I sat at the piano, my fingers gliding effortlessly over the cool,
ivory keys. I thought nothing of the fact that any normal nine year old
would not be able to play Mozart from memory. I simply enjoyed the
sensation of the notes floating through the air and surrounding me. I
smiled; sure that mother would be proud.
"Mother!" I called. "Mother come listen!" She walked into the sitting room from the kitchen. She pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face and looked at me.
"What do you want child?" she asked. I looked down at my hands folded in my lap.
"I-I wanted you to hear me play," I said quietly. I looked back at her anxiously. She had an expression that was hard to read. Was it pity? I didn't know, but it was soon replaced by her normal smugness.
"I'm sorry Erik. I can't right now. I'm busy making dinner. Maybe some other time," she replied and walked out of the room. I smiled slightly. Erik. She had called me Erik. My smile faded quickly however when I remembered the rest of what she had said. I jumped off the piano bench and raced into the kitchen.
"Do I get to eat with you tonight Mother?" I asked quickly.
"No, boy. My brother and his family are coming to visit. They live in London and are on their way home from a vacation so they won't be here long," she stated.
"But Mother-"I began.
"Do you want to eat at all?" she questioned.
"Yes, ma'am," I answered, looking down at the floor.
"That's what I thought. Now, run along. I'm busy."
"Yes ma'am," I said and walked out of the kitchen. It was all horribly unfair. Why shouldn't I be able to meet my Uncle and his family? I began thinking of a plan. I knew that mother would lock me in a room when they arrived. I had to think of a way to get out.
I walked quietly into mother's bathroom. I looked carefully through her things and soon found what I was looking for; a hairpin. I then heard Mother calling for me. I had no pockets, so I stuck the hairpin in my mouth and ran out to meet her.
"Yes Mother?" I asked, trying not to let the pin show or interfere with my speech. She grabbed my arm roughly and shoved me into my "bedroom". It was really just a dark room with a mattress on the floor. She dumped a pile of books next to me.
"Not a sound!" she ordered. I nodded my head and she walked out. When she shut the door, I heard the telltale click of the lock. I waited until I heard her talking to her brother to put my plan into action.
I was sure that dinner was still cooking, so it seemed only logical that they would go into the sitting room and talk until dinner was ready. I stood and crept slowly to the door. I pulled the hairpin out of my mouth and slid it carefully into the keyhole. I wiggled it around a bit then pushed gently down on the handle. It moved.
I went and hid the pin under my mattress knowing I could use it again. I walked back to the door and began to open it as quietly as I could. I opened it just wide enough for me to slip through. Once I was out of the room, I shut the door and snuck down the hall to the sitting room. I could hear my uncle's deep toned voice as he spoke.
"Oh, thank you Madeline. Yes, the girls just turned nine and we enrolled them in a dance class," he said.
"The girls?" I whispered. Suddenly I heard two high pitched screams. I turned around and standing right behind me were "the girls". I gasped and ran back into my room. I sat on the floor and grabbed a book. I could hear the girls screaming to their parents.
"Mama, Papa!" one of them shrieked. "There was a boy standing in the hallway listening to you and Auntie Madeline talking!"
"Nonsense!" my uncle laughed. "Your Aunt doesn't have any children. Isn't that right Madeline?"
"Yes! Now, if you would excuse me, I'd like to check on the dinner," my mother replied nervously. I quickly opened the book halfway and began reading. I knew she was really coming to check on me. The door flew opened and she swooped down on me. She tore the book out of my hands and slapped me across the face. I fell over, trying to make myself as small as possible, and covered my head with my arms. I whimpered as I tried not to cry.
"What were you doing?" she seethed. She pulled me up off the ground. "Answer me Erik!" Her icy glare told me exactly how angry she was.
"I just wanted to meet my family," I whispered.
"You have no family boy. I am the only family you have," she spat. Suddenly, I heard my aunt's voice from the sitting room.
"Madeline, do you need any help?" she called. My mother released me and I fell to the floor again. I looked up at her fearfully.
