Heart of the past

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

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I slowly walked through the woods, I wanted to find the prettiest flower God created, I want to get it for my mom. I scan all the flowers, all of them looked the same I frowned. A light breeze blew some nearby flowers, flowers I've never seen. I slowly walked over to them and leaned down to smell them. They smelled perfect.

“Anabelle!” someone called.

I turned to face the voice; Allen came running to me. He stopped out of breath he leaned over his hands on his legs. “The- they are going to burn your mother.” He managed to finally say.

“What!”

“She was found with a known Vampire; they're going to do the trial and then burn your mother.” He said still trying to catch his breath. “I don't know if they are going to give her a fair trial!”

I almost dropped the basket of flowers and herbs I had. I looked at Allen, and then over to the village. I couldn't let them burn my mom; no this can’t be happening. I couldn't breathe, I wanted to pass out. I had to grab onto Allen. I couldn't hold onto the basket anymore; it fell to the ground. I watched the flowers blow away. My feet wouldn't start moving, I had to stop and try and calm my heartbeat down, but it just didn't want to. Allen grabbed my hand and pulled me along, finally my feet started to work.

We managed to get to the village in a few minutes, the voices of the villagers echoed through the town square. I pushed my way to the front, they had mom already tied to a tree stump and a few of the men gathered wood.

“No!” I screamed. “You cannot burn my mother!”

My father grabbed a hold of me and tried to calm me down. “Be quiet Anabelle, I don't want to lose you too.”

Trying to push away from him, “No, no you can't let them kill mama!” I growled.

He held onto me tighter, I buried my face into my dad's chest. I couldn't bear to watch them burn her; I knew it wouldn't do me any good it would only end my life. As the Governor spoke, chills went down my back I wanted to cry out in pain as I heard them light the torches. I felt my dad's grip tighten around me I could hear his heart racing and his body trembling. I looked over to my mom, her eyes fixed on me. She didn’t look scared, but she didn’t look like she wasn't either.

“Willow you have been accused of siding with known Vampires how do you plea?” he asked.

Mother didn't say anything, in fact, her eyes never left mine.

“Fine, by the power of God I free you from your sins. May you burn in Hell for an Eternity.” He hissed.

He nodded his head, and the men with the torches put them on the wood and backed away. I watched tears stream down my mother’s face, I wanted to save her I wanted to be there with her but my father wouldn’t let me go.

“Let me go,” I growled struggling to get away from him, but he held me tighter.

“Hush Anabelle.” He whispered.

My mother finally screamed out in pain; the flames finished her off. I couldn't breathe I fell to my knees and cried. My father tried to stay strong for us picked me up and held me close. I closed my eyes and passed out from pure exhaustion.

I awoke to some voices outside my door. I didn't want to get up and see who it was, at the moment I didn't care. I wanted to run away from them for what they did to my mother. They ruined my family, I wanted revenge whether the vampires came through and killed us all I wouldn't care.

“Has Anabelle woke yet?” one said.

“No, and when she does, she is going to be furious that you've accused her mother of being a Witch and siding with Vampires.”

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