Her Tortured Bear

Chapter 10

Both the girls finished packing as soon as possible and then put the duffel in Cadence’s closet. Miranda and Cadence both had a connecting room because Cadence used to have nightmares and only Miranda was able to calm her down. Then it had become a practice and none of the elders had taken the risk of changing things from the way they were.

None of them wanted to draw attention towards themselves for one single night and that was the reason they went down just like they were asked to and sat down for dinner.

Miranda’s mother smiled and gushed,” See how beautiful it is? To sit down at one table and have dinner together as a family?”

Miranda and Cadence both bit their lips at the same time in order to stop from bursting out with a snarly remark. The bastard sat at the place where her father used to sit, the top where the head of the family is supposed to be seated.

“So Miranda? What do you think about Jackson? Do you like him?” asked Dennis and Miranda looked up from her bowl of soup.

“I think you should have gone through that part before you announced my engagement to him in front of a lot of guests without even intimating me about it,” said Miranda as she looked back in her bowl and sipped from her soon.

“I and your mother discussed that that was what was going to be the best for you and we thought that there was no point in delaying it any longer. Isn’t it honey?” asked the i***t with a smug grin on his face which Miranda wanted to wipe off with a single punch and her mother also smiled and squeezed her husband’s hands.

“We will always decide what is best for you Mindy darling…you will want for nothing. They have all that you could ever want. And you will be the most beautiful bride that this town has ever seen,” said her mother and then she started sniffling.” Oh dear!! My little girl has grown up so much….I cannot even think that she is going to get married.”

“All that is absolutely fine Mother. I don’t doubt that you are going to choose a beautiful dress for me but I only have one point to discuss about this Jackson fellow and I think you should talk to him seriously about it,” said Miranda as she looked at her step-father. The man she hated who was taken aback by her request.

“What is it Miranda?” he asked in a gentle voice which made Miranda even angrier than she already was.

“This boy has no sense of decorum and no sense of behavior or propriety as well. He labelled my sister Cadence as a midget who was only keeping them back from doing what they exactly wanted. He wanted to take me off alone to some place just a few moments after the engagement was announced. Now why on earth would he even say or try to do something like that?” asked Miranda and Dennis looked at Cadence who nodded at him saying yes. She was present there and so she was the first person who would be asked to verify the truth in Miranda’s words.

“How dare he speak like that about my daughter?” asked Dennis in a growl and suddenly a small hope began to glimmer in her heart that might be this would not be happening and maybe she would not have to run away.

But the next sentence which came out of his mouth dropped everything down the drain just like that.

“I am going to talk to his father about teaching him a lesson in propriety. What does he mean by saying stuff like that?” asked Dennis and Cadence rolled her eyes at his words. While Miranda’s mother could feel that she was seething at his behavior and said,” But honey, the daughter is ours and he cannot always go off doing whatever he wants and taking off with her. I told that it was going to be a poor idea to let them communicate. Both of them should have met differently and the things should have been planned differently.”

“It is not about your planning Mom,” interjected Miranda trying to put slight bit more of poison in the already bitter situation,” It is about the choice that a person is taught to make and the pedigree that he belongs to. If it is not from old blood then we cannot expect him to understand what we are trying to talk about.”

“That is enough Miranda!!” said Dennis in a loud voice making her look at him and stare at him hard. The comment was directed at him as well because Miranda’s new step-father was also an upstart who was slightly wealthy because of his wife’s family and her sudden death.

“That boy probably hasn’t spoken to any girl before and did not know how to handle the situation. It happens when you are young and are hot-blooded. Jackson is also like that. I am going to talk to his father and then all will be fine. You do not need to fret or overthink about this any longer,” said Dennis and Miranda could not stop the feeling that she wanted to stab him again and she would feel an immense amount of pleasure which would not be fulfilled until she found the life-blood ebbing away from his body gradually.

