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| Who knew the way to freedom could look so bleak? |
Ingrid was tired. Tired of being the only one to clean the house. Tired of getting screamed at for slights, real or imagined. Tried of being trapped. So, when her step-sister got her latest idea in her head, Ingrid didn't protest at first.
"Go find me fresh violets." It was an imperious command, as always.
Ingrid held out her hand. She would need money to buy the violets from the store. Maybe they would have free samples today, or Tammy would miscount and Ingrid could get something from the bakery that had almost gone bad.
"Not from the store," Tammy continued. "I want them fresh and wild."
Ingrid was struck for a moment with utter confusion. "But it's winter." It slipped out before she could stop it.
Tammy's face transformed. "Don't talk back to me, you useless piece of garbage! I want fresh violets now, and you're going to get them for me or I'll kill you!"
Ingrid simply stood there for a moment without reacting. Tammy had never threatened this before, but there was little doubt she'd carry through with it. No matter what CPS saw, this was a home where Ingrid wasn't wanted.
"What did the lazy girl do now?" Heather demanded. The two of them were a perfect team. Heather had married Ingrid's father and Tammy had been so demanding he worked himself to death. Leaving Ingrid alone.
"I told her to get me fresh, wild violets and if she didn't, I'd kill her." Tammy sounded bored now.
"Why are you still here?" Heather asked, turning on Ingrid. "You heard what she said."
"Yes, ma'am." Ingrid went cold inside, but she did her best to hide it as she got her coat and Tammy's cast off boots and headed out the door.
Ingrid knew she wasn't wanted, and that they would never let her be taken away. It would look bad for the family if Ingrid were removed. But apparently they'd settled on a way to get rid of her while still preserving their family image. Ingrid could imagine Heather calling up tears in public while she talked about what a sweet girl Ingrid had been and how much mourned her death. Meanwhile, in private, Tammy and Heather would laugh at how they got rid of her.
They lived on a large plot of land near a forest, so no one was around to see Ingrid trudging through the snow. She would have called it a miracle to see any flower, let alone a violet. Soon enough, Ingrid was under the trees. The wind didn't blow as hard here and she was out of sight from the house. Maybe she could hide in the forest somewhere and never go home.
Ingrid trudged deeper into the forest, losing herself. Then she saw a fire up ahead. There were quite a few people standing around it. Everything bad that could happen flashed through Ingrid's mind. There were things worse than death. Still, maybe they wouldn't hurt her and she could warm up near their fire.
Ingrid was just so tired and it was too hard to think it through. Her body wanted to be warm and she found herself walking forward into the clearing. They turned to look at her and Ingrid counted twelve people.
"Excuse me. Could I warm myself at your fire?"
"Of course!" one of them said. It was hard to tell which one.
Grateful for the warmth, and trying not to think about being kidnapped, Ingrid moved closer. The fire truly was warm and she was grateful.
"What's got you out in the forest on such a cold day?" another asked. Ingrid looked around, but there was no sign which one of them had spoken.
Almost as if she couldn't stop herself, Ingrid said, "My step-sister sent me to get her wild violets, and if I don't she'll kill me."
Ingrid could feel the eyes of all twelve people on her. She'd done it now. If Tammy or Heather found out she'd talked about them to anyone else, the consequences would be dire.
"We can help you with that. June?"
Ingrid turned to look and the ground to her left began to lose its snow and become green. Soon, little buds began to grow and get taller until they bloomed into violets.
Ingrid stared open mouthed at the violets.
"Go on and take them."
Looking up quickly for confirmation, Ingrid bent over and picked the violets.
"Now hurry home before they wilt." Ingrid had given up trying to tell which of them had spoken.
"Thank you," Ingrid stuttered.
"Of course."
Then Ingrid was running. Running away from the twelve around the fire who still scared her. Running to outrun her fear that she'd die today. Just, running. It was amazing she had so much energy. She ran into the house, but she eased the door shut behind her.
"You better not have come back without my flowers." Tammy seemed to loom out of the darkness.
Ingrid jumped back and, her arm shaking, offered the violets to Tammy.
Tammy grabbed them out of Ingird's hand. Tammy stared Ingrid down. "You didn't go to the store, did you?"
"No, ma'am," Ingrid said, ducking her head, but trying to see Tammy's face so she could brace for trouble.
"Hm." Tammy smelled the flowers. "Fine. Get me a vase for them."
Ingrid rushed to obey. Those twelve people in the forest had saved her. She wondered why.
Tammy's joy over her flowers, which she begrudgingly let her mother smell, was short-lived. By the time the flowers wilted, Tammy had another demand for Ingrid. "Go get me some strawberries."
Hesitantly, Ingrid held out her hand for money to spend at the store.
"Oh no. If you could get me violets for free, you can get me strawberries for free."
Ingrid wasn't going to protest that it was winter. The grin on Tammy's face said it all.
"And if you don't bring me strawberries, then I'll kill you."
It was the casual way that Tammy said it that made Ingrid's blood run cold. "Yes, ma'am," Ingrid whispered. Then she rushed to put on Tammy's cast-off boots and her old winter coat.
