Beauty and the Beast

A knock sounded on their wooden door. Kenna was nervous, she didn’t have time to sneak away to tell Bordan to stop with the plan, and her brother was not in a good mood. She tried to rush to the door before her brother. He grasped a hand around the handle and gave her a look that let her know she was already in trouble.

“What? Your friend come to fuck you?” He turned the handle.

She looked away from him and clenched her jaw. “Hey, Mark…” Bordan looked to Kenna, worry matching their faces. It was obvious he was not expecting Mark to be the one to answer the door.

“My sister isn’t for sale…” Mark turned to Kenna and gave a sly smile. “At least not tonight.” He turned back to Bordan with the same smile plastered on his face.

Kenna blushed hard and looked down to make sure that Bordan could not see the shame on her face. “No offence but your sister too far to lovely to ever be sold to scum bags who just want a quick fix.” Kenna glanced up, but kept her head low. “I was just wanting to know if she could come have dinner with my family, my sister is new to the school system and would like to make a new friend anyway.”

Kenna kept her gaze toward Mark who clenched his arms, his grip stayed tight on the door handle through the whole interaction. Mark leaned in close to Bordan, looked back to Kenna, then kept his gaze to the bottom left of Bordan. “Fuck you and your family, stay away from my sister, she needs to work to earn money for herself. She doesn’t have time for friends, not with the chores she has.”

Kenna looked back at the ground. She could feel a tear in her eye. She wanted to comfort Bordan, to stick up for her friends…but it would only end in bruises on her face and a broken heart. When she heard the front door close without another word she let the tears flow silently. She could see out of her perfrial vision that Mark was raising his hand high. He swung it down hard, slapping the side of her tear soaked cheek. She fell violently to the floor clutching at her face. She looked up with flooded eyes. Her blurred vision caused her to miss the other blow she got from his boot to her side.

She clutched it hard and doubled over, she screamed once and sobbed hard. She stayed on the floor, she refused to look at her brother despite his demands. She flinched when she saw a hand reach for her shoulder.

“Next time, I hit him too.” Mark whispered in her ear. Tears continued to flow. She wanted so badly to stand up to him…but how? She stopped the tears and looked at him with anger in her eyes. She still held on to her side, a bruise forming on her face. Her jaw stayed clenched and her nostrils flared. “What?” He taunted leaning in closer to her, she could smell the heavy alcohol in his breath. “You’re gonna hit me?” He gave her a smile and a taunting laugh.

He got to his feet and walked to his room still laughing. Kenna fell to the floor again and let her face relax. She sobbed into her elbow and clung to her side like it was the last hope she had. When the pain had settled she got to her feet and walked quietly to her room. Loud snores emitted from Mark’s room. She sighed with relief and closed her bedroom door behind her.

She looked out her small window to the starry sky. “Why can’t I have happiness?” She whispered to an unknown force.

She sat for a moment, as if waiting for an answer. She ran a finger over her burning cheek and sat at the edge of her bed. There had to be more to life than this. More than pain and suffering. There had to be adventure, love, at least more than getting beat up by your older brother. Before she knew it sleep had overcame her. Still in her clothes and on top of her sheets.

She dreamt of wondering into the forest, seeing pixies and elfs like in the stories Mark had told her as a child. Magic that could grant beauty and a long life. When she woke the sun was shining bright on her face. Her side was sore, nothing she couldn’t lie about and hide, although her face was another matter. She sat up slowly and glanced toward a potted flower on her window sill.

She cocked her head and walked over to examine the plant. The buds were white, almost a blub look, she couldn’t remember the name, it was on the tip of her tongue, something with an R. She put her nose to the flower and inhaled, she smiled breathing out deeply.

Bordan must have gotten this for her. She took it off of the sill and placed it under her bed. If Mark found out about this she would surely be sleeping in the front yard for the rest of her life.

She left her room and completed her morning chores before going to classes. Happy to see that Mark was still fast asleep. She thought of waking him, he would be late for work again if he slept in. She hesitated at the front door going through the pros and cons. If he was late again he would be fired, and then he would start selling her.

“Wake up, Mark. You’re going to be late for work.” Kenna said opening his door and pulling the sheets back from the window. He stirred in his bed. “Get up!” She yelled.

He flipped off of the bed and onto the floor with a loud thud. Kenna wanted to laugh but she knew better. “The fuck?!” He yelled getting to his knees with support from the bed.

“You’re going to be late.” Kenna said one last time before rushing out of the door to escape his morning hang over.

She walked through the town the same as always, but for some reason she felt more eyes on her this morning. She wanted to know why. Had the people heard the commotion last night? Then she remembered. She forgot to check her cheek. It must have been bruised, or at least still pink. She tried to push her face into her shoulder as she pushed passed people to find her seat in her first of the 2 hours classes.

Jordan rose her hands gently to Kenna’s face, without touching her she hovered over her cheeks and looked like she was about to burst into tears. “What did he do?” Jordan knew exactly who had done this.

“I’m fine…” Kenna pushed her face into her shoulder and shied away from Jordan.

Jordan still had a look of major concern on her face. “I just…” She started.

“I just have to wait until classes have ended and I can have my own home, away from him.” Kenna refused to look her in the eye, not wanting her to see the side of her face that must have been noticeable.

When she saw Bordan walk in class with a smile she especially turned away. He sat down and obviously saw the look on Jordan’s face. She heard him walk over to the other side of her and she turned away. Bordan knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her knee.

He didn’t say anything, he just stayed there, rubbing his thumb lightly over her knee. She finally turned to him…letting him see the damage. He clutched her knee tight. “Say the word and I will take you away from him.” He whispered.

She let a tear fall, they had talked about it before. If they were to be married he could take her away, get their own house. She would never have to see Mark again. “He’s my brother…” She choked, “I have to give him a chance.

She did not want to marry someone out of fear of someone else. She wanted to marry for love, and that was that. She wouldn’t let Bordan be responsible for her.

Their first instructor walked in he placed his things on the table in front and began to talk. Like nothing was wrong. Kenna went on with her day…but she was broken…and nothing could fix it…

Notes