There was something about the day that did not feel right.
It must have been the overcast sky or the chill in the air that made Laurel reluctant to leave the hard bed even at the cost of loosing her back.
The thin blanket wrapped around her thin body like a barrier between herself and the world. Albeit useless, it provided a much needed sense of protection when everything seemed to be against her.
With her dull blue eyes open, Laurel stayed on the bed until the alarm went off. There was nothing else she could do now. Even the alarm went off. The day has started.
Laurel crawled out of the blanket and gently folded it. The blanket went on the edge of the single bed. The mattress on the bed barely qualified as a mattress and every movement on top of it made a creaking sound.
As the person who slept on it for most of her life, Laurel had to say that despite being so creepy, the furniture in her room held on to it's shape for a surprisingly long time.
The old, sewed on clothes swayed on the thin body like a bag of potatoes. Laurel looked at herself in the mirror to take note of the damage done last night.
It was a salty soup that caused her to have visible bruises all over her arms. The stick marks were red and blue and scattered from the palms of the hand all the way over to her shoulders where the sleeves were rolled up.
Without a change in expression, Laurel picked up the first aid kit from the cabinet. It was an everyday ritual by now. The medicine tubes were emptied again and again then brought again and again.
Laurel applied the cream all over her body. Although the bruises looked bad, it did not hurt as much as it did the night before. It might be the goddess taking pity on her for gracing her with a bad life that Laurel had an incredible healing ability.
It did not heal her wounds overnight but something like beating beaten by sticks only hurt for a night, leaving behind useless bruises. Of course, it also drained her to the point of fainting all the time. It was a give and take where Laurel faced a complete loss all the time. It was nothing less than a joke.
After applying the medicine, Laurel fixed the mid length brown hair out of her face. It was time to get back on the daily routine.
With light footsteps, Laurel descended the attic and entered the kitchen. It was still way too easy to wake up for school.
While everyone else was still sleeping, Laurel washed the leftover dishes from the night before that hadn't been washed because of her being beaten and thrown into the attic.
Then came her favourite part, cooking breakfast.
Laurel worked slowly but everything she did was extremely mechanical. Except cooking. Laurel actively tried to get better at it despite not having any guidance.
Having no guidance meant mistakes were a common sight. However, it was such mistakes that always get her beaten. Hence, she decided to pay even more attention and perfect her skills.
As Lauren poured the pancake batter into the pan, the sizzling sound spread all over the kitchen and the sweet scent of pancakes wafted through the house, bringing the essence of morning into the otherwise dull atmosphere.
"Mom! Where is my pink shirt?!" Ashley's cries shook the house.
Laurel was not interested in eavesdropping on her half-sister, not was she particularly curious about the daily life of her half-brother. Her step mother made it very clear when Laurel was still a child that their families were different. They were a family, Laurel was an outsider.
Aa a child, Laurel accepted it pretty easily and after growing up Laurel had nothing to say about it. She actually did not want to be a part of the family that detested her.
It would have been nice to have a loving family but we can't always have what we wish for. Laurel made up her mind but her heart still ached when Ashely asked for the tiniest things and Ana would show up to fulfil her wish like the loving mother she was.
Laurel never knew her mother.
The woman who gave birth to her died on the same day. Overridden by grief, her father rarely ever showed up. Once he did, he brought her a stepmother and helped in making two half siblings for her. Then he disappeared again only to show up occasionally.
It wasn't wrong to say that she was abandoned by him. And the day she found that he called his family everyday and brought things for them whenever he came back, was the day she confirmed that he hated her just as much as they did, if not more.
Laurel was not angry. She had a guilty conscience of ruining her own life. It was written in her destiny and no one can rewrite what was already determined for them. Hence, Laurel gave up fighting early on.
Flipping pancake after pancake, Laurel stacked them up on the serving plate and set up the breakfast table with all the things that her half sister Ashely liked.
The small table with only four chairs had one chair empty as Ashley, her step mother Ana and her half brother Max ate breakfast. Laurel preferred to stay out of their sight as much as possible to save herself from trouble.
By the time Ashley and Max left for school, Laurel finally found the time to eat something. Her stomach was growling loudly but food wasn't to be touched unless all the work was done. After Ana inspected everything, she managed to find the leftovers and go back to the attic to eat.
"Don't you dare take your own sweet time! Clean up Ashley's room once you are done!" Ana's harsh shout had Laurel shivering in response.
She nearly dropped the plate of pancakes. There were a pitiful two dry pancakes on them and if they were gone, Laurel had to go half a day without eating.
Carefully holding the plate she closed the door to the attic and released a deep breath she had been holding all this time. Being around Ana and Ashley was like walking on needles.
Laurel was twenty one years old this year. She graduated highschool two years ago with good grades. If she were to follow the normal route like her classmates, she should be pursuing further studies to enhance her skills in a certain direction. However, she did not have the privilege to do that.
