“Lies.” Sophie’s aunt spat. “We all know there are no animals in our forests. They’re just trying to cover up their carelessness, especially since it has cost them the death of a child.” “Have you gone to see Shelly?” the woman asked suddenly. Sophie’s aunt shook her head. “No. I cannot leave his side. I will send Sophie up there later to give her my condolences for me. It is so tragic.” "Yes, it is.” The woman concurred. “And you must send your condolences. Oh, dear Shelly. That poor, poor soul.” *** The clangs of knives and forks were the only sound that could be heard as the three occupants of the mansion gathered around the dining table. The excitement of the morning had quickly faded, allowing the gloom in the atmosphere to seep in. Sophie’s aunt, who was the most talkative of the three, had said nothing since their arrival at the market hours ago and the departure of her visitor. She had cooked the meal silently, asking no help from her niece, and prepared the table by
Her legs led her straight to the meadow. She had no time to think; nothing drove her but sheer rage. She plucked the wild flowers quickly until they formed a bouquet and then held it up to her face. Another tear slipped from her face as it landed on the flower. “Sophie.” The voice whispered, but she could hear the strength that came with it. She turned immediately, ready to defend herself if need be. “Rhys?” she signed. His name had been the first word she learned to sign. She marched towards him and gripped his hand, pulling him until they were out of the forest. “What are you doing?” she signed. “I should be asking you that!” he yelled. Sophie flinched. She had never heard him yell. The veins in his face and on his neck stood out, and his eyes were red. “Your aunt said someone died in that forest. How could you think of going back there?” Sophie glanced around. “No, she did not follow me. I looked.” Rhys muttered. She turned her back and began to walk away, further
Her uncle’s study was open, but only slightly. No light came from within, so she knew instinctively that he was not in there, but she could hear shuffles and low murmurings. With her back to the wall, her small feet crept forward till she got to the door, then she peered through it. There was a shadow in the room, with tall, elongated limbs ripping something apart. She crept closer until she saw the body that the shadow was connected to. It was a little girl. “Pssss…” Sophie hissed. The girl did not turn. She put her tongue in between her lips and again. “Pssss…” The head turned, squinted in the dark, and then smiled. Sophie saw the small figure run and squat behind the desk. She giggled. “Alice.” She whispered and crept through the small opening in the door. “Scoot over.” Her small voice spoke as she joined Alice behind the desk. She looked behind her to the door, which she had forgotten to close, and clutched the door tight to her chest. They were hiding from the IT, and she
Rhys waited. He fought within himself whether to continue pushing or to stop. He glanced at Sophie, the woman he thought he knew but didn’t. “How did she die?” he decided to push. Sophie stiffened. He noticed. She took a breath in but didn’t release it; the hand that held the pen shook. He reached across and placed his hand on the table. Then he pressed again. “How did she die, Sophie?” She glanced up the stairs towards the room they had been in the other day and drew her hand away. Then she pushed the chair away, clutching the notepad to her chest, and stood up. Rhys stood up too. He had seen the tears in her eyes, although the room they occupied was enveloped in darkness. He felt a pang of guilt in his heart and rushed after her. He met her at the door to her room. “Look, I’m sorry.” He said, pulling her until their bodies almost collided. He felt for her face, wiping the tears away with his thumb. ” “I just want to know how to help you. It breaks me to see you going throu
It has been four hours since Alice disappeared. Well, it has been four hours since I noticed and went in search of her. My aunt has since noticed too and has not stopped to yammer on about my carelessness and the need to look after my sister more. I was tempted to tell my aunt that technically, I was not her daughter’s sister, but I thought better of it. My aunt is not someone who knows how to take a joke, especially when she is upset about something. They had begun a search for her, but that was two hours ago, and they are not close to finding her yet. As for me, I have settled myself in my uncle’s study. Don’t think I am not worried; I am. Alice never plays pranks such as these, and there is no reason why she would run away from home without telling me. I hate it when she goes on adventures like these without taking me along; you must know how upset I am. When they find her—eventually they will—or when she finally decides to return and after her aunt has given her an earful an
“I think he blames me. I see it in his eyes. He barely looks at me these days; he’s just always up there in his study; he never comes down and barely touches the food I send to him. When Katrina brings it back, it’s just the same.” “I am really sorry.” Rhys sighed. He knew the pain of loss himself and how close it could drive you to the edge. The woman closed her eyes and squeezed Sophie’s hand, which she had been holding tight. Rhys’ eyes did not miss the action. She stood to her feet. “Please excuse me. I feel like a mess.” Sophie looked at him pointedly, and he shrugged. *** Jack had seen the visitors approach his house before he went into his study and heard his wife invite them in. Then he had begun to hear his wife’s voice, but not the words; he could tell from the way she sniffled in between words that she was crying. Again. Perhaps she was telling them of the animal attack. The story that he had created. He hated to see his wife cry; it clawed at his insides, and s
