The Queen of the Light Forest

Chapter 3

I walk for about an hour and a half to get to my house at about 6:30. "Dad shouldn't be awake. Unless he has to work an early shift." I think as I walk up my dirt road to my house. I see the old cabin I grew up in. It's a one-story building with two windows facing the front. I walk up to the old door and notice all the blemishes it has gotten over the years. Some from the knives Archer would throw at it, and some from Dad when he would kick it down.

I slowly turn the doorknob and open the door. The door makes a loud squeaky noise. I cringe. Inside it is just as I left it—the living room next to the fireplace with the patterned couch. Next to the couch, there is the old rocking chair our mom used to rock us in before she died. I look over to the kitchen right behind the couch. The bar that divides it is littered with empty bottles of beer. No matter how many times I cleared the bar it would always fill with the bottles less than an hour later.

I quickly walk over to the kitchen to get the food we need as quickly as possible so I can leave. I grab all the rice and dried beef we kept in the pantry. "This will be enough to last us about a month if I keep hunting when I can." I think as I turn to go to my brothers and my bedroom down a hallway beside the kitchen. I just need to grab a few more pairs of clothes for all of us then I can get out of here. Just as I turn I hear a groan from behind me in my Dad's room. I quickly rush into my room and hide behind the door.

"Shit Shit Shit." I think as I crouch behind the door. I try to devise a plan of how to get out of here if he found me but I can't think.

"WHO'S THERE!" I hear my dad say from the living room. His voice is deep but high pitched at the same time, like someone that had been screaming his whole life. I hear his footsteps as he walks back over to the bedrooms. "Oh Elise, is that you? Come out Come out wherever you are. I just want to ask how you are."

"Bullshit" I reckon. He has never ever wanted to know how I was. "Run Run Run." A voice goes off in my head. It's not mine but I don't have time to think about that because just as I turn to see if it's clear to leave I am grabbed by my hair and yanked out from behind the door.

"THERE YOU ARE." He screams in my face, " Why were you hiding?" He pulls my head harder.

I whimper. I try to speak but he pushes me down. He drives his fist into my stomach repeatedly. I try to squirm my way out of his grip but I can't. He doesn't even let me try to answer, he just keeps punching me.

Finally, after what feels like a lifetime later he stops. I can't breathe, blood is coming up into my mouth. Dad finally walks away leaving me and my blood on the floor. I slowly get up wiping the blood from my mouth. I can feel the bruises taking place on my stomach and back. Just as the rule with my brothers in fighting, my father never punched above the collarbone but everything underneath was fair game. I listen to see if he is still in the house, but it seems he left probably to go get more beer.

I limp out of the house with the food and clothes and head over to Blair's house, my best friend from when I was a child. I remember the first time I saw her. It was the first I had ever gone into town. I was 3 years old and Dad sent me and the boys in to get some food. I got separated from them and I couldn't find them and so I went into a cafe to see if they went in there. It was this fancy cafe with people in suits and dresses. I go up to the counter to ask the man there if he has seen my brothers. I feel a little self-conscious because of my clothes but I go anyway. Just as I get there this girl comes up to me and says hi. After that we talked and hung out every weekend we could get away. That was until her parents started sending her around the continent trying to get her matched with some high prince. I haven't seen Blair in over a month because of it.

Blair is rich, I mean royal rich. They live in the center of town in a large 5 story house. We never hung out there. She said she was embarrassed by her family but I always thought she was embarrassed by me. I get to her house and go to knock on the front door.

Blair's maid comes and opens the door, "Hello? Oh Elise, how are you dear? Would you like to come inside." She smiles as she opens the door more so I could come in.

I stand right where I am and shake my head. I try not to reveal the pain coursing through my body from just standing up as a ask, " Is Blair home? I would like to talk to her."

The maid makes a face and says, " Oh no honey she is still on that trip with her parents. She will be back in a few weeks."

I nod and say my thanks as I turn away. Blair always treated my wounds from my father when she was not on the road. She always knew how to comfort me without making me feel vulnerable. I quickly try and make it back to the campsite so I can lay down before the pain becomes too bad. As I walk I think about how many times her family has made her go on these trips for the past year. At least twice a month if not more. They must be getting impatient with her and the prospects of a husband.

I get to the fighting grounds. I see Archer checking out all the different people fighting and going hard. He's so concentrated I don't call out to him and just keep walking. I quickly walk by the arena and see Ryan with Tom. They are both laughing very hard. I smirk he has not laughed like that in a long time. I think to myself, "This will be good for them both." I keep walking and get to the tent. I put away all the food and clothes. Just as I sit down to take my shirt off I think about what would happen if Ryan or Archer came in and saw me covered in bruises. It would make them feel awful for not coming even though they have seen Dad do this to me and done nothing about it. I get up and start gathering painkillers and some soothing salves to put on the bruises once I get to a private place.

I also grab my sword just in case I feel like chopping down some dinner or needing to protect myself from any predators. I think of places that I could go and then it hits me. I can go to the clearing with the lake. That way I could also wash off some of the dirt and blood from the house. I get off the bed and wince as I walk outside and head off to the clearing.