Her Tortured Bear

Chapter 8

Thanksgiving can be the most beautiful time, when we use it to rev up our empathy for one another, to recall what living is truly about. We can learn to thank our creator for the beautiful planet we call Earth, for the loving bonds we share with family and for the ability to pursue our own passions in a way that benefits others. We can thank our creator for the chances given to make living better for all of humanity and for all of creation too. We can thank our creator for the guidance given to love one another, for the messages that come out in our stories, our songs, our artistic expressions of all forms. We can give thanks for the sunshine and rain so naturally given and the technological breakthroughs of mankind all the same. For when we are inspired to act through love, things go right... love is a sort of magic... and I'm thankful for the magic in my soul.

“How much lies and nonsense can you fill your diary up with Cad?” asked Miranda as she closed the book which her sister had given her to read.

“It is not lie Mindy. I mean at least not for me…I write what I feel,” said Cadence and Miranda nodded. She was young and definitely a lot more emotional than she was. So it was a good way of getting rid of the vulnerability that played in your mind.

“But tell me what you are thinking now? I mean it is not really a big deal that you are going to run away, is it?” asked Cadence as she looked at her fearfully.

“What do you mean little one?” asked Mindy as she looked at Cadence and she nodded.

“You are going to come back right?” she asked.

“Why do you ask that?” asked Miranda as her heart started pounding thinking about the consequences of the plan.

“Because….because Mindy….you are all that I have,” she whispered in a low voice and Miranda could not hold back any longer and she caught hold of her step sister pulled her close to her heart and then started sobbing. She started sobbing because she knew that she was not going to come back and she knew that she was not going to be able to tell that to her sister, the only one who kept her sane and human. Miranda cried because she knew that there was nothing she could say which could mean that would be giving hope to her sister.

She cried because all her dreams would be shattered just like that if she did not run away. She was not a coward. Miranda Cooper was anything but a coward. But she was not an i***t either. Miranda knew very well that nothing could be the price of her broken dreams and her father would not want her to see like this. This was not the life that’s he wanted for her daughter and she was not going to lead one. Now all she had to do was to take the original documents of the vineyard and the property that had been shifted to her name by her father when she was ten years old. She could not let those fall in the hands of that freaking cunt.

And then she had to just find a way to get out of here. The safe would be having the cash as well which she would need to survive until she found a way to win the college scholarship by being a part of the cross-county team. Only a few weeks and then she would be out of here, this wretched house which was wretched only because of this man. And oh!! Not to mention her mother.

“I don’t know Cad, I can’t say now,” said Miranda as she stopped crying and sniffling.

“So I see that bonding is going on between the two sisters? Just because she will be out of our sight does not mean that she will be out of our mind is it Cadence? She is always going to come home and be the perfect little girl like she is supposed to be,” said her father from the doorway and Cadence caught hold of the nearest object that was close to her hand and threw it in the doorway slamming the pillow in his face. Then she said in a very controlled voice.

“There is a thing called privacy which none of you understand the meaning of. When we are talking and we are crying you need to understand that this is not your place to speak and you need to get lost. And just because you get married to her mother does not make you her father and neither has she become mine. So get the hell out of here before I lose my temper Father. And you know that when that happens your most precious possessions are going to be destroyed,” said Cadence as she stared at him in the doorway and Rockford Dennis glared at his own daughter and then huffed and went away from their stomping his own feet.

“You did not need to do that baby,” said Miranda as she smiled at her step-sister despite her tears.

“Of course I did Mindy. You don’t understand, what he is doing to you, he is going to be doing the same thing to me. I know that very well, just because we are daughters’ means that we are nothing more than brood mares but that is not how it works and you know that pretty well. We are human beings and we have our own hopes, thoughts and dreams however trivial it might be and we have the right to live our lives the way we want to,” said Cadence as Miranda hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

“If there is anything that is going to be in my mind always then it is you Cad. Always. I am never going to forget your smiles and your comebacks and your jibes one single time or moment also,” said Miranda.

