I Surrender
Chapter 2
Elena
A loud bang sounded from outside as the shutters flew open causing the papers in the room to fly. Elena sighed as she got up from the table where she had been talking with her sister Caroline and walked up to them to close them again. She hated dreary days like this where all her and her sister had were each others company.
"Ugh I swear if dad doesn't fix those soon they'll blow straight off one night." Caroline complained jotting down something Elena couldn't see.
The teapot on the stove protested loudly as Elena went over there and turned off the stove. Sighing she grabbed two mugs from the covert and set them down on the table pouring the tea from the kettle and waiting patiently for hers to cool while Caroline just went straight for it, but that was Caroline. She was always reckless and impulsive while Elena tried to be a little more observant with her choices. It was what got them by, what would always get them by.
"I wouldn't be so harsh with dad Caroline, He works three jobs just to keep us afloat. You should be grateful not contradicting."
"I'm not be contradicting, all I'm saying is that it would be nice to not have to wake up in the morning to a cold house because one of the shutters just happens to be broken."
"Than we'll fix them ourselves."
"Are you crazy? If we try to fix these ourselves the whole town will have an aneurysm."
"Why is that? How come just because we're woman we can't do things that these stupid men could do?"
"I wouldn't let the villagers hear what you speak of. It might give them the wrong ideas."
"I don't care what they say about me."
"And that's your problem. How can you expect to settle down and start a family if you think that way?"
"Maybe that's not what I want for myself."
"Then you're as good as dead."
Elena rolled her eyes in frustration as Caroline sighed. Elena knew that her and Caroline didn't necessarily see eye to eye, but it didn't mean that Caroline could treat her like shit whenever she wanted to.
"It's closed mindedness like that that will get you no where in life Caroline."
"At least I want to go places and travel. You haven't said a peep about moving out of this village that you hate so much."
"Says the girl who worships the ground that people walk on here and yet wants to leave it as soon as she can."
"At least I think about it. You just wish you could magically disappear out of here when you know it's not likely that you will. You're the oldest which means you'll be arranged in a marriage far sooner than I'll be. At least after you get married than I'll have the chance to escape."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"I'm just being realistic."
"Since when have you ever been realistic? You still love it when I tell you that stupid story from when we were younger."
"Hey, it's not stupid. That story got us through a lot of hard times if you don't remember."
"How could I ever forget?" Elena asked hoping that one day the pain of losing their mother would dull.
"Do you think it will ever get easier?"
"Maybe, but it won't always be the easiest thing to deal with especially when we get married and start having kids. I heard things like that are the hardest when it comes to this situation."
"I don;t think things will ever be easy when it comes to this."
"But it doesn't mean life always has to be hard."
"Life has never been easy for us Elena, but we did have that story to get us through it. Do you remember the first time that dad told it to us?"
"Of course I do. I remember it as if it were yesterday..."
Thunder rumbled outside as Elena held Caroline in her arms waiting for news about their mother's condition. Caroline's sobs filled the room as Elena listened to the rain. It had always done it's best to calm her down even when nothing in the world was going right. This was one of those times. They had been having a great time at dinner just laughing and having a good time when their mother had started coughing up blood. An instant sign that nothing would ever be alright again.
"Elena-" Caroline stated in a small whimper.
"It'll be okay. We'll be okay."
"I'm not so sure about that." Caroline said making Elena want to make her feel better.
The door flew open as their dad appeared coming towards them, his shirt still drenched with their mother's blood. Elena and Caroline sprang apart walking towards their dad hoping that they would find out what the hell was happening with their mom, but all their dad did was hug them tightly as if he never wanted to let them go.
"Oh my girls. You must be so terrified."
"Where's mom?" Caroline asked causing their dad squeeze them tighter.
"She's in there with the doctor honey. It could be awhile."
"Is she going to be okay?" Elena asked.
"You guys have gotten so big. When did you get so big?" Her dad answered avoiding her question.
"Dad-" Elena said but her dad interrupted before she could say anything.
"Do you guys want to hear a story? I have a pretty great one."
