Chapter 1 - Half-sisters And Strawberries Are The Best Way To Ruin Your Life.

I stared at the ceiling, trying not to let the depression get to me. I kept turning everything over in my mind, looking for a hole because it can't be true. She can't be dead. She would never leave me.

I too see over to stare at Dewni, my apparent half-sister. She stood by the window, fists clenched. Just a month ago, she was just the girl in the other group of girls. We weren't friends, we barely knew each other and then out of the blue, we're sisters.

It wasn't fair. At all. It all just came too fast without warning. My mother dead, a sister I never knew I had, the family either pitied or humiliated by the scandal. And the man who caused it all, what did he do? Drown himself in alcohol. Not once did he care to see what happened to his daughters.

I scoffed with contempt and rolled out of bed. The only way we keep this family going is by my jobs. Not pleasant ones, of course. No one with pride would hire such a disgraced family. Dewni hasn't managed to find work yet.

I gathered the skirts of my green dress, nodded Dewni goodbye and walked down the frosty road. I had to be careful not to slip on the ice on the path, the last remains of the hard winter. My breath sparkled and lingered in the air, as I headed to Lindon's farm.

"Good morning, Sir," I grinned with a forced smile.

"Get to work, not another word till you finish," he sneered. Charming man.

Rolling my eyes, I headed to the pig pen. Grabbing a shovel, I began to clean. As bad as the smell was, and despite how poor the income was, mucking the pig pen helped me relieve my anger.

Pig waste splattered my dress and sweat rolled down my skin but I couldn't bring myself to care. It was just another day in the life of Lara. As soon as the waste was removed, I pulled on the heavy weight of the hay that I had to layer across the floor. I worked for hours, feeding the pigs, cleaning them and at last I collapsed onto the floor.

My muscles ached like never before and I tried to blink back tears. I'm over it, I told myself, I'm stronger than this. I sighed and just laid upon the hay, which was bound to worsen the tangles in my ginger curls. I could only afford a few minutes of rest, if Lindon caught me, I would be fired for sure.

I stumbled outside, the cool fresh air slightly better than the hot stink of the pig pen. Something caught my eye, just as I was about to walk up to Lindon's home to get a few coins. A strawberry. My mouth watered at the sight. I haven't eaten one for such a long time.

I quickly glanced around, there was no one in sight. Quickly, I bent over and snapped the strawberry from it's stem. I took a small bite out of the sweet, red berry the juice running down my chin. I wanted to savour every single drop. After meals of stale bread and mouldy cheese, the strawberry was a slice of heaven.

"YOU THIEF! I LET YOU WORK FOR ME, OUT OF KINDNESS AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!" Lindon stormed down the hill.

I cowered back. "It was just this one. Please, I was so hungry."

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" A hand pounded me to the ground. I grasped at my cheek, resisting every instinct to hit back. My cheek burned and my body hummed with fury.

"I was starving, please." I forced my voice to be calm.

"If you don't leave now, my dogs will have a fine meal tonight." He threatened.

I got up but I wasn't going to leave without doing some damage. I was far too furious. My foot struck out and kicked him square between his legs and I made a wild dash for it.

He screamed in agony. "YOU UNGRATEFUL WENCH!"

I knocked down his scarecrows, set his hens free and stole their eggs. I chased away the pigs and ran into his house, to his kitchen counter, where I knew he kept money in the coffee jar.

I threw the eggs into the coffee jar, and ran out into the path, dogs chasing me but I had too large a headstart. I ran and ran and didn't stop until I was at the edge of the forest. It was so far away from the village that not even Lindon would be persistent enough to chase me so far.

I groaned in pain, the stitches in my side felt like it was killing me. I leaned against the tree, blood rushing to my face. I breathed, a few tears rolling down. One job less... it could be worse. I could be dead. Actually, dead doesn't sound that bad. Instantly, I scolded myself. I wasn't going to think like that. She wouldn't want me dead.

Then I had another idea, what if I ran away? There's nothing here that's worth staying for. My mind flashed to Dewni for a second. No, she would be fine without me. But that second of Dewni made me feel guilty and I sighed. I never liked abandoning people. I wasn't going to run away from my problems.

I turned back, coffee jar tucked under my arm. My eyes raised to the sky, it was nearly noon. Lindon should've returned to his farm, by now. I stumbled back, my head still spinning from Lindon's blow.