How could Ana possibly let Laurel get out of her clutches and live a free life? Besides, it costed money for further studies.
That was why, while Ashley was already looking for good colleges to apply into even before graduation, Laurel was kept at home with the intention of reducing cost of a house maid.
The dry pancakes were swallowed down with water. It was not particularly impressive but it did the job of filling her stomach. It was Ashley's favourite breakfast so it was a staple in the household.
By now Laurel was used to the mild taste of the dry pancakes.
It took an entire afternoon to clean up Ashley's messy room. The princess theme room has not changed much from the time Ashley was six. Except for the cot replaced by a bed, everything was as pink as it was thirteen years ago.
The moment she stepped out of the room with a bag of trash, she happened to bump into Ashley who had just returned from school. She was in the last year of high school and it was reasonable to be annoyed with pressure of what was coming.
Laurel thought she could turn away and leave quietly without disturbing Ashely as she already looked annoyed and it wouldn't do her any good to appear in front of Ashley.
"Hey you!" Ashley spotted her anyway and sneered.
Laurel's body tightened in fright. It was a physical response after being treated harshly for many years. By now anytime Ana or Ashley called upon her, she would get like this in fear of another beating coming her way.
Most of the time she was not wrong.
Laurel walked stiffly towards Ashley, stopping only a couple of steps away with her eyes not daring to look up. She was the elder sister but her stance was nothing more than that of a lowly servant at the mercy of the owner.
Ashley took a quick glance at the garbage bag and snorted before giving her hand a tough kick.
Laurel had experienced countless wounds on every part of her body. Through the years her body has been broken and repaired many times. It was only a matter of time before her body accumulated some irreversible damages.
Being kicked in the hand that was holding the garbage bag, Laurel hissed in pain. She had just gone through a rough night where she almost exhausted her life in healing herself and now encountering another beating was not the best for Laurel. Not that she had a choice.
"Ugly slut!" Ashely cursed, "Who told you to enter my room without permission?! What did you steal?!"
The garbage bag had dropped, spilling it's contents on the floor. One hand holding the other in pain, Laurel gritted her teeth to keep calm as she answered.
"I was ordered to clean the room."
"You dare talk back to me?!" Ashley yelled unreasonably.
Laurel knew it was no use explaining. No matter what she said, if Ashley or Ana were in the mood to hit her, they would do it no matter what she said.
Unless she was down on the ground with a sliver of breath remaining or they were done pouring out the heaviness in their heart, they won't stop no matter what.
"Ashely! Don't you have ten assignments due next week!? Why are you wasting time on that freak?!"
A masculine voice shouted from the room next to Ashley's. Through the thin gap of the door, Laurel could see the back of a tall figure. It was her half brother Max.
Ashley heaved heavy breaths in anger. She seemed to be in a really bad mood that she even disregarded Max's warning.
"Ashley! Is graduating not important for you anymore?!" Max once again shouted, not turning to look at them.
Laurel stole a glance at him before the small gap closed with a click. Ashely finally moved. She decided to listen to Max and give up but not before delivering one heavy blow.
A heavy slap fell on her cheek, immediately sending a tingle down the entire half of her face followed by a numbing sensation.
Laurel stayed on the spot until Ashley shut the door of her room. Then she bend over to clean up the mess on the floor.
It was actually not too bad. If it was not for Max's intervention, Ashley would have surely done more damage than a mere slap.
Max's existence was like a grace for Laurel. He never actively took part in making her life hell like his mother and sister. Sometimes he would do things like this and it would help Laurel avoid another night of being in pain.
Laurel was grateful for his help.
Later in the night Laurel still had to clean up before going to bed when she heard Ashley talking to her mother about an outing with her friends. She was buttering up to Ana to get permission to stay out till late.
It was a pity that Ana was too protective of her daughter and wouldn't agree to let her out for longer than necessary. At the age of nineteen, Ashley had never gotten permission to stay out for the night with her friends and it had her very frustrated.
In a fit to get permission no matter what, Ashley decided to do something unexpected. It was not only unexpected for Ana, but also to Laurel.
"I will take Laurel with me okay?!" Ashley whined so loudly that Laurel was able to hear it even in the kitchen. Her action of wiping the counter paused in shock.
"What can she do if you encounter anything?" Ana scoffed in disdain, "She is useless. Can she even shift anymore?"
Laurel lowered her head and continued to wipe the counter. Ana was right. She was not able to shift anymore because all of her wolf's strength was put into healing her body. Where would she find it in herself to shift?
That would mean death.
But Ashley was not to be outdone today. Somehow she ended up convincing Ana. When Laurel was about to go to her room in the attic, she was called by Ana and informed that she was going to accompany Ashley and her friends to an outing and her job was to do whatever Ashely wanted her to do.
Laurel did not really have a choice. With a dumb nod, she went back to her room to pack a small bag with a single change of clothes.