Life of Amelia

***Omniscient***

Amelia woke up to the sound of a crow cawing outside her window. She slowly opened her eyes, squinting in the dim light that filtered through the tiny window in her small room. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and glanced around the cramped space.

The room was sparsely furnished with just a rickety bed, a battered dresser, and a few scattered belongings. Her room was small and dingy, with peeling wallpaper and a rickety wooden desk in the corner. It was the only room she had ever known, having lived with her stepfather for as long as she could remember.

As she sat there, she felt a familiar sense of dread settle over her. This was not her home, and her stepfather was not a loving caretaker. He had taken her in years ago after her parents had died, but he saw her as nothing more than a burden, an extra mouth to feed in his already meager household.

Amelia sighed, her mind wandering back to the happier days of her childhood, before tragedy had struck. Her parents had been kind, loving people who had always made her feel safe and cherished. But when they died, she had been left with nothing but memories and a cruel stepfather.

Amelia never knew her father, she was young when he was taken away from her by the cold hands of death, but she did know her mother. The beautiful lady who gave birth to her was the loveliest person she had ever known.

For reasons Amelia couldn’t remember, her mother had taken her away from their old home when she was just five years old. They had come to this village where her mother had gotten married to her new father, but two years later, her mother died of a sickness and her stepfather who had never liked her saw reasons to hate her further.

He feels like he had been given responsibility for another man’s daughter, especially now that her mother was dead. And so he treated her more like a slave than a daughter, it has been years and instead of things getting better, it only got worse.

Despite the hardships she faced, Amelia was a resilient and resourceful young woman. She had learned to make the best of her situation, finding solace in books and nature. She had also discovered that she had a secret talent for painting, and she spent countless hours creating beautiful artworks that she hid away from her stepfather's prying eyes.

What Amelia seemed to never talk about was her alter ego; Of course, just like most other people in this village, she was a werewolf. But of what use is a werewolf without a wolf? It was past her 18th birthday and the animal was yet to wake up. She had not shifted for once nor had she felt its presence. So what did the poor Omega do? She played human!!

Amelia got out of bed and stretched her arms, feeling the cool morning air brush against her skin. She walked over to the window, peering outside to see the village waking up. The smell of fresh bread wafted through the air, and she could hear the sound of horses’ hooves clopping against the cobblestone streets. It was a peaceful morning, but Amelia knew better than to let her guard down.

She walked over to the small mirror that hung on the wall and started to get ready for the day. She smiled as she stared at the reflection of herself in the mirror, she wasn’t that bad.

She ran her fingers through her unruly hair, wincing slightly as she tried to detangle the knots. Amelia had always been self-conscious about her hair. It was long and curly, and her stepfather often made fun of her for it, calling her "wild" and "untamed."

As she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but notice how tired she looked. The stress of living with her stepfather had taken a toll on her, and she had dark circles under her eyes.

Despite her fear of what the day might bring, Amelia knew that she had to keep going. She had survived this long, and she would continue to survive, no matter what challenges lay ahead.

She finished getting dressed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Her stepfather was already there, sitting at the table with a mug of tea in his hand. He looked up as she entered the room, his dark wolf eyes cold and distant. She greeted him but he stared at her with contempt before walking out, she didn’t need to wait to understand what that look meant, she was quick to start with her daily chores immediately.

** **

Amelia sighed as she finished washing the dishes, feeling the weight of the endless household chores that her stepfather had assigned her. She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that she was running behind schedule. She had not even had breakfast but she would be insane to think of the possibility of having breakfast without completing her chores.

Amelia was in the middle of sweeping the dirt floor of the kitchen when she heard the front door creak open. She froze, her heart racing, and waited for her stepfather's voice to ring out.

"Amelia! Where are you, girl?" he bellowed from the other room; his voice making her tremble.

She sighed inwardly and put down the broom, bracing herself for what was to come. Her stepfather was a large, imposing man with a fierce temper, and he never missed an opportunity to berate her.

Amelia emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Good morning, Father," she said, keeping her voice low and respectful. Of course she had greeted him before, but as long as he hadn’t responded, she most certainly had to greet a second time.

He scowled at her. "Good morning? What's good about it? Look at this place, it's a pigsty! And what have you been doing all morning? Nothing, I'll bet." he demanded, his voice harsh and grating.

