After breakfast this time by a river using leaves as vessels and delicacies? Yeah don't ask, this family was extremely weird with their weird everyday meal plans but I guess it was to be expected since they literally had nothing else to do or distinguish between days.
I mean there were potions but that was about it and Trista got bored of stuff like this except for when her brother did anything. She had him on a pedestal so she could never see the little cracks in him despite being his sister.
Regardless, after the weird meal both of us went back to the tree house for my first training session. Once there he gave me the antidote so the training could begin. This was my favourite part about all this and the tree house had become sort of a safe space because of how I had begun to associate this place with freedom.
"Alright lets first go over what we will be doing here. Take a notebook from the book shelf and write down whatever I tell you." I nodded and did as he said.
I got the notebook and seated myself on a bean bag and asked, "Can I get a pen please?" "We don't have pens but you can use my quill." After saying that he handed me a quill and put a bottle of ink on the table. I did not know how to use a quill and asked sheepishly, "Could you write for me?" he looked at me in disbelief and asked, "Please don't tell me that you can't write." "I won't be telling you that but I will be telling you that I can't write with a quill."
I am not exaggerating when I say that he practically collapsed and I offered him a glass of water which he accepted . Once he was calm again he said, "This mission seems impossible now, like seriously how can you not use a quill?!" I said miffed, "We don't use them in Yale, this is the most obvious outcome." "I guess, on the plus side I know where to start." After telling me to sit on the floor so I could write on the table, he went back to the bookshelf.
When he returned, he had brought a book titled diary. "This book is Trista's diary and is a good way to practice writing and learn more about her but before we start copy writing I'll tell you about the guidelines. Please keep them in mind." I nodded and he started, "We will meet here every day after breakfast and stay here until the afternoon. The sleeping draught only lasts that long so this is all we can do." I enquired, "will that be enough time?" he shook his head grimly, "No it is not enough time but it's all we've got because even if she never comes here except to call us for meals, the cameras are always on."
That caught my attention and I asked terrified, "Cameras?!" he nodded and I asked furious at what I assumed was his stupidity or a trap, "Why are we in a place that has cameras?! We will definitely get caught if we keep this up." "No, we won't. I slipped a strong sleeping potion so she won't be able to witness these conversations." "What if it wears off?! WHAT THEN?!" he shrugged and said, "I will have failed and you might experience a terrible fate."
I was amazed at his calmness as he said that, WHAT WAS HE THINKING?! Was this all an elaborate trap? He seemed to sense the suspicion and immediately said, "I am watched everywhere I go by the woodland creatures and they will repeat everything to her. They however cannot get here and these cameras don't record so this is the safest I can get."
I had so many questions now. Was he also watched like I was in Yale? Just how much worse did this get? I however did not want to pry too much and feel sympathetic so I asked him something else instead, "What do you mean by woodland creatures? I thought she killed every living thing in the forest? Now that I think about it where does she even get meat from? I rarely see any animals round here."
He looked away from me and gulped which worried me more. It was clearly something terrible that would be better left unsaid but I did not work like that so I asked him again.
He gulped but looked me in the eye and said, "It would be better if I kept this under wraps for me and you." My dread increased and I said warily, "It has something to do with the other victims right?" he nodded gravely. I regretted prying and he saw it so he said, "I told you it would be better if I kept silent." "but you didn't and now I know or at least have a fair idea, Just how do you expect me to live like this Tristan as a matter of fact how do YOU live like this?!"
he stated, "I turn a blind eye, you have to as well otherwise you might end up in a similar way. Do you want that?" I shook my head and he said, "I thought so, lets just continue with the training okay?" I nodded and he genuinely smiled and thanked me, "Thank You Lily."
Hearing him say my name took me aback. It had been so long since I had been called that so I felt unusually grateful for that and ended up smiling as well. He saw the smile and a shadow passed over his face and he said seriously, "I am extremely sorry for doing this to you. I really am but this is necessary." I asked him, "Then why do you insist on putting me through this? Why won't you help me?"
He said, "This will solve everything. First of all there will be no more victims if you can live like Trista, then you will be able to forget all the pain of your old life if you live as Trista and finally my mother will be happy. I will get her back." To which I asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"When Trista perished my mother changed. For the first few days she didn't eat anything, she looked for food for me of course but did not have a bite herself. I kept trying to get her to eat but always got yelled at. I understood her state of mind but it still stung so I immediately left after leaving the plate outside. A few minutes later however she came to me and apologised. I accepted it for the first few days but after a week........"