Anger boiled deep in my system, as hot as lava. It churned within, hungry for destruction, and I know it's too much for me to handle. The pressure of this raging sea of anger would force me to say things I do not mean, or to express thoughts I've suppressed for weeks.

I know I have to get out everyone's way before I erupt in my furious state.

Miranda is so damn furious that she looked at him and said,” Is that what you did when you were young and hot-blooded as well? Tried to force girls in desolate places to cop a feel before they were ready? Is that what you did with your first wife as well? Because there was no way in earth that a talented and exceptional woman like her would marry a rabid and sick dog like you.”

 I know that this feeling will pass, but while it hasn't, I'm well aware I could really hurt people. So I escape. I run.

There were screams behind her as she went away from the table and she knew that no one was going to follow her. Her mother sat in stony silence because she did not know how to deal with a girl who was not like her. And this was the chance for her to run. Miranda quickly put on her running clothes and boots and then went towards the library where the safe was kept. The screaming was still continuing downstairs.

She quickly sent a text to Cadence to keep him busy for a few more minutes as she made her way towards the safe and put in the combination lock that only she knew. It was something that only she could change if it was not drilled open and she immediately took out all that she needed and she also took the cash that was safely stored inside. She was going to need that for the few hard months that were coming up in her life.

She ran to her room and then pulled out the duffel from Cad’s closet and stuffed everything inside it and then she threw down the bag through the window in the hedges below hoping that no harm was going to come to any stuff at all. But then it was all clothes and there was nothing too much fragile.

I bolt out of my house, jamming ear-buds into my ears. Music pours out, sounding like the most beautiful noise I'd ever heard. I turned it up, shutting out the world around me and I just... Let go. Of everything.

“MIRANDAAAAA!!! STOPPPP….YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO ANYWHERE!!!” screamed Dennis but Miranda did not even bother to look back and showed him the middle finger in the light and he screamed again in frustration.

“Let her go honey. She will calm down and she will come back,” said her Mom. And for the first time in several years after her father had died she thanked her Mom silently for unknowingly having her back.

I allowed the darkness I felt swallow me whole for a little while, but my music felt like it was flowing through my veins, calming me from head to toe.

I slowly emerged from the anger I possessed and I stopped running. Having the anger dissipate in me felt nice, and I felt calmer than I had before, I felt free.

And she did a round of the house and easily collected her backpack in the dark. It had been hardly ten minutes that she had started running and it was going to be a long time from now that she would be even tired. But before she would start running again she found that someone was standing there and walking towards her as soon as possible. She wanted to run but from the gait she understood that it was Nina who was coming in her direction.

“I brought you food and water. You are going to need it when you are hiking through the forest in the dark. And please take care of yourself,” whispered Nina as she opened the duffel and stuffed a lot of things there. She gave an extra bottle of water in her hand and said,” Get rid of your phone as soon as possible. It has got a tracker in it.”

Miranda looked at her shocked and Nina nodded solemnly. Then she continued,” Best throw it somewhere inside the perimeter of the vine so that they will start looking for you later than they are supposed to.”

“I did not know that you knew so much about this Nina!!” said Miranda as she could check her emotions and then caught hold of the older woman and hugged her tightly and said,” I am going to miss your food desperately, and you as well. And tell Cadence that I am going to reach out to her as soon as I am able to.”

“There is a mobile phone in the backpack. I have put it in the last pocket so that you can call 911 for emergency purposes although I doubt it will be of any use when you are in the woods but it is just a precaution,” said Nina as Miranda could see that the woman who had feed her since childhood and taken care of her was crying.

“You are not going to stop me?” asked Mindy as she looked at Nina but she said no and replied,” This world and this place is too small for you my child. There is a huge whole world out there filled with mystery and with so much magic that you cannot even imagine. But in order to see that also you need to fly. I know it will be scary and difficult. It will be frightening to be all alone in the world with no one at your back but always remember that one who helps themselves are the ones who get all the help from all the sides. Now run along my child….”