Chapter 2: Dark Room, Dark Book, Dark Cat
The second we got home Father took my arm, squeezing it so hard I wouldn't be surprised if I had bruises after, and dragged me to the dark room's hidden entrance. He opened it, using a lot of force because the door was very heavy; it was like this, so I couldn't get out from the inside. "Get in." My Father snarled. "Y-yes Father." I said. I don't want to get in, I thought. This room held the darkest memories I had. The starvation, the screaming, the tears.
The pain of remembering it was worse than the pain itself at this point. But I had to do what I was told, or Father would lock me in there for longer. I stepped inside the dark room, it was always cold in here, always lifeless. The door slammed behind me right before I crumpled to the floor. I felt the hard pillows that covered the room from floor to ceiling. I hate this place, this room, this house, this world. I hated it all!
I curled into a ball, tears that I had to hold in earlier spilling out of my eyes, like a waterfall of sadness and despair. With nothing left to think about, I thought about the reasons for my hate and why I hated them. I hated how your life depended on your skill rating, your social importance, and how much money you had in your pocket. That was why Father was like this.
After Mother disappeared he gave in to the things he too used to despise. I wish the few enchanted animals in this world that were worshipped for their magic would help me, send me a sign, something that could help me in moments like this. On and on terrible things went through my head, what I wish I could do to the people that made those stupid things rule people's lives.
Money? Money led to greed...social importance? Social importance made people corrupt if they had too much or too little...then there was skill. Skill made those who did not seem to have it feel awful, and the people who seemed to have all the skill in the world got to cocky. I HATE THIS WORLD I thought, I Hate some many things about this world! I stayed in my tight little ball in the corner of the dark room, sobbing, screaming, thinking, eventually growing hungry.
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After what felt like years of tormenting sadness and hunger I heard the door to the dark room open....were the two days already up? My head felt like it was going to explode but I stood up, waiting for the door to fully open, so I could get a fresh breath, a peek at sunlight. When the door finally opened Father was there, looking at me. " Hope this grounding taught you a lesson." he said, as though he just took away my library access and not just starved me for two days straight. "Yes Father" I croaked, not wanting to evoke his rage yet again. I looked at my arm, just as I had thought what felt like a lifetime ago Father had left bruises on my arm, dark purple against my paler than usual skin. "I will not glare at you again Father." My voice was ragged from lack of water but I could take it for a while. "Well? Get on now Castinova, you've served your punishment, go do whatever you do on Mondays without school." "Yes sir." I replied, my voice calm and collected while I wanted to kill him.
First I would go get something to drink; then something to eat. I limped over to the kitchen, there was always too much food there anyways. I opened then kitchen then took a large cup and filled it with water. I chugged it in about 2 seconds flat; gosh, water tasted so good after 2 days. I grabbed some bread and put it in the toaster, I was hungry but for toast I could wait a little; as soon as it popped up and buttered it was in my mouth. I probably lost a couple taste buds because of how hot the toast was, being freshly cooked, but it was worth burning a couple taste buds for food; especially after being in the dark room for so long.
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After eating enough food for a kingdom I slipped into the library. It was like my little safe spot. The smell of the wooden tables and shelves always calms me down. The silence of the big room was nice, peaceful even; it was filled top to bottom with books, the best things in the world. Books couldn't lie to you, books where words; and lies in them were the product of the writers thoughts and imagination. Books don't cheat you, they aren't greedy or corrupt. Books are just books, friends when everyone else turns on you. Father couldn't take these away, they were the only things keeping me sane in this maddening world of suffering, lies, empty words, and broken promises, vows, hearts... I had read every book here 3 times, at least, I could recite some by memory now, because I had read them so many times now. I picked up a book and started reading.
After a few minutes of blissful peace there was a sudden crash somewhere in the library. My head practically snapped in two as I rushed over and found a little bundle of fur on a shelf, looking over a book that had fallen down. I cautiously picked up the bundle of fur and when I did it seemed to sprout legs. I looked at it again...it was a kitten! A small little black-furred kitten with heterochromia eyes, just like mine, blue and red. That's weird, I thought to myself. Something weirder thought; was the little silver 13 pointed star on its head; it was a bold white against the dark black of then rest of its fur. This kitten is obviously not normal. "What are you doing here little guy?" I said confused, how did a kitten get in here? Father hated cats, the kitten didn't have a collar…. "Hmm... Ok, I'll take care of you for a while ok?" I whispered to then cat, It purred in response…ok then, I thought, guess I'm defying my Father again… right after I got out of the dark room.
But oddly, I was ok with the idea of keeping this kitten, even thought I knew Father might lash me or something for this blatant act of disrespect. I set the cat on then shelf and turned my attention to then book that had fallen. I didn't recognize this book. That was strange, there wasn't supposed to be new books until Friday. I'm sure I've read every book in this library, so why didn't I recognize this one, had I somehow never noticed it until now? It was so strange and...sad looking.
I studied the book's exterior, it was rather bare of everything, only a hard, dark brown leather cover and an open latch that must have stopped others from reading it without a key. The book was also very dusty, but that didn't make sense. Then books in this library were never dusty, never!. No that wasn't possible, I've been reading in this library my entire life, there was no reason, ever, in my whole time reading here that even one book was dusty, all then book where regularly cleaned and dusted here! I pushed those thoughts out of my mind, this was exciting! A new, mysterious book! I looked at the book's cover again, then back at the kitten on the shelf. 'How strange', I thought, 'the weird but pretty kitten shows up and suddenly then even weirder book appears'. The little kitten meowed at me as if beckoning me to open the book. I looked at the cover again, then darkened and old leather, foreboding and ominous. Like it was forbidden, something I shouldn't touch or look at, but I wanted to know the contents of this book. I sat down and the kitten immediately jumped off the shelf and into my lap, the fabric of the dress I had been wearing then day I was locked in the dark room was torn and dirty but then kitten didn't seem to mind as it huddled into a little blob of black fur again. I reached out and opened the book.
Writers of this chapter: Lilith0709, pyro_cat
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