White walls, at least they used to be. They’re painted now, all the images something I would never see yet it was created by me. Books decorate the corners of the room like Christmas trees, a single bed against the wall. My eyes trailed over to the single frame hanging in the room like a trophy on display. Inside the intricately engraved frame, was a picture of a red necklace. What it meant? I had no idea, but it’s been here since I can remember. Staring at it now from my spot in the middle of the room, I stand, taking a step, then another. Until I stand right in front of it. Opening my mouth, I feel as if there was something meant to be said but that is impossible, there’s no words to say.
The door opened, but I didn’t move from my spot, neither did I turn to look at the culprit who so graciously just entered without a care. “Euna, it’s time for lunch.” A cool voice spoke, belonging only to a female that gave birth to me. “Okay,” my words were barely a whisper, almost inaudible even to me but she somehow heard. She always hears. “Come along then, and fix your hair, it’s quite the mess.” I turn around and walk over to one of the piles of books, shifting some of the worlds aside to grab a few bobby pins and an elastic band. “Hurry now, there’s only 3 minutes to spare. We have an important guest attending.” Now that caught my attention and I looked up to see the light skinned woman staring back at me with a smirk. Embarrassment flared through my emotions, my lips pressing together tightly as I swiftly turned back around to face the wall instead. With the small glance that I caught of the woman, she wore a royal blue gown that cut off at her chest and flared out a bit from the waist-down, also littered with gems around her thin torso.
My hands moved through my thick hair, barely able to bring it up into the puff I wanted on the side of my head. “You’re doing it all wrong, here, let me.” Warm hands make contact with my hands, taking the helping objects from me. I pull my own hands away, as if burned by fire. “There you go!” My Mother chirped as she fixed the remaining stray strands with gel. I opened my mouth, forcing out a few words of gratitude. “Now, down to dinner! Put this jacket on love, you have no time to change out of the sad clothes you’re wearing now.” She drapes a leather jacket over my shoulders and I force the scowl to stay off of my face, repeating my earlier words of gratitude with obvious practice.
She grasps my hands and I force myself not to yank away, allowing myself to be led out of the room and to the dining room. Walking, I stare at the back of her head, noticing the care put into pulling her black hair into a bun, not a strand out of place. “Staring isn’t polite love,” my eyes immediately avert to the ground, upon hearing her comment. Once we arrived in the dining room, my eyes took in the intricate designs along the floor, dragons, snakes, any type of reptilian image I could imagine was carved into the wooden flooring. A red carpet leading straight to the table on the floor reminded me of the lone picture in my room, causing me to focus instead on the carvings. “I think of that bloody picture way too much,” I think to myself and take the seat I’m guided to. The table cloth was golden with spirals of red along the trimming, matching the similarly designed chair I was now seated in, identical to every other chair adorning the table.
“3…2…1-,” just as my mother finishes her countdown, the doors slam open. Two men stood there, one wearing a suit and a tie matching my mother’s blue dress. He had pure white scraggly hair that was obviously dyed, eyes almost pitch black and deep as an abyss. The other male wore a purple shirt, a black sleeveless vest over-top the dress shirt and black dress pants. A purple rose was pinned onto his chest and his fiery red hair was pulled back tightly by a black ribbon. The finest black shoes were donned on their feet. My eyes were attracted to the one with red hair, who was he? His face looked much younger than the older male beside him, “he must be the guest mother mentioned.” I avert my gaze when the redhead’s sharp golden eyes meet my own amethyst eyes.
“Sweetheart!” The white-haired male exclaimed, making his way over to my mother and pressing a short kiss to her lips. “Father,” I greeted coolly as his dark gaze moved over to me and a Cheshire grin replaced the smile that rested in that spot not a moment earlier. “Euna, meet Oliver.” Oliver flashed me a grin that rivaled my father’s, sending chills down my spine and not the good kind. “It’s a pleasure,” I stated, keeping my blank façade up. Oliver waltzed over and took my arm, gliding his hand along the side of my arm until my hand was in his own. He smirked and leaned down, pressing a kiss to my hand without an ounce of hesitation. “The pleasure is all mine,” he replied and I swiftly yanked my hand from his own and placed it back on my lap stiffly.
Releasing a chuckle, he sat down beside me, my father and mother seated across from us. A frown was on both of their faces and at the sight of that, I immediately turned to Oliver. “How old are you?” I asked quietly and his eyes stared deep into my own and he smirked once more. “23 and may I ask the lovely lady her age as you’ve so graciously asked mine?” He asked, but my mother cut in before I could answer. “20, but she is only 2 years age difference.” She informed, paling as Oliver’s eyes became cold as he addressed her. “I asked Euna, didn’t I?” He questioned, both my mother and father’s face’s paling with Oliver’s cold tone. “So Euna, what is your favorite pastime?” I clenched my fists in my lap, too nervous to answer and too nervous not to. Forcing the fear to stay far from my expression, I couldn’t keep it out of my voice when I replied. “I-I like to paint the images in books on my walls…” I whispered, my voice cracking at the very beginning. He placed his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hands. “Oh? Really?” My eyes were drawn to the necklace around his neck, it was the same one in the picture, burning red like a beacon.
“Care to show me?” His question made my eyes snap up to meet his and I frowned, “no. I don’t. It’s private.” I answer crisply, not wanting him to get the best of me. A full-blown laugh passed his lips. “I like you Euna, I think you’ll be a great addition. I’ll be back next week to take her, make sure you have all her stuff packed.” I was confused by what he was saying, my questions stopped before they could escape from my lips by Oliver standing up abruptly. “Well, I suppose it’s time to take my leave.” He announced, my father being the one to speak up this time. “What? You haven’t even had dinn-,” the look on Oliver’s face made my father shut his mouth quickly. Luckily, I didn’t see it, his back to me.
“Euna, until next time.” Oliver glanced over his shoulder at me, sauntering out the room without any address to my parents. “What is the meaning of this?!” Standing up, I shouted, unable to contain myself any longer now that the biggest threat had left. “Euna! Sit dow-,” I cut my mother off. “No Kate! Tell me what is going on!” I yelled, hands slamming down on the table. “You’re being sold!” Any other words I had got caught in my throat. “Your mother and I got… into… some pretty heavy debt and now we have to repay it somehow.” I couldn’t say what I felt in that moment, both of my parents straight faced, they didn’t seem to care one bit. “Are you serious?! I’m your daughter!” A feeling of sickness bubbled up in my stomach, my mother was the first to glare at me. “Stop being so selfish!” This time I couldn’t stop my actions, her words flipping the switch I had been so careful to avoid up until now.
“You two-faced witch!” I screamed, lunging over the table at her to scratch her face. Three nail marks now lay on her cheeks and before I could continue to attack her, my arms were grabbed, yanked behind my back, and my face was smashed against the table. “Don’t hit your mother, you disgraceful child!” I screamed again in frustration, struggling to get lose from his grasp. Unable to, I soon calmed down finding no reason to fight if I couldn’t win. “Let’s get you back to your room,” I heard my father say but my eyes were trained on my mother, who had her hand over her bleeding cheek and was staring at me in shock.
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