A Stolen Life

Part 3

I say turning a bit, "It's Falem. I sometimes wonder what my parents imagined I would be when they named me. Definitely not this, that's for sure."

She says putting her hand on my shoulder, "Things never turn out the way people want. That's just how it is."

For the rest of the day we just sit and talk about ourselves. A month has passed since I met Arnela. I've started telling her things about my past, even though it hurts. Everytime is speak up about it she wraps herself in my arms and cries. So far I've told her how my father abandoned us when I was born. I told her that my mother always drank and beat me. I told her about when I almost died hunting for food. I have yet to tell her or show her what I look like. I haven't told her about the bullies at school. I don't intend on telling her everything, but at the same time... I want to tell her, to tell her everything. When I'm with her things just suddenly spill out of my mouth. She has been teaching me how to cook, it's so fun. So far she has taught me how to cook fish, chicken, and good steak.

Today she is teaching me how to make homemade chocolate cookies. As we're making it we're throwing flour at each other and pushing each other playfully. We are laughing and chuckling, then we mix everything up. Once we are done mixing them we put them in the oven. While they are baking we clean up still pushing each other around and laughing. Even though we've been with each other for so long she has never seen my face. Even though we have been playing all day, I was looking away the whole time. Once we finish cleaning we sit down and take a break. The oven is black and the counters around it are white. The fridge is in the corner of the room, it is also black like the oven. There are cabinets and drawers above and below the counters which are light brown.

I say leaning on the table, "I wasn't only beaten by my mother. I was also beaten and made fun of by the other kids in school."

She looks at me in sad horror, her eyes wide with tears. She says walking up to me, "You've been through so much..."

I say as tears come from my glowing eyes, "They made fun of how I looked. Called me a demon's child, a freak, a creep. When I tried to hide under my hood they took it off and beat me. No matter what, they beat me. No matter who it was, people beat me. They beat me so much I... I... I..."

I start choking on my sobs and can no longer speak. I hide my face in my arms and cry until the oven beeps. Arnela takes the cookies out of the oven and puts them on the tables in front of me. She walks up and puts her hand on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around her in a hug and cry on her shoulder. After a while of crying she says patting my back, "The cookies are cool now. Why don't we see how they turned out?"

I sniffle, and sit up-right wiping the tears in my sleeve.

I look at the cookies in front of me and think, (I never thought I'd ever eat anything besides raw meat and grass. I thought I would never learn to cook, turns out I'm a born natural.) After we ate a few cookies, which were super delicious, we fell asleep. Another month passes in a flash, like a bird in the sky. This time we are outside running around. I'm teaching her how to hunt and gather herbs. I also teach her a few moves I learned from reading books and watching shows. Of course I didn't let my mother find out about it. I was quiet and sneaky about everything I did in that place. I take sticks and teach myself how to fight using what I remember of shows. I want to be able to protect her, keep her safe. I didn't want to lose her, I want to live with her for as long as I can. I have a strange feeling, as if I know that something bad will happen. When we're hunting I get lost in the feeling of insecurity. I am aiming a bow and arrow I made at a deer.

Arnela says snapping me out of it, "Falem. Hello, Falem!"

I let go of the arrow as I hear her, it hits the deer right in the head.