๑ 16 ๑
It didn't feel real.
Today El would finally be free. After eighteen years of living such a lonely life that she had only just found out was nothing but a lie, she would be free and it felt like a dream.
But it wasn't a dream at all. It was real. She would get to live, truly live and go out into the world as much as she pleased. And once Papa left for work, she couldn't help but feel relief over the fact that she would never have to face him again.
No, not Papa. Brenner, Martin Brenner.
That's what Mike said his real name was. She never asked it before, but had a feeling the man would've lied to her even if she had. He lied about everything else, after all and it hurt her feelings, more than she ever thought anything could. She tried not to focus too much on that though, because there wasn't anything she could do to change what he'd done.
She couldn't bring her mother back and she couldn't get back the last eighteen years spent tucked away in the cabin. She could only look forward to her future, which would hopefully be spent with Mike.
She had spoken to him on the phone after finishing her breakfast, and he informed her of when he would arrive and who would be coming along with him. She didn't really know how she felt about this stranger getting involved, but decided that if Mike trusted the man, she would too.
El checked the time on the clock, wanting to know just how long she had until Mike and the Chief came to get her. It wasn't long at all, so she went off to bedroom to get her stuff all ready to go. Before she knew it though, she had finished packing up what little things she had— her clothes, her favorite books, the gifts Mike had gotten her for her birthday, along with the souvenirs from their day at the mall.
She smiled as she looked at the pictures they had taken, only hoping that there would be more days spent with him like that.
Consumed with eagerness for those days to hurry up and come, she checked the time again and found it was nearing eleven, which meant she only had one more hour until Mike arrived. Everything was going according to their plan and El couldn't be happier.
Of course, she should've known better than to let herself think that something couldn't possibly go wrong. Just as soon as she zipped up her bag, she suddenly found herself tensing at the stern voice that came from her doorway.
"Are we going on a trip, Eleanor?"
She hadn't heard him come in. How had he even come in? She would've had to unlock the door to let him in, she always had to do that.
It wasn't really important how he got in though, because he had and she hadn't prepared to face him again. She tried her best not to show any fear, thinking of what Mike had told her— of all the things he had lied to her about, the life that he'd taken away from her.
The longer she thought about it, the more consumed she became with anger, until not a single part of her was afraid of him, not anymore.
"I'm leaving." She finally said, still refusing to turn around and look at him.
Brenner chuckled, as if she had just told him some kind of joke. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Away from you."
"Very funny." He shot back, with so much amusement in his voice, it had her finally whipping around to face him.
"You were wrong about the world, it's not dangerous. The only thing dangerous here is you! You took me away from my mother and then you had her killed! You kept me here for my entire life, away from people who you said would hurt me for what I can do, but you're the one I should've been kept away from!"
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tangled (mileven au)
قصص الهواةel's been kept away from the world for the past seventeen years. until one day, a boy quite literally stumbles into her life, a boy who might just be able to show her everything she's missed out on ✿ inspired by the movie!
