Josalena
The girl's bravery was unbelievable. Not only was she gorgeous, but she was strong and willing to face punishment to stand up for what she believed in.
And it was a relief that she was alive and well. I wanted to feel anger at her broken promise. Resentment from the outcome. But instead, I felt too much joy at seeing her.
"You didn't have to be so harsh," I let the comment slip at dinner.
"Excuse me?" Father looked up from his food and his hard stare pierced me.
I gulped and my cheeks burned. Stupid, stupid!
No one was more afraid of my father, the General, than I was. I knew more than anyone what he was capable of. Ever since Mother ran away with a half-breed, when I was younger, he went from kind-hearted father to hard, disciplining General. He ran this house with an iron grip like he did the half-breeds. Back in their parents time halfbreeds were more free to come and go, and were segregated still, but from what I hear it wasn't as bad as it is now, thanks to the final hunt that wiped out the last shapeshifters. Leaving behind only the halfbreeds, half human, half shapeshifter. Shapeshifters turned fully into an animal and back fully into humans. Halfbreeds were stuck in an in between place of human and animal.
"Um nothing," I shook my head, looking down at my plate, staring at the mashed potatoes, green beans and pork. I started moving around the food on my plate, trying to focus on it instead of the burning gaze Father was looking at me with.
"If you have something to say, say it!" He slammed his fist down onto the table, causing his plate to jump and clatter, a few green beans falling off the side and onto the table. I couldn't help but think how those few green beans that were wasted could have gone to the starving halfbreeds, father kept downstairs.
My hands started to shake so I placed them in my lap as I focused on his thick black eyebrows that had a little grey in them.
"I um, I just think that," I looked down at my plate again, rubbing my fingertips together and just moving my hands around a lot.
I jumped as Father got up; slightly raising my hands as he stomped towards me, shoving his face close to mine.
"Look at me when you're talking and stop mumbling!" He shouted loud in my face as he always did when getting angry. He usually just yelled and screamed loudly in my face, throwing things around and making lots of loud noises when he was mad. It was terrifying, but it was better than him hitting me, which he did every once in a while, but luckily not a lot.
"And put your hands down! Are you threatening me?!" He yelled, slapping my hands away. Threatening? More like I was cowering behind them.
"No sir, I - I'm sorry, truly, it was a slip of the tongue, I didn't mean it!" I cried, hating getting yelled at. Hated how much I wanted to cower and run away.
Just as fast as he had snapped, he calmed down, nodding. "Good." And with a pat on my head he was leaving the room. "I'll be back!" He called.
With a sigh, I slumped forward. Tears prickled my eyes, but after a few seconds I fixed myself. Putting on a fake smile. It wasn't like anyone would walk in and see me, but I was just trying to smile for myself. Telling myself that all was fine. My whole motto was "fake it until you make it". Mostly I faked being happy and hoped soon I would truly be.
"Ok," I let out a breath. "It's fine, everything's fine."
Getting up, I grabbed my barley eaten plate and Father's half eaten one.
There was no way I was going to waste this food.
Our house was the largest, next to the four people that actually made the laws around here. The ones that had seen how much Father hated the half-breeds and decided he'd be the perfect person for the job of keeping them in line.
We had three stories. Our bedrooms and bathrooms were on top, our living room, kitchen, more bathrooms, dining room, library and Father's office on this floor and downstairs...that's where the prisoners were. The half-breeds that had stolen food or other objects or tried to escape. Mostly Father just would beat a half-breed up for their crimes or keep them at that cage in the middle of town and send them home, but we had about twelve that ended up being locked up.
I was able to make three bowls from mine and Father's plate. Father usually ate all his food, but I wouldn't ever eat dinner, only made it look like I was. Then I'd put it into three bowls and give it to three prisoners, each of them taking turns.
Taking out my folded up list, I checked the names. Curtis, T.R, and Gobe.
Remembering the names, I headed down stairs. It wasn't like Father was completely starving them, but he only gave them a roll of almost moldy bread and a cup of water a day.
Who could live off of that? When I used to steal food out of the kitchen, Father had started to notice and I got punished for it. Now I gave up my breakfast and dinner, only eating lunch. Sometimes giving up my lunch too. Nowadays I wasn't even that hungry anymore, so it wasn't a big deal.
Besides, they had it off worse, at least I got to sleep on a nice comfortable bed, while they got dirty floors to sleep on.
All they had to go to the bathroom was a pot pushed into the corner that Father had hired people to clean.
I smiled as I came into view of the cells. Every half-breed got up and came closer to the bars.
"Curtis, T.R and Gobe," I announced, placing the bowls down to grab the keys.
"Hey bitch, why don't you go make me something," said a newcomer, a woman I overheard one of the half-breeds calling her, Fern. She had beautiful dark skin, a round face, curled horns on top of her bald head and hoofed feet.
"Sorry, I can't do that," I told her, not blaming her for being so angry. "This was all I could get tonight, but," I pulled out the list. "Oh," I smiled up at her. "It's your turn for breakfast tomorrow. Father has the kitchen making bacon and eggs with cinnamon toast." My stomach growled as I said this, cramping up.
The girl frowned at me.
"Leave her alone Fern," Curtis, an old man that has been here longer than the rest, for four years, said. I went to unlock his cell. He stayed in the corner; I opened it slightly, pushing in the food before locking it back quickly.
Once a half-breed escaped and he had been killed before he could even make off the property. I never wanted that to happen again, because not only did he die just for something so small, but Father had then punished me for it.
"Why should I? Are you going to let me out?" She snarled at me, practically throwing herself at the bars. I ignored her, long since gotten tired of explaining why it was a bad idea.
