Saoirse Academy of Alchemy

Chapter 1: The Outback

Chapter 1: The Outback

I stood on the side of the street with my shoes muddy from running. My chest rose under my stained shirt with heavy breaths. It took me a moment before I take unstable steps leading to the familiar establishment.

Before I could reach the door, a middle-aged lady stepped out of the pub. Once she caught sight of me, she gripped her skirt and rushed in my direction.

"Goodness, Anna. You can't barge inside," the wife of the pub owner exclaimed. "Your father won't want to see you here. You know his temper when drunk."

But what she said wasn't enough to change my mind. I was aware of it. It didn't matter whether the beating takes place in private or in front of other people. The pain from his blows will eventually subside, but I can no longer save the money he took from me.

The lady tried to pull my arms to prevent me for the last time before I pushed open the door of the pub with my trembling hands. Noise and laughter streamed from the dimly lit establishment to the dusky street in the early evening.

I had to hold my breath for a moment to avoid the stink of the liquor and cigarette from reaching my throat. The yellowish fading bulbs from the ceiling barely light up the dingy place. Silver threads of spider webs served as unwanted decorations in every corner. But patrons of the pub had no complaints when the place was already considered decent in this part of town.

"Well, looks like someone got a good racket."

Roaring erupted from the center of the pub where six burly men were seated around a table filled with overflowing mugs of liquor and platters of food. My eyes instantly narrowed at the sight of father sitting with them.

"Come on now, stop jabbering and drink up!" he bellowed, his voice louder than the rest. "Everything on this table is on me tonight!"

The words sent my ears ringing and my teeth chattering in anger. I couldn't move from the doorway where I can witness how he was spending my money, my hard-earned money, for the people he called friends.

Never had he bought that amount of food for his family even during mother was still around. He never spent his money on us. He only works a few hours a day as a blacksmith with the sole purpose of spending his money in pubs, on drinks, and gambling. He never acted as a father. Since young, I was left to attend on my own and was forced to search errands to have money or else I'd starve to death.

But it was all fine with me. I was used to it. I've survived that way for nineteen years. The beating, the starving, they were no longer new to me. But to see my money being spent shamelessly in front of me, I could no longer turn the other way.

It's been five years since I promised to save enough to leave this godforsaken town. It was the only hope I was holding on to keep my sanity. But when I found out this morning that my stash of money was robbed empty, my hope diminished as well.

I finally walked to the table, determined to get my money back. The rowdy voices speaking over each other faded when they saw me. They knew who I am and what was coming.

"Give my money back," I demanded with a shrill voice. It's a wonder I managed to sound calm when my feet were wobbly feet and my hands trembled.

His rough face shot me a familiar dark glare I used to fear when I was younger. I used to scramble away like a lamb and flee the house until his anger subsides. But I buried that weak child alive. All the years of hardship only made me dauntless.

"Give my money back, you fucking thief!"

A hard arm hit the side of the head with the force of a tree trunk. I stumbled on the dirty floor, lips bleeding and ears ringing from the impact.