Chapter 18: Chicken or Beef

🌺Leonessa🌺

"NO MIRANDA, IT'S YOU WHO'S NOT LISTENING! SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND BE THE GOOD WIFE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE!"

A slap was heard followed by a loud thud.

I tried to cover my ears with my small hands but everything could be clearly heard.

The yelling.

The hits and thuds.

The curses.

The crying.

No matter how hard I tried to block it out, the sounds will always echo in my head like a broken record.

I should've been used to it, but I never was and I don't think I ever will be.

It was all fine in the beginning, they looked like a normal, happy family and I was overjoyed to be a part of it.

That was until after I turned 7.

The man I considered my father changed and so did everything else.

I suddenly heard loud footsteps coming towards my room.

No no no no, please don't come in, I don't want you to come in.

I'm scared.

The door burst open and a big figure walked in but I immediately knew who it was.

I could smell the strong scent of beer and vodka that only belonged to one person.

Phoenix was at a friend's house for a school project so it's not like I could run to him for help right now.

But how could he help me since I don't ever tell him what happens when he's not here.

I couldn't even say anything before I felt a sharp pain on my cheek. I fell down to the floor due to the force he used.

He slapped me.

My head was turned to the side as my hand shakingly reached for my cheek which I assumed was now red

And yet I still hoped that the woman I considered my mother would come and help me or at least came to see if I was alright but as always, she was probably sitting on the kitchen floor, feeling sorry for herself.

A deafening silence hung in the air for a few minutes before he gasped in shock, as if he just realised what he did, and he quickly kneeled down in front of me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Nessy! I didn't mean it, you know I didn't, right? I love you Ness, you're my daughter and I didn't mean to hurt you." He stated as he pulled me into a hug whilst stroking my hair.

And for just a second, one split second, all I felt was disgust.

I didn't want to be loved by a man who even thought about hurting his wife and children physically or mentally.

I didn't want to be seen as this monster's daughter.

I didn't want to be apart of this family anymore.

But like I said, it was only for a second and I was too young, I didn't understand what the difference between wrong or right was.

All I wanted was a family.

And so I found myself saying as I hesitantly hugged him back.

"I love you too dad."

Oh how I regret those words.

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What's that smell?

It smells like spearmint and...tequila?

What the fuck?

I gasped and my eyes snapped open as I shot up into a sitting position.

"Whoa there cowgirl, I wouldn't jump up like tha' if I were ya." A voice with a western accent said from beside me.

Just as the voice said that I grabbed my head as it felt like Miley Cyrus' wrecking ball smashed through my skull.

"Told ya." The voice laughed.

I looked up to see a man who seemed to be in his late twenties.

He was leaning back on a wooden chair, drinking a clear liquid from what looks like a tequila bottle.

His dirty blonde hair reached his neck and peeked out from under his brown cowboy hat.

Ok, where the fuck am I and why the fuck am I sitting next to Billy Ray Cyrus' doppelganger.

"Where am I?" I asked.

He hummed as he took one last sip from whatever the fuck he was drinking in that bottle.

"You girlie, are in tha' Sahara Desert, right on the edge." He said.as he drew a curved shape in the air.

Wait...

I'M IN EGYPT!? LIKE WITH THE PYRAMIDS AND SHIT!

"Oh shit, oh shit, shit, shit!" I mumbled as I hurriedly got up from the bed but almost collapsed, AGAIN, when I actually tried to move.

I quickly sat back down on the bed and gripped the sheets as I took a deep breath.

"Yeah, wouldn't do tha' either." He chuckled as he sat the bottle down on the floor.

"You got one nasty bite there." He said as he stood up and pointed at my bandaged leg.

It was then I noticed that I was wearing completely different clothes, which consisted of a flowy white top and denim shorts.

Who in the actual freak changed my clothes?

I guess he noticed me looking at my clothes with panic and laughed.

"Don't worry, my wife changed ya." I released a sigh of relief and he laughed again.

"Who are you?" I asked as I slowly tried to stand up again.

"The name's Raven but you can call me Ray and I'm guessin' that you're really far from home, aren't ya girlie?" He asked as he helped me stay steady.

