Flashback:
"Congratulations Mrs. Howard Johnson."
A blue haired woman laughed as her friend joked with her. She looked absolutely gorgeous.
Her long silk dress trailed the ground with it's lace over throw. The dress itself touching the ground, looked like a lovely white stream. Its bodice was like one of the old world in the 1890's with its blue rose embroidery. The roses seemed to make her bright violet eyes shine all the greater.
He hair was pulled back and twisted except for two locks that were left out to perfectly frame her pale face.
Her lips, shaped like a porcelain doll, were painted with a ruby red lipstick. A bit of blush was brushed upon her cheeks followed by tan eye shadow making her eyes almost glow.
The woman still held her bouquet full of beautiful moonflowers.
"Thank you, George."
"So where is the lucky man, Carol?"
"He's making sure Meryl is okay. She's been avoiding us since the ceremony ended. I hope she's okay. I was going to take care of it myself but Howard insisted that he do it."
"Well I'm sure she's fine.
"You know, Howard really is very lucky. I was always trying to make you love me, but then Damien Strife came along and stole your heart away. It's a shame Damien had to leave this world so soon. Leaving a wife and child behind. It's still hard to believe it's real."
"I know. Howard was the one who came along and made my heart anew. He healed my worn and battered heart. I'm sure Damien is happy for me now."
"Yeah, you're right."
"Meryl?"
The fifteen year old turned to the man, revealing her tear stained cheeks and eyes red from crying. She looked up at the man, his brown hair hair-sprayed to his face, and his white tux. His silver tie was in his hand, but he had been wearing it earlier.
"Oh…Hi Mr. Howard sir."
"Are you okay, Meryl?"
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Is this about your father?"
Meryl was silent. She just looked down at the floor.
"It's alright Meryl. I understand you're hurt about your father leaving. I know you might think that I'm trying to replace him in your life, but I'm not. Your father was the most wonderful man I have ever met and no one, I mean no one, would be able to measure to be half the man he was."
"I know." Meryl said. "It's just I really miss him. I was always hoping, that is up to two years ago, that he was going to be the one to walk me down the isle or even meet my first boyfriend and intimidate him so that I will get mad a laugh about it later. But it's now becoming reality to me that he is never coming back." She choke out the last sentence with a sob as she put her face into her hands to hide the tears.
"Shh…shh." Howard pulled the teenager into a hug so she could cry on his shoulder.
Once the sobs had stopped Howard pulled Meryl back to look her in the eyes. "Are you okay now?"
Meryl sniffled. "Thank you Mr. Howard."
"There's no need to say 'Mr.' you can just call me Howard."
"Alright M-…Howard."
"Heh, well lets get back to the party!"1 Year Later
"Meryl!" Carol walked into her daughter's room and looked around, her hands placed on her hips "I told you to clean your room."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Well get it done. I am going into town for a little bit. I'll be back in a few hours okay?"
"Isn't it a bit late Mom?"
"I know, but I have to do a few things that I forgot to do earlier."
"Alright. I'll have my room clean by the time you get home."
"Alright sweetie. Be back later."
With that her mom left and the front door was heard to shut. "Thank goodness. Now to clean."
Meryl moved her hands to the end of a pile of junk and with one movement she shoved it all under the bed. Meryl dusted off her hands. "There, all clean."
Meryl walked out of her room to see if dinner was cooked by Howard. She walked down the hall and noticed that he wasn't in the living room. "Howard?" she walked into the kitchen. A light began to blink above her head. "Howaah!" Meryl fell after she tripped and the light went out in the kitchen. It was now pitch black.
The teenager acted as calmly as possible as she walked slowly to the junk drawer in the darkness. She felt her way across the room trying not to trip. Once she reached the other side she felt the counter for the third drawer and pulled out a flashlight. "Aha!" she screamed in victory. A bright light made a path around the room. "Now," she said to herself. "To change that light bulb."
She pointed the flashlight around the room to get a vague description of what was where. She knew not that standing in the doorway was Howard.
"Hey cutie…" His dark hair was tussled out of place and his face was pale. His jacket he'd worn, obviously earlier, was over his shoulder.
"Oh Howard. I've been looking for you…um what happened to you?"
"I just went to a parrty with my friends." He slurred. "Just had a good time with come friends is all."
"Oh…okay." The young girl backed into the counter with every step the man took towards her. She had never seen this man act so…unusual. It was scary to her.