Rosa watched as the doctor declared her husband dead. She heard no words, just the sound of her heart beating in her chest. Thump thump, thump thump’. Thoughts failed her too. Her mind, body, and soul were numb. Once she saw the doctor raise the white cloth over her husband’s face, she turned on her heels and left the hospital. She saw the pitiful look on their faces, mouths pursed, and eyes following her retreating figure. She had not known that she would have to go through all this again in such a short time. She stepped into their old car. It reminded her too much of Jack. A tear grazed her cheek and landed on her thighs. She tightened her hand on the steering, pressed down on the pedestal, and zoomed off. Once she got to their house, she stepped out of the car, opened her door, ignored the maid who waited patiently at the door, and disappeared into her husband’s study. She was shocked at the mess he had left it in, but perhaps this was the perfect environment to let out al
Angrily, she tore down the office. I crashed through the desk until it was only wood and lumber. He wiped all his books from the bookcase and brought the bookcase down. In their room, she picked up all his clothes and tore out every photo that had his face on it—anything that would bring back a memory of him. She packed them all and dumped them on his grave, then lit a matchstick and watched it burn. It was better this way, she decided. His memory had no place in her heart, in her life, or in this world. She returned inside as the last of his memories burned and called on her maid. “My husband died from a fall.” She told her. “I will not tolerate hearing otherwise from the women in this village. And from now on, we will receive no guests. Barr the doors and windows, lock up the study, and bring the keys to my room. It is now a prohibited area.” The maid would have asked Madame a simple question, but she knew better. She nodded her head obediently and went to do as her Madame had
Sophie sat in the bridal suite. The full-length mirror reflected an image she barely recognised—an elegant, poised woman clad in a stunning lace wedding gown that hugged her curves and flared out into a beautiful train. The dress, meticulously crafted, seemed to shimmer with each breath she took, and the delicate veil added an ethereal quality to her appearance. Her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted her veil, but a reassuring smile from Vivienne steadied her nerves.Vivienne placed a comforting hand on Sophie’s shoulder, her eyes brimming with pride. “You look absolutely radiant. Today is your day, and you deserve every moment of happiness.”Sophie turned to face her, tears threatening to spill. “I can’t believe this is actually happening. Sometimes, it feels like a dream.”Eliana could not hide the pride she felt or the joy; her eyes were misty with emotion. “You’ve come such a long way, sweetheart. Your strength and resilience have brought you here, and we couldn’t be prouder
Rhys and Sophie stepped out of the building, a sense of accomplishment in the air. Sophie had faced her past head-on, and Rhys couldn’t help but feel proud of her. “You see, it wasn’t that hard, and you handled it quite well,” he said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.Sophie glanced back at the building, her heart still racing. “Hey Rhys, would you mind waiting a minute? I need to see my mom before she leaves.”Rhys nodded, his eyes softening. “Of course. Take your time.”Sophie spotted Veronica walking out and hurried towards her, with Rhys following at a slower pace. The sight of her mother, the woman she had yearned to meet since she was a little girl, brought a flood of emotions. Veronica turned at the sound of Sophie’s voice, surprise and hope mingling in her eyes. “Sophie...” she exclaimed softly. For years, it had always been “Mrs. Veronica.” The simple word “mom” now seemed to hold a world of promise.Sophie took a deep breath. “I just wanted to say that I don’t hate you.
Five years later “Come on, Sophie, we’re going to be late.” Rhys called.“Be out there in a minute.” Sophie answered from inside.“Yeah, that’s what you always say." Rhys muttered under his breath; a light shuffle behind him caught his attention.“Sophie,” but he couldn’t get himself to finish the sentence; he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say or what the right words to use should be. You look beautiful, or you look stunning. No, those were not the right words to use.“Rhys, are you alright?” Sophie asked with concern written all over her face.“Yeah, sure, I’m fine,” Rhys stammered. “I just got something in my eyes.”“Let’s get going already; we are going to be late.” Sophie said that and moved away.Rhys sighed and followed her. Adrian died five years ago, and they had moved on. She moved on so smoothly that he wondered if maybe it wasn’t too fast. Still, he did not want to talk to her about it for fear that he was going to upset the balance that she had already found inside her.
