I didn't want to be here, my thoughts screamed at the person in the front seat, Take me home, I begged and pleaded in my mind, cautious eyes flicking to the passenger seat, and my hands dug further into the seat.
My hands hurt from clenching the car seat for an hour straight, my face was red as the heat blasted from the heaters, even thought the dazzling sun was doing more than enough to keep us warm, and my hair was slick with sweat. I could only describe this as torture; my eyes narrowed at the woman in the passenger seat, stick thin with a fake chest that bounced as we moved along the road. Her bleached blonde hair almost blinded me, and mixed with her fake orange tan I felt sick to the pit of my stomach, if that wasn't enough, the stench of her overpowering flowery perfume made me gag in the heat.
"Oh Harper, do stop being such a child" She'd screech every time I gagged and inhaled a mouthful of her perfume that burned my throat viciously. My father, ever silent sat there and allowed her to have what she wanted, the heat up high, the screech of her voice that could shatter fragile glass into a million pieces. He let that woman be a bitch to me, his only daughter.
A thousand times I had argued to the end of my limits, screamed and fought with her over what I was allowed to do, to wear, who I was allowed to see. She hated who I am, my wavy auburn hair and green eyes which to me weren't so special, how I dressed...
It got the point where she hit me once, right across the cheek with those daggers for nails. And for once, she looked guilty. I remember the coldness of the room mixed with the warm wetness of blood on my cheek, the silence that hugged the room, clung to the walls. And my father, who had watched the whole scene blossom in front of him, how she had hit me with that clawed hand of her, and still he sat there, staring shamefully at the floor. The first splat of blood hit the floor, and I moved, slowly at first, then quicker, past her, past him, through the door. Never stopping. Running, running, running. Running for so long I thought my legs would fall off.
I ran until it rained on me, the water stung the cuts on my cheek, and still I ran. My feet never stopped or stumbled until I reached the graveyard, and I skidded through tombstones as I tried to make my way to where I wanted to go. My eyes welled with tears, and I collapsed in front of the grave of my mother. Sobbing loudly I'd pulled myself up and hugged the cold stone, knowing this is as close as I would get to comfort.
When I had cried out all my tears, I had moved away, blood had dried to the stone and, with the rain still falling; I tried my best to wipe it away.
I sighed heavily and stretched, my mind still lingered on the memory of wiping away the blood, moving about restlessly and my hands stretched for the button to open the window, and pressed my fingers in, wishing a cool blast of air came through the gap and when it did, I inhaled gratefully.
"Harper" A voice hissed, and I turned away from the window to see her twisted in her seat with her fake blue eyes glaring at me. "Close the window" she gritted through her teeth, and my eyes wildly flicked to my father.
"Dad... Please, it's boiling in here. You can't deny it. You're sweating." I begged, my heart crossed that he would let me win just this once, it wouldn't kill her to put more clothes on if she was cold. Her eyes narrowed and she turned to him, eyes huge.
"Darling, its positively freezing in here." Her eyes flicked over to the radio where the temperature was there, glowing orange. 35 degrees
My father let out an exasperated sigh, his hand reached up and wiped across his brow, and then went back to the wheel, and his eyes never left the road. Both of us sat there waiting for his decision.
"Harper, you can have the window opened for a while, but could you pass Selena my jumper, I wouldn't want her to freeze." He said, and that was it, his hand reached over and patted her leg as her mouth became a frown and she sulked. Internally I sighed, the joy that had spread through my being was quickly departing, and I gripped my father's jumper tightly, holding it on my lap for a few seconds before dumping it on her lap.
The rest of journey was quiet, cooler as my father opened his window too. Selena was silent; in the jumper she hid her hands trying to make herself look sadder about the open windows. I knew she was planning something though, her thing face was contorted in a glare.
This woman was my step-mother, the woman my father had chosen to marry. A liar, a snob, and stuck up cow. She didn't understand children or the relationship between me and my father, she just loathed me, every chance she had to send me away to a posh school she did it. Any boarding school, anything to get me away.
She was a desperate woman, and it was pathetic.
But this time, my father stood his ground, the one time I'd seen him say something while we argued. We were moving from quiet Burlington to Vancouver, under my beloved step mothers demands to be closer to a big city. I tried to my absolute best to get my father to stay, telling him repeatedly this is where mother was. She's dead though Selena had screeched one time, and my Dad flinched. But the argument was over. We'd be moving to Vancouver.
And that is how I got here, sitting in the car as we pulled up outside a large building which couldn't possibly be our home. I knew my dad's job was well paid, but this house was huge. Maybe houses in Vancouver were cheaper or this one was haunted with demonic ghosts that would kill... I could only hope it was haunted and Selena's sake.
Aside from my raging thoughts, the house was beautiful, pale white with large bay windows and rich oak doors. The kind of house I'd always wanted. I swallowed hard, my eyes trailing over my father and Selena, both of who had began to get out the car, waving the removal truck behind us down.
I sat in the car, not sulking, but awestruck. After a few minutes, with removal men and my dad carrying things inside, I unbuckled myself and got out, a cool breeze covered me and I inhaled deeply. The air was rich with different scents, maples, beech, and sea salt. I felt nervous, scared, as I stepped forward, making my way up to the open oak doors. A slow pace allowed me to take in the beauty, the complete hugeness of the house, Selena was already in there, flinging windows open and dusting.
When I stepped inside, a grand staircase greeted me that lead up to the second floor, the wooden floors echoed under my steps and I trailed myself towards the stairs, my hand gripped the banister as I ascended. At the top of the huge staircase was a huge window, that showed be the whole forest my house backed onto. I caught my reflection in the window, a pale girl with wide eyes staring in shock and disbelief, auburn hair flowing around her shoulders, her clothes rumpled from sitting down for so long, and a boy, with a mop of brown hair, reflected behind her, a coy smile and his eyes bright.
