When Cherry Blossoms Bloom

Chapter 1

Beth tiptoed out of her room and followed the voices she was hearing. She made her way from her room to the basement door. The door was open some and she could hear the voices more clearly. "We will agree to the terms of this contract. You will be given what you have requested. However, we have the right to rescind this offer at anytime if you do not follow through with your end of the agreement." Beth felt a chill and shivered. "Yes, Master." A voice responded. Beth's eyes widened. "Mommy?" The door blew open suddenly and Beth tried to turn and run. "Nooo." She heard her mother scream. "She is not to be involved in this." Beth stood frozen as she watched a dark figure float up the stairs. She felt her body lift into the air. She desperately pried at invisible fingers as she felt them tighten around her neck. Tears fell down her cheeks. She saw her mom drop to her knees behind the figure and grab his robe. "Please she's all I have. I gave you what you asked for at the very beginning." A second robed figure grabbed her mother by her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Leave the child. She may prove of use at a later time." Beth heard a growl before she fell to the floor and darkness took her.

Beth woke suddenly and was confused for a moment. She was in a room full of beds and other sleeping figures. For a moment she had to try and remember where she was. She felt a pain in her arm and looked down at the source. She found fresh track marks on her arm. That's when her memory became clear. She was in a drug rehab center. She took a deep breath and put her feet over the side of her bed. She paused and waited for the inevitable dizziness and nausea that would soon follow. She took a few deep breaths and the feelings passed. She got up and walked to the bathroom. The aroma of breakfast that came from downstairs didn't help her. She found herself on her knees over the toilet a moment later. Emptying her stomach of what little contents it had left. When she finished, she washed her face and hands in the sink dried both with a clean towel. When she went to adjust her robe, her hand brushed her pocket. She reached in and pulled out what she had found. It was a folded piece of paper. When she unfolded it, she found the words. "Patient has been found to be about three months pregnant." The note was signed by a doctor. She tucked the paper back in her pocket. She couldn't hide her smile as she quickly got dressed and walked downstairs. Today was the day she had waited and worked so hard for. She was going to be released. She looked at the track marks again. They had healed very well in her time here. She never thought that it would take her becoming pregnant to get her to sober up. She sat down at a table in the corner and a member of the kitchen staff brought her a cup of coffee. "Good Morning, Beth. You're looking better today." Beth smiled and nodded. "You're social worker said to meet her in her office as soon as you've finished breakfast." Beth nodded again. Beth went to the buffet and got a few pieces of toast. That's all she could manage to hold down it seemed. She returned to her table. A few minutes later she got up and put her empty cup in a tub with other dirty dishes. She smiled and waved at the staff and made her way toward a set of double doors. When the guard outside saw her, he buzzed her through and nodded as she passed. When she reached the door of her social workers office, she knocked. "Come in, Beth." Beth opened the door. She could smell the fresh air from the open window. A kind looking older woman sat behind the desk. Her white hair was in two neat braids on each side of her head, along with a colorful headband. Her sparkling blue eyes brought calm and hope to anyone lucky enough to meet her. Beth was certainly lucky. "How is my prize pupil, today?" "I'm doing well." Beth responded. "Still having morning sickness?" She asked without looking up. "Yes, it's hard to keep anything down." The worker smiled. "Being a mother is a challenge from beginning to end." She says. "Now let's get things moving along." She pulled out a folder with Beth's name on it and opened it up. Beth grimaced some at what she saw. Inside was a photo from when she was admitted to the program almost two years ago. When her worker saw the look on her face, she smiled. "Dear, this photo is who you used to be. I shows you how far you've come. That's not a bad thing." Beth wiped a tear from her eye. "I know. It's just so hard to see myself like that." "I understand." Her worker replies. "You're being released today, do you have transportation home?" "Yes, my mother is planning to pick me up today." The worker nodded. "Your mother is also signing the release papers, correct?" "Yes." Beth answered. "Well then. That means you have an hour to say goodbye to any friends or other staff before you leave. Your belongings are being taken to the loading area now. I'm proud of you, Beth. And I'm glad I got to work with you." Beth smiled and got to her feet. The worker gave her a hug then stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot." She grabbed a package from behind her desk and handed it to Beth. "It's a gift for you and your little one." "Thank you." Beth says quietly and hugs her again. When Beth left the office and shut the door, she saw that the staff had put her belongings on a cart and were taking them outside. She walked back to the cafeteria. She had no friends to say goodbye to, the other women here saw her as a nuisance. She was the only one out of more than fifty women who took their recovery seriously. That made her enemy number one in their eyes. It was easier for her to keep to herself and focus on getting better. She decided that another cup of coffee sounded good and maybe she could find something besides toast to snack on.