"So what have you been up to Meryl?" He asked, dropping his jacket to the floor.
"Oh you know, just cleanin' my room." Her voice was quivering. The drunk man made her terribly nervous.
"Well, let's go check it out then." He said, decreasing the distance between them.
Meryl could feel the corner of the counter baring into her back painfully. She was trying her hardest to get farther away.
You can check it out. I think I'm going to fix the light and make some dinner."
Howard was close enough that she could smell the alcohol on his breath and sweat. "I said let's go." He grabbed her arm tightly.
"Howard let go, you're hurting me." Meryl said, tears pricking at her eyes. She tried to pull away but he only gripped tighter.
"I said let's go!" He grabbed her around the waist and carried her to her room. She kicked and screamed on her way trying to escape but it was to no avail. Before she knew it she was slammed down onto her bed and Howard was holding her tightly. That night he took her greatest bit of innocence.
Meryl's mother never knew of the incident until 7 months later when the moodiness and extra weight began to worry her.
"Meryl?"
"Yeah?" Meryl looked up at her mother with dark empty eyes. Eyes that
held only sadness which could not be explained. Eyes that scared her mother to death.
"What's been up with you lately. You seem… different."
"It's nothing. Really."
"It is something. You have crazy mood swings, you've gained about 30 pounds…what's wrong with you?"
"Momma, please don't hate me…"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't hate me…"
"I won't sweetie, just tell me what's wrong!"
"I'm….pregnant."
Carol was speechless. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Who?" she said with a different tone that Meryl wasn't used to.
"What?"
"Who did this to you?"
"It was…H-"
"…Go on…"
"Howard."
Once again the woman didn't say a word.
"Momma?"
"No."
"What?"
"No. You're lying. You have to be." Carol stood up and looked down at her confused little girl.
"Momma, I'm not. You have to trust me."
"No! You're lying! You're a lying little whore!!"
"Momma please!" Meryl was crying harder now.
"Get out! Get out of my house!"
Meryl still tried to convince her mother to believe her, but the woman refused to believe what was the truth.
"Momma please listen!!"
"Get out!" Carol chased her daughter to the front door where Meryl tried one more time to get her mother to listen. The door was standing open behind her. "Momma! You have to believe me!!"
"NOW!" with that Meryl was shoved outside and down seven steps onto the hard earth.
Meryl opened her eyes to white. Only white. But her vision soon became clearer as she realized she was in a hospital bed.
"Doctor!" a woman said. "Doctor she's awake!"
An old man walked over to Meryl and peeked down at her. "Hello Ms. Strife. It's about time you opened your eyes. You've been asleep for three days."
Meryl tried to sit up but immediately fell back onto the bed as an immense pain shot through her. "Sir?"
"Yes?"
"Where's my baby?" She didn't know why she asked. Maybe a part of her really wanted to be a mother. Maybe she would have forgotten what had happened and just love the child in spite of it all. Either way, she had to ask.
"I'm sorry Miss. Your baby didn't survive the fall. It's a miracle you did. You almost broke your neck the way you fell, on the railing and everything."
Meryl nodded silently.
"But I must warn you, the fall bruised and battered your ovaries. They, in some places, were torn. We were forced to give an emergency hysterectomy."
"I can't have any children ever?"
"No Miss. I'm very sorry."
1 Month Later
Meryl looked down at the piece of paper on the table in front of her. That small piece of paper will change her life, taking her mother out of it. "Ms. Stryfe? If you are completely sure you want to do this."
Meryl nodded. "I'm sure."
"And you're sure you don't want to press charges?"
"Yeah. Those two deserve each other." Meryl took the pen in her hand and signed, "Meryl Elizabeth Stryfe" on the dotted line. She was no longer her mother's daughter.
Her mother received a copy of the letter later that week, and cried. Her beloved husband, Howard, took her into his arms. He knew it was all his fault. But no one ever had to know.
Now? Now Meryl has no family. She says she writes to them and writes, instead, to the friends back home, or the nice old doctor, and a lot of times, to the lawyer that gave her freedom.
Back then she was sixteen. That was seven years ago. She now hasa new life. Her mother passed away a year ago, heart attack at age 52. Howard is still alive. Meryl still has memories of it all. The crying then. And even now... she will sometimes go into her room, hoping to be alone. She sits against her wall. And she cries.
End Flashback