HOW IT STARTED

Anastasia's Pov

My room is a reflection of the simplicity of my upbringing, the walls that are barely covered with paint and just like every other wooden furniture in my room, my floorboard is wooden and worn out, it creaks underneath my foot. 

Despite the lack of adornment in my room, to me, it is a testament to the simplicity that speaks resilience in the face of my endurance and hardship over the years. It is my sanctuary.

"Amidst the darkness in the world, you always make my life a little brighter" I sigh when I feel my sister's palm against mine. In the chaos of the world, I was sure to always lean on her.

"That's what sisters are for" She smiles at me, not letting go of my hands and it causes me to let out a soft chuckle.

I take my free hands to clean the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes. 

There's a knock on my old wrecked door that causes me to jolt from the terrible noise it makes. The loud screech is heard across the house and Sophia and I hold our hands to our ears. Preventing the annoying noise from ringing in our head.

Yes, my house was that bad.

"Dinner is by 7, you girls should be ready. Your dad surprisingly has an announcement to make and I want you both to stop plotting whatever and be there before 7. You know how it gets with your father" My mother, Mrs Emilia Kenneth announces to my sister and I

"Trust your daughters to be there to listen to that sad man speak" my sister replied sarcastically earning a scowl from our mother and a smack from me

"Well! That was painful!" She retorts

"We will be there mom" I say, smiling at my mother. She smiles back and shuts the door behind her and once again, the door creaks loudly causing my sister to groan in anger.

"What's the time?" I ask, standing up from my bed.

"It's 6:45, and we really need to get the fuck out of this house" Sophia says as she stands up from the bed and it makes a loud creak too.

"Girl! You talk like you don't like the sound of the creak, we could make an album just from the beats the bed and door gives" I giggle, putting my problems on hold and embracing the scenarios my imagination has created. A life somewhat happier, or maybe just a little bit less noisy

"How about we make an album now, before we head downstairs for dinner" Sophia smiles sheepishly

"Hahaha! Nice try" I giggle.

It's in these moments, where Sophia is annoyed about our house situations that we find a little happiness.

"Well girl, I'm heading downstairs to help mum out, I guess" I tell Sophia as I walk out of the room.

"Hey! Wait for me" she says and walks behind me.

We walked downstairs together, descending down the creaking stairs. It's obvious that anytime from now, our home was going to fall apart, but we had to live in it.

I stood by the stairs, taking a glance at the room, envisioning a future for myself where there's absence of the wood made house that reeks of aged woods.

The dining area and the kitchen are merged together, trying to manage the little space our house has. The aroma of my mothers cooking fills the air mingling with the memories of the aged woods.

The center of the room is the wooden dining table, which seems to be the only thing that doesn't look aged because of the table cloth that covers the table. The table is surrounded with mismatched chairs that seems to create a form of life to our already old house.

Above the table is a pendant light, that hangs lazily casting a warm glow over the dinning area.

"Quit standing there and come help your mother in the kitchen" my mother beckons on me, as I shift my gaze to her.

I walk towards the kitchen area, the countertops are filled with an assortment of plates, pots and pans.

A stove seats by the corner of the wall, and it's stained with remnants of food that has been cooked with love and care over the years.

"Wow mum, It must be a special occasion! Has daddy planned to stop drinking?" I ask, grinning wildly 

"I wish he did" my mum sighs in disappointment.

"If you both are about to get into your feelings, then count me out, I'll be setting the food on the dining table" Sophia chips in, carrying the tray of food and placing it on the dining table.

The door opens, revealing my father, Mr Anthony Kenneth. And like always, he smells of alcohol.

That's what he does all day, drink alcohol and comes back home, expecting us to feel sorry for him.

"Your father is back, please get seated" my mother whispers to us, afraid to let him hear her.

My sister sighs and takes a seat in the dining room. I go ahead to take the seat beside her, leaving the opposite seats for my mother and my father.

"Don't waste my time Emilia" My dad shouts at my mum, and she hurries to take a seat.

The house I grew up in. Fear.

My mother dishes the food and the various plates and as always, we wait for my father to take a spoon first before we can start eating.

The silence in the dining room is loud as the only thing that is heard is the noise of our cutleries against our plates.

"Here!" My father says with an annoyed smirk as he passes me an envelope.

"What's this?" I ask almost in a whisper, scared that the alcohol might make him snap but all he does is stare at me.

I open the envelope, it has a beautifully decorated piece inside it and as my eyes read the words that are written, there is an internal conflict in my head. 

"An invitation to my marriage?" I stutter as I place the envelope back on the table and try to fight back the tears that gathered in my eyes but it reluctantly falls down my face.

I sit there, staring into thin air, wondering what the next time I'm supposed to take is. I don't even recognize the face of anyone around me, I'm just..... hurt.

"What do you mean Anastacia?" Sophia asks me, but the words don't leave my mouth.

I take a glance at my mother and my father, and the only thing that I see is hate. How much they made me hate them.

I stare at my mother. A shocked expression appears on her face but she quickly brushes it off and she doesn't say anything. 

She makes eye contact with me, my eyes are pleasing for her to speak up for me, just say something, but she doesn't, her eyes are a reflection of the pain and fear she has succumbed to all these years and she never for once made an attempt to stop it.

My father tries to take the envelopes from the table but Sophia quickly grabs it, earning a scowl from my father but she ignores him.

She reads what is written on the envelope and her lips turn into a frown and her eyes are laced in anger, and it's evident in her voice when she speaks. "You have no right to do so Mr Kenneth Anthony". She addresses my father

Sophia flings the envelope across the table and the shock on my fathers face is clear. 

"It seems to me you have lost your manners" He yells, slamming his fists into the wooden table that surprisingly remains standing.

"Speak to me about manners when you've learnt to develop one" Sophia sighs.