Drunken footsteps echo throughout the house.

Sh Mel, it will all be okay.' I whispered into the ear of my whimpering sister.

I hold her tightly, trying to muffle the sound of her sobs, stoking her long black hair in an effort to sooth her. We hide together, behind the locked door of our small room. It gives me the creeps at night. When the moon is high in the sky of London, its light illuminates our room, creating dark shadows that strike fear into our hearts. It's not the dark we are afraid of; it's who the darkness brings.

Our father was once a respectable man, the death of our mother turned him to the drink. Alcohol is a deathly substance, once I took a swig of father's cup; the horrid liquid burnt my throat and left a sickly sweet taste in my mouth I couldn't get rid of for hours. I will never understand how my father drinks it. It turns even the most respectable men into fools, into... monsters.

Melody, my sister, is like my father, she has his warm big brown eyes, but hers are filled with love and hope, whereas my fathers are full of sorrow and anger. Like him, she has hair as black as the night sky, long and straight. However she has my mother's smile and her heart , and like my mother she was beautiful. My mother died six years ago, in childbirth after Melody. I was ten, and I have been raising Melody ever since that day.
My father's anger was directed at me mainly. I look just like her. I have her clouded blue eyes, her long fair hair, her smile, her laugh, her heart, her soul. And my father hated that. He hated me for looking like her, he feels like my life is one huge mockery, like seeing me is God's cruel trick.

'Sophie, will you tell me a story?' Melody asked me between sniffles. I looked down at my sister; her long night dress was sprawled everywhere. I tucked a small piece of her hair behind her ear.

The voice of our father was close. He'd be through our door soon.

'Our uncle, Killian Jones, is the greatest sailor to ever sail the seas.'

I could hear my father's drunken slurs edging closer.

'He is a brave noble man, whose hand was cut off by a devilish boy.'

The sound of footsteps grew louder.

'Our uncle bears a hook on his left arm.'

My heart was thumping in my chest.

'When mother died, our uncle left us a gift, a portal to his world. And he told us that if ever we were in trouble, or whenever we needed him, we should take the portal to the water and find him.'

I heard the key slide into the lock.

'One day, when you are old enough, we will go to him. And we will be safe.'

The handle turned.

'We will be happy'

The door swung open.

'And we will be free.'

We jumped up together the second we saw his tall brooding figure block the light coming in from the doorway. I pushed Melody behind me, and she clung to the bottom of my long white nightdress.
He crooked his head around, examining the room, searching for us. When his eyes found us his thick brows narrowed. Pushing himself off the door he stumbled over to us, I pushed Melody further behind me, in an attempt to protect her from him.

'You' He gurgled, his crazy eyes darted between me and Melody. 'Why is she not asleep?!' He shouted stumbling closer towards me.

'She was.' I murmured.

He grew angry. I knew I made a mistake, but the anger boiling inside of me was too much.

'What did you just say?' He screamed raising a finger at me.

I was already a goner.

'I said, she was asleep, until you barged in here and started screaming you drunk pig.'

I heard Melody gasp, and then I felt my father's cold hand hit me hard against my face.

'You stupid bitch' He spat in my face and punch me the stomach forcing me to ball up in pain. I fell to the floor. He began to kick me.

'Stop it!' Yelled Melody.

His eyes fell on her, and he began to stumble over to her. He raised his grubby hand and she flinched back scared.
I jumped up, in pain, grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be a broom, and swung at him, hitting him right in the sides. He fell to the side slightly and turned to face me.

'Why you stupid little slut, you bitch you'll pay for that.'

Anger fueled me and I was filled with a different kind of strength. With all my might I swung my foot in between his legs. He fell to the floor clutching his man hood. I took a glass bottle lying on the small table in our room and quickly smashed it around his head before he could get up. It knocked him out.

I fell to the floor, trying to catch my breath; Melody ran over to me and hugged me.

'Soph! Are you ok?' she cried digging her head into my chest. I smiled into her hair.

'I'm ok. Are you ok Mel?' I said taking her head into my hands. She nodded and smiled at me with watery eyes.

Never has our father raised a hand at Melody, and he has never beaten me as hard as he did. We couldn't stay here much longer. It wasn't safe. Soon father would wake up, and he'd be even angrier than before.

'Melody put on your coat, shoes and scarf, and pack your things, we have to go.' I said holding her at arm's length. She began to sob.

'Mel don't cry, please, don't cry' I said hugging her.

'Go pack.' I whispered into her ear. She went off to pack her things.

From under my bed I pulled out a big over the shoulder bag, it was tatty and brown, and big enough to hold the few possessions I had. I packed a few dresses, shoes, stockings and coats. I placed a picture of my mother within my things, a small locket she had given me, and the key to our freedom: the portal our uncle gave me. It was inside a small glass jar which was attached to a chain, so you could wear it as a necklace. I than ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, a few old bows and arrows. I know it sounds like a strange thing to own, but before all of this, when mother was alive, we were rather wealthy, and we'd often go to the country side, father would hunt with the dogs, and mother would sew. Father bought me a bow and arrows while we were out there, and I used them to entertain myself, in fact I became rather good at using them, even if the bow and arrows were too big for a young girl at the time. Now I had grown into them. They reminded me of the good times. And we may need them where we are going.

After finishing packing my things I put on my long black coat over my nightgown, my black boots and my long cream scarf. I put my bag over my shoulder, and Melody's bag over my other shoulder. I tied the portal around my neck, and I grabbed Melody, and pulled her out of our once safe house. It was an dump anyway.

We were free. We were going to Killian, going to neverla-

'SOPHIE!' A voice screeched. My face went white, I turned around to see my father running a good few meters behind us.

'Shit' I shouted. I hoisted Melody onto my back. 'Hang on Mel' I shouted, and I started to leg it towards the dock.

I ran as fast as I could, I sprinted through alley ways and dark corners trying to lose him, and for a while we did. I ran to the edge of the dock and pulled the chain off my neck and opened the bottle. I put Melody down so I could get the portal ready. I threw the portal into the water, and a whirlpool began to form. Mel held me tighter.

'Sophie, I'm scared.' She cried.

'I know Mel, I am too, but it will be ok I promise. I got you, we'll be safe and together and happy, I promise.'

'SOPHIE, MELODY!' he shouted.

Shit, he found us.

'Mel, on my back now.' I said hoisting her up. 'Hold on tight ok?' I said. I felt her nod.

Three

Two

One.

I jumped, but I felt lighter.

I couldn't feel Melody.

I turned around, to see my father clutching the back of her coat.

It was too late. All I could hear was her cry, her lips forming my name. I barely had time to react, and then I was sucked into another world.

Thanks for reading my first chapter! I promise I will try to upload every other weekened or sooner!

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