They didn't care. They didn't see reason. All they saw was me, on the outside of the bars, holding keys to their freedom. But they would never be free; not while the whole village was caged in, everyone coming and going monitored.
I wondered how I would react to me if I were them, locked up, thrown in a dirty cell, being starved to death for petty crimes.
"Gobe," I warned as he stayed close to the bar. "If you don't back up, I'll have to give your food to the next person on the list,"
This caused the rest to start shouting, wanting them to be next.
With a smirk still on his face, he slowly backed up.
"Don't try to escape, there are guards outside and the moment you step out there, they will kill you," I told him, my voice clear, reminding them all, once again what could happen. "You only have three more months to go, you can do it." Opening the door, I held my breath and quickly placed the bowl down before shutting it. Gobe stayed still until I backed up before grabbing his bowl, turning away to eat it all up. His clipped wings were lying flat against his back, spread out behind him.
This whole thing was so sad. I hated this, how my father was, how he treated other people. How he only kept halfbreeds locked up for his own sick amusement.
Next, I went down to T.R's cell. She was a girl about my age and she had black eyes that were wide and always blinking slowly, her arms and hands were covered with black hair and she had a nose like one of a cats. She didn't have ears that I could see and she had a short fluffy black tail.
"Hey, T.R," I said, opening her cell as she just sat there silently. "Enjoy," I told her before straightening up and walking away.
"Ok, anyone want any water?" I asked. Not surprisingly, everyone did.
After giving them their water and taking back the cups, that's when some of them got rude with me, calling me everything in the book, throwing the cup at my head, more begged me to let them out, they told me I was just acting nice but was probably poisoning their food.
It was always after I brought food and water that they wanted to start in on me, chewing me out.
Rolling my eyes and calling out a, "See you later!" I left, going and washing the dishes.
After much later when I was done cleaning, I finally dragged myself to bed, feeling really tired, but unable to fall asleep with an empty stomach.
I was tempted to go grab a roll, but I knew if I wasn't careful, Father would figure out what I was doing and put a stop to it, hiding away the keys and not allowing me to go near them.
When I couldn't sleep still an hour later, I went back down to the cells, bringing a stool and a book.
"Father still isn't home," I explained as I sat down and opened the book. They all moaned and complained telling me to go shove it and leave them alone. But as I started to read, like always they listened quietly. It even put Curtis to sleep soon after.
I stopped mid-sentence, getting a complaint from one of them, but I shushed them all as I listened carefully.
There was a noise coming from upstairs.
"Shit!" I cursed, getting up. This was why I didn't read to them this late at night. Once again today, I had been stupid.
"What's the matter?" A half goat man named Barkin, sneered. "Daddy gonna slap you around?"
There was a cruel laugh from Gobe. "Don't think we don't hear the screams going on up there. Does he beat you?" I just clenched my jaw, grabbing up my stool and not answering. Gobe laughed again. "Maybe you should just let us out so we can kill him for you."
"Not a chance," I whispered, going for the door. When they were cruel to me and said mean things that hurt, I wanted to wash my hands of them, just pretend they didn't existed and go on with my life, but that's what everyone in this town did, turned a blind eye.
"I hope he beats you up real good!" Gobes shouted. I froze for a second before putting down the stool and stalking over to Gobe's cell.
"Are you crazy?" I hissed. "If he heard you -" My head snapped back and Gobe's punched me through the cell.
Falling back onto my butt, I stared up at Gobes in horror as I heard a pounding of feet coming down the stairs. My face crumbled as I realized Father would find me with a bruise on my face. The stool and book I left by the door and he'd punish Gobe for what he's done.
And there was nothing I could do to stop it. Not unless I could think up of a good lie and if Father believed me.
"Why'd you do that?" I cried. "You shouldn't have done that," I whispered, looking up at him sadly as Father came through the door, letting the door bang against the stool.
He looked from me, to my cheek where I had been punched that was most likely red. I covered it up. Standing up quickly.
"Father," I could feel Gobe watching me. "I fell down onto the stool." I shook my head. "I'm just so clumsy!" I laughed nervously. He stood staring at me, his nostrils flaring as he looked over at the fallen stool. It made it more believable since it was near where I had been sitting at on the floor.
"How many times do I have to tell you, to stay? Out. Of. Here, unless I tell you?!" I flinched as he yelled at me.
His eyes were bloodshot so I knew he had been drinking.
"I just wanted to read," I said, reaching down to pick up the fallen book. "I couldn't sleep, I just felt like passing the time - it's actually quite torturous you know to have me read to those things." No do better than that! "They hate education you know, being all stupid." God I was a horrible liar, I felt as if it were all written on my face.
Father stared at me, getting scary quiet. He placed his hand to his belt. I watched as he slipped it off.
"Follow me," he said before turning to leave. My shoulders instantly sagged.
I couldn't even bring myself to cry as I slowly as possible, to delay the inevitable, grabbed up the book and stool.
"Thanks," Gobe whispered from beside me, knowing he was spared a horrible wrath tonight thanks to me.
"Screw you," I replied bitterly as I left the room. There was a ringing in my ears and my heart was beating so fast against my rib cage, I was surprised it didn't fly out of my chest as I made my way up stairs to where he was waiting for me, belt in hand, held by his side.
I dropped the stool and book and covered my face as he came at me. His belt was skinny and had a metal tip at the end; he liked to use it as a whip. I've seen him use it on half-breeds before, but he hasn't ever used it on me. Until now. The metal slapped against my hands, biting into my skin and he lashed out over and over.
It hurt. It hurt a lot. Every hit felt like a bee sting, every lash like a flame licking over my skin.