Beth looked at her watch. Her mother was late. It was no surprise to her. When her mother finally pulled into the driveway, Beth watched the staff load her belongings in the trunk of the car. Then she went and got into the passenger side seat and shut the door. "Don't slam the door." Her mother snapped. "Sorry." Her mom sighed and pulled away from the center and back onto the main street. The ride home seemed longer with the tense silence between the two women, but Beth didn't dare speak. Her mother was strict about many things. Speaking only when spoken to was one of them. When the car pulled into the driveway of their house, Beth shivered. "I cleaned up your room for you. As soon as you unload your things and put them away, I suggest you take a nap. I'm expecting company later." "Yes, mother." Was Beth's response, it was automatic. Beth opened the trunk and grabbed her two suitcases. Her mother hurried into the house, leaving the door open for her. Beth walked in and felt a familiar cold chill. She brushed it off and hurried upstairs. The house was depressingly dark. Her mothers' choice of décor gave the house a red hue. When she walked into her room, she found it as bare as she remembered. A metal frame bed, a dresser and a desk was all the room held. There were no photos, posters, or anything that suggested a girl had ever stayed in this room. Beth put her clothes away and put her empty suitcases in her closet. She took the gift she received from her social worker and put it on the shelf of her closet. She undressed and found a brand new nightgown on her bed. After changing, she lay down on her bed and drifted off to sleep.

Beth woke to the sounds of laughter from downstairs. She also heard the clinking of glasses. Apparently, her mother's guests had arrived. She had no interest in joining her mother's party. And in her current state, Alcohol was not the best idea anyway. Her mother apparently had other plans apparently. "Beth, don't be rude." She heard her mother call from downstairs. "You can at least come down and say hello to my guests." Beth groaned. "Yes, mother." I'll be down in a moment." Beth slipped out of her gown and found a dress fitting the occasion. She settled on a long baby blue gown that went to her feet. After dressing, she put on a pair of slippers and put her hair up in a simple pony tail. She was thankful that she wasn't showing yet, that would definitely have given people something scandalous to talk about. Her mother was what you would call a low level socialite. She hosted the seedier side of society, the undesirables that were deemed necessary by those above them. Beth went down the stairs carefully and walked into the room where the guests were waiting. When her mother saw her, she smiled and put her arm around her daughter's shoulder. "Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Beth." There were about ten or fifteen men standing around the room. Some holding glasses of their preferred alcohol and others held cigars. Beth smiled weakly as she felt her stomach lurch. Her mother discreetly handed her a plate of crackers. "Eat a few of these and stay quiet." She whispered in her ear. "This is the price of being such a whore." Beth took a breath and ate a few crackers. This eased her discomfort within a few minutes. "Now gentlemen," Her mother said then. "I brought you all here so that one of you lucky gents can decide who gets to take my daughter home tonight." Beth nearly choked. One of the men nearest her handed her a glass of what he was drinking, she took a quick drink so she could breathe. Her mother glared at her before continuing. "My daughter is perfectly healthy and knows how to be a good wife, both in the bedroom and in the kitchen." Her mother smiled at this. The rest of the night seemed like a blur. When Beth woke the next morning, she found herself in her nightgown. She had been bathed and showered. Beth could smell fresh brewed coffee coming from the kitchen. When she went downstairs, her mother was sitting at the table. Beth poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down across from her mother. "What do you intend to do with your bastard child?" So much for friendly conversation, Beth thought. "I plan to keep it." Her mother glared at her from behind the paper she was reading. "Do you think any good man is going to marry a slut like you?" Beth answered with silence. Arguing with her mother was a waste of time. "I can get a job and support the child myself." Beth dared to say. Her mother answered with a laugh. "And who is going to hire a junkie like you?" Beth took a breath. Her mother sighed and handed her the paper. "I'm going to run some errands for a while. Try to make yourself useful while I'm gone." Her mother nodded at the sink full of dishes. Beth nodded and watched her mom pick up her purse and walk out.