Betrothed to the devil

"Ahh"

Aurora groaned as she chopped the wood into a dozen pieces. She hated chopping wood. It was tedious work and it was hard for her to concentrate properly, even when all she had on her mind was that damn song she couldn't get out of her head. 

The song that her grandfather taught her recently 

She grumbled some more under her breath as she tossed another chunk into the fireplace. As soon as she got the logs arranged, she went to grab a bucket of water from the well outside the house. She could just use cold water as opposed to burning the log pile. She was sure if she kept heating it, she would get too warm to finish with the fire.

It took her ten minutes and about six gallons of water to start making a good stew out of the log. Her grandmother always taught her to make sure they were fresh vegetables, meat, and whatever other stuff she needed in the stew., Aurora wasn't the best cook

She had inherited most of it from her mother, who died when she was young. So now she tried to do things for herself. Even cooking something nice, even for her family. It was hard for them because they didn’t have a lot to spare. They all worked for their meager living as long as there was enough food. The house was small, cramped by both her grandmother, her grandfather, and herself, but it was home, nonetheless. She never wanted to think about leaving it and moving on. It brought back too many bad memories. 

But that wasn’t what was bothering her. No, it wasn’t anything. 

She is almost nineteen, and that means, she will never leave the house again.

 Not unless she finds someone to take over for her and get married to her. There is no chance of that happening ever. Not in this small little town where no one knows her or where everyone thinks she doesn't even exist, the people of the town have only set their eyes on her once. Her parents are dead, so there was nobody who even knew who she was.

No doubt, Aurora is a beautiful young girl, she made heads turn wherever she goes. Her hair, skin, and eyes are perfect, she fits every beauty standard across each country. The people say they’re her father’s colors. He dyed his hair white when he married her mother, so his daughter inherited a fair share of her brown eyes as well. And she inherited his brown hair and dark blue eyes as well. He was a great man. She loves him dearly. She misses him terribly, still. 

"Aurora, are you done making the stew!!!!"

A loud came from the hut

"Almost done grandmother"

she said with a chuckle"Just need to finish chopping and putting everything in the pot."Aurora!! Are you almost done?!" Aurora just rolled her eyes

with a groan"Yes granny" she yelled back

"Ok then hurry up!!" Aurora couldn't help but smile at this as she chopped some fresh veggies into a bowl

"Yes, granny." She replied with another chuckle and she continued to stir things until it was done

She added herbs, salt, and pepper and she let the concoction simmer for 15 minutes till she deemed it done. Once she stirred the mixture again she took out the ladle, scooped the soup out into a wooden bowl along with rice and vegetables

She poured the finished stew into two ceramic bowls before setting them on the table in front of her grandparents. "I hope you guys enjoy this".

Aurora, a nineteen-year-old girl who has been living with her grandparents for the past seventeen years ever since her parents died in a ghastly motor accident 

 while she was fifteen and still living with them when they were killed during a car crash on their way home after dinner.

  She loved the house that is her grandfather’s. It was spacious and modern, the walls painted an off-white and the ceiling painted a greyish blue. The furniture in the living room was all comfortable, and that's how she has living her life since she was young. She loves her grandfather very much and the only person she dislikes more than herself is her grandmother. They are so different and opposites in every aspect of their lives, but that didn't stop Aurora from loving her unconditionally. 

Ever since the terrible accident that happened to her parents, she had no one to take her in except her grandparents.

She lost both her parents when she was three, her parents' properties were taken from her and now she lives in the village with her grandparents.

 It’s not so bad really. Her grandmother is kind, but strict. She doesn’t mind letting her run wild as long as she does all of the chores without complaining. She helps out in the kitchen a lot and sometimes helps clean up when she sees someone doing some cleaning for her grandparents. She also loves playing with the children in town and has been able to find lots of good friends there.

"So, is the food nice?"

Aurora asked as she waited patiently for their response

. They nodded enthusiastically as they continued eating."It smells so delicious!"

"You've been working hard today, haven't you, sweetheart?" Grandpa asked.

