"Waaaa!" The belt struck my body again, this time on my back, leaving a mark. I dashed outdoors. I couldn't take it any longer.
"Just stay there!" You wouldn't be sleeping in this place right now. 'You cretin!' she shouted.
In reality, she was correct. Outside, as I sat on the veranda, twilight would fall.
After my father died when I was ten years old, I moved in with my stepmother. There was nowhere else for me to go. This was the only family I had ever known.
My step-sisters had just returned from their usual afternoon outings, which had involved strutting around town with their pals and eating brunch with their friends. It was their regular habit.
I, on the other hand, was responsible for all cleaning, cooking the family's meals, and washing their filthy clothes. On unlucky afternoons like today, I had to sit outside alone with my thoughts.
"That maniac! All she does is wreak havoc; she is only capable of destroying." Sonia talked loudly enough for me to hear what she thought of me.
I started sobbing, my t-shirt soaked with tears and egg mucous.
It was lunchtime, and it was time to eat. Sonia and Petra, my stepsisters, were treated to the most wonderful feasts. In fact, whatever they desired was what they ate, as my stepmother ensured.
This day was no exception. I could hear their spoons clink as they ate.
It was self-evident. My stepfamily was not going to feed me today, and I had accepted my fate. To my amazement, the door opened to reveal my step-sister, Petra, bringing out a late.
When I saw the dish, I assumed they had decided to take pity on me and offer me my customary once-in-a-while dinners, but I was mistaken.
"Bitch! Here's what was left over. This is what you have earned." Petra stated as she handed me a dish of what they had eaten and what was left.
"Take this," she added as she handed me an umbrella, "Use rain if it falls. We hate you, but we need you to live for us so that you can serve us properly," Petra explained.
I took it and started sifting through it. My face was lit up with a wide grin. I was finally going to eat something.
But, to my amazement, it was stacked high with bones and scraps. There was nothing edible in the bowl.
My stepfamily's attitude towards me was nothing to write home about.
While my father, Beta Ezra, was alive, he was kind and kind to everyone, even Brianna and my stepsisters, despite the fact that they were not actually his children.
Sitting outside allowed me to reflect on what a nice man he was. I wished he hadn't died and abandoned me to this cold-blooded world. They would never treat me like this if he were still alive.
The night has already arrived. I was exhausted from everything that had happened during the day. I began to nod off. Yet anxiety struck me as soon as I realized I might see it again tonight. I couldn't sleep any longer.
Since I was seven years old, long before my father died, I've been seeing a distinct shadow. The shadow would frequently emerge while I was asleep and then vanish as soon as I awoke.
When I initially noticed it, I would frequently summon my father, Beta Ezra, to the room.
"Dad, daddy! Come and take a look. There is a ghost in this house," I would frequently yell.
"There is nothing, baby," my father, Ezra, would often remark as he wrapped his loving arms around me.
"You're secure with me," he'd remark frequently, attempting to lull me to sleep. And his loving embrace would magically put me to sleep.
Everything quickly got silent and dark.
I assumed my step-sisters and step-mother had gone to bed.
I promised myself that I would stay awake all night. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stay up the entire night. I was terrified of seeing the shadow again.
The shadow resembled something with wings. It was pretty enormous and moved at light speed since every time I tried to figure out the body that mirrored.
"There is nothing, baby," my father, Ezra, would often say as he cradled me in his loving arms. "You're safe with me," he'd say regularly, trying to put me to sleep. His tender embrace would put me to sleep.
Everything quickly became quiet and dark. My step-sisters and step-mother, I supposed, had gone to bed. I told myself I would stay awake all night. Yet no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remain awake all night. I was afraid to see the shadow again.
The shadow looked like it had wings. It was massive and moved at breakneck speed every time I tried to figure out the body that casted such shadow.
After a while of struggling to keep my eyelids apart, I began to doze asleep.
Before I could fall asleep, I began to hear an unsettling rumbling from afar. I grew terrified. The harder I tried to ignore and drown out the sounds, the louder and more frightening it grew.
All I could feel as I rubbed my palms over my face was sweat running down my skin. I was completely soaked.
Despite my heightened anxiousness, the noise did not cease. The voice actually increased louder.
I looked about for someone I could call to come and save me, but no one was available. I searched for her at the front door, but there was none.
I caught a peek of the floor, and as soon as I looked at it, I notice the shadow, which was darker and larger than usual.
I began to panic. My palms began to sweat and my feet began to shake. I was weak from not eating during the day, and as such, my vision grew fuzzy.
I took out the umbrella that my stepsister, Petra, had given me earlier.