My heart missed a beat, thudding erratically as I turned, expecting to see someone behind me. But there wasn't. No one stood behind me; the removal men downstairs were carrying in the sofa, my dad helping them. Selena was bustling about. And there was me, alone at the top of the staircase, looking down on the entire goings on in my new home, with inescapable feeling of being watched as the hairs on the back of my neck rose. I turned back to the window, afraid and curious as to what I might see. My ghostly reflection stared back at me, alone in the window with no boy peeking over her shoulder.
"I must be dreaming" I mumbled to myself, shaking my head a few times before I moved up the stairs, poking my head in each room. Curiosity had the better of me; I swear if I were a cat I'd already be dead. Y'know, curiosity killed the cat sort of thing. No? Well it was worth a try.
They were amazing rooms, wide and open, white walls ready to be decorated or left alone, wide bay windows that left an amazing view. The corner room was where I instantly fell in love with, turning on the two walls were two windows, one faced the splayed out town, the other the sprawling forest.
"Between nature and home." I whispered to myself, walking around the room and it's en suite. My dad really had gone all out on this place. I knew that half the rooms would never be filled, being an only child had its plus and minus side. The plus was rooms to yourself. The minus? Being alone with parents, not having anyone to share stuff with, nothing to do when bored except go on the pc.
A siren wailed past, bringing me out of daze, and I turned my back on the room, shouting to my dad, telling him which room I wanted, and spent the rest of the day helping the removal men arrange the stuff in my room. I learned their names quickly, Bert and Ernie, both as comical as their names suggested, I learned they were residents of Richmond, not that far from Vancouver. Both of them had the same build, bulky but muscled and were both in their 30s with kids, I smiled as they told me about their families, often spent time together at barbeques and such.
And to admit, I felt jealous, any close friends I had were left behind, my Dad's friends were disgusted with him, for how he married Selena and how he let her treat me. I am completely alone here in Vancouver, with no one to comfort me nor help me.
"And there's some strange things goin' round bout that kid aint there Bert?" Ernie asked, me having come back half way through the conversation, I blinked several times
"Ah now Ernie, don't tell me you believe what your boy Cody had been saying about the new kid, poor fellow." Bert replied, rolling his eyes at Ernie, who chuckled. I just listened, the word new kid had caught my attention, but I kept quiet, turning my attention to plugging the right wires into my pc.
"There we go" Bert cheered, and I heard the distinct sound of someone clapping someone's shoulder, "Fixed the bed fine"
I turned to see my bed placed diagonally on the corner where the windows were either side, just how I had asked them to, and it really looked beautiful. I beamed at them thankfully as Selena burst in, glaring at me.
"I know you did it." She started and then saw the two removal men, and stopped short, changing her face quickly "Oh there you are!" she exclaimed happily
"Know she did what?" Bert asked curiously, knowing I hadn't left the room since calling down to my dad hours ago
"Oh nothing, I was looking for you two wonderful men." She beamed at them, and they looked at me sceptically as I shrugged.
"If you'd come with me." She asked, opening the door and moving aside even though they both could've squeezed past her. They nodded and looked at me
"Pleasure meetin' ya' Harper, don't shy away for a visit now!" Ernie grinned and Bert nodded.
"Pleasure?" Selena sneered "Shy? I don't think we're on about the same Harper" she trilled a nervous laugh and the removal men ignored her. They waved goodbye before passing by her as my dad called up, the men replied.
"I know you did it Harper. Don't even bother lying." She hissed and I blinked in confusion
"Did what?" I asked and her face flickered between belief and distrust.
She left the room without saying a word, leaving me puzzled as to what I had done. I shrugged and flicked the switch on, keeping quiet as the sounds downstairs floated upstairs. I lulled back into silence, staring at the wall as I tried to calm the rapid build up of fear. Tomorrow I would start school, with little chance to settle myself into Vancouver before I was shoved in front of an audience, made to repeatedly say who I am, where I'm from, why I'm here. To start the difficult process of making new friends, settling down into subjects I may have already studied, the panic at becoming the new girl, the easy target. I sighed, rubbing my face and flopping back onto my bed, stressed.
"Harper" I heard the muffled voice of my father, calling my name up the stairs. "Dinner."
Internally I screamed, never more than a few words, never anything important. It was like he couldn't be bothered with me anymore, that I was too much of a hassle to bother with anymore. Tears welled at the corner of my eyes, and it took all of my strength to hold them back
"Kay" I replied, sitting up and making my way across the room and down to the kitchen. At first I was gobsmacked, I hadn't really looked around the rest of the house, working on my room until just being called down. It was a large room with an island in the middle, the room was bright with lights and every spot was illuminated with the light. My father was sat at the white table, looking down and eating slowly as she floated around and sitting by him, her plate held less food than my fathers, and she had left one on the island, piled high with cheese sauce. Whatever we were having, I no longer wanted. I felt queasy, the strong smell of cheese sauce entered my nose, I gagged slightly, and my father looked up, sad eyes.
"Come on Harper. Eat up." Selena smiled a sickly sweet smile, her lips turned into a sneer. "Or aren't you hungry?" She snickered slightly, lifting a spoon of cheese sauce up to her mouth and eating it.
I dry heaved, and then left the room. No longer feeling hungry or caring as I left the room. My stomach rumbled loudly, as the sound of my footsteps echoed as I crossed the hallway, slipping my shoes on and escaping to the outside.
I missed the flicker of shadows behind me as I closed the door.