Sleepless Nights

When I arrived at the mansion I would have to learn to call home I was not greeted by warm friendly smiling faces but by an old human man’s stern face. I knew that most of my belongings had already been taken here so I only had a small backpack when I arrived. I stepped out of my uncles black limo and the second I closed the door the driver drove away without a second glance. I couldn’t blame the man, I wanted to leave already as well.

Instead I walked up to the ugly white wrinkled face of the servant that waited in front of the large ornate door to the house. The door made the man look small and I knew that I must seem even smaller in front of its intimidating doors. I still tried to conjure up a smile when I looked up at the human who stood in front of me. Instead of being greeted with a smile in return the wrinkles between his brow grew deeper as he frowned down at me. I let my smile fade away as the man turned opening the door. I followed the old servant around the mansion as he would tell me what rooms were which, nothing more and nothing less until we reach a door on the third floor where we stopped.
“This is your room, your parents will meet you at their convenience. I suggest you keep everything clean, unless you wish to be punished severely.” and with that he turned and left me in front of my charcoal colored bedroom door.
I walked inside after quietly opening the door revealing a spacious white room. I stepped inside onto the cool wood floor with a feel that I had just stepped into a new life. The room was empty of anything to give comfort, all it held was a large bed with white linens, a dresser and desk that looked the same color of the floor, and a wood door that led to a white full bathroom with a large walk-in closet. I walked over to the single window and opened it slightly letting sunlight and a cool fall breeze in.

I stood there for a while welcoming the cool wind of a dying summer and intruding winter to lightly pat my face. After sometime I walked to my bed with my bag taking out a picture of my mother, father, and I when we were at the beach the past summer. I sighed with a smile as I fell lightly on my back holding the picture to my chest. I watched the ceiling as I had just a few days earlier waiting for my parents to return home which they never did, and never will. It had not been but a week but I felt as if years had passed. I couldn’t explain it but just that feeling made it harder for me to breathe and brought tears to my eyes. I let the tears slide silently down my cheeks as I clutched the photo closer to me.

I closed my eyes to remember even in more clarity my parents faces during happier times. My mother would always have a gentle smile on her cream colored face. Her gentle personality was evident in her eyes that twinkled brightly whenever her smile grew, eyes that many say I inherited from her. She was a person who found joy in everything and would often spend time in our garden admiring the beauty of nature letting her light robin egg colored hair move with the wind. My father loved her so much that whenever he looked at her his face would light up with a grin. His icy blue eyes often sparkled with mischief and he would toss his head back when he laughed, his slightly shaggy deep blue hair thrown back from his handsome pale face. Hair that I also possessed and was deeply proud of.
The memories brought back more and more of the people I loved so much, but I also now remembered their demeanors and how they would act if they saw me now. My mother would scold me in her soft melodic voice.
“My sweet little Yasou,” she would hold me close smiling down at me, “darling how can you be sad, you are alive and are truly blessed to be so. You have a loving family no matter where we may be. Whether we are here with you or dead and gone you know that we are in your heart. We are so proud of you, but remember to keep trying at everything you do and keep a smile on your face.”
“Hey don’t forget also that we worked real real hard to make you, so don’t throw that away just because we aren’t around. Shouldn’t that be more reason to try harder?” He would laugh and smile behind my mother and mess with my hair arm around my mothers shoulder. His smile would bring a smile to my own lips and I could not deny him anything he asked of me. I knew now that I had to be happy no matter what. I would force myself to be happy, no matter what the consequences, I would be a good con for my new family and never show any bad emotions. My already closed I soon drifted off to a peaceful sleep filled with happy memories.

I was awoken by a sharp pain that spread from my cheek to the rest of my face. When my bright frightened eyes brimming with tears opened in a shock they gazed upon my surrogate father for the first time. He radiated pride and the same smile my aunt Alexial wore danced on his lips as he stared down at my small form before him. His pale skinny face was slightly hidden behind his blond hair. I had never seen anyone in our family with blonde hair, all had been blues or black and an occasional purple but that was common for females, yet this was some all new color. As I stared longer and longer his face grew dark and I received another slap to the face.

“What are you staring at you runt!?” he yelled at me as I kept my face to the side in a shocked daze. “You have a problem with my hair!? Just because you have your precious blue hair, well I’m in charge now…” his wicked smile returned and his voice grew quiet. “which means you must do whatever I say, understand?”

I nodded still shocked and confused as tears started to invade my eyes.

“Good, now you will address me as Sir, and if you are ever so unfortunate as to meet my wife you will address her as ma’am. Also whatever happens in our home stays in our home. If you ever talk about what goes on here you will be given over to your aunt Alexial for whatever she wishes to do with you.” the mere thought of the threat coming true made me shake slightly even when I did not even know the extent of my families evils yet. Soon enough I would be finding out personally.

“Understand runt?”

“Yes sir…”

“Good, and be prepared to start school on Monday”

I guess he wanted an answer because after I merely nodded in acknowledgement I received a punch to the face. As I fell over I couldn’t believe I wish he had slapped me instead, I only had time for that quick thought before I was kicked hard in the side by his black shined foreign shoes. Again and again he kicked me while I lay on the floor curled into a ball crying. Finally the kicking stopped and I heard him turn around and begin to leave.

“You better learn I deserve an answer no matter what the question child” he whispered to me at the door before walking out with one last thing, “And I do not want to hear your pathetic whimpering and crying again…”

I quickly tried to quiet my shuddering crying. It hurt so badly to breath even and it made me even more afraid to even get up. That night I slept on the floor my bleeding lip against the cold wood floor until the morning sun shimmered through my curtains. Slowly I sat up to greet the new day. Every movement I made was rife with pain as I looked at the rays of sunlight dancing on my floor through the white silk curtains not knowing I would wake this way often for the rest of my stay with my parents.