THE CURSE

Chapter 6

Jacqueline opened her eyes. She loved the feel of the warm sun on her skin. She expected breakfast in bed since that's what the Millers had been doing since she arrived. Her stomach grumbled. She dragged herself out of bed, climbing down stairs.

All the dishes used last night and probably this morning had been stacked in the sink. The living room was a total mess. Feathers everywhere. The pictures and paintings hung in odd directions. The house reeked of something foul. It almost made her hurl but she forced down the vomit.

She decided to go back upstairs to wash up. She made her way to the bathroom. As she pushed it open,a vile odor welcomed her. She gasped at the sight of it. Toilet paper and bodily items scattered around. The walls stained with something that looked greasy. She dared not to touch anything. She spotted red stains by the toilet seat.

Was that? Blood? Menstrual blood?!

She quickly dashed out of the disgusting convenience room.

What kind of disgusting nightmare is this?!

She put her head out of the window loving the cool breeze against her skin. She inhaled and exhaled the fresh air. Behind her she heard laughter. She knew those voices. They belonged to her cousins.

She turned sharply only for her face to come in contact with a pie. A pie crawling with worms and insects. She screamed trying to rid her body of the worms and insects moving on her. The Millers laughed harder.

Was this some sick joke?!

Andrea came down curious about all the commotion downstairs. Jacqueline looked up glad that her angel had come to stop this madness. She ran to her aunt. Andrea put out a hand, stopping her. The nice smile always on her face turned into an ugly scowl. Her kind eyes stared at Jacqueline with disgust.

"Aunt Andrea. So glad you're here, you're my-"

"Shut up."

Jacqueline stared at her aunt in total disbelief. She couldn't believe it. This couldn't be the nice angelic woman that welcomed her. This cold menacing voice couldn't possibly belong to her sweet aunt. This was all a prank. A sick prank. Everything will be back to normal. She tried to assure herself.

"I... I don't understand"  Jacqueline stuttered.

Her aunt scoffed." Did you really think I would want to take in a thing like you?" She laughed humorlessly. Jacqueline just stared confused

What's going on?

"Didn't you figure out you killed your parents and caused the orphanage to burn down?" Her aunt said coldly.

Jacqueline shook her head.
"No. It was an accident. It was all an accident."

She heard her aunt let out a snort
"An accident. It wasn't a mere coincidence bad things happen on your birthday. You caused it all"

"No. No!!" Jacqueline screamed. She knew it was all her fault but she tried to believe that it was a mere coincidence. It was an accident.

Andrea walked round her. Like a hunter watching its prey.

"From now on. You'll be taking care of things concerning this house. From cleaning to cooking"

"Since I'm bad luck why not throw me out?"she asked with a little courage

Her aunt smirked"I'm your legal guardian. I have custody over you till you are 19. So you should at least be of use until then"

"And if I don't want to do all the work"

The last Miller, Khan spoke"You don't have a choice brat. You are our slave now"

Jacqueline tried to protest but a slap to her cheek shut her up. She held her cheek that throbbed with pain. Tears stung her eyes. But she will never give them the satisfaction of her tears

"You will refrain from speaking  to my children that way."

She didn't respond. So this was her life from now on. From the loved lost niece to the maltreated slave.

What a marvelous turn of events, she thought bitterly. She cleaned up the house on her aunt's orders. Her things were already thrown out of Emily's room. Her cousins kindly left her to her 'new' room. The attic in the roof.

"Have fun" Chloe snorted before pushing Jackie into the dark room. She crashed into the ladder falling hard to the floor. She groaned. Her body ached, feeling both weak from the impact and hunger. She lay still for sometime. She looked around. It was extremely small and cramped with dusty boxes and stuff. Cobwebs hung from every corner. A huge mirror leaning on the wall. By the window, a small bed and a closet where her clothes were supposed to be.

She managed to get up. Still dizzy from the fall and hunger, she spotted cleaning items and started cleaning. Sweeping, mopping, cobwebbing. Within hours, she made the dusty room habitable. Now she cleaned up,the attic was a lot less terrifying. She collapsed on her bed. The moonlight reflecting in her room. She gazed up at the moon. It casted its beautiful silvery light on the earth. Jacqueline sighed. The tears dropping as she held her mother's ring.

She thought of her friends at the orphanage. She wondered if they had better luck than she did. She missed them. She rolled over in her bed and cried herself to sleep. The next morning, she was awoken by five in the morning. Her aunt tossed a chore list on her face. She mowed the lawn, did laundry, washed the dishes and made breakfast, lunch and dinner. All she had the entire day was a measly piece of pie and  bread crumbs from the table. She had to also endure countless beatings from her aunt and constant insults from her cousins.

Jacqueline never cried in front of them. Instead, she went upstairs after her work each day, weak and aching. She documented her miserable life in a tattered blue diary she found while cleaning the room and looked forward to more terrible years ahead.