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Chapter 4: The Border of Life and Death

-April's P.O.V-

I felled to the floor as the impact made me dropped all the firewood from my arms. I placed a hand where stepmother had struck me on my left cheek. I didn't understand. Why did stepmother done it? What did I do wrong that I deserved it? I simply gaze into her cold brown eyes. Her angry and intimidating appearance loomed in front of me.

Trying to not show her any weakness, I asked, "What have I done to anger you?"

"Simple, for your forgetful and ungrateful nature. You are nothing, but a problem for me and Louise. You left me to make dinner because you forgot to make it. Because you did, Louise have to wait as her health is deteriorating from her fragile self." her tone is harsh and impassive.

"But I went outside to collect firewood like you asked me to." I reminded her

"Don't you dare talk back to me, you ungrateful nitwit. How dare you mock me and complain about your chores. Now, pick up the wood you carelessly dropped and quickly eat your dinner. Then immediately go to bed for tomorrow's work." she told me.

"Yes, stepmother." I replied sadly as she went upstairs, leaving me in the cold and dark.

After I picked up the wood and put them on the rack, I went into the dining room to eat my dinner. There wasn't much on the plate and it was basically scraps from what stepmother and Louise ate. However, it was still food and I'm not going to let it go to waste.

'At least it will provide me with some energy for tomorrow.' I thought positively as I ate my dinner bitterly.

Once I had finished eating my dinner and had washed my plate, I retire to my bedroom for the night.

Early in the morning, I got up from my bed to find myself shivering. Because my room was the smallest, the cold air manage to seep into the possible holes and cracks that resides in the old wood. After a couple of minutes pass without rest, I finally gave up sleeping and got up from my bed. I went to my closet to pick out the clothes to wear for today. After picking out my clothes, I took a towel to freshen myself up with a warm bath. By the time I got out, the sun rise, with its rays shining through my windows. I looked at myself in the mirror as I did my hair. I wore a white blouse with long sleeves and a light green bodice. Father believed that at the age of twelve, I was old enough to wear one. The skirt that I was wearing reached a little passed my knees and it is the same color as my bodice. As it swirls around me, I notice tiny flowers are embroidered at the end of the skirt. Once I finished braiding my hair, tucking my necklace under the neckline of my blouse, and placing my headband in my hair, I went downstairs.

The first floor was more colder than my room, so I had to put on long socks and new dress shoes that mother had in her spare. I would have worn boots, but they were gone. Stepmother must have took them as I ate my dinner last night. To warm the place, I decided to place some of the firewood in the fireplace. As the fire rises, I stared at it for a while, lost in thoughts. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I looked to see it was stepmother, who was ten steps away from me. She stood where she is, her eyes glared into mine and her arms were crossed.

"I see that you've gotten up early, good. Today, because we need money, I want you to spin thread." Stepmother told me as she threw the spindle next to me.

"W-where will I spin?" I asked. I hadn't even realized that I sounded nervous, but stepmother must have interpret it as shivering. A smirk spread across her face as her eyes gleamed with malice.

"You shall spin outside in the cold, of course." she answered as if it was obvious. "Right by the well."

"T-the well?" I dreaded her final answered. "B-but I can't-" I got cut off.

"Don't you dare try to talk back to me, nitwit. Anyway, who can stop me? Hm?" she questioned me. "Ah, that's right... No one. No one cares for you. If they did, they would have stopped me from making you a long time ago. So stop acting as if the whole world revolved around you because it doesn't!" she taunted me with those harsh words.

"Yes, stepmother." I replied sadly as I looked at the ground. I took the spindle and walked pass her without looking at her in the eyes. I grabbed my white apron that laid on the table and headed out the door.

"The brat." I heard stepmother huff just as I closed the door behind me.

As I tied my apron around my waist, I walked into the shed to get the spinning wheel and a stool. Jacob was already outside of the chicken coop and started to asked me the usual questions.

"Alright, what did that witch want now?" Jacob asked as I carried the spinning wheel and stool out of the shed.

"She wants me to spin." I answered.

"You looked passive, April." Jacob pointed out.

"Do I?" I questioned as I place the spinning wheel and stool near the well.

"Wait a minute, that's the well. Why are you spinning there if you're afraid of it?" he asked.

"Because stepmother wants me to." I replied back as I place the spindle on the spinning wheel.