“Then there is not much time Mindy. We need to plan and we need to pack,” said Cad with a certain amount of brightness in her eyes. It was the excitement which would occur before the planning of a jewelry heist.

“Are you sure that you want to know the details Cad? I mean, you will be the first person who is going to be suspected you know that right? In helping me? So you will be the first one to be questioned or rather interrogated. So what do you think of that?” asked Miranda as she raised her brows at her sister who made a motion of thinking and said,” I am in.”

“Fine then. First things first, you are not going to know any details about the plan, so that you do not divulge them when the time comes for interrogation. And heaven forbid, if I am caught also, you should not be known as a party to my plan. Secondly, I need some cash because as you know that the cards can be traced and tracked and it cannot be used to keep my identity hidden like I need to do at the moment. Thirdly, I need the papers,” said Miranda as she spoke in a voice barely above whisper.

“What?” asked Cadence with her voice above normal pitch and Miranda glared at her. This girl was going to be the death of her but she could not do anything about that.

“Why do you have to make such a big deal about it Cad? I need them because it is the only thing that your father is after and it is the only bargaining chip that I will be holding for the next three years, so you should understand very well the importance of the documents. I mean, if anyone tries to do anything to me in this time period until I am 21, it is automatically going to be handed over to a trust and none of these bastards will get anything at all. This is the only thing they are after, the land and the vineyard and the property Cad!! I don’t mean anything to them and my father knew that this was the only way to keep me safe and protected. So unfortunately it is the only trump card that I have and I am most definitely going to have to use it. So tell me you can keep them distracted long enough in order to get me the time that I need,” said Miranda in a serious manner and Cadence looked at her and sighed.

“I do not think that it is something that you should take along with you Mindy. But if you consider that it is the right thing with you and that is what you want to do then I am not going to say anything to you,” said Cadence as she went towards her closet and pulled out a duffel bag and then motioned Mindy to lock the door.

“My mom was a hiker and she was into adventure sports…and my dad hated it. He tried to get her stop all that but she was a free spirit and I think it was for the best that she lived and died like she wanted. At least in my opinion that is the kind of life that people should be allowed to live. In their own terms and according to their own wishes and so I think that it is good that you are making your own choices because true, that you said they are going to treat you as nothing else but a brood mare,” said Cadence as Miranda locked the door.

“And you are giving me your Mom’s duffel because?” asked Miranda as she started looking at the wardrobe to check what clothing she was going to be taking. It was imperative that she made the right choices about clothing. And no dresses at all.

“I think you should keep one dress for emergency purposes,” said Cadence as she stood beside her sister.

“What kind of emergency am I going to have when I am running away sweetie?” asked Miranda as she pulled out a few pair of jeans and all kinds of t-shirts that she had. The good ones, not the ones which her mother hated her wearing. But then again her mother wanted her to behave like a proper debutante and a socialite-in-training but she was not having any of it at all.

“I don’t know….maybe funerals?” asked Cadence as Miranda burst out in laughter hearing her reasoning.

“Fine, choose one and I am going to take that,” replied Miranda as Cadence chose a beautiful blue dress with pearls embroidered in the breastline and had a scooping neck-line. It was the one perfect for evening parties and said,” You don’t know when your life is going to throw something at you and you might not have anything at all to wear at that point of time. You gotta be prepared always.”

“Is that what your Mom used to say?” asked Miranda with a soft smile and Cadence nodded. Cadence loved her Mom just like any child should normally and Miranda thought that if only she were so lucky to have one that would actually listen to her and how she felt and what she wanted in her life then she would not have to do this today. If only her mother had taken the responsibility of really being her mother, then things might have been a lot different today…if only she had taken pride in what she was trying to accomplish!!!

But her thoughts were broken by a loud rap on the door.

“Both of you are being called for dinner,” said Nina from outside the door.