"Yeah, I noticed that the second I saw that I was in the middle of a desert." I tried to joke but the slight panic was still there.

"How 'bout we go get some food and ya can tell me how ya got here." He offered as he started leading me to the door.

I nodded eagerly at the sound of food and he only laughed.

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"Weo-messa."

"Leonessa."

"Meow-nessa."

"No, it's Leonessa with an L." I chuckled as Mason failed to pronounce my name correctly.

Mason is Raven's son and is about 9 years old. He has been trying to say my name for the past 10 minutes and as you can see, he was struggling.

"Why don't we stick with Nessa for now, how does that sound?" I asked and he happily nodded his head.

"Chicken or beef, dear?" Ray's wife, Scarlet, asked with a chicken pie in one hand and beef sausage rolls in the other.

"Chicken please, and sorry once again for disturbing you guys with my mess." I awkwardly said as I bounced my leg up and down and fiddled with my necklace.

"Oh don't be sorry hun, we enjoy having some company once in a while and wha' happened to ya ain't your fault." She stated with a friendly smile.

I slightly relaxed as I started to eat my food.

Ray said that I was super lucky that I made it out alive of that desert in the condition that I am.

I told him everything that I could remember whilst he listened intently.

"Yeah, that's quite strange. Why do ya think someone would do tha'?" He asked as he rubbed his chin.

"I don't really know but I know that my brothers are hiding something sketchy and I think it has something to do with that." I said as I took a sip from the tea Scarlet brewed for me.

Gosh, I love tea.

( #Same 🍵)

"You'll have to talk to them about it but first we have to get ya back home and I think I can help ya with tha'."

"How?" I asked curiously and a little excited.

"My job." He said with a smirk.

"What's your job?" I asked leaning slightly forward.

"You'll just have to find out tomorrow girlie." He said with teasing grin.

"No fair." I huffed out and he only laughed.

I was now sat on Mason's bed, getting him ready to go to sleep, since he asked me to tuck him in.

Adorable.

"Are you leaving Nessa?" He asked as he played with his jellyfish plushie.

"Yeah, unfortunatly I have to bud." I smiled sadly at him. I already had a soft spot for the kid.

"I don't want you to leave Nessa." He whispered and I could see the tears starting to pool in his eyes.

I sighed as I looked around the room but then a lightbulb switched on in my head as I spotted a pen and a mini notepad on the nightstand.

I quickly walked towards it and scribbled something on the paper.

"I heard you like fighting, Mase." I stated as I ripped out the paper.

"Oh yeah! It's totally awesome Nessa! I wanna be the best fighter in world when I grow up!" He exclaimed and jumped up on his bed.

He put one arm slightly in the air and the other was stretched out in front of him, holding an imaginary sword as he jabbed his arm forward.

I laughed and said, "That's awesome Mase! Oh, I quickly have to go get something. Stay here."

I ran to my room and grabbed my dagger from where it was laying on the desk. I ran back to Mason's room to see that he was still fake fencing with his imaginary sword.

"Here Mase, this is yours now and you have to take very special care of it." I said sternly as I gently placed the dagger in his small hands.

"Wooow, It's so pretty Nessa. What is it?" He askes as he looked at it with stars in his eyes.

"It's a dagger. But it's super dangerous so you can't play with it like it's a toy, understand?" He nodded his head seriously before looking back at the dagger.

"I already got permission from your dad to let you have it, you just have to learn how to use it." I stated and then gave him the paper I ripped out from the notepad.

"Listen closely Mase." I made sure he was paying full attention before continuing, "When you have finally learned how to properly fight and has reached the right age to get a job, call this number and you'll be able to see me again, ok." He took the piece of paper and hugged it to his chest along with the dagger.

"Thank you Nessa. I promise I'll be the best fighter the world has ever seen." He said with determination in his eyes.

"That's the spirit kid, now let's get you to bed." I smiled as I ruffled his hair.

Before I knew it, it was already early morning and me and Ray were getting ready to leave.

"Let's get ya home girlie." Ray said as he picked up the keys to his Jeep in which we'll be riding to wherever his "job" is.

"Yeah, let's go home." I whispered to myself.

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Aww Mase is an adorable little bean✨

Buh bye 🤸‍♀️