I Am Bree - Book 1

Chapter 23 - Family

 I will spare you the details of the violence I faced once the door to Madame's room was shut on the world. The pretty dress Una had given me was stolen—presumably because it was far too fancy to tear and stain. When they had beaten me until I could no longer stand, they dragged my body into some closet and shut and locked the door.

Curled into a ball to fit in the tight space, I tried to shut out the world. My bruised and broken skin burned in protest against the cold, hard floor and offered no relief from reality, however. The pain, though familiar, was hard to bear after the treatment I'd experienced over the past few days.

At least I wasn't ruining the last ball for Una, though. The thought was a comfort through the pain. Had she looked for me? Did she know what had happened? Was she glad to see the back of me? The questions swam through my head until my stomach was twisted into painful knots, and I forgot my hunger pangs.

I could hear Madame and the girls preparing for the ball. Despite myself, I felt a pang of jealousy rise within me. I should have like to attend the final ball, but my presence would only prove painful for those dearest to me.

Finally, the outer room was silent. Instead of lending calm to the storm of my emotions, the silence proved to make the whole experience far more eerie and frightening. Anxiety flared to life within me, and I struggled not to fight against the confines of the closet. What if they forgot about be entirely, and I was trapped here for the rest of my miserable existence?

And then, pressing my ear against the floor, I could hear the faint strains of music. The orchestral sounds soothed my soul, and I took a deep, calming breath. Everything would be fine, right?

Shutting my eyes, I could picture the golden lights and piles of food. Some small part of me prayed that Una or Liesl or even Aidan would come rescue me, but I rejected the hope almost immediately. How would they even know where to find me? And after what I'd done—well, I was glad of my own disappearance from their lives. I dared not even think of another dark figure who had rescued me so many times already. He'd made it clear what he thought of me.

Lulled by the music, I must have dozed off at some point. Then the quiet was disrupted by a deafening cheer, and I jolted awake. The music struck up again with more fervency.

From little knowledge I had of court affairs, I knew something big must be happening. Even the fireworks hadn't elicited this much excitement. I couldn't help wondering, however, if the cheers didn't seem a little forced.

When the noise died down, I couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep again. I'm not sure how long I lay fidgeting in the dark. There was no way to tell the passing of time except by the growing pain in my stomach. I finally slept fitfully—my injuries hindering me from getting any real rest.

I was about to go crazy when the doors finally opened. Blinding light flashed into my eyes, and I flinched, blinking quickly to clear my vision. Flora was standing above me, smiling in a stupid mimic of Adella's cruel smirk.

"Get up." She said.

I stirred, clamping my teeth together to keep from crying out as my limbs screamed in protest. My joints rebelled against the movement, but I forced myself to crawl into the main room, completely humiliated. Madame, Adella, and Annabella were all sitting there smiling at me.

"How'd I do, Mother?" Flora was like a stupid puppy.

"Shut up, Flora." Adella barked.

"Come closer, Angela." Madame said over top of both of them. "Do you think we bite?" Yes.

I tried to get to my feet but failed. They snickered cruelly at my weakness, and I wondered how I could have been born into such a family. Feeling the shame and indignity of the situation, I closed the distance between us on my hands and knees.