Forced Marriage, Do I Really Love You?

The Letter (P1)

It was a very gloomy rainy day, and Arabella didn't feel like getting out of bed.  She had been so scared lately because of the new Law and letters were being passed out everyday now. No body in her family had received on yet but it still was very possible that one of them were to be chosen.  Arabella has three other siblings, a two year old, five year old, and a 15 year old and lives with her mother.  Her father two years ago became abusive and one day his wife, her mother, called the police.  Now her father is in jail and they will never have to see him again.

She forced herself out of bed and walked across the room to check on her little baby sister, Eli.  Eli was awake just looking up with a sad expression on her face.  Even Eli felt the heavy gloomy air in suspense hoping, praying that no one would get the letter. 

Arabella picked Eli up and as soon Eli was and inch away from Arabella, she flung herself onto Ara with so much force it almost knocked her over. 

With every doubt in her mind she said "Everything is going to be okay Eli I promise,".

Ara walked into the living room, turned on all the lights, and sat down to change Eli's diaper.  After changing her diaper, Arabella closed it up and threw it outside where she would retrieve later and take to the garbage can outside.  When she came back to where Eli was playing her older brother, Leo, was playing with Eli. 

"Hey Leo,"

"Oh, hi" said Leo looking up at Ara.

Suddenly there is a big crash and loud running footsteps and who came running in was no other than  Alex, their little brother.

"Alex! Did you knock over your toys again!" Arabella said with a laugh. "I'm going to make pancakes for breakfast okay?  It looks like Mom left the mix out before she left for work this morning."

Cutting of Arabella as she was talking, Alex jumps up and down and yells, "Pancakes, pancakes, I LOVE PANCAKES!" .

Arabella and Leo laughed.  Then she went to work in the kitchen she mixed the eggs and milk with the dry mix and then used a ladle to scoop the batter onto the skillet in perfect circles. Once they bubbled they were ready to flip over and then wait for 30 seconds before removing them from the heat.  Arabella did this over and over with four pancakes foing at the same time until all the batter was gone.  As she was cooking Alex and Leo were laughing and talking about Eli and how cute she was.  It seemed as if, the they had forgotten about the Law and the letters.

"Alex why dont you turn on the tv, we can watch a movie together," Arabella said.

Alex turned on the tv and they watched the Bee movie, it was a really old movie from the early 2000s but Eli and Alex really seemed to love it.  They were laughing and talking sitting on the couch together, when Arabella faintly heard the doorbell.  What could it be? When she opened the door she saw the mail man walking down their steps avoiding looking at her.  She suddenly felt hot and dizzy.  She knew what was inside the mailbox but who was it for?

She was shaking so hard she could barely open the mailbox.  Inside was a few magazines but on top of the magazines was a bright white letter with a huge government stamp.  She was overwhelmed feeling light headed and anxious, she picked it up closing her eyes just listening to what was going on inside the house, wanting to hold on to every second of that because that may never happen after the name on this letter was read.  She kept her eyes closed until she heard,

"Hey, where did Arabella go?"

Her heart sank tears spring from her eyes and forcing herself she read the name on the letter that it was addressed to, almost impossible to read with her blurried eyes and shaking hands but in her mind it was as clears as the sky is blue.

That name on the letter was Arabella.