Ingrid made her way through the snow back to the forest. Maybe she could find those twelve eerie people again. And maybe this time they'd demand payment for their magic. Ingrid shivered, but she had nowhere else to go. She wouldn't make it trying to walk to someone else's house. Even if she did, her step family would show up, all smiles and sadness saying that they'd been worried sick and implying that Ingrid wasn't mentally all there. That's what they'd done before and that neighbor had never been by to check on Ingrid since. So, Ingrid made her way through the forest, looking for a fire.
She had almost given up, when she saw it through the trees. Ingrid stumbled into the clearing. "Thank you so much for last time," she said. She waited a bit, but they only acknowledged her with small nods. "Can I warm myself at your fire again?"
"Yes."
Ingrid wasn't clear on who had spoken, again, but she replied, "Thank you," and stepped closer to warm up.
"Why are you out in the cold and snow again?" one of them asked.
"My step-sister asked for strawberries," Ingrid said.
"May?" one of them asked.
Ingrid was trying to figure out what they meant, when she noticed the ground next to her lose its snow. Just like last time, it was like watching a sped up version of a plant growing. This time, the plant was full of ripe, juicy strawberries. Ingrid's mouth watered.
"Pick them," one of the people said.
Ingrid bent down and picked them all. She desperately wanted to eat just one, but she knew if Tammy even thought Ingrid had taken one, she'd be punished severely.
"Thank you," Ingrid said.
"Go before they freeze."
Ingrid ran. Just like last time, she couldn't understand where she got the energy, but it flowed through her and she smiled as she ran. Then she made it back to the house and she eased the door shut. Tammy must have seen her coming because she raced to the door.
"Failed again, have we?" Tammy asked.
Mutely, Ingrid showed her step-sister the strawberries.
Tammy crowed in delight. Then she stopped. "You didn't eat any, did you?"
"No, ma'am," Ingrid said, ducking her head.
Tammy stared hard at her. "Put those in a bowl."
Ingrid raced to obey. She offered the bowl to Tammy.
Tammy took the bowl in one hand and with the other slapped Ingrid so hard her ears rang. Tammy didn't give an explanation for it. She just turned around and walked away, eating the strawberries. Ingrid put a hand to her face, briefly, then started working on one of her many chores.
It was even less time before Tammy demanded another miracle from Ingrid. "Fresh apples," Tammy said. "Or I'll kill you."
Ingrid nodded and put on her coat and boots. This was going to be the last trip she made for Tammy. One way or another.
Ingrid walked into the forest and did her best to get lost again. It took much longer than last time, but she eventually saw the fire and the twelve people around it.
"Thank you very much for the strawberries last time," Ingrid said respectfully.
"Come closer to the fire," one of them said.
Ingrid did and enjoyed warming herself for a bit. She was getting nervous about what was going to come next.
"What did she send you out for this time?"
"Apples," Ingrid said, ducking her head.
One of them sighed and said, "September."
Just outside the circle, another time lapse began. This time it was on a tree that was already there. The snow melted, the tree grew and changed. It budded, flowered, and then the apples began to grow. Soon enough, the whole tree was full of apples.
"Take some."
"Thank you," Ingrid said. She stepped forward and only took two apples. She waited, but no one said anything. Then, she had the urge to run again and Ingrid gave into it. She found herself slipping into the house.
"Where are my apples?" Tammy demanded.
Mutely, Ingrid handed over the two she had taken.
"Where's the rest?" Tammy yelled.
"That's all I could get." Ingrid had never looked or sounded more subservient.
Tammy slapped her and Ingrid fell to the ground. "You probably ate some, glutton." Tammy yanked her coat out of the closet.
"Where are you going?" Heather asked, waking up to the closet.
"That ingrate only got me two apples! I'm going to get more. It can't be hard to find if she found it."
Ingrid, still on the floor, said nothing. Tammy stormed out of the house. Heather glared at Ingrid, but Ingrid just picked herself up and started on her chores.
A couple of hours later, Heather pulled on her coat. "I'm going out to look for her. This stupid cell phone isn't getting any service."
Ingrid bowed her head meekly. Heather left the house.
Once she left, Ingrid locked the doors and ate what little food she could grab that wouldn't be obvious. If this didn't work, she didn't want to be punished. Although she likely would be simply because her step-family failed.
As the night wore on and it became fully dark, Ingrid began to hum as she finished up her chores. She went to bed with as many blankets as she wanted and slept in the next day.
Only then did Ingrid pick up the landline and call 911. She sounded so concerned and worried that her stepmother and step-sister had disappeared overnight. Ingrid had no idea where they had gone.
An emergency crew arrived at her house, and Ingrid tearfully recounted what little she knew. Her stepmother and step-sister must have left yesterday and gone into the woods and they'd been gone all night. The emergency crew gave each other worried looks. Anyone who had been out all night in weather this cold probably wouldn't have survived.
When they left to begin the search, Ingrid joyfully ate her fill of the food she wanted and took care of herself and her needs all day.
Several days later, Ingrid managed to weep when they told her that her step-family was gone and that, since Ingrid had just turned 18, she had inherited everything. Including her stepmother's rather large bank account and trusts. Finally, Ingrid was alone and happy.
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