A Different Kind of Happily Ever After (On Hold)

Chapter 4 - Sang

Thank you for reading! You didn't have to but you did, and that means the world to me. ❤️
Here's the next chapter everyone!

"You have a lovely voice." A male voice says from behind me. I whip around quickly and end up spilling all the blueberries. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to frighten you. My name is Wil." I look up at the man noticing his dark brown hair, green eyes covered by spectacles and face covered in acne. He's wearing old worn out clothes. He move toward me, but stops when I flinch back. Men are monsters! They'll abuse and rape you till your dead! Mothers voice screeches in my head.

I turn to run back to the house when another man walks into the clearing blocking my path. I back up trying to get as far from them as possible. "There you are Wil. I thought maybe you'd tripped over a twig and died, but look at this! You found a girl." The second man was worse than the first. I almost want to hind behind the first man to get away from this one. He has black hair and a goatee. He's wearing armor like a knight, but he isn't wearing the Charleston mark.

Goatee man starts making his way toward me, but Wil moves in front of me blocking goatee's path. "McCoy already said we have enough. Let's go." He moves to guide goatee back the way they came, but goatee moves faster. He punches Wil in the stomach, causing me to squeak and jump back.

"What did you say to me f****r?" Goatee snarls. He looks like a wolf about to strike, and I don't want to be here when that happens. While he's focused on Wil I creep silently out of the clearing, never turning my back to them. Once I'm well hidden in the foliage, I turn and run to the house. In the distance behind me I hear goatee man yelling at Wil. Mother is right men are monsters.

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I get home quickly and hide in the kitchen while I calm my racing heart. Deeper in the house I here Marie playing the piano (very off tune) and mother snoring in her room. The familiar noises help calm me down, so I could clean up after breakfast and start lunch. I fall back into my normal routine, and push the incident in the forest to the back of my mind.

By the time the sun went down I was exhausted. Mother got angry when there wasn't anything for dessert, so I had to kneel on rice for five hours. I fell asleep on the kitchen floor before the time was up.

The darkness was back. It was suffocating. I heard a noise to the left of my cage. Suddenly someone ripped the blindfold off. I almost wish they would put it back on. All around my cage were monsters disguised as men. "Alright men, why don't we start this one off at 30?" I recognize goatee mans voice, but can't seem to look away from the crowd. Behind all the monsters I see Wil. I tilt my head to the side confused. He's not a monster, but he's working with them. Why? Shouts draw my attention back to the front of the crowd. I can't figure out what anyone was saying. Suddenly they fall quiet and goatee is is talking again. "And sold to the gentlemen in the back for 2,000 gold pieces." I cringe at the way he sneers the word gentlemen. Wait, WHAT!? I jerk my head to the back thinking it was Wil, but instead I see a large man in all black marching to the front. His eyes are as dark as his clothes, but somehow they seem soft and warm. He approaches my cage and starts to unlock the door.

Something slams into my side waking me. "You ungrateful little brat! I let you live under my roof, and you can't even get breakfast done before I get up!" I glance up in time to see the broom coming down to hit my back. I gasp as pain flares through my back bringing all the pain I'd been suppressing back to the front of my mind. A cry leaves my lips before I could stop it. "Aw, does it hurt? Well good!" With that she slaps the broom on my back one more time before throwing it at me. "Clean up that rice. I don't want to see a single grain on the floor next time I'm in here. I will be back down for breakfast in exactly 5 minutes, and if it's not ready..." And with that she's gone.

I groan trying to push the pain away, but it feels like it's here to stay. I'll just have to work through it. Pushing myself to my feet is a painful and long process but once I'm up I grab the broom to get started. Once everything is swept up I rush to the coop and barn collecting eggs and milk. I fry two eggs and place them on separate plates with chopped tomatoes. Then I set everything on the table with seconds to spare. Mother walks in and wrinkles her nose, angry that I got everything done. "Get out. I don't want to lose my appetite. Go tell Marie that breakfast is finally ready."

I drag myself upstairs to Marie's room and knock on her door. There's some shuffling across the room then the door is thrown open. "What do you want?" She hisses, looking like she's about to slam the door in my face.

"Breakfast is ready. Mother wanted me to tell you." I stumble back a step expecting her to lash out at me for speaking to her. Instead she nods and walks downstairs. The shock pushes the pain back for a second but it comes back full force moments later. I practically crawl up to my attic room and pass out the moment my head hit my bed.