"What aren't you telling us?" Elena asked too smart for her own good.
"That's not important right now. What matters is that we're together and we don't know what's happening yet, so we need to find a way to distract ourselves until we do know what's happening."
"But dad-"
"Elena! This is not the time or place, do you understand me?"
Elena clamped her mouth shut nodding her understanding even though all she wanted to do was question why her dad wasn;t answering her questions. If only she knew back then what she did now than maybe things would have gone a little bit differently that night.
"Good. Now come sit down you two so I can tell you this new story I heard at work. I feel as if you two will enjoy it very much."
Caroline and Elena exchanged looks with each other as their father occupied the chair that they had been sitting in before. He gestured for them to come closer as they walked over and sat on the floor eagerly awaiting what story their dad had to tell them. It was better than what was waiting for them beyond that doorway as twisted as it was.
"When you two were just babies, your mother and I heard rumors and stories about a castle in our village that was haunted by an entity that no one could explain-"
"What is an entity?" Caroline asked.
"It's a spiritual being, Caroline. They're like ghost."
"Oh.." Caroline said trailing off as if lost in thought.
"But as I was saying no one in our village could explain the curse of the castle until one day where one brave villager went to the castle and lived to tell the tale. He spoke of this haunted castle where the objects came to life and their were two brothers who looked like beast. At first no one believed him. They said he was crazy. That there was no possible way that their could be two beast that lived in that castle, but some believed him. Unfortunately when the villagers went to go search the castle to see if he was right. It had somehow disappeared from sight. The castle was no more and then the stories surrounding them became old wife's tales. But no matter what version of the story you heard the two brothers were always monsters..."
"Why? What made them monsters?" Elena asked finally getting engaged in the story that her father was telling.
"No one really knows some say they were monsters before the curse, some say they only became monsters because of something that happened during the curse. Legends have it that they both had another brother. One that they both loved with all their heart..."
"What happened to him?"
"He succumbed to the disease that he was sick with that night. Some say it was his death that drove the brothers to become the creatures that they are today."
"But how can people call them monsters when all they were doing were reacting to losing a person they love? It's not an easy thing to get through."
"Some people don';t share the same opinions as you Elena. And that's okay. It's good to be different, but always remember that there's more to the story than what there might seem. The world is not always black and white. There's shades of gray all around us and those are the places that you should always be."
Elena nodded wondering what the hell he had met as the doctor came out of the door with blood all over his clothes as he shook his head in discouragement causing Elena to feel as if her heart was crushing in her chest. What the hell was happening?"
"I'll be right back girls." their father said as he went to go talk to the doctor.
"Do you think it's about mom?" Caroline whispered as she tried to make sense of her dad's and the doctors interactions. Their faces weren't telling her anything at that specific moment.
Their dad nodded as he went back over to them. Both of them standing up to meet him as if they had some silent understanding with each other.
"What's happening?" Elena asked before their father could speak to them.
"Girls, it's your mom. The doctors are fearing the worst in her condition and they think it's time for us to say our goodbyes."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Caroline asked somehow finding naiveness in what their dad was saying.
"It means mom is as good as dead." Elena answered not wanting them to beat around the bush anymore.
"Elena-" her father snarled disappointment in his voice.
"She deserves to know the truth dad. Not whatever lie you're going to distract her with like this lame ass story."
"Elena!" Her father shouted moving towards her but she wouldn't flinch.
"Enough!" A voice shouted causing them to both turn their head to where Caroline now stood obviously angry.
"Mom is in there dying and all she probably wants to do is see us for one last time before that and instead of being in there and comforting her in her last moments we're out here fighting instead. How is that fair to the woman that we all love in there?"
Elena and her dad exchanged looks suddenly feeling ashamed that they had been fighting in the first place. Caroline was right, this wasn't the time or place to be fighting and surely no matter what words her and her father exchanged they could wait for later. There was no time left to talk to her mother except now and she wouldn't waste it.
"Caroline's right, Elena, We should have this conversation later. For right now, let's go ahead and be with your mom for however long she has left."
