Outlander

Chapter 26

Warning: This chapter contains uncomfortable events that may not be suitable to some of the readers. Read at your own risk.

Silence. Darkness. Never-ending darkness surrounds me as I stand not knowing where I am and how exactly I get here.

Am I dreaming? Where am I?

Blinding light suddenly appeared in front of me, covering my eyes, seconds later, hearing a child - a young girl laughing, wholeheartedly. Sudden warmth engulf my whole body. I was safe. At ease and felt like I've been here before, like I'm at home.

Dropping my hands, I was standing on the garden, different flowers and grass occupies every inch of the garden floor, pebble pathway leading to the beautiful fountain at the center - a single stream of water which shoots out from the top of the fountain, landing like a spray, in the basin below, the tall trees standing magnificently - its canopy casting a shadow on the ground.

As the wind gently blows, hearing how the flowers dances gracefully and the trees rustles. Birds can be seen flying, chirping, and some in their nest with their young. Hearing the girl laugh again, I turned towards the sound. She was sitting on the grass, her hands softly running through the fur of the stunning white coat dog - a Samoyed. The dog was laying on the ground with its head resting comfortably on the lap of the girl, eyes closed and tail wagging.

The girl chuckled again, looking at her. Heart-shaped face enclosed with a peculiar color of titanium hair - like metallic, cool, silvery, and striking. Rosy cheeks. Full, thick eyebrows. Purple Eyes. Button Nose and pink heart-shaped lips - she was beautiful.

Blinking my eyes, startled as everything changes. The girl was obviously happy. She had a father, who is stern-looking but honest, a handsome man he was. A loving mother who is infinitely benevolent and a beautiful woman. The girl was the very spitting image of her mother. She was an only child. And of course, their family dog.

A happy family they were. At least that was until the father - a lowly baron, sold the little girl's mother to a high-ranking aristocrat and killed the poor dog. Anger immediately consumes my heart. As the scene in front of me continues, I was left standing there watching everything unfold in front of me.

Hearing the girl whimper, hiding at the corner of the room, her father staggered inside, looking at the child with so much anger. "Those eyes... Don't look at me with those eyes. The look in your eyes is the same as that whore. You're the same." He said, voice raspy and slurry. Gasping as he grabbed the collar of the girl, lifting the poor trembling girl in the air. "Your fucking mother from the start had another man!" He added, venomously.

"Are you even my kid?!" He asked as he lifts his hand and begin to strike the girl without mercy. Tears stream down my cheeks - I can't move, I can't speak, and I can't protect the girl. I feel so helpless. What was once a joyous laughter was now filled with tears and painful groans.

Beaten black and blue, littered with countless wounds, the little girl's body had to endure every single one of them alone. Abruptly closing my eyes, as the scene moved forward. Slowly opening my eyes, it was already after 3 years, her mother returned to her. To say the girl was beyond happy was an understatement.

Smiling, seeing her smile again. The girl cried and cried to her mother as they engulf each other with hug - missing each other's warmth. The door opened, the father entered, he was happy seeing his wife again. "Kerensa! Is it really you? You came back?" He asked and immediately ran towards her and engulf them with an embrace.

It seemed that the misfortune had finally ended. However, this was only the beginning of the girl's tragic fate. A fate in which even she couldn't have seen coming. Her mother was sitting on a rocking chair gently resting her hand above her protruding belly, sunken cheeks, dark circles underneath her eyes, pale complexion, and a very thin body.