He paused then continued, "But after a week, I grew tired and rejected her apology not trying to understand her. It was then that she finally talked to me about everything that she felt inside and begged me to forgive her one last time and I did." All I wanted to do was hug him. He was a victim of circumstances but he was still trying his level best in his own messed up way.
He continued, "This cycle continued every other day, sometimes I accepted the apology and never had to hear her beg but other times did not. This kept on going until she got her first victim. I can never forget that day."
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Fifteen Years ago (Tristan)
It was a bright sunny day; I hadn't seen mother all day and was growing worried. She usually showed up with my breakfast if not anything else but today she hadn't even done that. All I could think was that something bad had happened to her which did not give me comfort. I had no idea where to look either which was why I was skipping stones by Volley creek, trying my level best to calmly wait for mom.
It was not working though and my worry only grew but just as it reached breaking point I saw her in the distance. Immediate relief filled me which changed to wonder because something was different in the way my mom flew. She actually looked happy after so long. The closer she got the more my assumption was confirmed. I was puzzled at this change but mostly overjoyed. It felt like mom was back.
Mom landed and I looked at her with happy tears in my eyes when mom said, "Come with me Tristan, I want to show you something awesome." I followed without hesitation and was able to witness more of my mother's joy. Could we actually return to how things were? It was very likely that we could and soon I started joining in on my mother's aerial cartwheels.
All the waiting had paid off! I finally had mom back! I was truly happy but my happiness disappeared in an instant on seeing the person waiting outside mother's hut. This person looked like Trista but I knew it wasn't her. I wanted to ask mom what she was up to but stopped myself not wanting to ruin my mother's happiness just yet so I just kept quiet.
Soon we landed and mom explained, "From now on she's your new sister, be nice to her. She acts exactly like Trista did and looks like Trista as well. We can finally be happy." I highly doubted that anyone could act like Trista but was proven wrong when she spoke.
She acted exactly like Trista and looked like her but she was not her and no matter how much I tried I could not accept her as Trista. I told my mother, "She isn't Trista and I am sure she has her own life." and mom contradicted "Oh but Tristan doesn't she act exactly like Trista?"
I admitted, "She does." And mom replied, "Then what is the problem?" I took a deep breath and said, "Mom, I don't know how you made her act like Trista but she isn't Trista. Trista is gone." My mom said angrily, "I know that which is why I am looking for someone to replace her and this girl can."
Now I was angry but tried to say calmly, "Mom, you cannot replace Trista. How do you think she would feel if she saw you now?" but mom was adamant, "I don't care how she feels, she's gone now and I cannot live without her so I will get the next best thing." I demanded, "What about the girl's family?" And she said stubbornly "I don't care, I need Trista to be okay and if you can't accept that and help me then leave."
That broke my heart and I asked shakily, "Y- you wouldn't do that, would you?" "I'll just find a boy to replace you if you leave. No one gets to stand in the way of my happiness. You have till tonight to make your decision" after saying that mom flew away with the imposter and left me there to cry.
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Lily
By the time he finished his story, I could see tears in his eyes. He had it so rough all because his mother could not move on and remember her son. He was quite literally a commodity to her at this point. A pawn to further her ideal life and he needed to leave but this guy still cared for her.
No, not only care, he feared her as well. He was not the bad guy in this story, that person was Ophelia so was hating him really all that justified. Well, it was but I could no longer hate him.
Don't misunderstand me, this did not mean that I was going to stay. As soon as I made a good plan I was going to leave. I felt bad for him but if he was not going to help me, I was going to leave. Going back even if no one remembered me was far better than staying here and nothing would change that.
He made his choice and I was going to make mine but first I had something to do. Once I had made up my mind, I walked towards him and hugged him. He went stiff at first but soon relaxed and accepted my hug.
I hadn't changed my mind but consoling people who cry is common decency and a hug was the only way I could do that. We stayed like that for a while until he let go first, I followed suit and said to him," So what are we starting with in todays session?" he smiled and I returned the smile.
Tristan
After, talking to Lily I felt much better than I had felt in years. I guess letting it all out and being comforted really helped unlike what I had thought before. I was grateful to her for being there and my motivation to train her increased tenfold.
I was not letting her go through the same fate those girls did. I would never let that happen to her; she was going to stay with us for many years to come. I would not have it any other way. She was probably the best thing to have happened to me in these sixteen years after I lost Trista. I would make sure she would be happy here.
That was the promise I made before starting the lessons with teaching her how to write with a quill. I explained, "I'll teach you how to write with a quill today. Trista luckily didn't write much but we need to be ready." She nodded her head and waited for me to demonstrate. I was not going to lose her; I would never forgive myself if I did.