Chapter 5: Gone!

(Vicky is 11 in this chapter.)

Two years. My father went away almost two years ago and hasn't been back since. He was only supposed to be gone for two moons but it's been way more. The bitch woman laughs about it. She says that he got sick of me and that's why he hasn't been back. I know better then that. My father would never abandon us.

I am currently hiding. The bitch woman and the bitch man are worse then ever. The bitch man will beat me while the bitch woman stands there laughing. And if I gasp or cry out the beatings get worse. Monet is suspicious. I always take a health position or two before I go back to the sanctuary but she seems to know that things aren't as they appear.

She tries to get me to talk but I don't. I know that she cares but I'm scared of what could happen if I told her the truth. I sigh. I should go to the sanctuary. But I only had one health position and that only helped a little bit.

I can barely move it hurts so bad. I've been here for a few hours resting. I think I'm going to rest some more.

Sometime later.

It's night time now. I'm on my way to the sanctuary. I figured I would be less likely to be caught if I came in at night. No I was wrong because when I opened the sanctuary door I came face to face with Monet and Kazbar who were both getting ready for bed.

Kazbar gasped when he looked at me while Monet hurried over to me. "Oh my gods Vicky here hold still."

I sighed in relief as she healed me with a healing spell. She looked over at Kazbar and said,"Kazbar I'd like to talk to Vicky alone for a few minutes if you don't mind."

Kazbar looked at me in concern and to my surprise he gave me a soft hug,"Goodnight sister. If you ever need to talk I'm here." He then said goodnight to Monet and then left us alone.

Once we are alone Monet looks at me and I can tell that she's upset. She gives me hug and then looks me dead in the eyes and says,"Vicky. I care about you. You don't need to be scared. Tell me who has been hurting you."

I shake my head no and look away. Monet sighs,"Vicky. Your father would never forgive me if I let something happen to you while he's gone. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself either."

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry."

"That's not true. You've been getting hurt every time you go to your mother's house." I flinch when I look back into her eyes and see them burning in anger. "What's wrong are you still hurt?" She asks because at this point I am crying.

"You're mad at me!" I exclaim while shaking with sobs.

Monet then takes me into her arms and hugs me tightly,"Shhh. I'm not mad at you Vicky. I'm mad at whoever it is that keeps hurting you. I love you as if you were my own cub, you know that right?"

I shake my head yes while still crying only not as hard now. She puts me back down on the floor. "It's late. Go to bed and we can talk more another time."

"Sniff. Goodnight." I say before I give her a hug and walk into the bedroom.

"Goodnight Vicky I love you."

I crawl into bed not realizing that that would be the last time I ever saw Monet alive.

I spent almost all day the next day hiding in my bed. So when my step mother said it was supper time I forced myself to get up and go eat. Afterwords I deciding I was going to go for a walk when Kazdar walked up to me looking worried,"Vicky, you haven't seen Monet today have you?" He asked.

"No I haven't really been up much today. Why?"

"She went somewhere last night and hasn't been back since."

I look up at him in shock,"What? That's not like her at all."

"I know. She usually tells me if she's going to be gone awhile."

"Has anyone else seen her?"

"No. Kazbar hasn't seen her. Darby and Susay haven't seen her, and Valarie hasn't seen her either."

I frown at this,"I'll keep an eye out for her when I'm out."

Kazdar sighs sadly,"Alright."

As he walks away I can't help but feel dread. Like something is terribly wrong.

One moon later.

I was laying in my bed talking with Tori when I all of a sudden heard a blood clotting scream. I raced out of the room and into the other room with Tori close behind me. The first thing I see when I get into the main room is Kazbar and Kazdar crying. When I saw what the were both looking at I stood speechless in horror. "No! NO! NOOOOOO!" I screamed while Tori just stood there to shocked to react.

Darby stood in the doorway carrying the lifeless body of Monet. She was completely naked. Even her shoes and her satchel were missing. I couldn't see any marks on her.

My step mother was trying to get Valdis out of the room but she was kicking and screaming too hard so she gave up.

Tori finally spoke,"Papa where did you find her?"

Darby sighs and then puts her body down on his examining table,"I had just finished finding alchemy supplies near the river when I came upon a large sack with a foul odor coming out of it. I came straight here afterwords."

No one said anything else for awhile while Darby examined Monet's body. Once he was done he turned around with a look of outrage on his face.

"She was stabbed in the back of the neck. That's what killed her." He said.

"What?" Kazdar exclaimed. "Was she stabbed anywhere else?"

"No but there is one more thing."

"What is it?" I ask.

He shakes his head and then whispers in Kazdar's ear so we can't hear him. I exchange a annoyed look with Tori. What does he not what us to know?

"Are you going to tell us or what?" Tori asks.

"I think it best if you not know." Darby says.

I frown again and look at Kazdar who is just standing there. The look on his face makes me start crying again. "Why!?"

Kazbar who hasn't said anything from shock takes one finale look at his dead mother and run into the bedroom. I follow him and once I'm away from everyone else I cry and cry and cry.