When I was younger my favorite times were always during the summer. My mother would pack me and my elder sisters up with enough clothes to last a couple of weeks and take us out to the countryside. We would stay in a small rural village, A cottage where my maternal grandparents had lived before they had passed.
It might sound boring from an outside perceptive but for a young child who was overly energetic and loved to run around it was basically heaven on earth. I remember how I used to play in the mud and catch butterflies with the other kids around my age, Honestly I don't think there was one day where ended the day and I wasn't exhausted.
It was my home away from home.
Unfortunately like Geoffrey Chaucer once stated all good things must come to an end. Just a few months after my eighth birthday my parents started to fight more and more. Of course at the time I wasn't aware that my father had slept with a shareholder from his company, In fact I only learned of the details due to a very malicious article in the news paper.
My parents decided to get divorced and at the time I was still a clueless child who didn't understand what was going on. My mother wanted custody of all of her children including me but my father opposed it. He gave my mother a choice, Either she could take my sisters and leave me or he would fight for full custody of all of us.
My mother was a wealthy woman who had inherited a fortune from her late aunt. While my father was the CEO of a billion dollar company with very deep resources, So it was quite obvious who would come out on top if they were to fight it out in court. My mother chose to take his deal which meant she left me behind with a devastated face that I still remember to this day.
When I was much younger I undoubtedly resented my mother and even hated her to a degree. As I got older though I started to realize that it truly wasn't her fault. The truth was that my father didn't want to keep me out of some sort of affection or love toward his son but instead because he wanted a successor, He was the old fashioned type which is why he didn't consider my elder sisters for the role.
So started my life of endless responsibilities that no parent should push onto a child. I was tutored in subjects far above my learning abilities and any child like fun I used to have had disappeared. It was truly a pathetic life and the fact that I wasn't allowed to see my mother or sisters only severed to push me into depression, Before I even realized eight years went by in a flash.
"It looks the same" I muttered as I smiled warmly looking at the endless nature that spread out in front of me.
Large trees stretching toward the sky and be old cottages made of wood and bricks that were lined up as if they weren't planned. Some were on the smaller side while some like the one straight in the center were actually quite large, If I had to describe it then I guess it would be like one of those villages that you saw on an anime.
"Here you go sir" A deep voice sounded out behind me interrupting my thoughts.
I glanced over my shoulder where a man was taking out a large suit case from the trunk of a taxi. He was obviously much older than me which is why I found it awkward to be referred to using honorifics, But I guess a hundred dollar tip at the beginning of the ride would make even an arrogant person act politely.
"Thank you" I smiled grabbing the handle of the suitcase before I reached into my pocket.
"Here" I took out a fifty dollar bill and saw the man's eyes light up as he reached up to quickly grab it.
"If someone asks you didn't make any trips today" But before he could I pulled away just a bit and stared at him with a deep smile.
"…Yes I understand" The taxi driver quickly nodded in understanding making me satisfied.
'Even father shouldn't be able to track me' I handed the man his hush money while making sure that I didn't leave any clues behind.
I had emptied out my bank account that was in my fathers name and put it all into the one my mother had created years ago, I made sure to leave when father went on a business trip so that he wouldn't be informed of my disappearance for a couple of weeks and I made sure not to talk about mother or my sisters for a year.
'Even if he comes here I won't go back…' I let out a soft sigh while the wind brushed my hair into my face.
"Be carful sir" The taxi driver didn't instantly leave but instead hesitated and spoke to me once again.
"It's just that I've heard weird things about this village" His eyes scanned around as if someone was listing to us before bowing and quickly getting into his car.
"Weird?" I muttered out loud with a raised eyebrow as I watched the yellow taxi drive off in the opposite direction.
'Are they still telling those ghost stories?' I smiled remembering how the adults used to tell stories to scare us half to death.