"Yep!" Aurora answered cheerfully. "I've gotten a bunch of vegetables today, some fresh meat yesterday too. But I think it's good"

They both nodded and kept on eating

"Grandmother, is it really good?"

Aurora asked again knowing how judgy her grandma is.

Grandma looked at her granddaughter sternly before saying: "Yes, it is, Aurora. It might be not quite on my level, but it's very delicious.

"And the fish? Is the fish good?" She turned to ask Grandpa who smiled back at her."Of course, it is, dear!

"Great!!"

She beamed 

"Are you not eating dear?"

Her grandmother as he stared at nervous Aurora 

"Umm, no, I just wanted to ask something"

Aurora answered

"What is it?"

"Well, can I go to the garden with Samantha tomorrow?"

"I'll only be out for a few hours please," Aurora said

Samantha was the only person Aurora liked to spend time with. She was an oddball, but still, one of the friends Aurora has ever had. She's a bit eccentric like that, but most people find her rather interesting and nice. She always makes fun of the kids in the village for being afraid of ghosts, she never really believes in them, or anything supernatural but she is very much interested in learning about the paranormal world. 

Aurora doesn't have many friends, so Samantha’s presence is very welcome in all ways. She likes to hang around her regularly and they go out together whenever they can spare enough time from their house works 

. When they're not busy with work Aurora would love to spend hours in front of Samantha and ask her all sorts of questions. They were just getting to know each other after all. And Samantha didn't mind. It helped that they both had very little in common anyway. There weren't any interests shared between them, but Sam's enthusiasm made it easy for Aurora to enjoy herself when she spent with her friend.

"Ughhhh, that girl again, if you are not careful, that girl will implicate you"

Her grandmother said with a stern look 

 on her face

"But grandma she's nice, and I enjoy spending time with her"

She replied

"Grandmother, it's been three months since I left this house, please let me just go"

"Not, it's dangerous and I will not allow you to give me a heart attack"

"Please grandmother" Aurora begged her mother. The woman was a frail figure with skin so pale she seemed almost translucent. Aurora could see all the veins in her delicate throat through her thin white dress shirt. 

"Please grandmother" Aurora repeated, she knew she couldn't resist her anymore after the countless times she pleaded with her.

She could also see all the wrinkles and sags that were etched into her face and neck. A small frown sat upon her plump lips. She gave no response to Aurora's plea. Only stared at her granddaughter who knelt with hunched shoulders, waiting for an answer. 

She had her hands clasped together like a prayer and her blue eyes were full of tears. Her brown hair which looked as if it would fall to her ankles had grown out long and hung straight down her back in loose waves.

"Grandpa, please say something"

Aurora yelled

"Don't yell at your grandfather like that"

Her grandmother yelled back and her grandfather laughed nervously 

"Well Maltida"

He called her grandmother by her name

"It won't be a problem if we let her go, I mean she is not going alone, she has company"

 he said to his wife and smiled, his teeth were stained black from tobacco smoke

his eyes were blue, Aurora thought they reminded her of ice, they sparkled when he looked up

she had inherited her father's hair color

"She's not going, because you two are driving me insane"

Maltida yelled with annoyance 

"Grandmother, please I beg of you, just let me go with Samantha tomorrow for just three hours, I promise I will not ask again for a few weeks"

Aurora said making cute hand gestures

Matilda stared at her and rolled her eyes

"Months!!!, if you go now, you won't be able to able to go out for a few months"

"Matilda?" Grandpa sighed

"If she wants to go out so badly, then she has to make me that promise"

"Fine"

Aurora didn't need one second to think, she is leaving this house for once.

The thought of being stuck here, in the old house made her want to vomit and run as far away from everything as possible.  

And it also made her realize, that she doesn't know what will happen after this. She never thought about how will be different after she leaves home, but suddenly there was something more important

she was going out for once.

For the first time in forever.

It seemed like it's been forever since Aurora had last left the house but it has only been three years.

It felt like forever

 Three long, tiring, painful, and miserable years, but finally she is going out

TO BE CONTINUED...