I sat in the limo fidgeting the tulle under my gown and thinking I’d rather be at home in my flannel pajamas instead of going to my friend’s wedding at Sapphire Crescent Cove. I look out the window and saw my reflection and the scar that was in the window. I would watch the clouds pass thinking back to three months ago when I received the invite and how I received the scar on my cheek. A misty morning on March 3, 2017, I walked outside early in the morning, I opened my mailbox and peered inside, where I found a golden envelope. I picked it up and looked at it thinking in my head, ” Why do I have this in my mailbox?” I shrugged my shoulders, closed the mailbox and walked back to the house. I placed the rest of the mail on the counter top and took the golden envelope with me and walked to my room where I walked to the window, sat down on my chair and opened the letter.

Shiloh,

You are cordially invited to Michael and Karina’s wedding at Sapphire Crescent Cove on Saturday, April 22, 2019. You may bring one guest and the bride and groom are requesting that you prepare a speech for this wonderful occasion. Please RSVP by April 1, 2019.

While I was reading the letter, sitting on my rocking chair relaxing in my bedroom next to my window, I slouched in my chair and extended my feet to the stool in front. I opened the letter and when I saw the names in the invitation. My eyes went wide and my mouth dropped open, I was shocked because Michael and I were close when we were children because our families were close friends. I stood up with a jolt and started to feel furious inside I dashed to my bed and pillow, started to pound my pillow because I felt left out. I felt that I was not an important friend because instead of telling me in person he decided to just send me an invitation. People can roast a marshmallow over my head because I felt frustrated and so mad that my face got red, redder than the hottest chili pepper, and my face was fuming you could see steam coming from the top of my head. After I finished reading the invite I dreaded the idea of attending the ceremony, I especially hated the idea of writing a speech to commemorate this special and happy occasion even more. Since my room door was open just a crack, I could hear my four stepsisters and their friends talking downstairs. I could hear footsteps in the hallway when suddenly...my stepmother kicks my door open and storms into my room. She then crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her weight against her left leg and her eyes were staring at me with a menacing look that pierced through me like an arrow hitting its target. When I lifted up my head and looked into her eyes it seemed like I could see the fire in and they were burning with anger. I felt the atmosphere of the room go from calm and serene to tension and anger within seconds. My stepmother then marched to where I sat and looked me. She saw the wedding invitation in my hands, she noticed that I had checked the not attending box, and I looked at her and scoffed. My stepmother’s face got red, redder than a chili pepper and I felt shivers run down my spine due to the stare she was giving me. My stepmother who hated me knew I did not want to go but told me to follow her. We went to the living room and she put her hands on my shoulders and sat me down on the couch and we just talked although I did not want to listen.

Stepmother says, “I am making you go to the wedding and make a speech, if you don’t go you will have to clean the house top to bottom.”

" I do not see why I have to go,” I replied while looking away.

" Karina is my DAUGHTER and your STEP-SISTER, so you are going to the wedding and making the speech. Do you hear me?” retorted Stepmother

" Fine...” I groaned, rolling my eyes.

" YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME! DO YOU HEAR ME?” yelled my stepmother

" yes...“, I moaned

I dragged my feet across the floor, it felt like my feet were on fire because I rubbed my feet against the carpet with a lot of pressure. When I arrived in my room I flopped down into my bed. I rolled onto my back and looked up at the skylight. I saw the setting sun that made the sky go ablaze just like my mom’s and dad’s ambition to create a bakery and sell their baked treats. But after my mom passed away, that ambition and dream were washed away with the rain that came and went every season that passed us like birds flying south for the winter. I remember my dad’s eyes, they were dead, there was no color in them, it was like his soul was ripped out of him by a furious lion tearing and chewing at his recent kill. His voice cracks like a lion eating his prey, crunch, crack, crunch, crack. My heart cried tears when I would see or hear him calling me. I think he was relieved when he knew his time had come and gone. I lost my mother soon after I was born due to birth complications and my father remarried, so now I have four step-sisters who give me hell and since my father passed away due to cancer, I am now left with my step-mother and four step-sisters control my life which I am starting to dread. 6 years after my father passed away, my four step-sisters and evil step-mother controls my life, suppressed by their devil side of constant ordering around, do this, do that, make me this, fix this, and fix that. I started to feel that I never existed in their minds. I feel caged and they force me to do everything around the house. The free life that I wanted to live is taken away from me like I was getting punched in the stomach much time and got the air taken knocked out of me by the devil who showers her daughters with love and affection; but hates my guts confirmed with the actions and the menacing look of her face whenever I am present in her life. One day my stepmother had summoned me to her room.

" I have a request Shiloh,” said Stepmother

" Yes, stepmother?” I replied.

" I heard that beyond a forest near here there is a special plant that if eaten within 48 hours, one will remain pretty and healthy forever,” Stepmother said.

" That’s just a myth and a fairy-tail that all kids hear when they are young,” I argued.

" I never asked your opinion!” retorted stepmother.

" Sorry” I apologized.

