Soldier // Justin Bieber

Damaged

Marie’s POV;

I sat on the marble counter top, my legs swaying back and forth as I watched Ethel place a tray of cakes in the furnace. My red dress flowed down to just below my knees, its fabric hugged my sides, and a white ribbon wrapped around me at my waist, and tied into a large bow on my back.

The scent of vanilla and brown sugar wafted around the whole house, as well as the smell of cinnamon and candles.

“They should take about twenty minutes to bake, I’ll be polishing the hallway if you need me” Ethel spoke whilst washing her hands in the sink, mounds of bubbles forming as she rubbed her hands together.

“Thank you; do you know when Father will be back?” I smiled warmly at her as she walked towards the large wooden door leading onto the hallway. Her hand clasped the golden door handle softly as she stopped;

“He didn’t mention a specific time, but around noon as always I would suspect” She smiled a toothy smile; wrinkles appeared by her eyes as she smiled widely, before nodding her head politely and walking out.

“Oh! Marie,” Ethel called as she made her way to the hallway, her voice muffled by the walls in-between us.

“Yeah?”

“Your Mother rang; she insisted you speak to William”

That name. That one word brought chills to my spine. William. I despised him, to say the least. He treated me like a puppet, and object, a possession.

None of which I actually was.

He hid his true personality – his venom – until it was just him and I, alone. Of course, nobody knew about William’s evil ways, no one but him and I. He always seemed unfazed when he slapped me, or kicked me in the stomach, leaving my ribcage bruised and sore the next day. His face always remained the same, stone cold.

At times, I would come home from his home, with my eye swollen, and a blackish purple bruise overcrowding my facial features. Mother and Father were rarely home, as they were off on business trips and such, and so then had no idea, not even the slightest clue, about what was really going on between William and I.

He was heartless, and in no way capable of loving. Not even the slightest.

To Mother and Father we were a match made in heaven, we were supposedly ‘perfect’ for each other. And so that is why we were planning our marriage – or so, they were. I had no say in it, my opinion for my own wedding, my own partner, wasn’t needed.

They chose William to be my husband simply because he was a Officer, a power-hungry one at that. He often enlightens me in his day, sending thousands of his troops out into the trenches, watching them fall as they were shot, awaiting their death. It was sad, truly. The soldier’s tales and updates on the war were often blaring out from my small radio in the kitchen. Ethel and I would listen in while she pounded bread dough or stirred a large bowl of cake mixture.

Ethel knew I hated William, although didn’t know the full story. She saw him as a stuck up, conceded jerk. Of which he was. But see hadn’t a clue about the beating, the horrendous name calling, or the constant mistreatment I often encounter. And truthfully, I didn’t want her to.

Huffing, I jumped off from the countertop and walked over to the large window, where the sun shone in as bright as ever. A appreciative smile tugged at the corners of my lips, my eyes widening in wonder as I watched swallows sweep past the house, their chirps and calls only just meeting my ears.

“You know better and I know better, let's do it anyway
Throw our hearts into the wind and let the music play

One more time, for old time's sake where could we go wrong?
We know every word by heart, come on, let's sing our love song”

I sang quietly, rearranging the red, white and yellow roses that were neatly placed into a glass vase. My white heels clicked against the marble floor, echoing throughout the lounge. I walked over to my poodle, Minnie, her soft white fur contrasting against the forest green armchair she lay upon.

I ran my fingers absentmindedly across the velvety fabric of the chair as I walked past. Skipping slightly – although it was rather hard to do so in heels – I allowed my feet to drag me to the large staircase. The glossy wooden stairs were slightly hidden by a blood red carpet that ran down from the top of the stairs to the very bottom.

The clicking of my heels was muffled by the thick carpet; I glanced at the numerous paintings of my relatives as I walked up the stairs. Their smiles mimicked mine, and their fingers were entwined on their laps with their thumps crossed over each other.

Thud.

My attention immediately snapped towards the front door, the sun beaming through the small glass stained window. I paused, turning my whole body towards the door.

Thud.

My eyebrows furrowed together as I took a step down hesitantly. Ethel was nowhere in sight, although I really wished she was.

A loud groan was heard, and my breathing unsteadied, my hands began to shake uncontrollably; my heartbeat accelerated. Everything turned silent, deadly silent. I almost wanted there to be a sound, a thud, a groan; just so I could assure myself I wasn’t dead. I sure felt it. My legs felt numb, as if I would collapse to my knees at any second, although I still managed to stand frozen.

A small, pain filled whimper met my eardrums, and I almost winced at the amount of hurt I felt from just hearing it. I instantly came to my senses and rushed to the bottom of the staircase, grabbing an umbrella for protection on my way down.

I took in a deep breath, not removing my wide orbs from the door; as if a monster was to smash through it if I didn’t.

‘You can do this Marie, you can do this’ my own voice echoed inside my head, giving me only a small amount of confidence.

What if it was Father on the other side of that door? Or William – If it was, would I really want to open it? No.

Gathering up the courage, I gripped the golden door handle in one hand, and clasped my other around the bottom of the umbrella.

Heart thumping loudly within my chest, I squeezed my eyes shut, threw the large front door open and held the umbrella in front of me.

I stood like that for only a few seconds, looking like a total madwoman I’m sure. I slowly opened one eye, my other tightly shut.

A body.

A young man lay defenceless at my doorway. His eyes were hooded, although glistening tears still managed to run down from his dark orbs, over his mud stained cheeks. His bloodstained hands lay palm faced upwards at his sides, Blood?

Only then did I notice his wound, a bullet had pierced the skin at his hip, and a large hole had formed. I couldn’t help but wince. Deep, thick blood slowly trickled out, and instantly my senses gathered together.

A soldier.

An injured soldier, was laying at my door step.

I quickly placed my index finger at the base of his cold neck, waiting and praying for a pulse. Of which there was, although it was slowing.

“Ethel!” I near enough screamed, my voice echoed throughout the house and my wide eyes stayed glued to the wound at his hip.

The sound of heels captured my attention and I turned to Ethel who stood beside me, her face flustered and utterly confused.

“Help me” I said, before walking around the man and lifting his sweaty head from the hard marble floor.