Serene

1

thirteen years ago

The little girl's blond hair and bright brown eyes compliment her happy smile as her nanny holds her hand and takes her downstairs.

The little girl is locked away from the rest of her house, so the stairs she and her nanny takes are like that of a servant's.

They walk quietly till they reach a door at the end. Her nanny opens the door and they step into a dark room.

Nanny pulls back the curtains to a floor length window. Bright green trees block the view to the rest of the backyard but it's enough for the little girl.

The girl gasps. "Nanny, it's beautiful!"

Nanny smiles, happy to bring what little joy she can to this beautiful girl.

"Come, lassie. Let us read." She says warmly, motioning for the young girl to sit on a rocking chair.

The sunlight spreads through the room and the dusty bookshelves catch the girl's eyes.

"Is that a library?" She asks in amazement.

Her nanny smiles. "The old library before your parents decided to have a bigger one in the main house."

The little girl's eyes grow bigger, taking in the shelves full of old books.

The little girl was confined to her room on the second floor for as long as she can remember. She was never allowed to go outside her room and her nanny was to ensure that.

But today was her sixth birthday and nanny thought she deserved to see something, a little glimpse, of where she lived.

This was her birthday present. The only one, since her parents would never bother to give her a gift.

Nanny gets an old children's book from the shelf and helps the child onto her lap.

Just as nanny turns the first page, the door is slammed open and the little girl jumps.

Her eyes widen in fear at the sight of her parents.

"Martha. What are you doing here!" The child's mother shouts.

Nanny stands, pushing the girl behind her.

"Ma'am, Sir, I thought the wee young'n would like a little surprise. It is her sixth birthday after all." Nanny replies, her voice steady despite the piercing gazes of the couple who owns the house.

The girl's father takes a deep breath. "Martha. She is not allowed to leave her room. Ever. Unless we say so."

Nanny looks down and nods sadly.

The mother of the girl suddenly brightens at an idea.

"Daughter, come here." She says, her silky voice betraying a cruel plan behind it.

The little girl walks forward, shaking in her parents' presence.

"I have a gift for you. To remind you of who you are." Her mother says softly.

The girl dares to peek up at her mother.
She regrets it, for her mother's hand is raised, and falls on her cheek so hard, she stumbles back.

"Now you are reminded that for every thing you do, you are not worth it. You deserve pain, like the pain you've given me. No thing you do will be loved or admired and neither will you be."

The girl breaks free from her nanny's hug and tries to runs upstairs. But her father's foot moves and she falls, hitting her head on the first stair.

Her nanny tries to keep in the tears threatening to flow out. But she can't move.

The girl's eyes are glazed and roll back into her head and her head's bleeding even if just a bit.

Her parents bend over her and her father checks her pulse.

"Still alive." He mutters.

Her mother sighs. "Well, no matter. She'll get what she deserves. As for her birthday gift, I think our first birthday gift was a pretty good one."

She touches the bright red cheek of her daughter, the place where her harsh slap landed.

"Time for gift number two."

She looks back at the crying nanny.

"Wouldn't you like to know what it is, Martha?"

The nanny stares at her.

"We're giving her away. To the institute."

Nanny's eyes widen, and her hands cover her mouth in shock.

"Please, Ma'am. Please, don't. She'll die out there."

The girl's mother smirks. "Why should we care?"