"I've been cleaning and cooking, just like you asked," Amelia replied meekly, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Well, you're not doing it fast enough. I need you to hurry up and finish your tasks so that you can go to the market and pick up some supplies for me."

Amelia tried to keep her composure as her stepfather launched into a tirade about her laziness and incompetence. She knew that she was a hard worker, but nothing she did was ever good enough for him.

Finally, he finished his rant and pointed to the door. "Now hurry up and go to the market." He ordered.

Amelia nodded, knowing better than to argue with her stepfather; moreover she was grateful for the chance to escape the house. She quickly finished her chores and gathered up her basket, ready to face the bustling market and its noisy crowds.

As she headed towards the door, her stepfather grabbed her by the arm, his grip tight and painful. She had not seen him till it was too late or she would have used the back door.

"Remember, if you don't bring back everything I asked for, there will be consequences, you lazy girl!" he warned, his eyes flashing with anger.

Amelia's eyes widened as her stepfather's words hit her like a physical blow. For a moment, she was frozen with shock and anger, but then she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

Amelia had always been a meek and mild-mannered girl, doing her best to avoid confrontation with her abusive stepfather. But as she stood in front of him, watching him berate her once again, something inside her snapped.

"Father, please," she said, her voice shaking. "I am not lazy, I work hard every day. And I deserve to be treated with respect."

Her stepfather sneered at her. "Respect? You? You are nothing but a burden to me. If it weren't for your mother, I would have thrown you out on the streets years ago. And have I not instructed you not to call me father?" he barked.

Amelia felt her face flush with anger. "I am your stepdaughter," she said, her voice rising. "I have just as much right to be here as you do."

Her stepfather's face contorted with rage, and he lashed out with his other hand, slapping her across the cheek. Amelia stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek in shock and pain.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized that there was no reasoning with this man. He was a bully and a brute, and she was powerless to stop him.

“You think you deserve respect? You are lucky to even be living under my roof, you ungrateful little wretch!" he sneered at her.

Amelia felt her cheeks flush with anger. How could he treat her like this? She had done nothing to deserve his harsh words and cruel treatment.

Silently, she picked up her basket and headed towards the door. She knew that she had no choice but to obey her stepfather's orders, but she vowed that one day she would escape this miserable existence and find a better life for herself.

** ** **

Amelia hurried through the crowded marketplace, clutching her basket tightly to her chest as she tried to avoid bumping into anyone. She felt eyes on her, but she was used to it. She knew she didn't fit in here, with her simple dress and her unkempt hair. She had just finished buying the supplies her stepfather had sent her for and was eager to return home.

She was lost in thought, wondering how she would ever be able to escape her stepfather's clutches. But suddenly, a group of young men appeared in front of her, blocking her path. They were tall and muscular, and their rough clothing marked them as workers from the nearby farms. Amelia sighed and looked around to see if anyone was close but she was all alone, the market was behind her.

"Well, well, well," one of them sneered. "Look what we have here. A pretty little thing all alone in the market. What are you doing here, girlie?"

Amelia tried to push past them, but they only stepped closer, blocking her way again.

"Don't be shy," another one said, grinning. "We just want to have a little fun with you." he added and they all burst into laughter.

Amelia felt her heart racing as she realized that she was in trouble. These men were clearly drunk and looking for trouble, and she was alone and defenseless. It was still morning, how were they drunk already? The last thing Amelia wanted right now was trouble, she was already running late and her stepfather would see another reason to maltreat her.

"Please, leave me alone," she said, her voice shaking. "I just want to go home." she cried out.

But the men only laughed and one of them grabbed her basket, throwing its contents onto the ground. He pushed her and she fell as well.

Amelia gasped in shock as the eggs, bread, and fruit scattered across the dirt. She had spent all morning gathering these supplies, and now they were ruined. She wasn’t even worried about getting injured, because she would face worse things than a scratch if those supplies were damaged.

The men laughed even harder, taunting her and making crude gestures. Amelia felt tears prick her eyes as she realized how helpless she was in this situation. She was so tired of being mistreated and harassed. Why did everyone have to be so cruel to her? At times like this, she wished she had died with her mother those years ago.

But then, a deep voice cut through the noise. "Leave her alone." The voice sent shivers through her body and she was eager to see who it belonged to.

To be continued!!