In The Arms Of Hades

O N E

My eyes sting after I hear her words. The whole world thinks I'm crazy, they think I'm some spoiled brat who  would cut herself when Daddy doesn't give her what she asks for.

"Oh, we know, and we will accept her like that. We'll fly her out of if the country to treat her illness an--" 

I flinched as Father slams his hand on the ceramic table, cutting off the woman. 

"I'm sorry, but I'm daughter isn't allowed to get married...yet." 

Stella's face falls "Oh, when would she--"

"Not anytime soon!" My father stands up, his stoic face intimidating Stella. She took a step back. “You’re not welcome here.” My parents they lead the couple out and slam the door with a loud bang. 

As soon as the door shut, Erica whirls around and faces me with a deadly glare. Before I can protest or defend myself, she raised her arm and I felt the pain on my cheek. I stumbled and fell under the force of her slap.

My father whistles a song and goes up the stairs without sparing me a second glance. 

Erica kicks me hard in the ribcage and I cough out. She pulls me up by my hair and slams my head onto the table., I stay quiet knowing that my cries would only fuel her anger more.

Silent tears rolled down my face,  warm liquid trickling down  my lips, excrutiating pain tears through my body. She grabs the collar of my shirt and slaps me hard, thenpushes me away with a satisfied sigh. 

"Stay the hell away from Julia's suitors!" She warns, then turns around and sways her hips up the way my father went to.

I stagger to my room with face striken with tears 

"Today is going to be better than yesterday," I mutter through heaves of breath, repeating my daily mantra as I clean my head, my emerald eyes shining under the mirror bulb. "I'm strong and beautiful; my scars are a proof I'm a warrior." Maybe if I say it enough, I'll actually believe my words. 

I change my outfit and pick up my brown leather bag. Thankfully, I'm allowed to work without being monitored. And so I work at a small flower shop, the small bell above the door jingles as I push the door open.

"Onyx!" I hug the forty-year-old woman. Layla is the sweetest woman I've ever met, she lost her husband ten years ago to cancer. "Oh, Child what have they done to you this time" I wince as she touches my poorly dressed wound.

"Come on let me dress it up well" I smile at her happily, after dressing up my wounds she places a kiss on my head like mothers do to their children.

I'm asked to sit down for the rest of the afternoon as I was already dizzy "oh, I forgot to give this to you" she places a huge square painting on a table in which half of the painting was covered up. I move my hands to open the painting but Layla smacks my hand "You can't open it here. Go home" I give her a pout but she shrugs. 

I sigh and wonder how I'd get the painting up to my room without my getting my father's and Erica's attention. I open the door and smile a little as I realize the living room is empty but I could still hear their voices. I run on the stairs the painting hit the rails as I run quickly to get to my room without being noticed.

I hide the painting under my bed with a sigh and flop on the bed.

"ONYX!" I stand up hurriedly, the tone of her voice shows she's been calling me since. Oh, why did I have to fall asleep?

I run downstairs to see Julia sitting with Erica as they chat about her rich boyfriend "Where the hell have you been?!" 

"I-i'm sorry" I stutter and that's a mistake I made she never gave me the permission to talk and I did. She slaps me with the back of her palm my face whips to the other side.

"Mother!" Julia shrieks, Julia was never exposed to violence and this is the first she's Witnessing the beatings I received. Julia and I aren't the closest in fact some might call us strangers since we look nothing alike the only proof she's my father's daughter is her eye color which is brown.

"Julia" Erica sighs as she remembers her daughter doesn't deal with violence well. "You know how I feel when I witness violence Mother!" She screams I refrain from holding my ears. 

Erica opens her mouth but Julia beats her to it "Did Brian's parent come here?" She asks excitedly, "Sweetie, they did--" Julia interrupts her by screaming. "Really? Did they really ask me to marry Brian?" Erica shoots me a glare as I bite my lips nervously. What would Julia do when she realizes he doesn't want to marry her?

"Julia you have to let me complete my sentence" Julia stares at her mother impatiently "Brian parent were here for Onyx" Julia smile freezes on her face "What?!" She jumps to her feet, "They wanted her as a maid right?" Erica shakes her head slowing.

Julia falls on the couch with a sob "My life is ruined" her foundation mixes with her tears as they roll down staining the tiles with a brown color.

Erica rubs her daughter's shoulders whispers things her ear, Julia faces her mother with a deadly glare "This is all your fault!" She points a finger at Erica.

"If you aren't so cruel to her she wouldn't have seduced Brain" Julia cries more, "I-i d--" Erica raises her hand to slap me but she stops when she hears Julia's scream. "You're going to hit her? It's your fault Brian only wants her!" She throws her feet on the floor.

Her mother raises her hand but Julia shrugs her off and stomps her way up, Erica runs after her but not before she gives me a sour look.

I take a shower and put on my baby pink nightgown. I lock at my room door because I don't want my father to stumbling his way up to my room.

I roll to my other side desperate to find a good spot, but I find none. It's like something keeps calling my name, distracting me from sleep. 

I walk to the bathroom and put splash cold water on my face. I see something brighten below my bed like a diamond under the sun.

I pull up the painting in the brown paper and hang it in my room before I rip the paper off it. 

One word to describe the painting is magnificent, the first thing I notice is the three Castles with three men on horses. One had a long hair and is holding a sword, the other's horse was about to jump as the rider lifts up his axe while fire comes out the last one hand.

I run my hand over the painting and feel a tingle, I repeat the three process three times the painting glows before I'm sucked in.

I open my eyes to find myself in a dark room the only source of light is the full moon that hangs brightly on the sky filled with stars.

"How did you escape?!" Are the last words I hear as I hear a low sizzling sound as an arrow is shot at my shoulder.

I fall and everything goes black.