TWISTED

1: Maid For Them

24th February 2017

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ella sat at the window of the tiny room she shared with her mother and at the birds which had began their journey across the sky. The rooster which was perched on the stone fence crowed loudly, heralding the dawn of another miserable day for Ella.

The sun was rising from the horizon colouring the sky in different shades of blue and orange.

Sighing, she lifted her blue dress and stood up. She pushed her feet into the brown leather shoes she wore every single day and stared at her mother's sleeping figure.

Several of the bells in her room started ringing, indicating that she was needed at the different rooms the bells represented.

There were five tiny bells, the upper first bell which was green in colour represented the balcony, the middle one which was blue represented her stepfather's room, the last one which was yellow represented her stepsister, Courtney's room. Then the lower bells which were pink and black represented the living room and kitchen respectively.

Gently opening and closing the door to her room, she hurried to her step father's king-sized room where he was perched on a chair awaiting her arrival.

"Take those clothes out for washing." Brian gazed at her with much hatred. She wasn't his child so why should he love her?

Ella obediently grabbed the dirty clothes and tucked them into a laundry basket. She was about hurrying out of the room when he spoke up.

"While you're at it, get me a cup of hot coffee, will you?"

Ella nodded. "Yes, I will." She responded, stepping out of his room. She set the basket on the floor to enable her to close the door that connected the room to the large hallway.

The hallway had large windows on one side that let in the golden rays of the morning sun. It was fancifully decorated with beautiful flowers which Ella changed every two days.

She picked the basket and marched to her stepsister's room. Courtney was fast asleep when Ella stepped into the dark room, her legs were tangled in the thick blanket and her right hand dangled out of the bed. Courtney's loud snores filled Ella's ears and she grimaced as her hands picked the clothes littered around the room which was six times larger than hers.

This used to be her room.

While she fished out some dirty clothes, she pondered on the sad turn her life had taken.

Five years ago, her mother got married to Brian when things started falling apart years after father's mysterious death. Brian's wife died a year before he married Marie, leaving him with the miserable thirteen year old Courtney. Getting married to Brian was a terrible mistake Marie would always regret.

The entrance of the father and daughter into their lives brought hell along. Brian was mean to Ella and her mom, he claimed every single property of her late father as his, Courtney treated both of them like they weren't humans, sending them on errands that even a child wouldn't agree to.

What made matters worse was when Brian threatened to kick them out of the mansion if they breathed a word to anyone. They had no choice but bear the cruel treatment doled out to them. Months after his threat, Marie fell sick and had remained that way till now, the fifth month of her sickness with little access to proper medical care.

Brian was a beast, a hideous one.

Ella continued musing over these things until she felt someone's presence before her.