“Adrian is dead.” Those three words sent a chill down Sophie’s spine, but they were not what made her pause or caused foreign emotions to creep up her chest, clawing at her heart. It was the look of freedom in her aunt’s eyes. The music in her voice as she announced the death of her husband. The bounce in her step as she approached them, arms wide, and a smile on her teary face. It was the fact that Eliana was happy about this and did not hide it that surprised Sophie. Her aunt’s body collided with hers, and Sophie sank into her embrace. The tears fell from her eyes, but just like her aunt, they were not tears of sorrow or mourning but tears of joy and celebration. For the first time in years, they both felt free, and they wanted the whole world to know. “I am sorry.” Eliana said it over and over again, pulling Sophie deeper into herself. If she could jump and touch the sky, she would. She felt as though she was on top of the world, as though a weight had been lifted off her sh
The meadow was still there when they arrived. Eerily quiet—the only thing that could be heard was the chirping of crickets and the lullabies of the birds. Every other thing stayed still; even the leaves seemed to join in the gloominess that had fallen over Sophie and Rhys. Gently, he set her on the stone beside the water and lowered himself beside her, his hand clasping her small ones. She was far away from here; he could see that. Her mind was elsewhere, perhaps relieving the traumas of the past. She bit her lips every now and then, and a throaty gasp emerged from her pursed mouth. Although her eyes were misty, she did not shed a single tear. He could not tell how long they sat there in the forest, him watching the water while she tried to make sense of her life. But after some time, he began to hear the song again. It was the same bird song that he had heard that night. It filled the night, enveloping all of his senses and shrouding him in a world where only he and her existed.
They had reached a point of no return. The truth had been bared for all to see, and the worst had been found out. Sophie thought of the photo of her mother, which she had always carried around, and the part that was torn off. The father, whom she had always wanted to meet, turned out to be the same man who molested her. She was ashamed, embarrassed, and repulsed by everything. There were no words to describe the things she felt—the thoughts that clouded her head, numbing her entire body and rooting her to the spot. Veronica herself could not believe what she heard. The fact that the first words she heard her daughter speak had to be something so atrocious, so vile. Words like that had no place in the world; they were to be sent to the deepest parts of hell, where every other bad thing was sent. Her eyes turned to her sister, Eliana. Judging her, questioning her—she would face Adrian later, maybe kill him—for now, she needed to understand if her sister did not see the monster they
“I struggled under his grip, all to no avail. When I realised he had already overpowered me, I pleaded with him with all the remaining strength in me, but he was far too consumed. All my pleas fell on deaf ears, and he defiled me brutally, traumatising me ever since.” There was a moment of unsure emotions in that instant. The wall clock chimed the hours of three in the morning, but none of them felt sleepy; this was a time of resolution, a time to settle matters, and no one wanted to be left out of it; this was way beyond one person’s issue now. “He had his way with me, his eyes widening as he reached orgasm. Even after that, he was not done; he went in again and again, turning a deaf ear to my pleas. When he was satisfied, he stood up, adjusting his trousers, while Eliana walked in; the door had been unlocked. “She saw him and instantly ran to where I was crumpled, my body covered in a pool of my own blood. I was crying uncontrollably, regretting why I had come home for the break,
He took a deep breath, his breathing ragged like stones dragging on the jagged side of rocky mountains. He rolled his eyes in his socket, not focusing his gaze on anyone in particular before speaking out. “This isn’t enough punishment for my sins; I’m just hoping that hell wouldn’t be hotter if you just found a way in your heart to let it go.” Sophie and Rhys wondered if it was still the abuse she reported to Veronica that spurred this palpable tension in the air, or had he done something worse than he did to her? Sophie tried to take her mind off it, daring not to even think in that direction. Veronica faced Eliana and said, “Now that we are all here and the eyes are complete, I was regaling Sophie with stories of our childhood, and I was just arriving at the point where Adrian came in. Since you’re here and you’re always accusing me of feeding Sophie false stories, if I say something off-the-point, correct me here and now. And then,” she said, facing Adrian with mocked anger on he
“Despite the football guy being the handsome guy and the nerdy guy being a little below average kind of guy, Eliana was still jealous of our relationship. Her boyfriend was like a guy that was specially carved by God; his features were extraordinary, and his skill set was amazing; he was everything a woman ever wanted. “My guy, Drey, was just the perfect type for me. He was not too nerdy or too naughty; he was just standing somewhere in between, but when talking about looks, he wasn’t really the one, but where he lacks in looks, he makes up for it in brilliance. “Drey, my guy, and Fontaine, Eliana’s guy, were both friends from middle school; they lived in the same neighbourhood and were like impossible twins; but when Eliana’s jealousy started to manifest, she instigated Fontaine to pick fights against Drey. “Fontaine, being gullible, readily believed anything she spewed out of her mouth and acted on it, including picking a fight with his best friend. When I learned what happened,