ne trees. It cast a pale, cold, and unforgi

er leg from where the heavy wooden door had crushed her toes. She was forced to walk with a pronounced, painful limp, biting her lip

t. Her muscles ached deeply, a heavy, throbbing pain from

aint of her rundown house came into view, offering absolu

and trembled violently as she reached o

tepped inside. The warm, rich, bacon-scented air

e small dining table. They were eating a hot brea

y pink lips curled into a nasty sneer as she to

thrown her out like the garbage she was. Her vo

g onto the clean linoleum floor and walked straight to

the table. The hot, dark liquid splashed viole

bed Clara roughly by the shoulder and spun

voice screeched, echoing painfully off the sma

d that the man had point-blank refused to take her in. She le

threw her hands in the air, cursing Clara for be

ils, stating coldly that if Clara didn't marry him, Walter would

st. She asked how her stepsister's cosmetology school was possib

a hard, sharp finger into Clara's chest, forci

e of paper. It was a school tuition bill for Daniel, Clara's

solute venom that if Walter ruined the family financia

htened. Daniel was her absolute weak point, the only famil

She accused Clara of being a selfish, worthless sister who a

ion welled up in her eyes. The emotional blackmail hit

dy duffel bag from the floor. She marche

to the front lawn. It landed with a w

. She dragged Clara's weak, physically exhauste

with white knuckles, begging desperately for just a few

lara's freezing fingers off the wood, one by one,

t. The force sent Clara stumbling backward, her fe

ur finger! You are going to marry that freak, or you can die out there in the woods!" The front door slammed shut with a violent, echoing

ulled out the flannel shirt. As she unrolled it, sharp pieces of broken glass cascaded onto her lap. The heavy fall from Harrison's porch had completely shattered