Chapter 2 Sunny

I awake to the warm sun filtering through my small three-person tent that I have called home for the last week and a half. I stretch my sores limbs and check on my fire stack to see if I need to add more wood yet. I knew one day the Four-H would come in handy one day, so glad I fought my parents to let me join them even if they think is was just to add status to them. However, right now, the survival skills I learned are helping keep me alive and safe out here in the middle of no where.

I crawl out of the warmth of my sleeping bag and step outside of the tent in only my nightie, it gently rubs my ankles as it settles after I stand and stretch my arms to the sky. I give my fire a quick look, it held all night and looks like I will need to go and get some more wood before the day is done. I look around the hills and see the sun has just crested the last hill to shine right on my face and give me just a little of its warmth on this crisp morning. “Well I guess this is as good as it gets for now.” I sigh out and close my eyes and I am instantly bombarded by images of my last day in the family home.

I knock on my father’s study door and take a deep fortifying breath while I wait for permission to enter.

“Enter” his gruff voice floats through the heavy wooden doors. I slowly push them open and look around his dark study, he likes to keep it looking ominous so you can never feel to comfortable to want to linger.

“You wanted to see me father?” I say in a soft voice just above a whisper with my head bowed.

“Ah yes, Sunny, I need to talk with you about your future.” He motions for me to sit with a smile on his face which is not something I see all that much and it is usually followed by something I know is not good for me. I just nod and sit across from his desk.

“Yes, Well, we allowed you to go off to school and to get a useless degree of yours in finance.” He states in a harsher than normal tone, then he looks at me. “It is time that you do your duty to the family.” He says this like he is some big shot mafia man, when in reality he is just a glorified stockbroker.

“Okay, I know I can help out with the business now, I have extremely well versed now in how the stock market works and how to spot trends.” I spill out trying to let him know that my education was worth it.

He holds his hand up and shakes his head and says, “There will be no need for all that.” He stands and walks around to my side of the desk, something in all my twenty-four years he has never done. “We have already made the deal and you will marry Mr. Brighten in one month.”

“What?” I squeak out, completely shocked at what I just heard. My breathing is picking up and I feel like I am going to faint. He takes my hands and tries to look tender but fails.

“Just know that this was always the plan and you and your mother are my responsibility and I only want the best for you. Mr. Brighten has waited a long time, he agreed that you needed the education. Your mother wanted you married right out of high school, but Mr. Brighten and I agreed that continuing your education was needed.” He nods as if that was that. But that was not that, Mr. Brighten is my fathers age and a fat lump of a man. He is also one of the meanest men I have ever met. I have seen how he treats his staff and let me tell you, NO! Oh my gosh, what I am going to do.

I just nod with him unable to speak or think of anyway out of this. I can’t believe they are doing this to me. I thought sending me to an all girls private college was bad, but this… Oh my goodness, this is just…I have no words.

“Now, go and get ready for tonight’s dinner party.” He says as he pats my knee and moves back to the other side of the desk and sits. “Tonight’s party is not only a welcome home, but your engagement party.” He waves me of effectively dismissing me.

“Yes father” I answer quietly and quickly scramble to my feet and rush out of his study and run up the left side of our open foyer stairs and down the long hallway to my wing of the house. Once safely in my room I fall onto my bed and cry heavy heart-aching sobs. I don’t know how long I stayed like that, but the soft knock on my door makes me look at it. “Yes,” I say with a raspy voice from all my crying.

My door opens and in walks, no in glides my mother who always looks like she just stepped off the latest fashion magazine. “Oh, honey why are you not getting ready, this is a happy day.” Her voice floats on the air like a breeze as she strides over to my closet and pulls out what I am only guessing she wants me to wear tonight. “Mr. Brighten has been a very patient man and this is a good match for you.” She says as she sneers at me. Yes, I know I am a bit taller than her at 5’8” and a size 14, no matter whatever I do I can’t seem to get any smaller much to her dismay.

“Yes mother,” I croak out and stand, make my way to my en-suite and turn on the shower, because I know she will not just let me get dressed. I hear my door close and I step back out into my room and see everything she wants me to wear tonight laid out on my bed. I sigh and slump my way back into my bathroom and let the shower take away my trouble even if only for the next twenty minutes. While in the shower I start to come up with a plan, I will have to act fast and tomorrow I will start to put my plan in motion. The way I see it I have less than twenty-four hours to get as much of my stuff and resources and go into hiding.

After my shower I get dressed and go to my hidden safe box in my closet and check to make sure all my stuff is still untouched. I breath a sigh of relief as it is, including the letter from my late Great Aunt that I haven’t had the strength to read until now. I sit on the floor of my closet and open the letter, she tells me that she is so proud of me and hopes that life treats me good and she is sorry that she won’t be there to help me when my parents let me down. This makes me wonder if she knows, then I continue reading and see that she did. Tears fill my eyes as I see she left me a safety deposit key and the name of the bank and box number. She knew I would need an out, tears pour down my face as I fold the letter and stuff it back in the box and return it to the hiding spot. I now have the way out. I will just need to hide out for a few days and then make my way to her bank two towns over and start my new life.

Well the party was just what I thought it would be, me being trusted at Mr. Brighten and his meaty paws trying to grope me every time someone wasn’t looking. Ugg I couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Thank goodness for some of my friends from High school showing up and giving me an excuse to leave the party for one of the private areas that my parents set up for us younger folks. Ugg they are horrible people I did I not see this sooner? Because they are my parents, I thought they loved me, nope, I was not born a boy so they were stuck with a burden of girl and had to just survive until I was useful to them.

Around midnight I was able to escape to my room and lock the door. The party kept going until about three am, I wanted to escape this morning, but that is going not going to happen. I spent most of this time packing a small pack of essentials, the rest I can buy once I am gone. I know I will need to get a new phone and car, since I am going to have to leave all of this stuff here. I heard one of father’s security guys talking about all the tracers they have on the family and that they need to update my stuff and my car now that I am home. Fuck my life. I will just have to get an Uber to pick me up around the corner or I can ask, Maria our housekeeper if she can drop me off at the nearest bus station and not tell a soul.

Hmm, maybe not, I couldn’t put her through that. I think I am just going to have to walk out the back door and hide in the woods and hike my way to the bus depo on the other side of town. But first I am going to need to get some rest, so I stow all my stuff in the hidden wall in my closest and stumble my way to me bed and crash.

Well it took two days, but here I am now on top of this mountain and breathing fresh crisp morning mountain air. I figure in about two more days I should be okay enough to go and make my way to the bank my Great Aunt left for me. How did I let my life get to this point? I so should have seen this coming.

The sounds of an eagle in flight brings me back to the present and look around my little camp site and smile knowing that I am safe. I close my eyes and start to sing into the morning light.