The sound of the money counting machine made Violet smile slightly at the valuable paper. She took all her monthly salary along with her entire savings. Her plan was to go straight to the real estate agency offering the concept of "peaceful as heaven" after leaving the bank. When the teller handed her the money, her smile grew wider. Slowly, she placed it into the small suitcase she was carrying. Not a single speck of dust would damage or cause the pleasant scent of the money to fade.
However, her plan fell through when the agency called her and said they could only meet the next day. So, Violet decided to go straight home that afternoon.
The taxi she took drove at a moderate speed, fortunately the roads were so empty. When the taxi stopped in front of the alley leading to her house, Violet didn't get out immediately. Her aunt was across the street, seemingly waiting for a taxi. Then, when her aunt had left, Violet quickly paid the taxi driver and ran into the house. She wanted to take a nap without being disturbed.
***
"Violet, have you paid this bill?" Anneth stood arrogantly behind Violet. This clearly startled Violet, who was kneeling to get juice from the refrigerator.
Anneth hit Violet on the head with an envelope containing the bills. From her kneeling position, Violet stood up to receive the envelope.
"I told you, don't be late paying the water bill," Anneth muttered as she walked away. "Look at the consequences—there's no water in this house. Annoying!" Anneth then took a deep drag on her cigarette and blew the smoke until it filled the small dining room. It felt suffocating, Violet thought.
That afternoon was a bad one for Violet. Is there ever a good day? Violet wondered to herself. Her teeth clenched as she watched her aunt sit down, take a slice of toast, and eat it greedily.
Watching Anneth eat softened Violet. "Does Auntie have any more bread?" Violet was starving; she swallowed hard as she watched Anneth enjoy the toast so much. Her stomach was protesting, demanding to be filled.
Anneth narrowed her eyes. "Do you want this bread?" she asked in a dismissive and indifferent tone. Anneth should have paid more attention to her niece, Violet. After all, it was Violet who had given her money for living expenses.
"Y-yes, Auntie," Violet stammered. For Violet, it was nothing new for her aunt to narrow her eyes or treat her like an animal.
That afternoon, Anneth was in a good mood; she was willing to share her toast. Even adding bacon. "Here, take it!"
Violet quickly took the plate with the toast and bacon. Then she ate it quickly and greedily, drinking... she had taken juice from the refrigerator earlier.
"Hey, were you chased by a demon?" Anneth teased, "Eat slowly! Like you're starving."
The piece of toast in her mouth, Violet swallowed whole. As she struggled to swallow the toast, Violet downed the juice until it was gone. "I'm starving; I didn't eat today."
Anneth's eyes widened, "What did you say? It's not my responsibility to feed you!" Anneth grumbled angrily. Why was Violet such a burden? Ck! "I'm keeping you here because of Jack. Not because of anything or anyone else, understand?" Anneth snapped.
Violet nodded slowly and weakly. Truly, she couldn't say anything. Her eyes followed her aunt as she left, not knowing where she was going. Usually to her room, or wherever she wanted. However, her gaze stopped on her cousin—Nella—who had just come down from the second floor carrying... a suitcase?
"That's mine!" Violet shouted.
"But this suitcase is now in my hands. That means it's mine," Nella replied.
The anger that had been suppressed because she had been scolded by Aunt Anneth, as well as her obligation to pay for the household expenses, made Violet's breath quicken. Damn that aunt and her cousin. Violet's feet moved like a giant ready to pounce on its prey, and her expression was truly terrifying.
Violet roughly snatched her suitcase, but Nella held it back. The two girls exchanged insults, neither willing to back down. Aunt Anneth, hearing the commotion, finally came out of the room and hit both of them on the head.
"You two are always fighting!" Anneth scolded.
Violet pointed at Nella and spoke in a high-pitched voice, "She took my suitcase, Auntie. Nella stole it."
Anneth's eyes widened as she looked at her daughter. However, Nella was quick with her tongue. "Violet hid her money, Mom. This suitcase contains money," Nella replied.
