Imprisoned - ON HOLD

And It All Started Well

A/N: I hope this becomes a story that I'll continue writing. I stopped Trillium because I felt that no one was reading it. (And what's the point of writing when no one's reading it) One day I MIGHT finish/redo Trillium, but I really want to focus on this now. I'm not really asking for anything for this one but for at least a couple votes/comments.



:CHAPTER ONE:

“Who do you want to marry, once you turn seventeen?” my friend, Elizabeth asked. I shook my head. No girl was able to choose who she wanted to marry once she turned seventeen.  Only boys, only men.

“We can’t choose who we want to marry, Eliza,” I said stating the obvious. She sighed and turned her head up to the falling petals from the cherry blossom tree. I sat on a wooden swing and wrapped my arms around the thick ropes supporting it, twisting myself in the seat. She finally spoke. “I know.”

I looked down at her. Her dark hair was pulled into a low side-pony tail with a satin ribbon to hold it in place. Her side bangs were overgrown, no longer able to be called bangs. Eliza’s green eyes showed sadness, and I knew why. Eliza wanted what every unmarried girl here wanted. Freedom. We wanted the freedom to think for ourselves, to be ourselves, and no one here can give us that, not even ourselves.

“Then why ask?” I said with discourtesy, and immediately regretted my harsh words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” I quickly uttered.

“It’s alright, Anais,” she laughed obviously hurt. “Let me rephrase that. If you could, who would you marry when you turned seventeen?” I thought about it for a moment.  Alec clearly despised me, Marcus didn’t seem to be… interested in women period, and Peter was my friend. Would I ever marry my friend?

“I don’t know,” I finally answer. “Someone.” Eliza chuckled.

“She doesn’t know, but all she knows is that she wants ‘someone.’ Gosh Anais, you’re not very vogue. All the girls in the village talk about whom they want to marry, what dress they’ll wear for their wedding, who’s invited, who’s not invited.” Eliza’s yelling suddenly stopped, and she laughed again. “I guess it’s my turn to say sorry now.”

I laughed along with her. “And I accept, though you didn’t say it yet.” I looked towards our village from the small forest of cherry blossom trees and noticed the gates were closing.

“The gates are closing,” my voice serious. “We’ll have to hurry, c’mon!” I started running towards the closing gates, and looked back to Eliza following me. The gate keeper noticed us and mentioned us to hurry. I lifted my dress up so I wouldn’t trip on the bottom.

“Anais, let’s make it a race.” Eliza announced, huffing. 

“Consider it started,” I replied, giggling.

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I hesitated at the door of my home. What will Mum say when she finds out I was at the forest again? Don’t go there again, it’s not safe, those were the words she said the last time she found I went there. Mum was a caring creature.  She wouldn’t hurt or yell at me for going there again today, she understood my reasoning.

Mum had straight dark brown hair, nothing like my ginger curls. She said my hair color came from my father. Her eyes were hazel like mine. I looked nothing like my mother, her beauty was soft and gentle, fragile even, as though she could be broken. My mother said I was beautiful too, I just couldn’t see it. She said I couldn’t be easily broken, that I was persistent.

I reached for the door knob, my hand barely touching the cold iron. “Anais!” I looked in the direction of my name, startled. I realized it was just John, my older brother running towards me.

“Oh, John. You scared me.” I said chuckling. How could something so harmful scare me?

“Anais,” he said again huffing, “Where the hell were you?” I froze. Had Mum gotten so worried that she asked they searched for me?

“I-I was at the forest,” I said softly. “Why?” John grabbed my arm, not giving me an answer. He practically dragged me to where he was leading me. His fingers were digging into my skin, making it red and enflamed.  He dug harder, and I couldn’t help but cry out. “Ow! John you’re hurting me!” I tried to tug my arm free from his grasp, but his grip was too tight.

He finally slowed down and stopped at the edge of the water. We were at the May, the only body of water at the village, since going outside was too dangerous. The May was far from the village, if you shouted from here, people from even the edge of the village wouldn’t be able to hear what you’re saying. Though The May was far from the village, the forest of Sakura trees were farther. The forest wasn’t part of our village, no gates would surround it. It was too large, a never ending jungle of pink.

I looked down at the russet grass and noticed one of Mum’s dresses. It was my father’s favorite, the simple white fabric, with a thick satin ribbon around the waist. I reached down to touch the partially damp material.

“Mum was here,” John finally said. “She was washing clothes.” He pointed towards the small pile of laundry in the straw basket. “She was done, but she didn’t leave.” I didn’t fully understand what he meant. John looked down at me, “Mum’s dead.”

Did I hear him wrong? Is this a dream? God, do I hope this is a dream. I pinched my arm, and yelped. “Wha-what happened? How did she…” I was shocked. Did Mum really kill herself? She hadn’t been the same since Dad died, but not suicidal!

“Apparently she fell into the river.” John answered, not believing the story. "Though the Helpers looked everywhere they can't find the body in the water." I looked up at John. His face showed no emotion, I looked into his eyes and saw nothing also.  His expression made me angry. How could he feel nothing? His one and only mother had just drowned, and whatever the story others would make up now wouldn’t be true.

“You don’t care. Don’t you?” I said. He didn’t answer, and that only made me angrier. “You don’t! You always keep it in! You always have to be a big boy! One who never cries, never lets his true feelings out!” I paused to look at his face again. Still no change, he had the same expression. “Leave! Go back home!” I edged towards the river and sat cross-legged, my hands cupped my face, hiding my tears. After a moment I heard him walk away, not even protesting.

I looked up, and acted out Mum washing the clothes, wondering what would have made her want to stay longer. I looked up and saw the forest. It was a perfect view from here. I edged closer, being careful not to fall in.

What surprised me was that you could see the forest from here, the exact spot Eliza and I were earlier. Realization came to me, Mum said don’t go to the forest again, but she only said that once. When Mum really means something, she says it over again. She was watching me, making sure nothing happened.

I killed my mother.