Chapter III

Cinder-Bella

Bella

"Bella!" Victoria screeched. I hurriedly gathered the last apple off the tree and placed it in my apron. I dashed off as quickly as I could, but found this to be a mistake. I stumbled and was thrown to the ground with all the apples (Now bruised no doubt) scattered around me. "Bella!" Victoria shouted again. I grabbed all the apples I could, knowing that keeping her waiting would do no one any good. I stumbled up the hill and back to the house. Victoria was waiting at the door. Her foot tapped impatiently. "Where have you been, you stupid girl!" she demanded.

"I…" I began, but she was already speaking again.

"Never mind, never mind, clean up the kitchen and make us breakfast, then clean it again! Then do the laundry, and then clean your cupboa— I mean your room. Then go to town, and fetch us some food for dinner tonight! Not the slop you've been serving these past few nights, real food," She commanded.

"But Ma'am, you never give me enough to get very much food or very good food," I answered. She slapped me.

"Don't sass me, just do it!" she screeched. "Do you want me to sell you down at the market? I swear to God, I will!" she threatened.

"No ma'am. I'll get something very nice for dinner. I promise," I said, as quiet and humble as I could. She nodded.

I clean up the kitchen, and made breakfast. Then I clean it again. I finished the laundry. I even clean my tiny little room.

Victoria announced that she was heading into town, probably to buy more useless jewelry and expensive clothes. When she was gone I went back to the branch of the forest beside our manor.

Victoria and James were very rich once, but they had spent most of their money by now and couldn't actually afford the lifestyle they lived. They visited the castle constantly, and spent quite a bit of gold trying to look and act the way the true royalty did.

When I saw them though, they had no manners, and were often angry and violent. They often told me how costly it was for them to keep me and feed. I worked hard day and night to earn my keep, but I suppose in these hard times that isn't enough.

I saw Angela had arrived, at last, and pick more apples, too. She was my closest friend. She had two younger siblings, twins. I have no idea how her family can care for three children, but then again they weren't as extravagant as Victoria and James.

"Good Morning, Angela!" I called as I approached her.

"Bella!" she shouted merrily, and embraced me. Her younger brothers emerged from behind a tree at that moment. They, too, ran forward to wrap their little arms around me, specifically each of my legs. I suppose Joshua and Isaac liked to play with me because I made the best toys out of nothing. If I could do anything at all for a job it would be a toy maker. Angela's family hasn't lived here long, so when I was young I had to make my own games and toys to have fun.

"Good morning, boys!" I laughed at their enthusiasm. Angela and her brothers soon resumed their previous activities, and I found a moment to ask the favor I desperately needed. "Angela, I know I've asked for your help twice this week already, but Victoria said that I must buy better food at the market today for her and James. I don't have enough money, but if we went and picked berries from the field, then with two of us we would have enough for something nice," I pleaded. Angela just laughed.

"Bella, you should know by now that anytime you need help dealing with those terrible people, you have me!" she said, sounding exasperated.

"You're too kind to me!" I smiled. She truly was the sweetest person I had ever met, except perhaps her family. Her father was a preacher, who incredibly wise. Her mother was an excellent mother and manager of their house.

We raced the boys to the field and picked all the berries we could find. Then Angela went with me to help me pick up the food. When she had gone home I hurried to prepare food for Victoria and James. The only problem was I had forgotten the plates for dinner in the dining room. We would use our nicer plates for a nicer dinner. I reached the door, but then I heard the hushed and angry remarks of Victoria and James.

"Why did you have to spend all the damn money on your clothes? It's a waste of money!" James complained.

"Well either way it's gone now, and we need to find some way to support our life style," Victoria snapped back.

"We've sold everything we can afford to! There's only that damn girl to do the work around here, so what do you propose we do?" he demanded.

"I say we sell her, too," Victoria replied coldly. I gasped, quietly. There could be no doubt it was me. How could they sell their daughter? They weren't kind, but I didn't think it would come to this. Selling your child for money, how cruel.

"What if the king finds out that we sold her?" James asked.

