The Mountain Monster

Ch2 « The Map »

Fortuna**

Fortuna stood in the living room of her father's dilapidated wooden house at night, holding a candle in her hand, the electricity company had cut off their power supply due to their failure to pay the bills, and her income was not enough to cover the bills and fines that had accumulated, so they could not restore the electricity to the house..

She looked around the room sadly, which had become empty of furniture. Their neighbor O'Neil had taken most of their already dilapidated furniture an hour ago, she couldn't stop him because her father owed him money, and he had also deceived him, but at least he took pity on her after she begged him and promised to pay off some of her father's debt. He left her with a worn-out sofa, her bed, a small wardrobe for her clothes, her father's bed, the small table in the kitchen with two chairs, and the refrigerator..

She looked around the corners with pain and murmured sadly

" Oh, my father... until when?!! How long will you keep deceiving the villagers?!! if only I could see a single penny of the money you extort from them, you spend it all on drinks, gambling, and prostitutes... Oh, I'm fed up... I'm so disappointed in you, father "

She entered the kitchen and placed the candle on the table, she looked at the refrigerator, which had become her only pantry, she opened it and sighed sadly, she only ate one meal a day when she finished her work and came home to make a small meal for herself and her father, she took out the ingredients, closed the refrigerator, and began to prepare the food..

She was eating when she heard the sound of the door opening and the echo of her father's voice was heard throughout the house

" Fortuna... Fortuna... where are you, my daughter? "

She bit her lips in anger, then shouted back to him

" I'm here in the kitchen having my meal, and dinner is ready if you're hungry, father "

Her father ran and entered the kitchen, jumping with joy and waving his hand holding a thick paper, and shouting happily

" Finally, I found it.. finally, we will become the richest of the rich, my daughter.. I will fulfill your dream and we will leave this miserable village forever "

Fortuna looked at her father in amazement, who was wearing a monk's robe, this was because their village priest Martin, took pity on him and gave him the robe so that he could leave the house without anyone noticing him or attacking him, as usually happened..

Fortuna looked carefully at her father's face and felt sad for him as he looked much older than his actual age due to his addiction to alcohol, he had changed a lot after her mother's death.

she turned her eyes away and continued eating her small meal without paying attention to his words..

her father stood still, admiring her for a moment, then he moved forward and sat on a chair next to her, he removed the plate from in front of her, preventing her from continuing her meal, and placed the paper on the table, opening it and gesturing for her to look at it while still smiling with happiness..