Chapter one
Standing at the roadside with a heavy heart, tears well up in my eyes. I try flagging down a cab but none of them stop to take me. My legs wobble on the floor and my body quivers weakly as I feel my eyes heavy, but I try to keep them open. There's no way I am going to sleep on the road, right? Well, I had just received the beating of my life as usual and right now, I have to go to work if I don't want to be sacked, which means death for me. Wondering who beat me? Well, it's my father.
After standing at the roadside for what seem like forever, I finally board a cab, and soon we are on the way to the bar where I work as a waitress. Well, I'm on the afternoon shift today and will be coming back home quite late in the night later.
Resting my head on the window and looking out of it, tears well up in my eyes as the thought of my messed-up life come hitting at me. Unlike every other person out there living happily with their family, I am a curse to mine.
Let me introduce myself briefly, my name is Cassie Robert, twenty-two years old cursed and the only child of Mr. Robert. Wondering why I said that I am cursed? Well, as bad as it is, my dad hates me so much because he believes that I am cursed. Do you want to hear my life story? Well, I will just be brief about it. I grew up with my dad who abuses me and make sure that he makes my life a living hell for me. He treated me like a piece of trash and guess what his reason is? He said that I made him lose the most important person in his life, my mother.
According to him, my mom had died barely after she gave birth to me. After the death of my mom, he raised me until I was eight years old before he started giving me the hell of my life. He blamed me for being the reason why mom died, is it my fault? At times I wonder why he had to suffer so much to raise me, only to maltreat me. If he wanted me dead, he could've done that long ago, right? I wonder why he didn't kill me when I was just born. I grew up without the love of family, I was raised a loner. He prohibited me from having friends, and the times I had tried making friends, it didn't end well for me, so I had to give up trying.
With each day that passed, I always prayed that he change one day and learn to accept me, but it seems that it would be the dream that'll never come true for me, as he only grows worsen by the day. When I clocked eighteen, the responsibility of the family shifted to me, and that was how I started working as a waitress. He would come home drunk every night and make sure that he beats me and threatens to kill me. As bad as it is, I don't get to decide on my life, because he has the right to my life and will tell me whatever he wants me to do.
The incident of this morning flashes through my mind, and a pool of fresh tears rolls down my cheeks. Well, I collected my salary yesterday, but he took everything from me and when I tried begging him for some money this morning, he beat me up and left bruises on my body, but thankfully they are in the place that can be covered with clothes. This is what happens every time. I do the work and he spends the money. That's how bad it is.
"We're here, ma'am," The cabby's voice pulls me back to reality and I quickly wipe off my tears. I pay him and hop out of the car before hurrying to the bar, which is just opposite the roadside.
Stepping into the bar, I resume work immediately. The bar is filled with people as usual and the place is kind of noisy. Well, I couldn't expect less.
"Hi, Cassie," Emily, my colleague smiles at me as she walks over to where I am sitting behind the counter. Emily is the only friend I have, at least not a close one. I dare not have a close friend. I don't know why my dad forbids me from having friends, maybe he is scared that I might talk about how he treats me or something. I don't just know.
"Hi," I smile back at her. This is one thing about me, no matter how sad or pained I am, I always try to put on a smile and act like everything is OK.
"I don't need to ask what's wrong with you, knowing you won't tell me. You're always looking dull anyway. Just please be fine and if you need anyone to talk to, I would be here to listen to you," She says to me and I nod my head with a smile on my face. I want to talk about the pain I'm going through, I want to talk about it, maybe I'll be a little relieved if I talk about it, but it seems that I have to suffer this alone, telling anyone about it is the last thing I won't want to think of.
"Thank you. I'm fine," I assure her and she shrugs.
The rest of the day is hell. Attending to customers and making sure that everything is in order. After what seems like forever, we finally close for the day and everyone leaves for their various houses. I feel sad, going home. The only good time I have is when I leave the house, going back is always like I'm going to hell.
Walking down the deserted road absentmindedly, I smile softly at the gentle breeze that blows on my face soothingly. I should get all the happiness I can here before going home to meet my doom.
After walking for what seemed like forever, I stop abruptly upon hearing a weird sound. Paying rapt attention to whatever the sound is and where it is coming from, I realize that they are grunts and they aren't far from me. Fear grips me as it dawns on me that I am the only one walking down the thick, dark, and deserted road.
Gulping down the lump in my throat, I hasten my steps but stop abruptly and freeze on the spot as the most horrific sight ever, welcomes me.Standing just a few paces away from me, is a horrible creature I have never seen all my life. I don't know what it is, but from what I have read about in books and what I've watched in movies, I can boldly say that this is supposed to be a wolf. It has black shiny furs, long golden tail, sharp claws, and as it finally turn to face me, its pair of yellow eyes pierce at me as it long fangs that is stained with blood, glare hard at me like it's going to devour me anytime soon.
I try to take a step back, but my legs seems rooted to the spot that I can't even make a move, my heart freezes in my chest. My body trembles fearfully, beads of sweat forms on my forehead as I watch it slowly reshapes until a man is standing in front of me. The wolf just turned into a handsome man. Wait! is this my imagination, or this is reality?
I have always thought that this creatures doesn't exist, I thought they only existed in books and movie series, but I think I have been the one living in illusion. They truly exists, and one is standing in front of me. Just what the heck is happening?
My legs finally agree to move, and I take a few steps back. I try to scream my lungs out, but again, my voice failed me. Is this how I'm going to lose my life to this creature? Is this how I'm going to die after living all my life in pain? As much as I want to think that is not fair, I also think that I have no right to judge what is fair from what is not.
My legs finally lost the strength to carry me when he starts taking steps toward me, and that is when I fall on the floor, as I await my doom that is standing in front of me, waiting to embrace me...