All Is Unfair

Prologue 

He threw her down the dark hole, her eyes reddened by tears and her sleep deprived body flew limply through the air, and she landed on her battered chest, unable to scream, for the duct tape over her mouth was suffocating. She squirmed to an upright position, peering above her head to see the dark figure of the man strutting away into the darkness, leaving her alone with limbs tied together and no way to escape the endless fear of what would happen in the near future. Only the sliver of light emerging from the crescent moon and the pounding of her terrified heart joined her as company throughout a night of pure torture and wondering. 

Chapter One

Rain roared above her head, angry at its inability to find a way into the dry space below the roof. Lightning lit up the room behind the small, squared windows, and thunder clapped his giant hands in amusement. She lay awake, staring into the darkness above her. As yet another flash of yellow light flickered into the room, a sharp, piercing buzz rung in her ears, making her heart skip a beat. She sat up in a jolt of fright and confusion.

As reality pulled her back to earth, her consciousness took over and she realized what the noise was. She reached over and pressed a button on her alarm clock to turn off the ear splitting sound, then threw back the covers in exhaustion. It was her first day back to school after winter break, and this time, it had felt more like summer break to her. A large snowstorm had crossed paths with the small town she resided in, cancelling school for an extra ten days. 

The rain had kept her up half the night and she stifled a yawn, not sure if she was ready to take on the day. It was seven in the morning, yet it felt like she had just laid down a few minutes ago. Her shoulder was stiff from the way she had been laying on it, and when she went to move it, it popped. The sound that came from it made her skin crawl.

She switched the light on, and then walked to the mirror hanging from her closet door that still had her name on it in bubble letter stickers: Gwendolyn Cyprus.

She reached over to grab her hairbrush from the dresser, running it through her long, brown hair until all of the knots had disappeared. Natural, loose waves evenly spaced themselves over her head, and down past her shoulders, creating an elegant appearance. Her long, black eyelashes curled themselves perfectly upward, framing the oceanic eyes her parents and friends envied. Her soft, pink lips were plump and always pulled into a slight smile, and her cheeks glowed red above her evenly tanned skin.

Gwen opened her closet door, pulling out her favorite hoodie that her mother had given to her just a year before. It was black with Mrs. Cyprus’s favorite quote, which happened to read, “In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away, -Shing Xiong.” She, then, made her way to her dresser once more and pulled out a pair of denim jeans and a tank top. The young woman stripped herself of her night clothing and replaced it all with a new set of underclothes and the outfit she had picked to wear for the day, and then she exited her room, tossing her used outfits from the past few days down the laundry chute that led to the basement. 

She, then, strutted gracefully down the hardwood staircase, passed the entrance to the greatly furnished living room, and into the kitchen. As usual, her step mother was already standing in front of the stove, preparing breakfast for the family before school or work. Plates and silverware were placed neatly on the dining table in the next room.

"Good morning, Gwen," the woman greeted her step daughter with tired enthusiasm. 

She tried to pretend as though she didn't hear her, but before she could move into the dining area, the new Mrs. Cyprus spoke again, "I know you heard me, and I expect you to speak when spoken to." 

"Good morning, Wicked Witch of the West," Gwendolyn retored. "You may not want to go outside this morning, the forcast shows that it's melting whether out there."