Three

Sally's POV

It doesn't affect me as much as it used to because I've been through worse than receiving a glare from him. My grandmother was the queen of the Donne family. I had the idea that she knew what happened to me when she was away in Paris that one time.

If she saw what was done to me, she would have everyone's heads on a silver platter, including my grandfather's, but then she would kill herself because of Donne's code.

They have these rules. If you kill one of your family members, one way to repent or be punished is by scarring your own body. Otherwise, you have to chop off one of your toes fingers, or ears. Awful! So imagine what you'd have to do if you killed Donne's entire family - you'd kill yourself. Overall, it's a stupid rule.

I looked at everyone with a bored expression. The second the old man sat down, I took my seat. All he could do was glare at me.

"What did I miss?" Grandpa asked his right-hand man, Mr. Aiden, about the reports.

"About 20 men from the Black Python died." Mr. Aiden said.

I rolled my eyes. If this awakens me, I would rather go back to sleep and welcome my nightmare. On my feet, I challenged the old man. “This doesn't concern me, and so, can I go now?” I didn't wait for his answer and didn't spare him a second glance.

But the next thing I heard was the sound of cutting through the air, my quick reflexes made me shift my left leg, almost causing me to fall backward. The dagger was now stuck into the wall, swaying – if I hadn't moved so quickly, the dagger would have hit the back of my left head. Instead, it just grazed the skin of my left cheekbone.

The estimated distance I could give from where he was sitting to the door was about 30 feet apart and I was only standing a few feet from the exit. I glanced at the dagger and him. The temperature and atmosphere of the room changed coldly.

"Why don't you stab me in the face too, Grandpa?" I knew the moment those words left my lips, that I had just ripped open an old wound on everyone and myself. My eyes were fixed on my grandmother.

"Repent?"

I wiped the excess blood from my cheek. "Repent, never." I rolled my eyes and left the hall.

I made my way back to my room with some colorful words leaving my mouth - there was no way I could go back to sleep after what had just happened. I paced around the room, feeling uncomfortable and agitated at the same time. The last thing I did was turn off the lights, lie on the floor, lie on my back, and simply stare at the ceiling.

I could have sworn that my grandfather and time were best friends, as much as I wished the time was 6 a.m. when, in reality, it was only 4:40 a.m. Switching sides, I lay on my back with my forehead resting on the bed. "Let me sleep, please," I sighed tiredly.

Returning to my previous position, speaking incoherent words I wanted to fall asleep, I was very tired and I felt my body weak from lack of sleep. I haven't had a proper sleep for four days in a row. The nightmare is similar to what happened to me 4-5 years ago, another story of my life that I will not reveal soon.

Finally, after 20-25 minutes, my eyes started drooping and finally, I fell asleep.

"Get her!" My grandfather's voice echoed throughout the house.

I ran from hallway to hallway, trying to find my way out. I heard my grandfather's men approaching me - the next thing I knew, I was being dragged away by one of the men and I was taken to the dining room.

My grandfather looked very angry. I can say that I don't know who the man in front of me is anymore. He was so blinded by rage that he forgot that I was his niece. He also forgot that I was the one who should be angry, cry, and most of all comforted because my parents were dead. He should have been there and helped me through it all, not hurt me more.

I saw a few more of my grandfather's men in the room and very few women present. I wasn't sure what would happen, but I knew it would be bad when I saw the sharp bamboo stick and the black ink next to it - Grandpa would stain my skin with our family symbol, the Raven.

"You're just dreaming, Sally. Wake up."

I felt my body pounding violently, but the nightmare continued to toy with my mind.

My grandfather took a bamboo stick and dipped the tip in black ink. Midway through the process, his lips moved in an almost frightening delirium, chanting something about Raven being the cloak of the night. And that was all I could grasp until I felt my left shoulder throb in the most intense pain I had ever felt. It was as if someone stabbed me only to pull out the knife and stab me again.

I yelled for Grandpa to stop, I begged him for forgiveness even though I wasn't sure what I did wrong...

"Sally, wake up," I screamed for my subconscious to wake up and the final stab of the sharp bamboo stick through my skin woke me up instantly. I sat up, panting and sweating, and as always, I looked like I had been through a storm.

The first thing I did was check the time, it was 5:50 a.m. I groaned and stood up immediately, I didn't care anymore. I have to get out of this house as soon as possible because if I don't, I might lose my sanity.

I wear whatever clothes I have on hand. A plain black hoodie and black sweatpants. Slinging the bag's strap over my shoulder, I quickly went to the bathroom to wash my face. I left the house as quiet as a mouse with nothing but a rumbling sound coming from my stomach.

The gazebo was the only thing and place that crossed my mind. Silence in the neighborhood is a sign that people are still sleeping. I checked the time on my phone again and it was 6:10 a.m. I could see the colors and streaks of pastel blue and white coloring the sky, I breathed a sigh of relief because let me see such a sight. So, it soothed the discomfort I had been feeling all night.