"STEPPING OUT OF PARADISE" by Kitty Yacomeni
© 2003 by Kitty Yacomeni emmawright480@hotmail.com http://www.oocities.org/personal_war/home.html
STORY LAST UPDATED ON 23/01/2003
This story contains characters created by V.C. Andrews.
Stepping Out of Paradise Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Epilogue
CHAPTER TWO: FATHER'S WRATH
When Lilly came upstairs to tell me it was dinnertime, I smiled and nodded, and ignored her. I didn't want to face my family. I knew my sisters would have been told of the horrible thing I had done by now, and as for my parents, they didn't want to see me, for sure. So I decided I would go hungry, and remain in my bedroom for as long as I could.
Soon enough, Lilly was sent up a second time to see where I had got. "They won't start eating without you, miss," she told me. "And it will go cold if you don't hurry."
I knew that Lilly suspected something was up, and she only meant well, but in spite of my best intents, I ended up shouting at her, telling her I didn't give a damn that they were all waiting for me. "Tell them I am NOT coming! If they want to wait for me, that's fine, but they are going to have a pretty long wait! And if you go gossiping to the other servants about this, I will see that you no longer have a job here!" Lilly wasn't the type to go gossiping anyway, but I wanted to offend her, hurt her, make her leave so I could cry on my own again.
It worked. Lilly left. But less than two minutes later, I heard more footsteps on the stairs, much heavier this time. I knew it was Father. I knew he would punish me if I didn't keep him away from me. So I jumped up from my bed, and ran across the room to lock the door. But before I could slide the bolt across, he roughly burst in, and dealt me a nasty slap around the face. Falling backwards, I landed heavily on the floor, backing away as I did so.
I knew what would happen next, before it even came about.
Father removed his belt. Something he had often threatened me with, yet never actually done. As he lifted it in the air, I heard a crack as it came down, but this was nothing compared to the hard, sharp sting of it being whipped across my back. I tried to keep silent, to show Father I was strong. But I couldn't help but scream - I was in such pain as the metal buckle hit me across the spine.
"Shut up," Father growled, and he finally stopped hitting me. "I hope you have learned your lesson, Jillian. Never cross me, or any member of this family again. We have thought of a way to be rid of you without arousing too much suspicion. At lunchtime tomorrow, you will be downstairs with us. And please try and look decent. Tearstains and tangled hair don't suit you."
He left my bedroom, and I lay in a crumpled heap on the soft white carpet, which was now slightly bloodstained.
What could Father have meant? A way to be rid of me? In one way I was glad, glad to finally be getting out of the family I had never felt a part of. But I was also worried by Father's plan. What was he going to do to me?
Stepping Out of Paradise Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Epilogue