“The runaway”

Nellie's pov

One of the worst mistakes I've ever made was falling asleep on the floor of my stepmother's kitchen.

A harsh slap had landed across my face. I must have dozed off while returning to my duties. Even for me, this strange sleeping habit was getting out of hand. I jerked up from the cold kitchen floor and greeted my her, hoping to lessen the punishments that were to come.

"I'm so sorry, Ma; I swear it won't happen again." I squeaked, frantically trying to stand on my wobbly feet and straighten my rumpled dress. Mother usually disliked it when we looked unkempt, especially in the kitchen. Dirtiness and the Kitchen, she always said, were two things that should be kept apart. As a result, it was correct to say that my general appearance would be added to her list of punishments for me.

Mother had made certain that I had so many chores around the house that I didn't have time to breathe. It was fair, she said, because I was now completely useless at hawking. I didn't have time to clean myself up because of my increased stress level, and I was going to pay dearly for it.

I finally mustered the courage to look up at her, despite my best efforts to appear somewhat different from unkept, and immediately regretted it.

What I saw in her dark stares were the true ingredients of nightmares.

Gulping, a cold sweat ran down my spine as I stood completely frozen in fear, staring at the woman who would undoubtedly serve my head on a platter. I could tell right away that apologizing was completely unnecessary.

The horrors reflected in her stares were not ordinary. It was the look I'd never get used to; the look that always promised unimaginable pain and untold suffering; it was the look Peter and I dreaded the most, and today, it looked and felt even scarier than before.

Taking a few steps away from mother, I tried to apologize once more, even though I knew it was pointless.

"I-I-I'm so sorry Ma, I didn't mean to-" my voice faltered. Another slap landed painfully on my cheeks, cutting me short. I felt warm blood rush down my face shortly after making contact as a result of a silver ring she was wearing that had broken into the skin of my cheeks. Dazed, my wobbly legs gave way and landed me painfully on the tiled floor, my poor buttocks bearing the brunt of the impact.

"You didn't mean to do what?! GET PREGNANT?" Mother yelled at the top of her lungs, and my eyes immediately widened to the size of plates at her sudden accusation. After a thousand miles of wandering, my mind began to wonder if there was any truth to what mother had just charged me with.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, you wayward child?" Mother barked again, and my terrified body shrank into nothingness on the spur of the moment.

While I was trying to gather my thoughts and clear the thick fog that had suddenly engulfed my mind, mother sneaked away and reappeared a minute later, holding a long and thick tree branch in her hand. Opening my eyes and realizing what was about to happen, I quickly closed them again in anticipation, having already resigned my faith to the brutality that was about to occur.

I could only pray to whoever was listening to let me live with every contact the tree branch made with my once tender skin. This assault was ten times worse than any we'd ever been subjected to. This time, it seemed as if mother had no intention of letting me leave the kitchen alive, and that thought alone terrified me more than I could have imagined.

Silently praying, I vowed to myself that if I ever made it out alive, I would run away, far away, and never look back.

*****

The only thing that mattered was the distance. I promised myself that I wouldn't let my limbs stop moving until I arrived at my destination - Sunny's house.

My promise became weaker with each step I took. Walking on the rough asphalt road made me feel as if my limbs belonged to someone else. Each step I took felt more like a bargain than a command. Every part of my body hurt, but the knowledge that I did it kept me going! I finally mustered the courage to runaway.

Mother had happily left me on the cold kitchen floor, battered and bruised, believing I was too weak to move, but I found my strength and forced my body to work even when it was completely sore and uncooperative. I took advantage of the brief window of opportunity provided by the heavens and packed my small trash bag (which counted as a suitcase) and exited the house through the kitchen door while mother was not looking.

Thank goodness she had previously forced us to sleep in the small storeroom inside the kitchen. Because of her efforts, I was able to escape easily and without incident. There was only one problem left to solve now that I was gone... Peter.

I will never be able to forgive myself for leaving my baby brother. It hurts so much that I couldn't even say goodbye to him.

I knew it was the right thing to do at the time, but it hurt like hell. For the time being, I had nowhere to go and no money. I couldn't let him go hungry or sleep on the cold street like I had planned if Sunny still rejected me... Instead of taking Peter with me, I made a silent promise to return for him once I found a good place to settle.

*****

"How many times have I warned you not to show your stupid face in front of me again?!!" Sunny barked; I could literally see the rage boiling deep within his system as hot as lava, the hatred smouldering in the small narrow of his eyes, and how he looked as if he was seriously considering the pros and cons of the various and imaginative ways that he could hurt me. Gulp!

Even though I was terrified of Sunny, I wasn't going to let him scare me away this time; I was far too desperate to let that happen. This time, I was determined to do whatever it took to persuade him that I was right for him.

Clearing my throat from tears, I spoke up before he could say anything else.

"Please, Sunny, you must help me! Tell me what I did wrong to deserve this treatment, and I promise to change and do better the next time; however, please do not send me back home. Things have deteriorated." Sunny watched me crumble in front of him, and tears streamed down my cheeks. Going down on my knees, I pleaded with the person who once claimed to love me to return to normalcy for the sake of my bereaved heart.

It occurred to me as I looked up at him... He was becoming increasingly irritated with me. I confirmed what I had been dreading for a long time as he parted his lips to speak... My hopes of regaining Sunny were already dashed, and I was doomed.