Choose Wisely

Chapter Six: What Friends Are For

I cried that night. I hated crying. It made me feel weak, just another girl in a world which crushed us. But this time, I was crying because of my sister. It was her anniversary, this day, as it was now 12am. 

The anniversary of her death. 

I watched as he squeezed the life out of her, his hands encircling her throat. I was younger than and more afraid, so desperately afraid. But I loved my sister and she was the only light in this castle of darkness. So I ran to the pair, launching myself at my father, kicking and scratching. 

He let go of her with a curse, Daniella collapsing to the ground, her breathing harsh and gulping. Father whipped out his hand and slapped me, the sound ringing out. Shock coursed through me and I stumbled backwards a few steps, pain flaring up in my cheek. 

"Stay out of this," he snarled at me, his composure lost, as he was possessed by anger. "This is not your concern, Natalia." Father turned back to his daughter, who lay on the floor, entirely defenceless against him. Daniella looked back, not afraid, not feeling the kind of sharp fear that I felt for her. Instead she smiled, mocking him even then. 

"Afraid that you're losing control, Father?" she taunted him, her voice weakened and now a pale rasp. "You can't regain what you've lost and you will never take back control over me. I'm lost to you forever." 

"If I can't tame you," Father's voice rumbled like thunder, taking steps closer to her. "I will have to break you." His leg kicked out and she screamed as it connected with her stomach. I heard a crack. He had broken one of her ribs. 

"Father, please," I pleaded with him, before he could hurt her once more. "Daniella is just upset, she needs time to settle down once more. Let's not have blood over this." 

He turned to me, his features alien and twisted by a darker intent. I knew that my sister was far beyond saving then, if we only had the weapons to appeal to his mercy. He had none. 

"Bad blood must be spilt if to make sure the bloodline remains clean," he whispered to me, before turning back to me. Then, he kicked once again, withdrawing another scream this time- longer and more drawn out. I couldn't bear it. 

Running to him, I leaped onto his back, hitting at his head, hitting and cursing him for what he was doing and how he was breaking us all apart. Or maybe it was that he had alerted us to how broken this family was... how he torn down the illusion of a family that was knit together, shown us how the stitches had been unravelled all along. 

"Contain her!" Father roared, throwing me off. I landed on the ground, stunned by the fall. Muscled arms wrapped around my waist, dragging me further from my sister. 

"Daniella!" I cried out to her, as Father kicked her once more. She was deaf to my screams as she had her own to contend with. 

"Does defiance feel so good now?" Father hissed at her. "Is it all worth it now, my dear Daniella? No regrets?" 

"I will never-" she paused in her retort to cough up blood, red smearing the marble of the floor. "I will never regret telling you how I feel, you sick bastard." 

"You're just like one of them now," he cursed her. "One of the Outcasts. If you want to be just like them... you can die like them. Like the scum of the streets as well." Reaching into his suit jacket, he withdrew a long oblong object. Daniella's face contorted in horror as she saw it, slowly shaking her head. 

"Father- Father what are you doing?" I screamed, bound so that I could only scream. His man-servants held me there and I knew what I was about to see was a warning, a warning for when I thought to defy him. Daniella didn't fear death. Daniella didn't fear anything.