"Which one?"

"Aro, of course. That other fool could do nothing if he found Bella again. Besides, her father's too much of an idiot to be a danger to Aro now," James answered.

"He told us we could do what we liked with her once she had been removed from her own country," she answered.

"He said we could kill her or keep her if we liked! We can't let him down. It could cost us our lives!" he argued.

"Be a man for once in your life and do what needs to be done to get us the money. You were always like this when we stole, too. I had to do all the work!" she complained, but they realized suddenly that they had been getting louder and louder. I was shocked, but knew enough to pretend I hadn't heard. I left the kitchen, and watered some flowers outside. Victoria came out, and found me. She slapped me again, and told me not to waste anymore time outside. I ate as quickly as I could, and hurried upstairs.

I sat on my bed, and considered my options. I could stay, be sold, and hope I got lucky. Option two: I could be daring and run off, and live on my own. Oh, who was I kidding? I didn't know the first thing about being on my own. Option three: I might be able to stay with Angela. Then again if King Aro wanted me trapped with these people or even dead, then he had the power to find me. As long as I was in Voltera I was in danger. That only left running away. I could do it. I had been running this house, and handling two grown adults for years. Surely I could take care of myself. Maybe someone would even marry me someday, and take care of me. Well maybe it's not likely, but I can't deny that I hope.

First things first, I planned all night for my escape a few days from now. Then I gathered all the spare food I could find while they were sound asleep. No one would miss it until I was gone, because they never looked in the kitchen at all. They thought they were above it. Now that aloofness would be their downfall. I told Angela everything, but where I would go, because I wasn't sure myself. I knew the direction to go in towards another land, but it would mean traveling very far. I could be caught. I decided to head through the forest. No one would be lurking there to catch me, and I already knew what kinds of beasts lived there, and how to avoid them. Victoria had locked me out several times when I was young, because I was bad.

I continued to steal from my "parents" for a few days. The preparations kept me busy, but at the same time, my mind was constantly wondering about my real parents, and how every one connected into this twisted knot with two kings, and thieves being given a baby and perhaps some money by one of those kings. Where were my parents?

Finally on the night of my escape, I met Angela in her families garden. Her brothers were there, too. We hadn't told them anything, but I wanted the chance to hug them goodbye before I left.

"You be good, and don't forget what I taught you about making toys. You'll have to make them for the littler kids someday, okay?" I said to them. They nodded, tear-filled eyes locked on me. I hugged Angela. "You have been a better friend than I would have thought to ask for. You've been wonderful. I hope your life treats you well," I told her solemnly.

"I wish you the same. I hope you find your parents, and sincerely hope that whoever separated you gets what they deserve. You should have had a happy life with your family, but now may be your second chance. I'll miss you, but I have faith you'll be better off this way," Angela said. Her eyes were shining with tears, too.

"Thank you, for everything. I'll miss you all," I said, and ran for the forest. I managed to walk quite a ways before I had exhausted myself, and had to rest. I slept on the mossy earth, which wasn't so much worse than my bed.

When I woke up I continued only allowing myself a very small portion of the food I had stashed in my bag. I had also taken Victoria's warm fur-lined cape, so the wilderness wasn't so bad at all.

Even controlling my portions I ran out of food very quickly, not to mention I was headed north and winter was on its way, too. The cold was creeping behind me every step of the way. I was forced to scavenge for any kind of food. Berries, nuts and roots that I recognized were all I could eat. I was starving, and growing thin.

The oppressing gray clouds hid the sun, keeping all warmth away. I was soaking wet from a rain storm the previous night, and that meant that all the wood was wet, too. I couldn't build myself a fire. I was shivering so hard my teeth were battering one another. I couldn't even bring myself to my feet I felt so weak. So I just laid there on the ground, wishing for some kind of heat. I had never been, so entirely frozen. I felt sure my toes were falling off as I lay there. Then little white bits were swirling down, and settling on my face. They melted, and blended with my hot tears. So odd, that my tears should be warm. Then I fell asleep.