Aini

For so long I waited for someone to save me, bring back the heat, and rescue my numbed heart but now I am losing hope, for once I yearned for the light.

How many times in our lives have we taken the sunlight and air for granted? Now I could feel the vastness when I lacked for it, just a ray of gleam and I will be back to hoping that someone will rescue me but there wasn't any, my sealed eyes suffered from the strain.

The blank blackness that surrounded me changed into a greyish hue and I waited for my savior to salvage my state, my body laid frozen but I could feel the change in the air.

I wasn't drowning anymore, the wind whipped my hair and I sighed in bliss, have my prayers been answered, or is it just a dream?

With a feeble trim, I blinked my eyes and was shocked to find the sunflower garden I stood on, it was beautiful, magnificent! The sunflowers were everywhere, I saw grass and plantation surround me for acres, and in the middle of the large estate stood a highly mighty mansion and fear gripped my body.

Thus immense beauty possesses tremendous danger.

My legs moved towards the mansion, every step threatened me of what's waiting inside, I hate this place, I absolutely loath being here, why was this happening to me?

Why. Me?

I didn't want to enter into the mansion through those gates, truth being said, I prefer numbness over this humongous mansion any day. Seriously though the repetition of the visit to this ghost house did nothing to lessen my fears.

I remember every moment in this mansion, I walked inside the hall, and just like every other time, I'm awed at the interiors, it's beautiful but I won't be fooled, I knew what this place is for what exactly it was, a ghost house. I heard the echoes from upstairs and without any prevention, my legs climbed the stairs.

It was the same, every action was latched into my mind, I waited for my body to pass through the doors of the portrait girls room, it was a never-ending cycle of torment, and I'm stuck in it for some unknown reason, I didn't want any of this to happen but I was not given a choice.

I waited for me to enter the portraits room but I was wrong, my legs halted at the entrance and I heard voices traveling in the air, not echoes of screams, real voices as in someone talking. That could mean only one thing, I wasn't the only one in the mansion, we've got company! I prayed it shouldn't be the portrait girl.

I heard two voices conversing with each other and promptly my body returned to my senses, it worked according to my bidding and I was glad for it. I peeked inside the room, trying so hard to not make any noise, I didn't want them to know they got an intruder, none of them who lives in this mansion could be good people and I couldn't risk my life, dream, or not.

There were two girls, I recognized the portrait girl immediately, she was laid on the lap of another girl who wore a simple gown, likely a maid from the looks. What was the portrait girl doing on a maids lap? That was surprising.

I watched them more deeply, I could see the smaller details of them, the portrait girl was sobbing on the maid's lap, while the maid patted her hair gently, cooing sweet words softly.

One thing I could assure anyone was that the portrait girl looked more beautiful in real life than on the portrait, she looked stunning in that gold gown, one could stare at her all day long and never get enough of it, she was a real beauty but as I said, beauty demands danger!

Contrary to the vile creature the portrait girl often portrayed, she looked innocent with tears in her eyes.

Her eyes, her eyes spoke so many unspoken words, languages of worry, hurt, pain and heartbreak. How I could tell her feeling was a mystery but her pain tugged my heart, it ached for her hurt and I pitied the girl.

Suddenly, I realized I wasn't in the world I lived in or the time, time was the specific word, it was the specific time I live in. Their dresses were of the past, the portrait girl was alive, she wasn't a ghost and I could assure you that this wasn't a dream.

Clearly, I'm transported to the past! What was this, a time-traveling experiment? Can the portrait girl and the maid see me?

I heard the maid speak to the portrait girl, "What happened Avy?"

"I should have been vigilant Viv, you asked me to! But I was stupid Viv," she sobbed more, the maid Viv shushed her sobs, wiping the tears from the portrait girl, Avy's face. I wondered what their names are, I recalled the portrait girl's full name, I've read it on the portrait but the circumstances on that day was not in my favor.

No matter how much I try, I couldn't recollect the details of that day, guess I need to wait until someone calls her by her full name, baby steps.

Avy continued with a shaky voice, "those bastards groped their filthy hands on my body, my lord," she struggled to let out, "my lord approved of it."

I was shocked! More than shocked, angry at her lord? Was she referring to her husband perhaps, ostensibly she was rich, and could never be a servant to address her boss as the lord so I concluded that it should be her husband.

