Out of Spite

New Beginnings

When questioning someone what the meaning of home and a family is, usually they'd respond with them being something safe and comforting. Things that are in place to protect you from the harm of the outside world. Things that exist so that someone can feel warm and safe.

She knew them as the opposite.

Home was more harmful than being outside during the night, down dark alleyways where people would emerge from the shadows to cause harm. Family was something meaningless, only there to hold people together by a hot iron chain around her neck that weighed her down to prevent her from feeling free.

That's how Elise defined them. She believed safety didn't exist for her, the burning chains holding her back from feeling it. Home and family were nothing but her own personal hell.

When she escaped her hell after nineteen years, she felt freedom and joy for the first time. Even feeling shards of glass cutting into the skin of her feet felt pleasurable compared to being in something considered a home.

Travelling from Houston to find somewhere far enough to lay low, before her father could find her, was difficult for someone who had left with nothing but clothes on her back.

Elise's father was a well-known man, though she didn't understand how or why. He knew many people who would be able to swipe your head clean from your neck effortlessly so she believed wholeheartedly that he had sent someone to look for her once he realised she had escaped.

She had one experience where she was close to being caught but fortunately avoided it by catching a nearby train at the last second. It had brought tears of relief to her eyes which was something new to her.

The train ended up passing a vibrant and joyful city called New Orleans. It instantly caught Elise's eyes and captured her fragile heart as she saw its spirited streets and captivating culture. The streets were filled with parades of various cultures from around the world and people felt euphoria as they watched.

There she got off, instantly captivated by her surroundings. She received judgemental stares now and then as her clothes weren't as presentable as everyone else's.

She picked up stealing, being surprisingly good at it, where she'd take pieces of clothing to layer over the worn-out clothes she had on her for around a month now. She would swipe food from small stalls such as fruit and nuts, and on rare occasions, there would be meals she would be able to treat herself with.

Elise knew she needed somewhere that did meals at cheap prices, so she checked out bars. All but one had food for her - Rousseau's.

She entered it, the scent of tobacco and alcohol burnt her nostrils but the honey-coloured lights soothed her eyes. She received some unsettling stares from the people inside but she ignored them as best she could, making her way up to the bar.

A blonde woman with a gentle expression on her face came over as she wiped down the counter, "what are you having, my dear?"

"Just water please" Elise replied, placing her last few coins on the counter. "And maybe some food if I have enough for it".

"Coming up," she said with a welcoming smile.

Elise sat on one of the stools beside her, dodging eye contact with the men from across the counter who were visibly wasted from alcohol. She prayed that food would also be brought out, the taste of apples constantly lingered on her tongue.