Winter's Awakening

"What the hell! Where is my money? You insane woman! You did that again, didn't you?" a man, subtle around his face, unable to stand properly spoke with such aggression in his voice.

"What is it, Rowan? Why the hell are you shouting early this morning?" a lady, graceful and with her facial expression looking she's terrified, asked the man.

"You cruel woman!" the man just turned around his face to see his wife and gave her a hard slap and watched her fell badly on the wooden floor.

"You stole my money, didn't you?" he strode towards her, big steps.. grabbing her chin roughly.

"I-I.. didn't..." the lady frightened in fear stammered in her words.

Rowan Butler was a drunkard, plain and simple. His breakfast was whiskey with a rum chaser. He was slurring his words by lunchtime and passed out by the afternoon. What little food he ate was in the form of chips and cold wieners from a jar. He didn't leave a house for anything. He even paid a widowed neighbour to shop for him. Empty beer cans and spirit bottles lay discarded about the house. Wherever a can or bottle was when it became empty was where it stayed. Only when his friend visited him once a month or so did the empties get thrown out. no one else came. His temper was legendary. He detested himself and anyone who showed him kindness. When he was sure he was alone he would often cry for all the regrets and mistakes he'd make, for all the love he had driven away.

"You liar!" he spat in anger and slapped his wife, leaving her face hitting on the floor as she spat the mouthful of blood.

He came back with a big black leather hunter rope in his hand and started beating his wife, leaving her clothes tearing up from places.

The yelling of the woman in pain was heard in the whole house... in the whole neighbourhood.

"Where is my....." Rowan was screaming in anger at his wife while he was interrupted by a voice, "No, father! It was me who stole your money. You leave her!" the voice sounded like the heaven flowing down to earth, is like a caress of a rose petal around someone's ear lobe.

She had a rich, sweet and melodious voice. A girl, she had a shapely figure, a wasp waist, twin thin body, glossy skin and velvety eyelashes. Her hair was ebony black with rapture blue eyes and syrup sweet lips and wore grungy jeans and a shirt.

For a moment, her father stopped hearing those words while her mother pleaded, "Amelia! You go from here. Run!"

"Oh, so you here to save your mother. You and I both know how much of a wicked and savage this woman is." Rowan in a rage barked at his 21-year-old daughter.

"No! I mean it. I have your money." the girl, Amelia, replied in an impassive tone.

"Okay, now show me.." her father threw the hunter rope on the floor and crossed his hands to his chest, waiting for the explanation or you can say to see the money..which of course she didn't have.

Confused, Amelia didn't know what to do... till she spoke something her father grabbed the hair of his wife and slapped her continuously.

"No, father!" she ran to stop her father but her mother pushed her away saying, "I said go!" then turned her face towards her husband and yelled, "You want to hit me? If that makes you happy just hit me but know one thing Rowan for the love of God that ex-lover of your doesn't even care for you now. Look at you now! A drunk old man!" she spat in anger staring at his strange sunken eyes.

Another second and Rowan threw Amelia out of the room and she got her head hit in the wooden wall and fell down, hissing in pain.

He then shut the door of the room and locked it from inside. Amelia managed to stand up and ran to save her mother.

God knows what that old and evil beast will do that to her innocent mother. She kept on knocking and hitting at the door but all she heard was the yelling voices of her mother, she pleading her husband to have mercy.

Weird and strange thoughts were coming into Amelia's mind. What if he kills her? What if her mother would do something she regrets later? What will Amelia do without her mother? She's the only person in her life she trusts the most.

Every night she prays to God that her father must die. He must leave them alone once and for all. She doesn't even believe that she's the daughter of this monster. That man cannot be her father.

Amelia grew up hating her father. He never loved her just kept on cursing her, loathing her. His hate for her was strong enough that after all these years he was not been able to love her or even accept her.

According to him, she was the biggest mistake he made in his life. Now he has to tolerate her for the rest of his life or until.....he got her married to a rich man.

Then, after a full minute, there was complete silence. Not a single voice or noise was heard from the room.

The heart of Amelia was beating in her ears, then with a slight push the door of the room being opened and there stood the monster.. his hands covered in blood.

Did he really kill her?

Passing by him, she just ran inside. It was a heart-wrenching scene to see the scenario in front of her eyes.

Amelia was in a trance, a small drop of tear released from her eyes.

There was blood on the floor, and Amelia stood there staring at the scene.

"Mother...." in a low and shaky crying voice, she murmured with the continuous tears flowing from her eyes.