"No I'm fine!" she yelled back. She looked at me coldly. "I'll deal with you later," she whispered and walked out of the room, shutting and locking the door behind her.
When she left, I became purely frightened. I knew after dinner she would come back and punish me. She would hit me and curse at me and Heaven knows what else. I didn't have much time. I ran over to the window and tore down the blackout curtain. It crashed to the floor. I knew my mother would hear but I didn't care. The light from the setting sun poured into the room and nearly blinded me. Suddenly I heard my mom walking up the hall.
"It's probably nothing! I must have left a window open!" she was yelling to her guests. I knew she would come into the room shortly. I couldn't reach the latch to open the window. I grabbed a book off the floor and threw it at the glass. It shattered just as my mother came in.
"What are you doing you little demon?" she asked coldly. I didn't answer. Instead I pushed myself through the shattered glass, trying to fight back the tears threatening to escape me. She grabbed my ankle and tried to pull me back in. "No! You aren't going anywhere!" she yelled. I struggled to get away as the broken glass cut my body.
"I've put up with you for too long!" I screamed. I kicked her hand and she let me go. I dropped to the ground and began running as fast as I could toward the forest at the edge of our property. I could hear her cursing me as I ran.
I finally reached the forest. I stumbled along through the darkness until I found a little creek. I dropped to my knees and tore my white, half mask from my face. I put it down next to me and dipped my hands into the water. I splashed it over my sweating face and picked up my mask again. I used my sleeve to wipe off the inside which was covered in sweat. I placed it back on my face, took a quick drink, and started walking again. I walked until I couldn't walk any farther and collapsed to the ground. I shivered with fright, cold, and pain. I had numerous cuts all over my body and a stitch in my side from running so much. I was breathing heavily and my heart was beating madly.
Despite all the pain I was in, I couldn't help but feel happiness. I would never have to see my mother again. She would never hurt me again or run away when I asked for a hug. Never again would she fling me my mask and call me a monster. Slight fear filled my mind however when I pondered my fate. I didn't have anywhere to go. I knew no one and no one knew me. Too weak and tired to get up, I curled up into a ball and tried to sleep. Eventually I fell into an uneasy slumber.
"Mother!" I called. "Mother come listen!" She walked into the sitting room from the kitchen. She pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face and looked at me.
"What do you want child?" she asked. I looked down at my hands folded in my lap.
"I-I wanted you to hear me play," I said quietly. I looked back at her anxiously. She had an expression that was hard to read. Was it pity? I didn't know, but it was soon replaced by her normal smugness.
"I'm sorry Erik. I can't right now. I'm busy making dinner. Maybe some other time," she replied and walked out of the room. I smiled slightly. Erik. She had called me Erik. My smile faded quickly however when I remembered the rest of what she had said. I jumped off the piano bench and raced into the kitchen.
"Do I get to eat with you tonight Mother?" I asked quickly.
"No, boy. My brother and his family are coming to visit. They live in London and are on their way home from a vacation so they won't be here long," she stated.
"But Mother-"I began.
"Do you want to eat at all?" she questioned.
"Yes, ma'am," I answered, looking down at the floor.
"That's what I thought. Now, run along. I'm busy."
"Yes ma'am," I said and walked out of the kitchen. It was all horribly unfair. Why shouldn't I be able to meet my Uncle and his family? I began thinking of a plan. I knew that mother would lock me in a room when they arrived. I had to think of a way to get out.
I walked quietly into mother's bathroom. I looked carefully through her things and soon found what I was looking for; a hairpin. I then heard Mother calling for me. I had no pockets, so I stuck the hairpin in my mouth and ran out to meet her.
"Yes Mother?" I asked, trying not to let the pin show or interfere with my speech. She grabbed my arm roughly and shoved me into my "bedroom". It was really just a dark room with a mattress on the floor. She dumped a pile of books next to me.
"Not a sound!" she ordered. I nodded my head and she walked out. When she shut the door, I heard the telltale click of the lock. I waited until I heard her talking to her brother to put my plan into action.
