Sinister |18+

Prologue Pt.1

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars" ~Khalil Gibran
~

"In a far away land, lived a merchant and his beautiful daughter named Beauty" Her mother tapped her little nose.

The little girl let out a little giggle, trying to shake her mother's finger away. "One day, the merchant got lost in the woods and reached a castle. He went inside and seeing nobody inside, decided to spend the night there."

A door slammed shut in the distance, shaking the four walls of Abby's room. A lame excuse of a room. It was what she considered a room; it was all she ever knew. It was more of a closet. That was all He would give her....

She clutched the blanket tighter to her chest, glancing at her mother for reassurance. Any sign that everything would be okay.

Her mother's usual sicilian skin paled, but she still managed a reassuring smile for the little girl.

"Its okay, Abby." Her mother's voice shook, but still held reassurance. "You're going to be fine, baby. I'm here."

Abby kept her eyes trained on her mother, trying her best to ignore the sound of boots getting louder with each firm step. The blanket stayed close to her face, she stayed glancing up at her beautiful mother over it. Her mothers fingers wrapped around Abby's small hand; even though her mother told her everything would be okay, her fingers slightly shook. Every so often she'd give a reassuring squeeze.

Her mother inhaled a shaky breath before continuing, "The next morning, when the m-merchant was leaving he saw beautiful roses in the garden. He thought of Beauty and plucked one." Another small smile. "Suddenly, a horrible beast came behind him and screamed at him for stealing from his garden."

"Mama, i'm scared." Abby whispered, hearing doors shut continuously outside her bedroom.

Her mother leaned in kissing her forehead, "Its all going to be okay, mija. I'll never let anything happen to you, mi flor."

Abby releases her blanket, wrapping her fragile arms around her mother, inhaling her usual lavender scent. Being around her mother always brought her peace even when the monsters made it hard.

Her mother instantly dropped the book, wrapped her arms around Abby. She shook around her mother's arms but never once let go. The scent of Lavender was her source of comfort. Only thing keeping her together.

Abby knew she couldn't let the monster get the best of her. She had to be a big girl. She wanted to prove to her mom that she was a big girl. I have to be like Beauty, she thought.

Abby let go of her mother, "C-Can you finish the story now, mama?"

Her mother smiled at her in admiration, the creases of her eyes wrinkling from a genuine smile. She took ahold of the book again, flipping to the next page, "The merchant was scared and explained he plucked the rose for his daughter Beauty. The beast said he would let him go if he promised to send Beauty to stay with him. The merchant fearfully agr-."

The door to Abby's poor excuse of a room swung open before her mother could finish the sentence. Her father stood, holding a bottle in one hand; his stance wonky with each step he took into the room. His eyes roaming the small closet.

He was drunk... Again.

Abby knew what it meant for him to be drunk. It was the same every night when it happened. She would hear her mother's pleads every night, as Abby tried to fall asleep. Other nights, Abby would cry herself to sleep in her mother's arms after Papa finally had enough with her mother; she would come to reassure Abby that she was okay.

But Abby knew better.

How she wished she could help her mother but she was only little. She couldn't win a battle against her father. Her father already haunted her while asleep, being awake and around him only made it worse.

"What the hell are you doing?" His word slurred together as his eyes finally landed on them, making it almost impossible to fully understand him.

Abby clutched her blanket back over her face, hiding from his blood-shot gaze that roamed the room again. She thought she could be strong and courageous this time but his presence took away her courage.

Abby looked between her mother and father, afraid of what was to come. Her mother's lower lip trembled as she tried speaking. "I'm just reading her a story, dear."

Dear....

"Bullshit!" he spat, making her mother flinch. " You're trying to run away with her, you little shit! You're scheming!"

"I-i would n-nev-."

Her mother didn't have a chance to finish before her father lunged forward, his grip piercing her jaw.

Abby let out a shriek, sobbing as she watched her father hurt her mother. It wasn't new but Abby would never get accustomed to the sight of her mother being helpless. Her mother was a strong lady, she would never cower to fear. But her father was a different story. Her mother loved him.

"You think you can escape, huh?" He shook her head back an' forth, dragging her forward to him away from Abby. His eyes blazed with a new kind of anger; an anger Abby never saw in him before.

"Please, Papa!" Abby cried, rushing up to her mother. "Don't hurt her!"

Her fathers blazing eyes switched to Abby's small figure that stood beside her mother. Her mother did her best to put Abby behind her back but Abby refused to cooperate. Through the tears, Abby stared at her father in determination; determined she could stop him this time.

"Mind your own business!" His finger wagged in Abby's face. "This is all happening because of you, you little shit."

Mother finally spoke, "Don't do this in front of her. I beg of you!"

Her father opened his mouth to speak but before he can manage anything out, his eyes widened. His body folded in front of both Abby and her mother, dropping to the floor with a loud thud.