Chapter Text
The evening was already getting dark even though it wasn’t that late. The day was apparently very short here in Salem; the sun was pretty much hiding all the time. But it suited the atmosphere; the gloominess of the evening seemed to mirror her own feelings. The chilly wind was blowing in Valeria's hair as she tried to walk as fast as she could without drawing a lot of attention. She had sneaked out again, ignoring the threats she had heard way too many times. She couldn’t have cared less anymore but the last thing she wanted was bumping in anyone Thomas knew – it wouldn’t take long until he knew she was fighting against his will. And it would have some serious consequences – again. The situation was bad enough.
She was so agitated she was almost fuming; at least the coolness of the evening calmed her a little. The wind felt refreshing on her face. Valeria slowed down a bit and took a deep breath. It seemed to work; she could relax now. She had walked long enough; it was unlikely she would see any acquaintance here. Her thoughts did not leave her alone though. What the life had become... She snorted with despair as she once again sank into the depths of her thoughts. How she longed to be back in Europe. The years after father's death had been hard, but they had managed together with her mother and Gabriella. Until Thomas had come into the picture, ruining it all for good. Curse that man! And just like that, her better mood was gone. If anyone saw the rage in her eyes right now, they would probably accuse her of being a witch. Not that she would mind. Even the hanging would be a better option than this. Thomas… who had succeeded in charming their mother.
At first Valeria hadn’t take it seriously. Maybe it was only a little fling; it wouldn’t be the first time. Mom had seen a couple of men for a while after she had mourned her late husband for many years. And Valeria didn’t mind – those men didn’t pose a threat to her family. But soon it became crystal clear that she had been wrong. That was not the case with Thomas. Mom had fallen head over the heels. It was bad, really. After she had accepted the proposal, the sisters became absolutely terrified. Nothing had helped; not pleading, crying, praying – not even Gabriella’s desperate scream in the middle of the night when she had woken up from a nightmare. Not even that had turned their mother’s head. Valeria felt a tight lump in her throat when thinking about that. It was that very moment than she knew it was over. They had lost their freedom – and their mother. It still stung like a dagger. How theatrical – just like mom used to be on the stage, she thought as she chuckled to her dramatic musings – but it was still true. It was literally worse than the sorrow when her father had passed away. At least they had had each other back then – and they had been safe. Thanks to mom’s talent and career – and her father’s will. But now they were doomed. Or no, not really – she was doomed.
The two sisters had been forced to swallow their pride and move to America with their mother and this new man – who supposedly was "a new father figure who had to be respected". The thought made Valeria sick. She absolutely loathed that so called man - and she hated this new world she was now trapped in. Earlier, traveling across Europe with her mother and sister, she had felt free. Italy had been her favorite – the warm weather, sunny landscapes, friendly people, delicious food – and the music, the arts. Now she had been forced to play this caricature of a religious, quiet, and obedient girl. She had succeeded in delaying her fate a few years with her musicality as well as her good education; she had been allowed to perform in salons and to teach the youngest of the wealthy families in the neighborhood to read music, play and sing. But now the time was up. The feared moment had come. Thomas had found her a suitor. Who was just as ugly and obnoxious as Thomas himself – the age wasn’t the problem but the man... When she thought about it, men had never interested her. She couldn’t care less about marriage. Or having children. She wanted to play, sing, write, travel – anything which would permit her to be free. If only people let her be her... But no. They had to force her into something she absolutely loathed and that felt just wrong.
The thought shook Valeria – she didn't know what to do. She knew perfectly well that there was something wrong with her. A young woman shouldn’t feel like this – she should be longing to be married and have children. As well as respect her husband. But she did not. She hated it – and according to priests’ words she was going to hell for it. If she didn’t pray and try to change for the better – which meant the marriage and obeying Thomas before that. But the thing was, she didn’t care – and she was not going to obey. She was literally willing to do anything to avoid her fate, but she was at a complete loss. At least she didn’t have to worry about her family. The family that Thomas had took away from her. She gritted her teeth as she tried to stay calm. “If this rage is anything to go by, I already belong to the devil”, the thought flashed through her mind. Odd enough, it didn’t frighten her. Maybe it was her destiny. The only thing she cared about was her family – mom who had been her haven - and her little sister, those two she loved more than anything. But she wouldn’t have to worry about them. Thomas was disgusting but he seemed to respect their mother. And Gabriella would be fine – she was so kind that Thomas liked her. She also had time; she was only sixteen – Thomas wouldn't force her into the marriage for another couple of years. And he would surely find her a tolerable husband who wouldn't put Gabby down. The mother had also given her new husband a male heir, so the family was quite happy. The future was secured. Except for Valeria. By the time she had turned 25 last month, she had officially become an old maid; the time had run out for good.
She had walked to the riverbank, where she stopped, trying to clear her thoughts. To no avail. Her mind was racing endlessly. Even throwing herself into the cold, black water seemed like a more appealing idea than going back and facing Thomas. But the fear was too great; and she was not ready to bring that shame to her family – which had two members. Thomas…if she could, she would have killed him. But it was unrealistic, the outcome would be horrible in the long run. Valeria chuckled as she realized how dark and twisted her thoughts were. Yes, she quite clearly had no business in heaven. The flames of hell seemed to be waiting for her anyway. Still, she felt it was too soon – the life here on the Earth had to have something for her. But what – or was it only wishful thinking?
While still agonizing over her fate and the cruelty of life, Valeria noticed a few children playing further away on the beach. Strange - how could Salem's highly religious parents allow this? Looking at the trio, Valeria noted that the two boys seemed to be rather cheeky. They must have lured a little one – a tiny little girl, maybe 4 years old at most – out while the parents' attention was elsewhere. Valeria smiled; the little girl resembled quite a bit Gabby when she was a child. Even the golden hair was very similar, just a bit longer. She had always loved Gabbys hair which shined like a halo. Her own black-brown hair wasn’t bad either – truth to be told, it was one of her best features, but it never attracted as much attention. Which was fine – and furthermore, it described her withdrawn and a bit mysterious nature.
Quite suddenly, the children's activities stopped, and their eyes turned in the opposite direction. Valeria followed the gaze but did not see anyone or anything there. She frowned; this was odd. When she turned her gaze back to the children, she noticed that they had started to move. They walked as if in a dream - in the same direction they had just looked. Now Valeria became worried; she didn't know those children, neither did she particularly like children in general — not that she could ever admit that aloud —but she had a sense of duty and didn't want them to accidentally hurt themselves. She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, put the hood on her head and went after the children.
After a while she heard a quiet sound, music. She perked up her ears and focused on the sound. It was singing. A very beautiful, alluring singing - the songs words were hard to distinguish, but the voice seemed to call to her. The children were like in a trance, they had clearly lost control over their bodies. Wait… Sorcery. Of course. For some reason, Valeria was still able to decide on her own actions, but the power of the song was strong. It was like sirens calls in old stories that her mother had read out to her when she was little. Valeria raised her hand to cover her other ear to muffle the sound. Just in case, whoever was singing there, she wouldn't fall for the trick. And even if she didn't love the children, she wouldn't just stand by and watch the girl walk to her doom. She knew as she followed the children to a narrow path which led to a forest nearby that she was putting her in danger, but she wasn’t scared. The feeling she felt instead was excitement – and above all, freedom. For the first time in years.
TO BE CONTINUED…