From Grass to Grace - Chapter 5
16-09-25 (13:21)
**Episode 5: Shadows and Escape**
The grand ballroom of the
Hawthorne mansion swam before
Amanda's eyes, the glittering
chandeliers and disdainful faces
blurring into a single, monstrous
entity. Mrs. Eleanor's words echoed
in her ears, each syllable a
poisoned dart aimed at her already
wounded heart.
The party continued around her,
oblivious to her internal turmoil.
Polite conversations buzzed like
angry bees, and the orchestra
played on, its cheerful melody a
cruel mockery of her despair.
Amanda stood frozen, paralyzed by
shame and anger. She was the
outcast, the unwanted, the "street
rat" exposed for all to see.
But beneath the humiliation, a
steely resolve began to harden. No
more. She would not endure this
any longer. She would not be a
prisoner of their cruelty.
As the evening wore on, the party
slowly began to wind down.
Guests, fueled by champagne and
gossip, made their farewells, their
departure a slow, grinding process
of lingering goodbyes and air
kisses. Amanda watched them go,
her mind racing, formulating a plan.
Finally, the house fell silent. The
servants retreated to their quarters,
exhausted from the night's
demands. Mrs. Eleanor, fueled by
righteous indignation and several
glasses of wine, stormed off to her
bedroom, muttering about
ingratitude and betrayal. Richard, a
smug grin on his face, disappeared
into the depths of the house.
Amanda waited, her heart
pounding in her chest, until the
silence became absolute. Then, she
crept out of her small room, her
bare feet padding softly on the
plush carpet.
The mansion loomed around her, a
dark and imposing labyrinth.
Moonlight streamed through the tall
windows, casting long, eerie
shadows that danced along the
walls. Every creak and groan of the
old house sent shivers down her
spine.
She moved quickly, silently,
towards the back of the house,
towards the old pantry window she
had noticed earlier in the day. It
was small, barely big enough for
her to squeeze through, but it was
her only chance.
Reaching the pantry, she carefully
pushed aside a stack of empty
boxes and reached for the window
latch. Her fingers trembled as she
struggled to release it. The latch
was stiff and rusted, resisting her
efforts.
Finally, with a sharp click, it gave
way. She pushed the window
open, the cold night air rushing in to
greet her. The opening was narrow,
but she was small and determined.
Squeezing through the window
was a painful process. The rough
wood scraped against her skin, and
the metal hinges dug into her flesh.
But she pressed on, driven by the
burning desire to escape.
Finally, she tumbled out into the
darkness, landing with a soft thud
on the overgrown lawn. She
scrambled to her feet and ran, her
bare feet pounding against the
damp earth.
She ran as fast as her legs would
carry her, her breath coming in
ragged gasps. Fear was her fuel,
propelling her forward, away from
the mansion, away from the pain,
away from the life she had known.
It seemed like a shadow followed
her closely and the fear of being
caught swept over her. When she
continued moving and the shadow
continued following, she stopped at
a corner to confront whoever was
following her.
"Where are you going, Amanda?" a
calm voice asked.
She surveyed the figure and
discovered that it was Albert, Mrs.
Eleanor's youngest son. He was a
kind and gentle soul, different from
his mother and brother. Relief
washed over her. She knew she
was safe with him.
"I'm leaving, Albert," she said, her
voice trembling. "I can't stay here
anymore."
Albert's face clouded with sadness.
"I understand," he said softly. "I
wish I could help you."
He reached into his pocket and
pulled out a small wad of bills.
"Take this," he said, pressing the
money into her hand. "It's not
much, but it might help you get by."
He also gave her the small blanket
he had carried from his room.
Amanda hesitated, then took the
money, her eyes filled with
gratitude. "Thank you, Albert," she
said. "You're the only one who's
ever been kind to me."
"Be careful, Amanda," Albert said,
his voice filled with concern. "And
don't give up hope."
Then, he turned and walked away,
disappearing into the shadows.
Amanda watched him go, her heart
filled with a mixture of sadness and
hope. Then, she turned and
continued running, into the
darkness, towards an uncertain
future. She had no plan, no
destination. All she knew was that
she had to escape, to find a place
where' she could be free, where'
she could be herself, where' she
could finally be loved.
She loitered around the streets
quite unsure of what to do next.
Then she came by an uncompleted
building and sleep began to take
control over her. She sat down,
caressing her tangled hair till sleep
overwhelmed her.
Mrs. Anne was returning late from
work that night, she drove slowly
and steadily, observing the dark
street closely. She drew past a
corner and noticed something lying
lifelessly on the ground, she sped
on trying to dismiss that it was
nothing important but inside her,
curiosity arose. She reversed back
and stopped at the spot, with her
car lights left on. She stepped down
and walked carefully towards the
corner looking carefully at what
drew her attention.. She was met
with a girl child lying lifeless on the
ground. Mrs Anne gasped in
surprise, she wondered what the
poor child was doing out there
alone at night... She carefully lifted
the girl and placed her in the back
seat and continued her journey
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