" I want you to go to this forest and find this special plant. So I can give it to my wonderful daughters” announced stepmother.

" Do I have to? Why can’t the others go?” I blurted.

" YOU ARE GOING! I DON’T WANT TO RISK MY DAUGHTERS LIFE WITH THIS SILLY MISSION THAT YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF INSTEAD! I am not sending the girls because we will be busy with the wedding ceremony. That reminds me, your speech better be ready before then. ” exclaimed stepmother.

" ...fine...” I conceded.

I walked to my room, grabbed a backpack and then left. I arrived at the edge town and looked back. Letting out a heavy sigh I entered Timberwolf Forest. Timberwolf Forest was eerie, mysterious, and cold. While walking through the forest I heard eerie howling coming deep within the forest. I continued walking and the deeper he went he started to feel that he was being watched. The deeper I went the denser the forest got. The bushes in front of me trembled. I cautiously moved toward the bushes. Then I silently parted the bushes while holding my breath. I discovered it was only a bunny eating clovers on the forest floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow scurry by and held my breath. I ignored the eerie feelings that I was getting and continued deeper and deeper into the forest. The only source of light was the moon. Timberwolf forest gets very little light so I always have to feel my way through. I started to talk to myself. I mumble to myself, ” It’s okay, I am not scared. I used to play in this forest when I was younger. There is nothing to be afraid of. I have to let fear go and continue until I get to Dragon Forest where I built my clubhouse and where the special plant that stepmother mentioned should be.” All of a sudden I sees a shadow that looked like SapphireMoon the manticore that roams in Timberwolf Forest. But it was a trick of my imagination, when I looked closer it was just a dilapidated tree house in an old worn down tree. In the distance I saw a shadow of a monster with sharp jagged teeth getting ready to attack I. I held my breath and started to panic but when the clouds shifted it was an old mansion. Time passed and I was getting goosebumps on my arms. I felt my way through the forest and felt something soft but wet. When the moonlight shined through the trees I looked at my right hand to see fur mixed with blood. I started to panic and felt the blood run down my hand like a stream. Since I didn’t have a towel I wiped it on my white shirt and continued into the forest. I continued to feel my way through the forest and came up to a fork in the road. There was no sign of which path led where so I had to go with my guts. I first took the right fork and started to see shadows looming over me like my stepmother not letting me out of her sight at home. I had a weird sensation that I was being watched. Something soft and yet rough passed my leg that made shivers run up my leg and made me jump and turn around to see what it was. When the moonlight shines through a small crack in the tree I looked down and it was a baby manticore. When I saw that I turned around and looked up to find SapphireMoon baring its fangs at me. I saw the saliva running down it large fangs and it hissed at me, growling, and I could tell that SapphireMoon was about to strike me. I spun around and dashed in the opposite direction. I didn’t dare to turn back knowing that SapphireMoon was behind me. When I arrived at the fork I headed straight for the left path not even seeing the tree branch in front of me, which cut my cheek. The cut on my cheek stung and ached like hell. I could feel something warm like hot water running down my face. Before my eyes the blood had turned into a river of blood flowing down my cheek, flowing to my neck then staining my shirt. Horrified, my face went pale, paler than the moon. I placed my hand on the open wound only to feel flesh and blood. I had a feeling that before no time, I will bleed to death and no one back at home would care. I took off my backpack and felt through it until I felt my water bottle. I opened the bottle and washed my hands with a little bit of water then I poured some on my cheek which stung like fire. After washing the cut I used my clean hand to apply pressure on the cut to stop it from bleeding. I stood in the forest vulnerable to the elements and to any attack that may happen. Time passes not knowing how long it’s been the bleeding has stopped and I removed my hand to see the dried blood on my hand. I tried not to move my cheek or mouth so I would not reopen the cut and allow it to heal over time. I wiped my bloody hand on my shirt and continued on into the forest. I walked along the path feeling my way through, I felt something soft and fluffy. I held my breath. The thing I touched had moved away from where my hand was. I froze where I was, all my muscles were tense for the sprint to Dragon Forest. I took a deep breath and moved on, completely ignoring the fact that I was scared out of my shell. While I walked through the forest I got an eerie feeling that I was being watched by menacing eyes that penetrated me like getting shot by a bullet. I started to hear eerie howling and cracking noises. Every step I took I heard a crack. Time passes since I felt the soft and fluffy in the forest behind me. I now have entered Dragon Forest which is behind Timberwolf Forest. I head to my treehouse which is 15 feet about the ground in the biggest tree in the whole forest. When I arrive in the treehouse I am able to appropriately take care of the cut. I began by washing the cut and gently cleaning it with a clean cloth that I had stored in the treehouse soon after I built it. I put multiple bandages along the cut then I leave the treehouse and head a little deeper into the forest. After 5 minutes or so I found the plant that my stepmother talked about. I picked it and headed back for civilization and home. When I got out of Timberwolf forest the sun came up over the horizon. When I arrived home, I checked the time and it was 2 days after I left. My stepmother stepped out of the kitchen to see my shirt all bloodied and the bandages on my cheek.

