Weeping Willows

Chapter 3

If ever in need, come by the willow. Gemma's words swirled in her mind over and over as she sat in her tub with an accompanied silence. Aiden could hear her father's deep cackle interrupt her thoughts along with the laugh track that rang out from the blaring television. She didn't realize how long she had sat in the tub before she realized he had come home. She lifted herself from the tub and gingerly stepped over the edge, wincing at the pain in her heels. She padded to the door and pressed her ear to the cold oak, her fingers running along the grooves. She barely comprehended she was shivering until she saw her knobby knees wobbling and the goosebumps rising along her skin. Her wounds, however, burned with a feverish heat. Aiden clawed at her jacket and tossed it by the sink, the material feeling as though had shrunk to her skin. She peeked at her hair. The strands were a straggling, knotted, brown mess that clumped at her shoulders. Her shirt was stained with a yellow liquid that reminisced of her aunt's foul breath and her jeans have formed new holes in unsavory places. Aiden felt the tears prick the corner of her eyes as she gazed at the dark shadows that clung below her lids. She was so tired. She felt her energy wane as she finally looked down and studied her bandaged feet.

A sudden jimmy of the doorknob and the swing of her bedroom door sent her jolting away from the bathroom door in a panic. Bile swelled in the base of her throat as her sore muscles tensed, waiting for the door that separated them to come crashing open.

"Baby girl? Her father sang through the solid wood of the door. Aiden shakily edged away until her back hit the edge of the sink. Her fists clenched the rim as her heart pounded painfully in her chest. "Addy, It's time for dinner. Are you gonna come down?" He asked with a tinge of concern as her breathing quickened to hyperventilating gasps.

"I'm not feeling very good, papa." She called shakily. She took a breath and felt the sharp pains in her feet as her legs almost gave out beneath her. "I think I ate something bad at school."

Her father stood outside the door with silence seeping through the wood as he contemplated his words. She could feel his hesitation as he held his hand over the knob of her bathroom door. With a sigh, he retrieved his hand and stepped away.

"Alright Addy. Get some rest. I love you."

"Love you too papa. Good night." She murmured against the door. She listened to the receding footsteps as he stepped down the hall. She hated that she lied to him, but she had to protect him from the truth of her wounds. She wanted to believe that was the reason for her lies. A small part of her whispered that he knew, that he loved his sister more than his own daughter's feelings, than her sense of safety. She was starving and she couldn't ignore the inevitable rumble in her stomach, the stabbing pain that followed, or the dizzy headaches that threw her off balance. She didn't dare move until the sound of silver scraping against clay resounded throughout the house. Her mouth watered at the smell of garlic and beef. Her stomach bellowed at her, angry at the lack of food. If ever in need, come by the willow. Aiden carefully avoided the loose floorboards as she made her way to the tub and crouched into it, eyes wide with worry. Maybe Lukka would have food. She glanced back at the door. Is it worth the risk? What if they see me? She looked down at her thin legs and then felt the ache in her stomach, as though motivating her to make a choice. She couldn't go downstairs and see that woman with a proud smile. She refused. What they don't know won't hurt me, She argued within her mind. With that final thought, Aiden found the confidence within her and a newly appointed strength to throw her leg through the open window and stare out to the beckoning woods that surrounded her. The glow of the afternoon sun reflected on the frosted cover of the trees, but barely streamed through to illuminate the dense forest from within. Aiden planted her feet onto the slated roof and the panes slipped slightly from her weight. She squatted, hoping to keep her balance, and quickly sidled her way to the edge of the roof. She glanced down to see the broken bottles as well as thick patches of overgrown grass that sparkled with shattered glass. Her heart thundered as she breathed sharply and began climbing the gutter, listening to it groan and creak with her grip. She was an inch away from the ground when she threw herself off the gutter, which threatened to come away from the house, and took off towards the woods at lightning speed. She ignored the searing pain in her thighs and feet, pushing through the low brush. Her lungs burned as they begged for air and she ducked behind mossy trunks. Her paranoia buzzed behind her eyes and swallowed the air in her chest to leave her breathless. When she broke through the clearing, she felt her footsteps falter and she gasped for air that struggled to flow steadily. She could see the willow radiate the soft sunlight and below the branches and among the roots was the white elk. He tiredly rested his snout against the bark with his legs tucked underneath his massive body. He was so beautiful and peaceful, the way his snow white fur ruffled with the piercing cold. His black lashes flickered as he struggled to open his drooping eyelids. Aiden's knee came down hard upon a small twig and the snap! broke the barrier of the silence that has sat comfortably on her shoulders. Her already racing heart picked up its pace as the elk's head snapped up to her, those unmistakably violet eyes perforated through her aching being and he stood. The elk began to trot until his eyes focused on her twisted features. Within a second, he had transformed into a man and sprinted to her. Lukka's eyes bore into her hers intensely as he reached a hand to her swollen cheek. Aiden violently pulled back and lost her balance, rolling onto her lower back into the crunching mud below her. He moved to grab her and Aiden released a frightened gasp as she curled away. Lukka crouched, withdrawing his hand and curling it into a fist on top of his knee. A muscle in his temple jumped, yet as he spoke, the words were kind and smooth.