Elena nodded not willing to argue with her father at the moment as they all shuffled to her mother's room not knowing what exactly they were going to go through next. Elena's parents had prepared her for a lot in life,but they had never fully prepared her for dealing with what would happen if she had ever lost her mother. How would they get through this? Elena wasn';t one hundred percent sure, but somehow deep down she knew that it would somehow all be okay. Wouldn't it be?"
Her mother looked so sick and pale as Elena and Caroline approached her taking one side of the bed while holding on to each one of her hands letting her know that they were both their. Her blood stained clothes had now been replaced by a fresh gown and she herself had been nicely groom and prepped in order for her daughter's to see her at her very best. Elena squeezed her mother's hands as her eyelids fluttered open and a sad smile crossed her lips causing the tears that Elena had held onto for all that time to finally escape. Her mother wiped it away and opened her mouth to utter her final words to her daughters.
"My dear sweet Elena, please do not cry. I hate to see you shed any tears for me."
"I can't help it mom. I just don't want to lose you."
"I'm already gone Elena. But that doesn't mean I still can't give you and your sister sage advice before I pass."
"Mom-"
"Please Elena, I don't have much time and I really need to get this off of my chest before I leave you two with your father."
Elena nodded her understanding even though she didn't really understand anything going on at that moment she at least understood this.
"My sweet Caroline, You are so full of life and energy that I suspect you will make a great adventurer one day. I want you to get out of this town and go explore the world. But never forget where you came from and most importantly never forget who you are no matter what people tell you. Do you promise that you'll do that?"
"I promise." Caroline said through her tears.
"And you my dearest and sweetest Elena, I need you to look after your sister and make sure that this family is loved and protected, but don't forget to remember yourself to. Be selfless and kind and love everyone no matter how bad they might seem at first there's always a little bit of kindness in everyone."
"Not everyone mom. You forgot about the monsters." Elena said remembering her dad's story.
"Even monsters have their soft spots Elena. You just have to find them."
"I promise I'll try mom. For you I'll try."
"That's all I could ever ask for."
"We love you mom." Elena said as Caroline agreed in unison.
"I love you guys too. All of you take care of each other. Always remember that family and love are the two strongest bonds in this world."
"We'll never forget mom."
Their mother nodded seeming like she was drifting off to sleep as their father kissed her forward causing her to smile for the last time.
"Take care of them for me Greyson." She said softly.
"I will. I always will." he said as their mother's eyes closed her soul no more as their cries filled the night with their sweet and bitter symphony.
"I haven't thought about that night in years." Elena said pulling herself from the memory as she rubbed her back where the scar from that night flared up with pain.
After their mother had been dragged away that night for the morticians to prep her body for the funeral her father had to arrange, her dad had taken her into his office and had given her a good lashing for the words she had said. Every time he had whipped her, he had said it was for every lashing she had given his heart that night. She had spent several hours in bed crying that night not only from the pain of her scars, but from the pain of losing the only mother figure she had ever had. No one would ever compare to her. Not by a long shot. No matter how many times her father had pushed Isabel (their dad's new girlfriend and the her aunt no less) she just didn't compare to her mom.
"I always think about it. I still remember how cold our mother's hands became before dad told me to let go and I still remember hearing your cries from the study that night. He shouldn't have done that to you."
"I deserved it and he got a far worse punishment then what we could have given him. Remember that we might have lost our mother, but he lost his wife that night too."
"It doesn't mean that what he did was right Elena. He was hurting and he took it out on you more than he should have."
"Can we just drop the subject please? When's the last time that you ate something?"
"This morning, but that's not the point, Elena-"
"I'm going out to the village to gather some food for dinner since Isobel will be joining us. Did you care to come with me?"
"What about the storm? The last time I checked it looked nasty out there."
Elena opened the windows to show Caroline that the storm had seized and it was now sunny outside so that they could now start going out and about.
"Well what do you know the storm has passed. Just give me a couple of minutes to get dressed and then I'll join you."
"Don't forget your rain boots! It appears as if we're in for quite the adventure!" Elena yelled not knowing what kind of adventure the world had planned for her and her sister next.