Alora.
The moment I closed my eyes, I was projected into my childhood, that same forest I had spent most of my time before I became a slave.
Because I wasn’t in school, I played a lot in the woods just where our house was and it didn’t take long before I made a new friend.
He couldn’t call me a friend though, because he treated me like a child even when I knew he was just thirteen years old.
Jax was rude and yelled at me very often, and while I wondered what he was doing in the woods every evening, I enjoyed his company.
I didn’t know if it was because he was the only company I had or maybe I genuinely just liked him. But either way, he was here again and I was excited as usual.
“It’s broken.” Jax pointed at the piano I was playing. I chuckled, the sound of my laughter mixing with the steady flow of the river just beside us.
Jax and I had taken a spot just beside the river, and I tried to make music with the piano and I was failing at it.
“I know. But I like it.” I said, grinning at Jax who just rolled his eyes at me and folded his arms.
It was evening and I figured Jax had just returned from school as he rolled his eyes and took off his backpack and took out a big colored book from it.
“What’s that?” I gasped, dropping the piano on the grass and crawling towards Jax who frowned and drew his hand back with the book in it.
“Just my homework.” He said in a monotone voice and I stared at it curiously before stretching my hand to take it from him.
“Go away, you reek of shit.” Jax said coldly, but I only smiled at him and attempted to take the book once more.
“No I don’t. I took my bath at the river today.” I argued back. “Let me see the book please.”
“No. Get lost.”
“You get lost, this is my forest.” I said, frowning at Jax who said nothing in response.
I reached for the book again and Jax sighed before dropping the book on my lap. Squealing excitedly, I swiped open the first page to see different people in it. There was a little beautiful mermaid in the sea with bright red hair.
“Who is this?” I asked, pointing at the mermaid in awe and Jax peeked at the book beside me.
“That’s Ariel. She’s the princess of the sea.” Jax said and I gasped in awe, suddenly interested in the book as I laid against the floor, dangling my leg above me as I swiped to the next page.
There was a picture of a roaring sea and a dark woman who appeared like a witch. I frowned, seeing the mermaid Jax had referred to as Ariel look up at the witch in fear.
I turned my eyes to the writings just beside it and I frowned not understanding what was written there so I pushed the book to Jax who had been staring at me.
He blinked rapidly and frowned. “What?” He asked and I pointed at the book excitedly.
“Read it! Please!” I pushed the book to Jax who shifted backwards a little, glaring at me.
“What does it say?!” I yelled excitedly as Jax looked away uninterested.
“Nothing. It’s just a dumb story.” He said and I peeked at Ariel who was staring at the witch fearfully and my curiosity intensified.
“Please, Jax! Read it! I want to know why it says so! What happened to Ariel?” I asked, my eyes watering as I pleaded with Jax who sighed angrily and snatched the book from me.
“Fine.” He accepted grumpily and I giggled, drawing closer to sit beside him and looking at the book.
“I’ll start from the beginning, but have it in mind that this is a silly story.” Jax announced and I nodded excitedly as he started to read.
And that wasn’t the last time Jax ever read to me. Infact after that day, I urged him to bring more story books with him to read to me.
And I grew more curious about wanting to be able to read myself but the day I told Jax he had gotten very angry.
“Why do you want to learn how to read?” He had asked me and I frowned, completely surprised by his actions.
I shrugged, reaching for an apple on the tree. I was a very good tree climber and when my mother had refused to give me food, I spent hours climbing trees for fruits.
“I just want to read like you.” I answered and Jax frowned before climbing the tree also and snatching the apple and taking a bite out of it.
“Hey! That’s mine!” I yelled, flopping beside Jax on the tree branch.
“You don’t need to know how to read.” He answered sharply and I frowned.
“Why can’t I? You do, don’t you?” I asked and Jax shrugged.
“Because I’m more important than you.” He said and I glared at him.
“You aren’t more important than me. You’re just a rich spoiled brat!” I said and Jax turned to me sharply before pushing me off the tree.
It was like time had stopped around my five year old self as I dropped heavily towards the floor landing on my back.
I screamed as pain assaulted my neck and arms immediately, looking up insaw Jax smirking before he jumped down gracefully.
“Why did you do that?” I cried, struggling to move as tears blinded my vision.
Jax stepped closer to me and I instantly wanted to cower away in fear at the way he stared down at me like a devil. His green eyes were filled with mischief and his lips were curled in a dangerous smirk.
“You don’t know who I am and you dare insult me. When the time comes you’ll know, but for now, you mustn’t speak to me that way.” Jax said before snatching his bag and walking away from me.
I had laid there till nightfall before my mother had angrily come to look for me in the woods.
Jax didn’t return to the woods that week and I realized I had missed him because when he came over, I ran to him, throwing my small arms around him.
He had pushed me away and I fell, straining my arm that was in a cast but Jax didn’t apologize as he threw an apple to me.
“That’s for the last time.” He said and I grinned chasing after the apple that rolled off the floor before I caught it and washed it at the river.
“Where did you go?” I asked curiously as Jax took out his book and started to write on it, completely ignoring me.
“On a school trip.” He answered, not sparing me a glance.
“What does that mean?” I asked curiously, coming to sit beside him.
“You’re so dumb. It’s kinda like an outing organized by the school for the students.” Jax answered. “We went to see the Eiffel tower in Paris.” Jax said and I nodded, feeling stupid to ask him where Paris was.
So instead I stayed quiet as I let Jax do his homework while I went through his backpack. I found a book with black pages, unlike the usual books he had with lines where he wrote in.
Curiously, I turned through the pages and found a drawing of a girl. She had black hair, a cute smile and she wore a beautiful flower dress and she was sitting by the river, her fingers over a broken piano. And upon closer look I realized it was me, she had the same violet eyes like I did. My mother had called them ugly I had believed her but as I looked down at the drawing of me, I realized it wasn’t ugly at all.
She was beautiful.
I was beautiful.
“Is this me?” I turned to Jax, pointing to the drawing and Jax’s face filled with horror as he rose and snatched the book from me before throwing it into his bag.
“No.” He said sharply, his cheeks turning into a bright shade of red.
“But it looked like me.” I argued, struggling to stand on my feet but it was difficult with the injuries on my feet and my broken arm.
“It’s not you. You’re just too dumb to see the difference. And you’re ugly. Your eyes are too big for your face and you have a weird nose.” Jax said and I stepped backwards, hurt by his words.
My mother had been right then. I was ugly. The girl in the drawing wasn’t me.
“This is what the Eiffel tower looks like.” Jax said after a while, showing me a picture of a very tall tower with bright lights.
“It’s beautiful. I want to go there someday. I want to leave this forest and go somewhere else. No one in the pack likes me and I don’t belong anywhere because I have no wolf.” I said, tears filled my eyes.
“You belong to me.” Jax said, coming to stand beside me and I looked up at him with teary eyes, he was way taller than me so I had to strain my neck to meet his eyes.
Jax took my hand, looking down at my cast as he opened his own and started to scribble something on the white cast.
“What does this mean?” I asked curiously when he finished.
“Jax’s property.” He answered and I stared at the words, unable to decipher what it meant.
“Why do you call me your property?” I asked again and Jax smiled.
“Because Alora, you belong to me. Your body, your mind, your soul. Everything about you, is mine. And now you might not understand, but very soon you will. So enjoy this moment while you can because soon, I’ll snatch you away and lock you in my home.” Jax said and I remember being so scared that I had stepped away from him.
Jax chuckled darkly before picking his bag and left me alone in the forest once more.
That was the last time I saw him.
At least until I became his slave. Just as he had said.
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