Cold rain splashed against my skin as I passed the cemetery. I paused, I really shouldn't. I was feeling emotionally fragile already, I really didn't need anymore but I went anyway. I loved her too much to stay away.

I glanced at the tombstone, whoever crafted it done a crude job of it, out of spite. I glanced at the tombstone beside hers. It was equally crude. I noticed little, white flowers like the ones that grew in the wild on Renevieve's tomb. Dewni must've visited earlier.

Then I realised I had nothing to offer for my mum, Ceraline. I took half of Dewni's flowers and placed it on her tomb, I knew Dewni wouldn't mind. She was too timid, too gentle. Quite the opposite of me.

I just sat and stared at the gravestone. I tried to speak to her before, but often my voice broke and a sense of loneliness overtook me when she didn't answer back, so I made myself content with simply staring and thinking.

I shivered under the cold rain but I found myself loving the cold. It was heat, fire that took her away from me. The cold comforted me, it was empty as I was, just as harsh, just as miserable.

Mud pooled around me, but there was nothing left of my dress to ruin. Nothing left of me to ruin. I gathered the coffee jar into my chest to go home, Dewni would've been hungry.

Home, if that can be even considered one, I thought bitterly as I kicked the pebbles, mud rising to my ankles. I clutched at the half-broken doorknob, frustration building up.

I kept my eyes down as I walked in, not wanting to face the man that I blamed for ruining any chance of happiness I had.

"How much?" His raspy voice came out.

"Nothing," I lied. "I got sacked."

"You useless girl," he snarled and I had to bite my tongue to stop a stream of angry retorts. "What's that?" He gestured to the coffee jar.

"Nothing," I ground my teeth.

"Liar," he snatched the jar from me and spilled its contents out.

The eggs smashed onto the floor and the money flew down, covering itself in egg yolk. He grabbed all the money and left without a word, to the nearest bar.

Dewni walked in, watching the entire scene from the shadows. "I'm sorry, Lara." She tucked her chin length black hair behind her ear and whispered the words so quietly I barely heard it.

"What for?" Came my dry answer.

"For being useless."

I didn't say a word. I just grabbed a towel and headed to the water basin. I don't know how long I was in there for, I just stood in front of the basin, letting the water that mingled with tears. Not thinking made the pain more bearable.

When I finally came out, it was night and father still hadn't returned. As I pulled on a new dress, I caught a look at myself in the mirror. There were heavy black bags beneath my blue-grey eyes. My pale skin had gotten paler and my freckles stuck out more than ever.

Dewni had split the last of the stale bread into two, the cheese had run out. She was staring out the window, deep in thought when I pulled up a chair at the table. With her dark skin and the dim light of the candle I had trouble making out her face. I picked at the bread, not really having an appetite for it.

"I'm going out." Dewni suddenly blurted out.

"Where to?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Just a walk. I can't stand being in here."

I nodded. I knew how that felt. She left quietly, and I went back to picking at my bread. Time passed by and I grew worried when Dewni didn't return for hours. Grumbling about the immaturity of sixteen year old girls (ignoring the fact I was sixteen myself) I went in search of her in the moonlit night.

I heard shouting from the rich area of our little village. I closed my eyes for a second, I saw Dewni in the arms of Dorion, the richest man to ever set foot on this piece of worthless land. He held a whip and was about to strike her. I opened my eyes. What had she gotten herself into?

Swearing, I ran harder than I had when I was being chased by Lindon. I jumped Dorion's fence and out into his backyard where Dewni laid bleeding, the back of her dress in tatters, a pile of food thrown around her.

Cursing her for her stupidity, I tackled Dorion to the floor. Surprised, the whip flew out of his hand but once he got over the shock, he tossed me around so I was the one on the ground. He raised his arm, ready to strike me.

But Dewni somehow got a large rock and hit him in the head. He gave a scream and fell limp beside me. I stared at her, shocked that Dewni of all people would do such a thing. She seemed frozen, eyes wide at her own daring.

I quickly checked his pulse. "He'll live." I stared at her, still in shock. We heard shouts in the distance, the villagers carrying torches and rakes stormed out of their houses at Dorion's scream.

We looked at each other and everything rushed at me. Motherless, a shamed father, poor, helpless, suffering. I looked at her terrified brown eyes with my bright ones. I could already feel the thrill in my body. The thrill that would make everything okay, for at least a little while.

"Run."