It Has Always Been You..

1. Runaway

Ariana Willows

"What do u mean, I am sorry, aunt Myla, you stupid little girl!?!  Do you even know how much did this dish cost me, which you carelessly dropped?" Myla shouted at Ariana.

Ariana wanted to say that it was not her fault, it was her son's fault who deliberately made her fall by putting his foot in her way,  but she decided otherwise.

She knows better than that.

Ariana is scared of the punishment she is going to receive from her aunt. She wonders what kind of torture her aunt is going to inflict on her this time.

She remains silent as she knows that either way, aunt would punish her.
 
Suddenly a slap resonated in the room and Ariana's eyes fill with tears from the pain on the cheek. Fingerprints are imprinted on her right cheek.

"As a punishment, you will have to do all the household chores without eating food for the whole day. And remember that, tonight, my few friends are coming over. You have to prepare 4-5 snacks and a full course meal..with dessert of course.. And don't mess up this time" Myla shouts and exits the room.

Ariana slumps on the floor and cries. After spending fifteen minutes on the floor, she drags her body to clean the broken pieces of dish. She has lots of work to do today and that too without food.. Not that she gets to eat enough anyways. Its no biggie. She has survived before and she will now too. With this thought, she gets herself busy in her work.

After preparing all the dishes and cleaning the house, she enters her room to look somewhat presentable in front of guests, not that she has new dresses to wear, but the dress with lesser holes would do.

Her room is a store room with a single bed and a closet with a mirror on it. Apart from this, all kinds of junk is placed here and there, leaving a little space for her.

She opens her closet to find two dresses in total. Red one has 4 holes but sown and blue one has 6, despite the patches she sown, so she decides for the former one.

When she takes that dress out, she looks at the photo of her parents. Her eyes welled up.

Her life was once filled with happiness and care. Her parents loved her to death. Movie nights on weekends, playing with mom in the evening, bedtime stories with dad etc etc.

Once she got everything a child desires.

But everything is changed now.

Her subconscious mind reminds her.

Ariana's parents died in a car accident when she was 14 years old. After her parents, her custody went to her father's sister, Mrs. Myla. She and her husband, Mr. Robin, took her to their home. She thought that her aunt would love her, but she was wrong in every way possible.
Ariana has become their personal slave since then. She was made to learn cooking, doing household chores and moreover she wasn't allowed to go to school.

She never protested against anything thinking some day she would get the love of her aunt. In fact, she is thankful to them that they keep her with them otherwise she would not have anywhere else to go. Before sleeping, she always thank god for giving roof over her head and clothes to wear and..sometimes food too.

When she hears the door bell, she comes out of her thought process and get ready hurriedly.

She then goes down stairs to serve them drinks and snacks. She does so carefully this time to avoid scoldings.

Soon the guests depart and she sighs in relief. When she is cleaning the dishes, her stomach growls in hunger.

After all she is exhausted from all the work. But there is no food left.. Her aunt made sure of that.. She knowingly stuffed the leftovers in the refrigerator and locked it.

She can't do anything about it, so she completes her chores and goes towards her room to get some sleep.

On her way, she hears her name from her Aunt's room which makes her stop in her track.

She knows that eavesdropping is bad so she ignores it..

But when her name is called again, then she couldn't resist and places her ears on the door.

But what she heard makes her heartbeat faster and she sprints towards her room and locks it from inside.

She is sweating profusely, tears were pouring out of her eyes, her heart beats are drumming fast.

She is scared, scared for her life. 

" .... Ariana.. Really, Robin? My goodness, I can't believe that such a worthless girl can be of this use to us!! We will be rich, honey ! rich as in super rich" Myla said with excitement.

"Huh, what kind of use? What are they talking about?" Ariana wondered.

"Yes, darling! Some friends of mine have already asked for Ariana. Tomorrow they are coming for the negotiations and we can sell her off to the highest bidder." Her uncle, Robin, said proudly.

"No no no no no no no, I.. I.. ca.. can't let this happen to me.. Why God why? Why me? What did I do to deserve all this"- she speaks to herself.. She has become a sobbing mess by now. But how will she able to protect herself from these vile people?

" Mom, Dad, please help me, please save me.. I don't know what to do.. Please show me the way.. Please mom dad.. Please.. You always used to tell me to never lose hope.. That hope brings the light to the darkness..  It shows the way out of your sadness.. I have clung to this thread of hope ever since you left me, thinking that one day everything will be fine, one day I will be loved again.. With this hope, I have survived this long.. Enduring the torture of uncle and aunt, beatings from their son, tolerating punishments when it is not even my mistake, leaving studies and what not!
But now, I don't know mom.. I have nowhere to go.. What would I do.. Oh god.. They would sell me tomorrow.. No no no no... I would rather be dead than see the tomorrow..
Yes,....I will end my life.. There is no one anyway who cares for me.. Yes, I will do this.. And think Ariana, You will get to meet your parents.. Yes" Ariana was rambling in panic by now..

She stands up and started searching for something,.. Anything.. That will aid her in ending the misery..

She starts to search in the junk and after few minutes she finds a pocket knife.

She immediately put it on her wrist and smiles remembering her parents..

But just as she is going to cut her wrist, a voice rings in her head-

No Ariana, Don't lose hope. Run Ariana Run.. We love u, child.. Run.. Don't give up!

At once the knife dropped from her hand and she just sat on the floor.

As if a newfound energy surged in her veins, she stands up after few minutes and takes out her bag. She put her 2 dresses and her essentials in the bag. She doesn't have any money. So she starts thinking about the way out..

She tiptoes outside the room and reaches the main door. And without thinking twice, she

RUNAWAY....