Bound by blood & Ink

A tale left behind

It was closing time. Alex carefully put everything back in its place, locked the gate to the restricted section, and followed Mrs. Hargrove out of the library.

"Goodnight, dear. I'll see you tomorrow at lunch, I assume?" Mrs. Hargrove said with a kind smile.

Alex nodded. "Yes, as always."

The nearly empty hallways felt cavernous as Alex walked toward her locker. A few students lingered, either grabbing their things or finishing up group projects in nearby rooms. Alex kept her head low, hoping to avoid any attention.

She reached her locker and quickly began packing her bag with her lesson books and laptop. Just as she zipped her bag halfway, a voice sneered beside her.

"Here we have the stupid bitch."

Her stomach sank as she looked up to see the same boy from earlier. He laughed, flanked by his friends who lingered just out of sight, their faces lit with smug amusement. Without warning, he smacked her books and laptop out of her hands, sending them clattering to the ground.

"You're so clumsy," he added with a mocking laugh.

Alex bent down to pick up her belongings, but as her fingers closed around her laptop, his foot came down hard on her hand.

"Ah!" Alex yelped, grinding her teeth in pain.

"That's what you get for that sarcastic comment earlier," he spat, stepping back. He and his friends cackled as they sauntered away, disappearing around the corner.

A tear rolled down Alex's cheek as she scrambled to gather her things, cradling her throbbing hand against her chest. She shoved the last of her belongings into her bag and headed to the parking lot.

From the driver's seat of her car, she watched the bullies rev their engine and drift out of the lot, leaving tire marks behind. Alex sighed, wiped her face, and drove home in silence.

When she arrived, the lights in the living room were on. Her heart started racing. She turned her key slowly in the lock, careful not to make a sound, and slipped inside.

Crossing the hallway toward the kitchen, she peeked into the living room. Her father sat on the couch in his stained white shirt, a beer in one hand and an array of empty bottles scattered on the table in front of him.

Alex moved past the doorway silently and opened the fridge, grabbing a microwave meal. She glanced toward the living room as the light from the TV flickered across the walls. Her father coughed loudly, and she flinched.

Carefully, she placed her meal in the microwave and watched the timer. She was so focused on keeping it from beeping that she barely noticed her father's shadow shift in the living room.

"ALEXANDRIA? Is that you?" he barked suddenly.

Her face turned white. "Yes, Dad, it's me," she replied, barely above a whisper.

Her father grunted in response. She quickly retrieved her food from the microwave, but when she looked for a bowl, every dish was dirty. Sighing, she decided to eat straight out of the plastic cup it came in.

"ALEX! BRING ME ANOTHER BEER!" he bellowed.

Alex sighed again, quieter this time. She grabbed a six-pack from the fridge and placed her bag and food on the stairs so he wouldn't notice. Then, she carried the beer into the living room and set it next to him. The stench of stale alcohol hit her like a wall, and she nearly gagged.

"I'm going to study upstairs," she said softly, stepping back.

"Do the dishes first," her father demanded without looking away from the TV.

"I'll do them later. I have a test tomorrow," Alex said, her voice barely audible.

Her father burped, then turned to glare at her. "DO THEM NOW, AND DON'T FORGET THE TRASH!"

"Yes, sir," Alex muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" he roared, finally standing up.

Alex looked at the floor. "Nothing, sir," she said louder.

"YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT!" he shouted, his voice slurring. "I FOUGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY! I'VE BEEN THROUGH HELL, AND YOU CAN'T EVEN DO THE DISHES?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Alex replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

"LOUDER!"

"I'm sorry, sir!"

His face twisted with rage, and he hurled an empty bottle past her head. It shattered against the wall, glass raining down. "YOU LITTLE SHIT, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

Heart pounding, Alex grabbed her bag and food from the stairs and bolted to her room. She slammed the door shut and locked it. Sitting on her bed, she trembled as tears streamed down her face.

Taking a deep breath, Alex reached for her laptop to distract herself, but her hand brushed against the book instead. She hesitated, then pulled it out. Her eyes widened at the ink stains on the leather cover.

"Shit," she whispered, rushing to the bathroom. She dabbed at the cover with a damp cloth, managing to lighten some of the stains, but they had already seeped too deeply into the leather. "Damn it," she muttered.

Back in her room, Alex sat down and opened the book. The first page was beautifully decorated with golden lines and intricate roses, but the title was obscured by the ink. The only part she could make out was "mont."

She turned the page carefully and began reading. The story told of a noble family from centuries past. The daughter of a count, the girl in the story had lost her mother at an early age, but the tragedy had only strengthened her bond with her father.

Alex sighed, thinking of her own strained relationship with her dad since her mother's death. She read on, captivated by the girl's efforts to advocate for women, pushing for them to hold jobs like men. Inspired by her, the girl's father had even welcomed the first woman into their royal guard.

Warmth blossomed in Alex's chest as she imagined the girl's courage and determination.

But when Alex turned the next page, she froze. It was blank. She flipped another page, and another—still blank.

"What the hell?" she muttered, flipping through the rest of the book. Only the first eight pages were filled.

She closed the book with a sigh. "Why didn't they finish it? There's so much more to her story..."

Setting the book aside, Alex placed her empty cup on the nightstand, turned off the light, and lay down. Staring at the ceiling, she whispered, "That girl was amazing. I wish I could learn more about her."

As her eyes drifted shut, she didn't notice the faint glow emanating from the carved figure on the book's cover.