So the portrait girl was a married woman, married and harassed! Why should she suffer from an abusive husband, she is rich, she could easily leave the mansion and live a good life.

I felt anger take over me while the two ladies spoke of the torture Avy endured due to her husband.

The maid, Viv, came up with a solution, she wanted to poison Avy's lord but I heard the portrait girl outburst at her friend, "Get out you young girl."

After Viv exited, I acknowledged that she couldn't see me, so this should be an event in the portrait girl's life I'm shown at, but why?

Avy stomped around the room angrily, she was right, killing a person was the worst solution someone could offer a friend, that person being the related friend's husband, worst idea ever.

I could relate to the situation, Viv was more like Zara with the moto, save my best friend even if it means killing someone, I could bet that Ze was now planning to kill the portrait girl to rescue me.

Looking at Avy, with anger in her face and heartbreak in her eyes, she looked different. I couldn't harbor the fear that I had for, instead, I felt pity, she indeed like her friend Viv mentioned naively.

How could an innocent soul like hers turn into the vile ghost who trapped me in life? This was all messed up but something in my mind says that every question of mine will be answered today.

Every resentment that I endured began here, and there's an inkling that everything will end here as well.

Viv came back after a few minutes, she peeked inside and left downstairs, sighing. She was broken after Avy called her advances off. Anyways her solutions were absurd.

I followed Viv, I didn't know why. She down the stairs, and the hall was buzzing with people, music hovered in the air, couples were dancing to the tune, a pianist playing nonstop, chords after chords.

The living room was beautiful, the gold and red combination made the hall look magical and grand. Guests were dining in the opposite room across the hall, each table consisted it a marigold.

The party was buzzing with rich, wealthy people, showcasing their assets inform of luxurious dresses and accessories. One moment I was alone in this mansion, the other moment it was crowded but none of them saw me, they passed through my body as light.

I saw Viv glaring at a group of men, there were fourteen of them, they are wealthy, obviously! None of the guests seems middle class to me.

However, one man ruled the floor, he slapped the backs of the maids shamelessly, danced with every woman, many gave in to his charms willingly but some were hesitant, they looked at their spouses to save them but the men just sold them off to the monster.

After a while, I saw Viv immerse herself in work. I had this bad gut feeling about the men's stared at, so I watched them more closely. Many of the guests left to dine, but they remained. After hours of dancing, and humiliating the maids by touching private spaces, they walked upstairs.

Their very existence bothered my mind. Like the curious cat, I always was, I followed them.

It was about time I find my feet. 

They boasted about something, but from the looks of them, and from the words that reached my ears, I could vouch that they meant to harm but for who? I couldn't tell. They walked straight into Avy's room, what in the world?! They didn't knock or announce their presence while entering a room, seriously? There was a girl inside, where they did not teach manners in their household?

I heard them talk, provoke Avy's, I discovered that the guy who ordered the maids around in the dancing area was Augar, Avy's husband and he often referred to Avy as his lady but those were only words for what they did to his lady next was shocking.

I didn't find the words to describe what that filthy mother*** did to Avy, Augar's lady! The f***ing raped her!

Their atrocities surged anger like never before, her screams echoed the passageway along with those bastards bellowing laughter. I couldn't look at them anymore, I ran towards them, tried to grab hold of a tall guy who Augar addressed as William.

I knew I couldn't stand against them but I couldn't just stand watching the monstrosity that took place in front of my eyes, my attempts were put to waste, my punches only landed in the air and I was left standing in the watching how Avy suffered uselessly.

I felt worthless, tears streamed down my face as much as it streamed down on Avy's face, my heart ached for her, I closed my eyes shut and wished for the days of drowning and numbness over this.

When the screams subsided, I opened my eyes, my eyes still ached for the strain, tears a pool on my cheeks but the torment wasn't over, but Avy wasn't shouting either was she knocked out, she stared at the bastards in the eyes, her eyes foreign and for the first time today, I saw malice in her eyes but I wasn't scared for the same flame burnt in my eyes as well.

When another man climbed on her, I shut my eyes, grit my teeth, and waited for it to end but when I opened my eyes, I was on the farm next to Avy and Viv, Avy asked for the poison Viv suggested the other night.

Viv was right, Augar deserved it. Not only him but all the fourteen of them and I saw the determination in Avy's eyes to avenge herself, a proud smile bloomed on my lips.

She was an innocent turned cruel.

1880 words.