-Jacob's P.O.V-

I couldn't believe that evil witch! Forcing April to spin in the cold. And worse of all, near the well she hate! April begin to spin thread until she stopped to notice me. I must have looked worried because of her response:

"Don't worry about me, Jacob. I'll be fine." she smiled at me. I can see in her eyes that she has hope, but I wonder... How long will she be able to sustain that hope?

Feeling that I will just slow her down, I retreat back to my little chicken coop. From where I stand, I can already see April having a troubled look on her face. She was never used to the cold without something to protect her from it. Yesterday, her coat was too small, but now... All she's wearing is a white blouse, a green bodice, green knee-length skirt, long socks, and normal shoes. I bet that the witch took her coat and boots for herself or rather for her spoiled mean daughter.

-Letha's P.O.V-

I was tire of the little brat always talking back at me. It was a good thing that I took her winter boots and coat last night. That was her punishment, to spin out in the cold. Just as she left, Louise came downstairs.

"Oh, my sweet little girl." I smiled as Louise rubbed her eyelids.

"Where's the nitwit?" she asked.

"Outside in the cold, spinning." I answered in a very pleased way.

"Oh, good. She deserves to be out in the cold." Louise agreed as she looked at the window. "Mother, the nitwit is not doing her work."

"What?" I thought I heard wrong.

"She's not spinning." Louise informed me.

I went to the window and pushed the curtains back. I saw the nitwit just sitting, not spinning.

"Well, we'll see about that." I became irritated at the girl as I headed out the door.

-April's P.O.V-

I was spinning for a very long time now. Unfortunately, because I have no gloves to protect my hands from the chilling air, they were starting to turn red until they became numbed. I had to blow on them to keep them warm. I didn't know that stepmother was coming towards me.

"Not working hard again, I see. Have you been sleeping on the job?" Stepmother scolded me.

"I wasn't, I was trying to keep my hands warm." I tried to explained.

"Don't try to lie to me, you ungrateful little brat!" she yelled at me. "All I asked was simple: To spin thread. Because of your unwillingness to follow such a simple chore, I want you spinning until night falls. Is that understood?"

"Yes, stepmother."

Jacob suddenly run out of his coop and started to angrily peck at stepmother's feet. To her, he was clucking, but to me, he was yelling at her for treating me with such unfairness.

"Go away, you stupid bird!" Stepmother kicked Jacob away as she walked back into the cottage.

"Why you ugly old witch! Go back to Oz where you really came from!" Jacob angrily screeched.

"It's alright, Jacob. Go back to your coop." I quietly told him.

"But-" he stopped himself, knowing that he can't argue with me. "Fine." he submit as he walked back, muttering angrily to himself.

I continued my work until the sun started to set. As dusk approached, the weather got even worse. It snowed very heavily that the wind howled. I hadn't realized that the wind had cut my finger. A drop of blood fell on the spindle, staining the white thread in red.

"Oh no." I started to panicked as I took the spindle off the spinning wheel.

'I have to wash the blood off or else stepmother will be furious at me. But how?' I thought worriedly.

I slowly turned my attention towards the well. As much as I hate it, I have no other way to wash the spindle. I walked with hesitancy, my footsteps sound against the snow lightly. I looked at the water as I dip the spindle in it. However, as I tried to wash the blood off, the spindle accidentally slipped from my fingers.

"No!" I cried as I tried to retrieve the spindle back, but it has already sunk deep within the depths of the well.

I became devastated at my loss. It was like when the nymph mourned over the man she loves as he drowned himself by his own reflection. I sank on my knees in defeat, my hands covered my face as I realized the mistake I made. I cried as I returned to the cottage.

"I'm home..." I answered between sobs.

"Ah, finally. Have you got the spindle?" Stepmother asked as Louise stood next to her.

I told her what had happened, about the spindle. I could never lie, even if it was for my own good.

"You nitwit!" she yelled in anger as I looked down in shame.

"Uh oh, you're in trouble now." Louise mocked me.

"I can't believe you threw it in the well!" Stepmother continued.

"But I didn't-" I got cut off.

"Get it back, even if you have to fall in it!" she ordered.

"But-"

"If you don't do it, then there will be no dinner for you!"

So I hurried outside.

It was already dark as night came. I walked on the steps that lead to the edge of the well. The moon was out and so were the stars. I looked at the sky before at the well.

"In worse cases, I'm coming father." I whispered as I closed my eyes and jumped in.

The sound of water splashing was heard as the cold water wrapped itself around me. All I remember was my body sinking further and further down the well, the moonlight shining on me until everything went black.

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