I was sure that dinner was still cooking, so it seemed only logical that they would go into the sitting room and talk until dinner was ready. I stood and crept slowly to the door. I pulled the hairpin out of my mouth and slid it carefully into the keyhole. I wiggled it around a bit then pushed gently down on the handle. It moved.
I went and hid the pin under my mattress knowing I could use it again. I walked back to the door and began to open it as quietly as I could. I opened it just wide enough for me to slip through. Once I was out of the room, I shut the door and snuck down the hall to the sitting room. I could hear my uncle's deep toned voice as he spoke.
"Oh, thank you Madeline. Yes, the girls just turned nine and we enrolled them in a dance class," he said.
"The girls?" I whispered. Suddenly I heard two high pitched screams. I turned around and standing right behind me were "the girls". I gasped and ran back into my room. I sat on the floor and grabbed a book. I could hear the girls screaming to their parents.
"Mama, Papa!" one of them shrieked. "There was a boy standing in the hallway listening to you and Auntie Madeline talking!"
"Nonsense!" my uncle laughed. "Your Aunt doesn't have any children. Isn't that right Madeline?"
"Yes! Now, if you would excuse me, I'd like to check on the dinner," my mother replied nervously. I quickly opened the book halfway and began reading. I knew she was really coming to check on me. The door flew opened and she swooped down on me. She tore the book out of my hands and slapped me across the face. I fell over, trying to make myself as small as possible, and covered my head with my arms. I whimpered as I tried not to cry.
"What were you doing?" she seethed. She pulled me up off the ground. "Answer me Erik!" Her icy glare told me exactly how angry she was.
"I just wanted to meet my family," I whispered.
"You have no family boy. I am the only family you have," she spat. Suddenly, I heard my aunt's voice from the sitting room.
"Madeline, do you need any help?" she called. My mother released me and I fell to the floor again. I looked up at her fearfully.
"No I'm fine!" she yelled back. She looked at me coldly. "I'll deal with you later," she whispered and walked out of the room, shutting and locking the door behind her.
When she left, I became purely frightened. I knew after dinner she would come back and punish me. She would hit me and curse at me and Heaven knows what else. I didn't have much time. I ran over to the window and tore down the blackout curtain. It crashed to the floor. I knew my mother would hear but I didn't care. The light from the setting sun poured into the room and nearly blinded me. Suddenly I heard my mom walking up the hall.
"It's probably nothing! I must have left a window open!" she was yelling to her guests. I knew she would come into the room shortly. I couldn't reach the latch to open the window. I grabbed a book off the floor and threw it at the glass. It shattered just as my mother came in.
"What are you doing you little demon?" she asked coldly. I didn't answer. Instead I pushed myself through the shattered glass, trying to fight back the tears threatening to escape me. She grabbed my ankle and tried to pull me back in. "No! You aren't going anywhere!" she yelled. I struggled to get away as the broken glass cut my body.
"I've put up with you for too long!" I screamed. I kicked her hand and she let me go. I dropped to the ground and began running as fast as I could toward the forest at the edge of our property. I could hear her cursing me as I ran.
I finally reached the forest. I stumbled along through the darkness until I found a little creek. I dropped to my knees and tore my white, half mask from my face. I put it down next to me and dipped my hands into the water. I splashed it over my sweating face and picked up my mask again. I used my sleeve to wipe off the inside which was covered in sweat. I placed it back on my face, took a quick drink, and started walking again. I walked until I couldn't walk any farther and collapsed to the ground. I shivered with fright, cold, and pain. I had numerous cuts all over my body and a stitch in my side from running so much. I was breathing heavily and my heart was beating madly.
Despite all the pain I was in, I couldn't help but feel happiness. I would never have to see my mother again. She would never hurt me again or run away when I asked for a hug. Never again would she fling me my mask and call me a monster. Slight fear filled my mind however when I pondered my fate. I didn't have anywhere to go. I knew no one and no one knew me. Too weak and tired to get up, I curled up into a ball and tried to sleep. Eventually I fell into an uneasy slumber.