" Do you have the plant?” questioned stepmother

" Yes, stepmother I do have the plant,” I replied

I open my backpack and hand her the plant. She snatched it from me and left me in the living room. I let out a big sigh and then went to my room. I dropped my backpack in my room and went to take a shower. When I came out, I washed my shirt that was stained with my blood and one of my stepsisters came into the bathroom and when she saw the sink of bloody water her face went pale, paler than white paint and she screamed.

" AH BLOOD!!!!!!!!!” Karina yelled.

Karina dashes out the bathroom the others peers around the door and both Rina and Lina faces went pale too and fainted in front of the doorway. Akilina who was the oldest step-sister was shocked, her mouth dropped, her face went pale like she had seen a ghost. She shakes her head to snap herself out of the trance she was in and carried Lina and Rina to the living room. After I finished washing my shirt and the sink I went to my room to hang my shirt and let is dry. I then went back to the bathroom and filled a small plastic tub with water. I got cotton balls and some disinfectant cream. I went back to my room. I removed the bandaid and cleaned off the dry blood when I look at myself in the mirror the cut and seeing the flesh underneath the cut still gives me shivers and goosebumps. I always feel like fainting but as I was cleaning the wound Akilina comes into the room.

" Mom is looking for you,” Akilina said.

She noticed the wound on my cheek, she noticed the blood and the cut, her face scrunched up, her face went pale and it looked like she was ready to puke.

" Tell her I will be there shortly,” I replied

Akilina didn’t argue with me so she left and I went back to tending to my cut wound. I took a cotton ball dipped it in water and then I gently dabbed the cut. I then applied the cream with a clean cotton ball gently and boy did it sting like the thorns on a rose bush poking your skin. I held my pain in and mumbled to myself, ” I must endure the pain. This is not the worst cut I have gotten before. I am strong, not weak.” After I finished I reapplied the band-aid and headed downstairs. I ran down the stair and skipped the last 3 steps cause I felt like it. When I arrived at the living room, I could see that my stepmother was not happy with me. She was super mad. Her eyebrows were slanted downward and her face was red as a tomato. She stood up and Akilina took her place fanning the Karina, Rina, and Lina. My stepmother marched to where I was standing and stared down at me. Her vicious eyes penetrating my soul.

" I DO NOT care what happened to you in the forest but I DO CARE what happens to my daughters!” snapped stepmother.

" ...” I looked down at the ground.

" NOW, TELL ME WHAT DID YOU DO TO KARINA, LINA, and RINA?” yelled stepmother

" I did not do anything stepmother. All I was doing was washing the shirt I was wearing when I went to go look for the plant.” I replied squeamishly.

" Oh? then why are they passed out and their faces so pale?” snarled stepmother

" Well, you saw for yourself the blood that was on my shirt,” I responded.

" I did but that can’t be the reason that they fainted and that their faces are pale” snapped stepmother.

" Well, they are weak when it comes to blood, remember they even pass out when they see their own blood,” I noted.

" Well, that...” stepmother stammered.

" Look, stepmother, I did not do anything to them. I was just minding my own business when they came to see what Karina screamed about. I did not say or do a thing, I wish you wouldn’t blame me for something I did not do.” I muttered.

After I said that my stepmother got even more furious at me. Her face got so red and hot that I could feel the heat literally seeping out her body. It felt like I was in a really hot oven. I felt like I should not have said what I said.

" I AM GETTING REALLY ANNOYED WITH YOUR ATTITUDE! FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS YOU MUST CLEAN THE HOUSE TOP TO BOTTOM, INSIDE AND OUT, INCLUDING THE LAUNDRY, AND THE YARD AS WELL!” snapped stepmother.

" ... But... fine...” I sighed.

For the next two day, I was cleaning the house from the outside yard first. I knew that the weather did not help me at all. Every time I raked up a pile of leaves the wind would blow the leaves all over the yard again and again. I started getting tired, my arms were getting sore it felt like they will fall off. I came up with an idea, I took the leaves bag and licked my finger and put it in the air, I would then place the bags in all direction of the wind blew in and rake the leaves into a pile. When the wind came the leaves would get blown into the bags. I would then tie them off and place them on the side of the road. My legs and arms are sore. It felt like I just lifted 50-pound weights at the same time did 100 squats. I walked around like a cowboy and I had just come down from riding a horse for 3 1/2 hours. After resting for a few minutes I continued cleaning. After I finished with the outside yard I went to do the laundry. If felt like I was doing laundry that hasn’t been done for 3 years. They smelled nasty, pungent, foul, sharp, smelly and noxious. The smell smelled like food had been rotting fish. Being near the clothing would make me puke. I had to wear a mask and take a wooden clip and clipped my nose so I wouldn’t breathe in the noxious smell of the dirty laundry. I started to mumble to myself, ” I wish they would do their own laundry and smell how bad this smell really is. I am always the one who has to the dirty work.” I muttered. I finished all the work that stepmother assigned. I feel trapped in a life of constant work like I am in hell.