3Hi guys! Just wanted to throw a small trigger warning on this chapter as there are allusions to domestic violence.
"Urgh!" Page threw her watering can on the ground in frustration.
I suck I suck I suck she repeated in her head on a seemingly countless loop. She could swear she heard taunting laughter peppering the backdrop of her mind as she kicked the ground.
The young woman found herself seriously questioning her life choices as the setting sun beat down on her.
What on earth have I gotten myself into?
Page was sweaty, dirty, and exhausted. She pulled her hair tie out angrily, releasing dark, curly locks from the shackles of a tight bun. Page shook her head and let out a deep sigh. The horizon appeared ablaze as the church bells rang.
6:00 pm already. What a waste of a day.
The thought of heading to the bar and socializing made Page's skin crawl as did turning in for the night, alone in the silence of her tiny farmhouse. The feeling of both fatigue and restlessness made Page uneasy.
After some debating with herself Page decided that a walk in the mountains should help her cool down and release some of her energy. After all, it was highly unlikely that anyone would be out during this hour. Families were probably sitting around their dinner tables discussing both exciting and mundane events from their days, enjoying each other's company in the glow of the sunset.
Page hated to admit it, but she longed for a cozy life like those she was imagining in her mind. As much as she was ambitious and goal driven, at the end of the day what she wanted most was the comfort of being loved. She hoped she could find that in Flowerbud, but at the same time she feared intruding on relationships that may or may not already be established. The last thing she wanted was to cause conflict in such a peaceful place, but with her luck that might happen anyway.
Page choked back a lump in her throat as an outpouring of infinite "what if's" plagued her mind. She snapped back to reality and took a swig of water from her rucksack. She started down the path to the mountains.
The night was still, almost eerily so, as the sound of distant chirping filled the air. As Page walked, she worked hard to take in each moment, focusing on the sights and sounds so not to let her mind wander too far. She noticed how, in the daytime, the trees lining the pathway provided a much needed shade, but she couldn't help but feel as if they were looming over her in the twilight of the evening. Although she felt alone, there was no sense of urgency or danger as she continued her journey to the mountains.
BOOM
The sound of a door slamming violently towards the entrance of the vineyard stopped Page in her tracks. She froze as panic washed over her. She wanted to flee, but her feet wouldn't move her. Her mouth went dry and she swore she could feel her blood run cold. Her breath became shallow as she struggled to take in enough air and her hands turned clammy with sweat.
She heard yelling in the distance followed by another loud slam. The yelling intensified as it drew closer.
"Get your ass back in the house, girl or I'll bring you back here myself!" A man's booming voice cut through the stillness of the night shaking Page to her core.
"No! You can't keep me here! I hate it! I hate you!" A young woman's voice spat back.
"What did I ever do to raise such an undutiful, pathetic excuse for a daughter!"
Page heard footsteps scuttling down the hill leading up to the vineyard.
"Yeah, well one way or another, I'll be gone soon so don't lose any sleep thinking about it!"
A young woman came into view as she raced down the path. Page recognized her as the girl she met at the bar not too long ago. Thick, blonde strands of hair stuck to her face as tears travelled down her cheeks. She clutched her knee. It was bleeding.
"And just what are you looking at?" The young woman glared at Page and averted her gaze when it was met.
"I'm sorry…I just…are you ok?"
Page wondered if she had overstepped, however in that moment she didn't care. Her brown eyes met the young woman's green ones.
"We have to get out of here" she spoke with a surprising amount of calm. Like she had done this dozens of times.
"Ok, well you look hurt. You can come back to my farm and-"
"No! I don't want you getting involved with him. If he finds me on your farm…if he sees you…" the young woman's voice now hid a glimmer of panic.
"Where can we go then? I'm not just going to leave you like this."
"I know a place. Let's go."
The young woman was quick and determined, despite her injury, as she led Page along a path towards the Green Ranch. A million questions entered Page's mind, however she kept her silence. Her own worries and frustrations seemed to dissipate as she focused on the person next to her and the unfolding situation.
The pair continued to walk quickly and quietly as the sound of waves began to echo in the darkness. The young woman led Page down a small ramp and onto a small, abandoned beach.
The young woman walked towards the shore and stared out at the sea in silence with sadness in her emerald eyes and a longing that both intrigued and confused Page. She watched as strands of blonde and brunette hair danced with each other in the wind. The ebb and flow of waves provided a much needed calming atmosphere as they lapped up onto the shore.
"Look, I know what happened back there is really none of my business, but we should get that cut on your leg cleaned out." Page broke the silence.
The young woman smiled and tore her gaze from the crashing waves in the distance. She turned to face Page and paused on her face for a moment. To Page's surprise she extended her hand.
"I'm Karen. The other day at the bar…I was rude to you. I'm sorry for that. There's just a lot going on in my life, ok? I wouldn't expect you to understand, but I have my reasons for acting the way I do. Things aren't easy around here."
"Who says I wouldn't understand? In all honesty, you don't know anything about me, so I would prefer if you didn't judge me off the bat." Page replied, perhaps a bit too assertively.
"Hah," Karen scoffed "Well, it doesn't really matter anyway. I'll be gone soon and for what it's worth you'd be smart to consider doing the same. Things here aren't all roses and popsicles you know. Why someone would choose to live here is beyond me."
"I have my reasons just like you have yours, but I'll spare you the sob story. Now, about that leg. Let me see it."
Page reached into her rucksack and pulled out her water bottle. Cleaning the wound without proper aniseptic wouldn't help much, but it was better than doing nothing. Karen relented and sat down in the sand next to Page. Half dried blood streaked from Karen's knee down into her white sock.
"So…do you want to tell me how this happened?" Page met Karen's eyes in the darkness as she awaited a response she wasn't sure she would receive.
Karen wasn't used to anyone actually taking an interest in what she had to say. In fact, she often felt more like an object than a person in her hometown. She cursed her beauty which made her stand out from the others in the village. She found that she did everything in her power to keep her distance from almost everyone she encountered. She dreamt only of becoming invisible and undetectable, drifting far away.
Karen took a deep breath as her shoulders sunk, releasing her pent up tension.
"I tripped. I was….running away from my father. He tried to stop me and, well…I kept running. My sorry excuse for a mother may stand for his treatment, but I won't. I won't stop fighting, and I make no apologies for that."
Page realized the hurt in Karen's eyes as she brushed a tear away returning her gaze to the sea.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really." Karen gave Page a shy smile in return.
"Ok," Page smiled back "Let's see that leg then."
Karen winced as Page poured water over her knee brushing bits of debris and sand away with the back of her hand.
"Well, it's not perfect but it's better than nothing." Page shrugged. "Promise me you'll properly clean that when you get back home?"
The word home pained Karen. She dreaded returning to her promised prison and cherished the remaining moments of her fleeting freedom as sore as they were.
"Ok, ok I promise," Karen paused for a moment "oh and, uh, thank you…you know, for helping me and whatnot."
"I'm happy to do it. And…for what it's worth I'm here if you need me."
Page smiled softly in the silence unsure of how much time had passed.
"It's getting dark. Should we head back?"
"You go on ahead, I think I'll stay here for a while." Karen broke the silence.
"No…I can stay. I'll stay with you until you're ready."
The two returned to their silence. It was somehow comfortable. Neither felt the need to fill it with idle banter or small talk, they simply sat on the shore taking in the hypnotic, fading sounds of waves coming and going as they pleased. Both young women allowed themselves get lost in their thoughts with no effort to fight them.
"One way or another, I'll be gone soon."
Page played the phrase in her mind over and over as darkness faded to black.
