1 Fragility

A thin sheet of white swept over the fields of lush green grass. The trees swayed to the wind, their leaves rustling gently. A rabbit popped out of a burrow for a moment before quickly darting back inside. Cicadas chirped loudly as if to signal the start of a new day. A flock of birds swooped down onto the plains and glided across the grass, making loud cawing noises as they flew in circles then back up into the sky.

A girl with a loose white gown sat quietly on the grass, head leaning comfortably against a large grey boulder. A gentle breeze made its way over, ruffling her clothes and placing a few leaves beside the girl. The chatter of children came from the distance, slowly waking up the girl who had fallen asleep. The girl opened her eyes in a daze, squinting at the glaring light of the sun. She slowly raised a hand to shield her eyes from the blinding light, triggering a sharp pain that made her gasp. Somehow, a sharp piece of bark had wedged its way under her skin, creating a deep slash on her arm. The wound bled profusely, the pain searing through her arm.

Clenching her teeth, the girl tore a section of her dress off, resulting in another sharp bout of pain coming from her arm. Tears formed within her eyes, and the girl bit her lips to hold them in. This is nothing, she thought. Nothing compared to before. The girl hesitated for a moment before she held the torn fabric with her mouth and wrapped it around her injury with her good arm. This should be good enough.

As the sounds of laughter and footsteps drew closer, she reluctantly pushed herself off the ground. She took in a deep breath of fresh air before lightly brushing the dirt from her clothes. It was morning, but not yet warm. The girl sighed, ready to set off, when a high-pitched shriek made her pause. "Stop!" The girl turned towards the source of the voice, and saw a red-haired girl with a sneer plastered across her face. She strutted over with a group of girls - it was Mary and her friends.

"Well, what do we have here?" Mary sniggered. The rest of the group laughed in chorus, wearing unconcealed expressions of mockery and disdain. "Looks like our lady here fancies sleeping on the grass. Would you look at that!" This caused for more laughter. The girl turned her head towards the voice, looking absent-minded as she assessed the group of adolescents that had confronted her. "What, have you lost your voice?" Mary mocked the girl, derision written all over her face.

The girl frowned, clenching her fists tightly. "Ha! Not only are you stupid, you're also a mute!" Mary giggled, which prompted the rest of the group to follow. Let it go, don't fall to their level. The girl gradually unclenched her fists, gave them a glance before turning around and walking away. The group stared at her figure, their expressions ugly. The girl had no response, not even a hint of terror or sadness showed on her face. She wasn't like others who would cry or talk back, she seemed transparent, like nothing could affect her.

"Bah," Mary scoffed. "Just a noble's abandoned daughter, look at her attitude."

…

Once out of the fields, the girl trod lightly on an uneven, rock-strewn path leading to a small, dilapidated cottage. It was a familiar route, but without any pleasant feelings. The girl stared at her feet as she walked, her pace slow so as to delay her arrival as much as she could. The wind was gentle as it blew past her, as if coaxing her to walk faster. The girl took her time, but it wasn't possible to dawdle any longer. At last, she had arrived. Fearfully, the girl knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Screeched a voice from inside. Hurried footsteps were heard, and soon the door was opened. It revealed a plump middle-aged woman dressed in an apron with hair in a bun.

She took one look at the girl before raising a hand to slap her. Instantly a large bruise appeared on the girl's face, bright and glaringly red. "Where have you been all morning, you wench! Do you know how much work you left behind!" The woman screamed, huffing as she gasped for breath. The girl touched her cheek, swollen and painful. She looked to the ground and didn't say a word. The woman glared at the girl before grabbing the girl's ear and dragging her into the cottage. The girl could only follow, she had no choice.

The woman yanked at the girl's ear before harshly throwing her onto the ground. The girl's injured arm grazed the corner of a table, sending a wave of agony through her veins. Anger burned up within her, as she stared hatefully at the ground. But she couldn't show it – if she could endure, she had to endure. The woman stomped her foot and glared down at the girl. "You think we'll provide you free food and free lodgings? Dream on!" The woman slapped the girl once again, transmitting through her actions her great fury. The girl sobbed, but didn't dare to fight back, she didn't have anywhere else to go. The woman, seeing the girl's submissive state, continued to hit the girl. "You useless good-for-nothing! You receive our kindness and don't know to be grateful. You-"

"What's going on!" A deep male voice interrupted the woman's screeching. At the doorway appeared a middle-aged man of medium stature growling angrily.

"Husband Dear, you've woken up," The woman immediately stopped her actions, taking a step backwards. "This wench was outside playing, completely disregarding her work. I was just disciplining her a bit, that's all."

The man frowned. "Is that so." He thought for a bit, before waving his hands and saying, "Just tell her she won't have any food for today. Don't be so damn noisy."

"If that's what you want," the woman complied.

…

A lone girl stood silently on the vast fields, the violent wind whipping her loose hair. Bruises lined her arms and legs, a ghastly sight that stood out against her pale skin. The sun had almost set, and the sky was no longer bright. The girl, with no clear expression, raised her head and stared up at the sky. A streak of tears fell from her eyes before landing on her cheeks. I can't, no more. I'm going to break.