The Key ♕

1

Sophie's Point of View

"Sophie!" Aunt Caroline shrieks at the top of her lungs. "Look at what you've done! This is the second time this month!"

"Aunt Caroline, what is it?" I hurriedly wipe my wet hands on a nearby rag and run outside to the vegetable field. I must hurry and finish cleaning up because my shift at the bar starts in half an hour. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Aunt Caroline scoffs, "you're what's wrong! A guy you rejected at the bar did this. Once again!"

"Go easy on her, Caroline," Uncle Bryan sighs, but a clear expression of disappointment manifested itself on his face in the form of a scowl.

I look over to where Aunt Caroline was gesturing to and widen my eyes in surprise. The vegetable field was completely trashed. Unripe onions, carrots, yams were pulled out from their roots and tomato, cucumber, and pumpkin vines were slashed to bits. "Aunt Caroline, I... I'm so sorry," I sob, covering my mouth with my hand.

"I'm fed up with this!" she snaps, anger getting to her mind, "I'm tired of men ruining our harvests because of you. We're already in debt, don't you understand? Why can't you just choose a man and marry him? That would make our lives much easier."

The menace in her tone made me wince and I bring a hand up to clutch my chest, "I can't, Aunt Caroline. I don't love them."

"This is not about love!" She shouts, throwing her frail and wrinkly hands into the air, "stop dreaming, Sophie. You were never born to love. You were born to survive."

"Caroline! That's too much." Uncle Bryan warns, sensing the hurt in my gaze.

"Ever since the moment your impoverished mother gave birth to you, the moment she got sick, the moment she asked us to take care of you, you were never meant to love."

"Auntie..." I whine.

"Grow up," she raises her voice, not ceasing her barrage of painful comments, "your prince charming isn't coming. He'd much rather marry a lady richer and more powerful than you!"

I do not reply. Instead, I just stare at her furious hazel eyes. I know what she said is true, and the truth hurt. A lot.

"Sophie," she says, much calmer than before, "we need you to leave this family."

"Aunt Caroline!" I gasp, aghast by her request, "please, you can't do this to me. I have nowhere to go." This can't be happening.

"You're 17. You can use the money you saved up working at the bar to find a place to live - just get out of my house," she replies monotonously.

"Uncle Bryan," I beg, "please."

"Sorry, Sophie," he says with a straight face, seeming nonchalant. However, the quiver in his voice says otherwise.

"We're really sorry, Sophie," Aunt Caroline's tight grimace softens into something more motherly. She places a hand on my back. "You know that we didn't have a choice."

I know I have to leave. This is the only way to keep the only two people I love safe. I manage to give the old couple a brief smile, "it's okay. I understand. Thank you, Aunt Caroline and Uncle Bryan for taking care of me for so long. I'll miss you both."

Uncle Bryan stifles a sob while Aunt Caroline reaches out to hug me, "I'm sorry I said so many hateful things to you - I don't know what got to me. I love you, Sophie, more than you know."

I wipe away a stray tear on Aunt Caroline's face as I pull them both into a sentimental embrace. "I love you, Uncle Bryan, Aunt Caroline."

"Oh, what did we do to deserve you," Uncle Bryan says into my long blonde hair.

I break the embrace before my subconsciousness begs the couple to take me back, knowing that their hearts are too kind to abandon a sobbing girl who they raised for 17 years. I can't do this to them. I'd given them enough trouble. I can make it on my own - I know I can. "I'm going to pack my things now."

With one last squeeze on Aunt Caroline's shoulder, I I turn around and run back into the shack, leaving behind nothing but a trail of tears and my sense of protection.

A few moments later, I return outside with a small bag stuffed with the only two dresses that I own. "Goodbye. Sorry for all the trouble I caused you. I love you."

"We love you, too," Aunt Caroline sniff, clinging onto Uncle Bryan's grubby shirt even harder. I see that she clung onto his shirt so hard that the seams on the sleeves almost ripped.

"Stay safe, my princess." His words echo in my pounding head as I step out to the unforeseeable world, the golden key dangling from my neck.