Enslaving His Heart

1. Death of a Loved One

Crying silently to myself, I wipe every tear streaming down my face with a violent swipe of my hand. I stare at my mother with her eyes closed. The comforting beeping of the machines around her that once gave me a sense of hope are now silent. 

"This is no time to cry," I say quietly. I stand up and take the ancient-looking  box and place it on my lap. " What are you planning for me, Mom?" I ask her pale body. My mother is dead because of cancer, and my father not by my side. Killed in a war, my father died when I was thirteen, the age where I was old enough to understand what happened but too much in shock to grief and cry. 

That was when my mother's cancer started getting serious and she slipped away just like my father. All she left me was a box, containing my mother's will and some of her clothes. Taking her hair brush, I start combing her hair and fixing it to look presentable. 

I look at the box and decide to explore what's inside. At the very top of the box is an envelope. I open it up and see a familiar handwriting. It's her will written to me.

Dear Audrey Thatcher  Brooks,

If you are reading this, then I am no longer a part of this world, or as you would say, "in the glorious sky with the angels." I want you to know if I haven't gotten a chance to tell you , but I love you, with all my heart and I'll always be here for you whether in your mind or sou, I am always in a part of you.

I know you will have a hard time living by yourself; therefore, I have placed my life savings into your bank account for future use. Unfortunately this will not be enough to sustain you for the rest of our life, so I have requested for you to be taken care of by Edwin Hunter.

There is no one I trust more in my whole life, or at least before I died. He is your grandfather's step son. He and his son will be in charge of you. In my life there are many things I have kept hidden away from you. They will give you answers as well as a place to live and stay.

In this box, you will find the address to the place you need to go, a uniform you are requested to wear, and a dress, a wedding dress, more specifically my wedding dress. I know there is no way I will be there when you decide to make a commitment to a certain someone, but at least of part of me will. I love you, Audrey, and don't you doubt that for a even a second. I know I have left you in a very uncomfortable situation most 17 year old's don't have to deal with, but I want you to know I love you. 

Be safe, stay beautiful, and be happy.

Love, Elizabeth Avery Hunter

I stare at the paper in disbelief. Going through the rest of the papers, I find a card with an address and a name.

Edwin Pierce Hunter

33589 Richardo Boulevard

Hilway, CA

The doctor walks in before I can see the clothes in the box. "Miss Brooks, it's time," Dr. Williams says to me. I give him a weak nod and a group of nurses wheel my mother out onto the patio at the hospital. A group of men lower my mother into a coffin lined with velvet and quietly close it shut. The funeral for her was small. A few nurses who cared for her at the hospital stood to the side with pitiful looks on their faces. I looked away. I was all that was left. Any close relatives either never knew of my existence, or just refused to remember about me. My mother was my rock in life, the one thing I can hold on to for hope, and even that was gone.

I wipe away a few stray tears and hold my head up high. I put on a straight face and take the flowers that were given to me and place it on top of the coffin before the men drive her away to the cemetery. I don't go with them. The thought of my mother in the cold ground frightens me.

Turning away, I head inside to get my belongings from the hospital and place them inside my car. I stick the keys in the ignition and start the car. Minutes pass and I drive mindlessly, almost missing the my exit on the freeway. 

My house inches into my view. The worn down house with pastel blue paint and rusty door may look unimpressive, but it meant the world to me. It was my haven. The place where the sound of my dad returning home after months was beautiful. The way my mom would call me inside when I was playing on my tire swing and find a plate of cookies on the counter. The silent but comforting crackle of the fireplace would lull me into a deep sleep. 

This comfort was long gone when I had to go to the hospital everyday after working at my part-time job as a waiter at Ren's Cafe to care for my mother while keeping up with my schoolwork and grades. Although that pressure has been lifted off me, I would do anything to exchange that havoc-filled life back just so my mother would be alive.

I gather the rest of my belongings place them in a few boxes and all my clothes in a suitcase. I have no idea what the future for this house is. "How am I going to pay to keep this house?" I think. I'm lost in a tidal wave of confusion. The sudden death, the mysterious relative, the responsibility placed on me is almost enough to convince me to give up on life. 

Hey everyone! This is my first novel that I'm writing and I hope that this all makes sense to you guys! All I want to say is if you're reading this book, thank you! It means a lot to me that people enjoy this and I hope that if this is successful, it will convince me to write more. Leave comments down below for me to read, I love feedback! I'll have some character pictures in the next chapter so keep reading if your interested!

BAI!

~Odd_Imperfections