The Silent sea

Chapter 1

Is dying really better than living a life that you don't want? Is being miserable better than not being at all? are not the questions that I should be asking myself, I should not be asking questions at all. I am to do what I am told and keep my mouth shut. But right now sitting on the cold marble floor of my bedroom trying to drown out the sounds of my brother screaming for help, these thoughts are difficult to shut off. The noise of his suffering is deafening. I want nothing better than to walk into my father's room and stop him from hurting my brother, to ignore the harsh reality that even if I do barge into his room, I can't stop him. It only gets worse when you fight. It's better to swallow the cry stuck in your throat and wipe your cheeks.

Milo is two years older than me, Father may curse and call him an idiot but he is a genius. He wants to be a professional piano player one day. But my parents are too obsessed with their reputation to see the passion that he has for music. Milo tried telling them that pianists are famous and they make a lot of money in cities outside of Ebba. But they couldn't even be bothered to listen.

Everyone in The small judgemental village called Ebba sucks. but my sister, Hazel will never understand that. Even though she and Milo are twins, she is the elder twin. All the pathetic wrongdoings of our parents never seem to bother her, to be the favourite child is her only goal in life.

I could not disagree more. Even after spending my entire life in Ebba, I just can't get behind their idea of perfect. In their eyes, my family is perfect. Some even call us the cover family of Ebba. 

I wait till the noise stops and all that remains is the quiet muffled sobs of milo. Before making my way to the kitchen, wincing at the slightest sound. The kitchen is locked every night to avoid anyone stealing food. It took me weeks to make the duplicate key, which rests in my pocket. Like clockwork, I am in the kitchen, I make my way to the fridge, and the slightest disruption can give me away.

You got this, Alora. I tell myself and it's not a lie, cheating, stealing and lying have always been the things that I excel at. If you ever met my family, you would understand. The only way to survive the wood household is to learn how to fend for oneself.

A few minutes later I am standing outside the twin's room with a plate of bread and cheese in my hands. Another cruel rule of our parents is that if we fail to behave ourselves we go to bed hungry. and Milo hasn't quite understood the concept of working alone yet. I knock and milo opens the door.

"what do you wa.." he paused as he saw the plate of food in my hand "Come in," he says, his eyes never leaving the food. I hand him the plate and sit on Hazel's bet.

"The kitchen is closed and on lockdown, there is no way you managed to sneak in an entire plate of food," Hazel said.

"But, I did sneak in a plate of food didn't I?" I say with a smirk on my face.

"You are amazing, Alora" milo Grins at me with his mouth full. He offers some to Hazel who refuses it. 

"You can get in trouble for that you know?" she eyes me.

I smile politely. "Don't worry about that"

She huffs, "Whatever, I am not getting in trouble for this if you get caught"

"Don't worry, everyone in Ebba knows that you are too much of a coward to do something like this"

"Excuse me, I am not a coward, I actually care about not being a disappointment and a thief"

"That's fair, I hope you enjoy your pride and superficial glory for dinner tonight, " I say as Milo snorts.

Hazel glares at him.

Why is my sister like that,?I think to myself while climbing down the stairs to my room, that is when I see her, a woman dressed in a black dress staring intently at me. The crown embedded with a diamond rests lightly on her head. She carries herself like a queen too, something about the way she holds her posture screams authority. She looks quite young too, not more than 25 years old. still, she feels ancient, the aura of wisdom radiates from deep black eyes. She looks at me and smiles and I feel a chill run down my spine.

"Alora? What are you doing at this hour" my mother's anxious voice brings me out of my thoughts.

"I thought I heard something Mother" I lie.

"Go back to bed, sweetie" the calm and loving voice of my father comes. It's awful when they start being affectionate in the presence of a stranger.

I nod my head and pretend to go back to sleep but instead, I hide behind the door to spy on their conversation.

"She's pretty, " the woman says.

"Leave us alone" my father growls.

"I will when you give me what I want "

"Forget it."

"What's the problem here, according to my assumptions, you don't want freaks like them to be your children"

"You're lying to us"

"I can prove it, they are sui generis," the woman says and my heart drops suit generis are people who can do freaky things like magic and stuff. Rumours are that they kidnap people like us and make us into slaves.

My mother sighs and says, "There is no need for that, you have already given us enough proof"

The queen smiles and then nods, " today I have an offer to make to Mr. and Miss Wood. You see, I can offer you 10,000 quils, in exchange for your children, all three of them."

"We will need to talk to our children, we will inform you when we have reached a conclusion " my father says.

I run up to my room and sink on the floor again, this time I am truly mortified. Would my parents really sell us to some wicked witch? Well they would be glad to get rid of such disappointing children.I voice in my head says. But they wouldn't do that to hazel, that girl has basically dedicated her entire life to please them.  

The thoughts are too much, the silence of the empty  room rings in my ear. I have always resented my life but suddenly the thought of being a pathetic housewife seems better than being sold to the Sui generis as a slave.