Prologue
I looked up from my homework just in time to see my mother walk in the dining room holding my little sister Anika. The dining room had a nice oak table in the center with a dirt floor and a fireplace in the center. I hate homework. It really stinks. Our house isn’t the best one in the Kingdom of Carneal; it’s barely inside the walls of the Kingdom. Mom and dad said that it was cheap and inside the wall unlike our last home which was outside the wall. Dad was worried that there would be an attack on the kingdom and our house would be an easy target.
“Marjorie, honey, dinner should be ready in about an hour. I want you to get yourself washed up,” Mom yelled, “Take your sister with you please.” I quickly picked up my school stuff and took my sister outside to wash up in the basin.
“Ma’am we are done,” I said, respectfully to my mother. “When will Father be home? It’s getting really late.”
“The Market must have been busy today, honey, you know your father always stays to help Markus clean up and take care of things,” my mother states matter of factly. Anika waddles over to our mother and climbs up her leg. Mother bends down and picks her up and playfully squishes her cheeks between her fingers. Father walks into the house and he looks like he is covered in dirt from head to toe.
“Honey, when are we having food I am parched. Markus decided that not only were we going to sell his normal wares today we were also going to provide manual labor services today. We made some extra coin but I am extra hungry,” Father said lazily.
“Food will be ready in around a half hour darling,” Mother said, patiently. My mother and father were always quick to fall into conversation when he got home. I learned not to speak until spoken to the first time that my father scolded me. The first few minutes after he got home from work he was completely devoted to her. He never failed to show us kids that he loves us as well, but he always showed her love first since she was his first love.
My little sister started pointing at the window and crying. That’s when father noticed that it was open and went over and closed it. Our dinner was quickly finished and served. After dinner mother went and grabbed water to wash up Anika and the dishes. The Kitchen was really just another firepit where mom cooked food and a metal basin she had our neighbor Torin forge out of Iron that cost about 30 shillings. There were three beds one for mom and dad that was pretty big in their bedroom, and one for Anika and one for Me in our bedroom.
We have a small shed out back that holds our sickle and other pruning supplies for the yard, and a cart that father can use to haul the things mom makes to take to market. Mother teaches me a lot about sewing and making clothes when I’m not at school. She believes that girls should know these things. She’s also been starting to teach me how to cook things. Today she taught me how to cook a rabbit and different veggies.
Hours have passed since dinner and I can’t fall asleep for some reason. I hear some rustling in the kitchen so I silently get out of bed and go to the door. Before I can open it I hear Mom scream and Dad grunt soon after I hear a quick thump and I hear mom crying and screaming. Mom said if anything ever happened to grab my sister and sneak out the window of my bedroom. Before I can even react I get thrown across the room by someone bum rushing the door. I see a man pick up my little sister and quickly draw a knife across her throat.
Slitting her throat straight across he quickly runs to me and stabs me three times in the gut. “No,” I quickly gasp as I gulp for air. I know at least one of my lungs has been punctured. I crawl to my little sister. I can see no life in her eyes. I know I’m gonna die, there is no escape from death for me. This wasn’t supposed to happen, we were supposed to be safe here.
