The House that was Once a Home

The dusty smell gave Seira a sense of familiarity. Worn out houses, flicking lampposts under the star's light in the sky as snow-flakes in the night. The fading sound of the wagon resonates in the placid and serene run-down neighborhood of Palsbury.

Seira smiled, feeling the wind blow her dress. After almost 5 hours on the train and 1 hour in the wagon, she finally reached her village. She walked towards the worn-out wooden house that looks like it will fall apart soon. Broken windows, dry leaves scattered on the humble porch of the house. Sounds of laughter roared in the night from the house. Her smile vanished in an instant; picturing already the scenario inside.

"You owe me 10 gold coins Frank" exclaimed a woman that she was sure came from Mrs. Flora.

She walked inside with heavy footsteps. The sound of whirring cards in the hands of three men and three women dressed in fancy attires was sitting on the narrow sofa that barely holds four persons. A high table with cards was in the middle while bottles of wine and glasses were placed in the coffee table on the side. It was all an act. A futile attempt to make themselves look powerful and experience the high class persons have. It was exhausting to watch the scene in front of her. From the cheap clothes the women wear, bottles of wine and materials to feel like they are in a gambling hall for wealthy people. Sometimes she thinks that they are crazy and overly delusional.

A brunette woman wearing a red dress, showing her cleavage suddenly appeared from the kitchen, holding a tray of glasses with alcohol and walked towards their small living room.

Just as she was about to climb the stairs quietly, a loud ringing sound of glass shattering echoed in the room. She turned around.

Dread twisted in her gut, she ran and kneel in front of the woman who just came out from the kitchen, lying on the cold floor. "Laila!"

She helped the woman to pulled herself up "Are you—"

"How many times have I told you to do not put three ice cubes in Flora's glass huh?!" said the deadly-looking, bulky man who was holding a tobacco pipe in his left hand; towering over the two of them "You're just good at pleasing men but you're bird headed in other aspects" he continued, getting back on the small and worn out sofa.

Seira ignored Frank's remark and held Laila's hand to help her get on her feet but the woman pulled away her arm.

"Go to your room. Mary is there" Laila gently pushed Seira.

"But you're —"

Laila cut her off, "Just go"

Seira bit her lower lip; staring at the blood dripping from the woman's cheek. She wanted to refuse and stay with her but she knew better not to do it. If she stays and meddles with the two, Laila would surely receive another beating from Frank—his husband.

"Hey Seira, I think you're forgetting something don't you?" Frank reckoned, puffing out fumes of the tobacco.

"I will give the money tomorrow" she said, facing the bloke.

"I need the money right now, so hand it over to Seira" Frank countered; sauntering towards her.

Shattering sound of glasses rent the room as he takes a step to the shards of glasses on the floor.

"Okay, I will do it at this minute" she defeatedly dropped her head, not wanting to see the roguish look on his face.

Before she climbed to the stairs, she turned to look at Laila who was holding a broom and busy sweeping the shards of glasses.

Once she reached the second floor of the house, she turned on her left and opened the frail door of her small room. She saw a little girl hugging her knees in the middle of the bed. The tattered pink dress she is wearing reaches her knees, revealing the normal fine-line scar on her skin. Suppressing her sudden panic, Seira approached the child with a smile on her face "Mary?"

"Seira" Mary cried out, jumping to the bed to hug Seira. Cheeks damp in tears and strands of her long black hair are sticking on her face.

Seira's heart ached for the child and her mother. She wrapped her arms securely to Mary, gently stroking the hair and back of the child.

"Wait here for a moment"

She removed the hold of Mary and shakily reached to the drawer near her bed; took out the seam of silver coins in the compartment that she saved for almost one month. The coins were her payment for the rent from staying in the house. She descended to the stairs, handing over the seam of coins to Frank. "Here"

Frank snatched the money. He smiled nastily while throwing the purse of coins in the air like a ball. Seira was basically one of his money makers. But he knows that he will make a lot of money from the face of the young woman. Her unusual beauty for a low class person will surely catch any nobleman. He was indeed lucky to have a trump card. He smirked at his future plans. As long as Mary and Laila were still in his custody, he could use them as leverage for Seira to go along with his plans.

Seira ascended to the stairs when she didn't see Laila in the living room. The woman must be in the kitchen.

Just as she was about to open the door of her room, she heard a woman in the living room talking about her.

"You will surely make a lot of money to that woman if you will enter her to the brothel Madam Petunia is managing. Nobles even travel to buy and find women who can entertain them. That woman will be the star there"

She frantically entered her room as fear fluttered in her stomach to what she heard. She leaned on the door and held her head in her hands.

"Breathe, breathe, breathe" she mumbled to herself to calm her nerves.

"Why was he always hurting my mother?" Mary asked between her sobs, catching her attention.

Seira slowly stood up, hugging the child. She doesn't know how to respond. Even though she has no idea why Frank hates Laila that almost every day, he is beating her and keeps calling her slut. She asked Laila many times to break up with Frank and she will help the latter on raising her daughter—Mary but the woman always dismissed the subject at once.

Without uttering a word, she led Mary to lie down on the bed. "You should sleep, tomorrow everything will be okay"

"I don't want to. Mother might need me" Mary squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them wide in an effort to stay awake.

"I will check your mother, don't worry" Seira held back her tears.

"Promise?"

She looked at the held out pinky finger of Mary. Nodding, she put her pinky finger on it and formed the assuring smile she could at the moment "Promise"

Mary nodded. She stayed in that position, hugging Mary until sleep came over to the child. Seira gently removed the strands of hair on the child's face and tucked her in the thin blanket.

Moments passed, the loud laughing and constantly yelling stopped and was replaced by shuffled noises again. It is the everyday scenario in the house she once called home but not anymore. Fear for herself, Mary, and for Laila is her worry all the time. She can leave anytime if she wanted to but although it always came to her mind, she has no heart to do so…..to abandon Mary.