2

"Serena!"

I was startled out of my cosy bed by my father's loud call.

What would someone give to themselves to have a lovely day? In tact.

I had hardly slept for the required number of hours.

My legs felt extremely weak, my body hurt, and for a split second, I thought I felt a burn on my neck, but it vanished in an instant.

He roared "Serena" once more.

Indeed, I do hear you. I wanted to scream at him.

I felt like saying a thousand things, words that would never stop, but I chose to do it in a different way, with my figure running out of the room and down the spacious hallways.

The exact halls that had grown accustomed to my nomadic presence each time I was left alone in this house. Every time my father would leave me, these walls would record my sobs, and the carpets would get wet from my own tears day after day.

I remember Mother making sure I scrubbed the rugs because she needed to maintain the house.

Those memories had lingered with her. She would tell me stories about her youth and how wild she had been while we worked on chores together. What used to be my home was now a building that simply held my existence as each day went by. These halls, however, felt her absence today, buried in total silence.

I scurried out of there, hopping over the stairs leading to the living room.

His figure was standing there, eyeing me with disdainful eyes, focused on my approaching form.

"Can you tell me why breakfast is yet to be served?" His words were forceful and his voice low.

I found it difficult to say "I-I'm sorry" without upsetting my already agitated soul.

"I had slept through it.It wasn't my intention to—

"Excuses! Excuses!” His form crept closer as his words erupted.

As his figure got closer, my chest constricted, and my head began to hurt with every step he took.

On a day this brilliant, my heart was simply too frail to bear going through another round of fear.

"Incompetent, just like your mother!" He spit out. "Can't have things done at the right time" he added. All the while, I had my gaze fixed down, fingers fiddling with each other, while his words pricked into my ears. "Have my meal ready before I get back, else you'll have me to answer to!" He bellowed, stomping away.

~~~

If only everything around me had the same warmth as that smile which fit that profile afar.

That smile instantly restored to me all the happiness I had been lacking for the previous hours.

The figure of Lucy moved across the garden, getting closer, her arms extended to embrace me.

With a broad smile on her face, the vivacious young woman hurriedly approached the wind.

"Serena!"

That soft voice of hers was enough to get whatever anger I had felt before, erased in an instant.

It was one of the comforts of being around Lucy Sallow. A girl who I got potty trained with, learned to read and write and ever since our crawling days, we had been inseparable.

"It's our day to be merry!" She called out upon getting to my form, flinging her arms in the air.

Soon prying something out of the sac in her hands, she held it out for me, a grin tugging at her lips.

"Let's get a-planting!" I called at once, hurrying on, with my arms locked in hers, our forms skipping like kids rejoicing over gifts on Christmas Eve.

And at once we shot off into the garden, tearing out the seeds Lucy had brought with her.

Grapes were our favorites to grow, such goodness we felt after harvesting each annum. Reaping, while drenching ourselves in berry juice, not to forget going on about the recent gossip that had hit this odd town of ours.

"Oh, how much I've missed you Serena"

She began throwing tiny balls of grapes into her agape mouth.

"If only you could have the weekend spent over at mine"

"You know that's impossible" I followed.

"Mom goes on about how much she's missed your pancakes" Her utterance got me grinning cheek to cheek.

"You know.....She took a pause eyes intent on my profile.

That look on her face foretold something.

She was about to embark on one of her endless teasings—I just had gotten accustomed to that look so well.

"William sends his regards" She finished, lips growing into a smirk.

"Please, Lucy. Don't even get started on—

"Come on" She drawled. "Give the poor boy a chance, Serena"

"William and I are just friends"

"He's smitten over you" She followed.

"And I see him as a very good friend" I made known.

"I mean, the kid is in a relationship" I began, mentioning one of the many reasons why the friendship between William and I could not shift into something else.

He was one of the few friends I had made around—Son to the town's famous store owner, a very good friend I had, and I was so certain he saw me as nothing more than a friend.

"I'm only worried for you, Serena" Lucy pitched in’s

"I mean, you should get into a relationship. Something to have you forgetting whatever bothers you.....Something to keep you happy"

"You keep me happy" A weak smile tugged on my lips.

"You're beautiful, Serena" I heard the voice of my friend, while her fingers snaked through mine. "Any guy would give all to have you at his side"

I didn't agree with her statement, and my face said it all.

To be honest, I was barely in the company of any boy around my age. I was an utter mess around guys, never even been in a proper relationship except you counted play-school as one.

No, let me bare it all. I just couldn't open up to being in any.

I barely saw any of what Lucy spoke of. Instead, I saw a girl already broken, in myself, a girl who felt dirty every time her father engaged with her.

At least that was what he termed me.

"Dirty little thing" He would say after engaging with me.

And then fell the Silence between Lucy and I.

Here we were, sat on the plain grass, left onlooking each other.

"What's that on your neck?" The voice of Lucy broke out of nowhere, eyes gaping on at me.

"What?" My hands reached up, rubbing against my skin, wondering whatever it was that had grabbed her attention.

"That bruise" She revealed. "Seems like..... She drew closer, eyes squinted directly at my neck, and at once, she pulled back in a second, eyes broadened at me. "Bite marks" She let out in a breath.

Left confused, I was only found gaping on at the figure away. "What?"

"Did your father do that to you?" She rushed her words, voice laced with concern

My eyes paused at her, realizing what she aimed at.

"N-no" I stuttered.

As wild as he was, Michael not for once brought his face to mine. That monster would only copulate with me, pull my hair, spit on me, but that was what it was.

He had never brought his lips to my face, not even bringing them anywhere close to my neck. According to him, he was irritated by my being, yet he made love to me every now and then, like his life depended on it.

"Serena" Lucy called, touching my arms. "Did he do this to you?" She repeated.

And only now did it come to my knowledge—I never was hallucinating. I truly had encountered that beast-like form in the woods last night.

How could I forget those eyes? They remained in my memory, refusing to fade.

I in fact had witnessed a beast! Stood before me!

Could it have bitten me? How come I barely felt any pain. I mean the pain I felt had only lasted for a second.

Now, what animal would bite one, and hurry off?

"I swear, we're going to the police this instant" She stated adamantly.

I stared back at the form of Lucy, feeling quite sorry for my friend who didn't seem to get it all. My father was not just a man one would report to the police this minute, and the next he would be locked behind bars. In fact, the police made sure to help him in all those dirty affairs he conducted. That was how huge his influence was around.

"No, those must be from my nails" I cleared my throat.

"What are you talking about, Serena" She refused putting an end to the topic.

And just then did Father's black mini truck pull up in the yard, his cold eyes intent on me the entire time while he drew up.