not like in the basement, she couldn't even see the outside.

I hope this lasts forever, just like in the books.

Only she thought, but the worst and the real nightmare is about to begin.