I named him Chip, like the chocolate chip cookies I love to devour, when I can get my hands on one. Not that it happens often, but sometimes I sneak into the kitchen at night and stealone cookie from the fresh batch the servants left to cool down. Not more, so nobody would find out. My sister would get so mad at me for eating her cookies, and I try to stay on her good side, although I’m thinking she doesn’t really have one.
Chip is such a cute pup, small and fluffy, and we play all day long. I’m allowed to stay with him during the daytime, but he has to sleep in the shed, as doggies have no business sleeping in the house, according to the adults. Silly rules.
Today, I’ll take him to the lake, so we can chase some birds and play fetch with sticks we find along the road.
My steps falter as I get closer to the shed. The air around me feels thicker somehow, and through the slightly ajar door I can hear little whimpers. My heart slams against my chest as I push the heavy door with my chubby hands.
Where is Chip? Why is he not greeting me with joyful barks, jumping on his back legs and giving me sloppy kisses, like he usually does?
Where is that whimpering coming from?
That’s when I see him in a corner, his little body slumped on the ground, blood gushing from several wounds. He senses me, his big eyes sagging in relief.
No. No. NO! What happened?
“Chip!” I break into a run towards his slouched form, but just before I reach him, my twin steps out from the shadows, pure malice on her face.
“What’s wrong, sister of mine? Something wrong with your mutt?” She steps on his front paw, making his little body jerk in pain.
“Aurora, noooo! Please, no. He’s just a puppy…” My tears are streaming down my face, and I try to scoop him in my arms.
“Stay where you are, filth, or I’ll break his neck.”
My movement freezes,and I stare at her in horror. She wouldn’t, would she? My sister is always mean to me, pullingon my hair, tripping me any chance she gets, calling me nasty names, but she wouldn’t kill a poor defenseless soul.
“Look at you two. Such a pair. A broken dog for a broken girl.” She twists her foot, and Chip releases another whimper, his big, doe eyes begging me for help.
“Aurora, please. Don’t hurt him. Hurt me, but not him.He has done nothing bad; he’s just a puppy,”I sob. My tears mingle with snot on my face, and I use the sleeve of my dress to clean them. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why? WHY?” She laughs, her voice grating on my ears. “You are nothing and deserve nothing, filth. You thought you could bring this mutt home and that you finally had someone to love you? Ha! Nobody loves you, broken girl. I will always make sure nobody loves you!” she says and moves her foot from his paw to his neck.
I’m paralyzed, my body heavy as lead, watching Aurora push her foot harder and twisting until there’s a loud crunching sound and Chip’s body goes rigid, his eyes going glassy immediately.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
I wake up with a jolt, my heart hammering and sweat trickling down my neck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I quickly assess my whereabouts, Khain sleeping soundly in the bed next to me. I press a clammy hand against my chest, willing my heart to slow down and forcing my breath to even out.
My fight-or-flight response kicks in, and I’m desperate to get away from here. To safety. The walls are closing in on me, and I might just die if I don’t scramble out of this bed now.
I can’t go back to sleep.
I can’t stay here any longer.
Careful not to wake up the beautiful Fae next to me, I slide from the sheets and grab my discarded clothes from the floor, pulling them on haphazardly.
Fucking hell, that specific memory has not haunted me in a while. I grab my heels in one hand and tiptoe to the door, throwing him one last glance before I exit the room.
I was almost nine years old when that particular shitshow occurred. It was the first time, and the last time, that I tried to have something meaningful of my own.
A friend.
An innocent soul to love me unconditionally.
A beautiful soul, dead because of me.
Because I was young and stupid and selfish, thinking that maybe I deserved more than the blaring neglect I was getting from everyone around me.
Sure, my grandma loved me, but she also loved Aurora, and she believed she couldn’t hurt a fly, just like everybody else. We reminded her so much of mom, her daughter who died in childbirth. We reminded dad of her too, but he never showed us love, not really.