Anneth turned to look at Violet, demanding an explanation from her niece. "That's my savings, Auntie," Violet replied, refusing to back down.
"So you've been lying to me all this time, Violet? Didn't I ask for your entire salary? Then why are you still able to save money?" Anneth asked in a raised voice. She quickly snatched the suitcase from Nella's hands and opened it. "This is a lot of money, Violet!" Anneth continued.
After closing the suitcase again, Anneth handed it to Nella and said, "Keep it in Mama's room. You can use this for your needs."
"You're going too far!" Violet shouted. "You've taken my freedom, my father's house, and now my money!"
Anneth laughed mockingly. She pushed Violet's left shoulder with her index finger. "Do you think taking care of you since you were a child was free, Violet? Nothing in this world is free, you damn girl!"
"Nothing in this world is free" was the phrase Violet hated the most. She screamed while crying and stared at her aunt's back disappearing behind the door. "I hate you all! I hate this world!" she screamed.
That day should have been a precious one for Violet. Unfortunately, fate was not on her side. So, before her uncle returned from work, she rushed into her room and locked the door. She then immediately entered the bathroom and stood under the running shower while crying.
Uncle Violet—Jack Whistle—had knocked on Violet's door repeatedly, but the girl did not open it. When Jack asked Violet to have dinner with him, Violet refused, saying she was already full.
After his wife and child had gone to sleep, Jack crept toward Violet's room like a thief. He gently knocked on the brown door and said in a soft voice, "Violet, please open the door."
Violet, who hadn't gone to sleep yet, turned the key and opened the door. Jack entered and was startled by the messy state of Violet's room. He sighed and looked at the beautiful girl with sympathy.
"Did your aunt hurt you again?" Jack asked. Violet remained silent, staring at the floor of her room. Jack sighed roughly, walked over to Violet's desk, and placed the two boxes he had brought there.
Jack opened one of the boxes, and Violet was surprised to see what was inside. It was a birthday cake covered in blueberry sauce and chocolate.
"Uncle, this..." Violet said with a trembling voice.
After Jack lit the candles on the cake, he lifted it so it was level with his niece. "Happy birthday, Violet. May all your wishes come true in your twenty-fifth year," Jack said.
Violet closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and prayed silently, 'I don't want to live in misery anymore.' Then she blew out the candles and smiled sweetly at her uncle.
"Well, I have another surprise for you." Jack set the cake aside and opened the other box. It contained a thick book and a beautiful emerald-green ring. "This is your birthday gift. You must wear this ring and read this book, okay? Your uncle went through a lot of trouble to find these."
Violet's tears, which she had been holding back, finally flowed freely. She hugged her uncle and thanked him repeatedly for remembering her birthday and being kind to her all this time.
After Jack left the room, Violet immediately put on the ring and kissed it. Then she turned to the other gift, a luxurious-looking book.
The black-covered book had a hardcover and featured a raised pentagram design. A few minutes earlier, Violet had struggled to open the beautifully bound book, but as her mind worked, she slowly realized that the pentagram engraving could be rotated. When Violet aligned the small line with the tree symbol, the roots enveloping the book seemed to be drawn in and immediately hid within the tree's image. A glowing engraving left Violet's mouth agape.
Without wasting time, Violet flipped through the pages, with the first page depicting a sketch of a man with an empty face. The second page was an introduction, but Violet couldn't understand the text, and the story didn't begin until the fourth page. Violet sighed; she couldn't even read the story because the writing was just straight lines or occasionally slanted with sharp points at the ends. Only the title was normal. What kind of book was this!
A gentle breeze made Violet shiver uncontrollably. Her breath suddenly grew heavy, her heart racing wildly. Her back felt cold, as though she were being watched. Violet turned around and nearly screamed in surprise at the shadow of a tree branch. Ah, she must be overreacting.
Then, when she looked back at the book, Violet felt she was hallucinating. There was a black circle spinning like a tornado. The circle grew larger and larger until it filled the page. Just as Violet was about to stand up and run, the circle pulled her in, and the book closed on its own.