[ FLASHBACK ]
The moment she climbed the iron wrought gates, she felt liberated and so she walked aimlessly. Her feelings of fear were overwhelmed by excitement of what she was about to discover. She broke free from the townhouse that held her prison.
Birds chirping, rabbits running frenzy, the sound of leaves rustling... everything around her made her either gasp, giggle and leap!
She journeyed unaware that it had been for hours. The numbing pain assaulting her legs down to her feet allowed her to realize. And her parched throat begging for water made her regret.
I should rest a little then return home, she decided.
However, her eyes landed on a small community below the hill. Her heart almost leapt out of its ribcage. She had never seen other people aside from the visiting lady caretaker, houseboy and Ramses. As she ran, she perceived herself as an Eagle finally spreading wings towards freedom.
She headed to the group of children playing tag by themselves.
"AAAH! No! Go away!" The children shrieked in chorus, cutting her earnest request off.
Some of them tripped on the land as they dispersed in all directions. This startled her, also knocking her off her feet. All of a sudden, some villagers came out of their shacks. The walls of rundown houses are not really soundproof.
"Monster! Get away from my child!" an angry looking mother yelled, enveloping her child protectively in her arms.
"She's scary Papa?! " another kid cried, pointing his finger at her.
She stood stoned, hyperventilating. How she hoped to explain herself that they were wrong! Yes, she may be ugly and different but nonetheless a normal human being, so why?
Is her existence so wrong for her to be treated like trash?
If only her tongue wasn't tied because of being trounced by anxiety, she would have shouted that at their faces.
"Mama, is being ugly contagious? It isn't, right? Right?!"
"Oh, gods, help! She must be a cursed spirit. How unsightly!"
"Begone, misfortune!"
One after another, they spat those hurtful words at her face. For some reason, she could not muffle their voices in her head. Deep down, she believed maybe she must listen to accept why her parents locked her up in the townhouse.
Convinced that she is seriously a wandering bad spirit, they sprinkled salt at her as if they were hurling stones.
"Please, stop..." she uttered in hoarse voice
The salt although mere pinches hurt when they landed on her skin. All she could do was hug herself.
The worst part?
An elder brought a torch lit ready to burn her!
Her eyes dilated, terrified and lost. Thus, despite her jelly turned knees, she forced herself to get back on her feet.
"AAUGH!" she whimpered in agony.
The tip of the scorching torch touched her side belly, roasting her skin there like BBQs. That pulled her will altogether to find strength. She trotted and tripped upon her escape till she reached deeper into the woods.
In the midst of wilderness, she bawled akin to a newborn infant. The only difference is, with babies, parents are there to embrace and soothe their cries. On the other hand, she was alone with a 2nd degree burn. Either inside the townhouse or outside of it, nothing good was waiting for her.
[ END OF FLASHBACK ]