There's violence in A New Life and therefore rated PG-13. Please don't read
if you don't like these kind of stories.
This is not a happy story like True Love, I felt like trying something else, especially since I've read this book and it wasn't really a happy one as well. I guess I was in the mood of my book ...
The characters aren't quite the same and the storyline is kinda different as well. Everything will become clear further in the story, if not (cause I'm still doubting how to bring this) I'll explain everything. Let me know what you think ...
----- ----- -----
He smacked her through the room. Maria bumped hard into the wall and fell down on the cold floor. Everything began to get hazy and if she tried to get up, dizziness overcame her, so she stayed where she was. There was not a place on her body that didn't hurt. Slowly the world around her grew dim and total darkness overcame her.
Maria opened her eyes. She was still laying on the cold floor in the kitchen with her nightgown on. Her whole body felt sore, but her left shoulder along with a great deal of her back were the worst. She remembered how she was smacked into the wall and felt her left shoulder and a part of her back hit it with full speed. Her sight was still a bit blurry as she was glancing through the room. 'No sign of him.' As quick as she could, she hoisted herself up via the table and tried to feel as little pain as possible. It was Friday, market day. Maria ran upstairs, ignoring the pain, to get dressed. She was already more late than normally. She grabbed her dress on her way to the bathroom. There she threw in on the edge of the sink and started looking for her toothbrush and comb. When she had found them, she walked over to the sink and looked into the mirror. This time she didn't have any bruises in her face or neck. She let the water run and put her hands underneath the flow. It felt nice for her hands to cool down a bit. Next she moved her hands with water to her face. As she moved her shoulder, the pain was so bad, she just had to put it down again. Something was clearly wrong there. She pulled out her nightgown and turned a bit, so she could see her shoulder and her back in the mirror. One big bruise had formed there. Tears started to form in her eyes. It was the worst beating she had ever gotten, the first time she had ever passed out.
"He's gonna kill me someday." She murmured fearfully to her reflection in the mirror while she kept glancing at the enormous bruise.
Quickly she put on her dress, followed by brushing her teeth. In the same pace, she grabbed the comb and went through her hair with it. Then she rushed downstairs to get her basket and some money. While she went through the door to the market, she put up a list in my head so she was sure she wouldn't forget anything. 'Vegetables, fish, meat, bread, eggs, milk, ..." It was pretty crowded again, people walking from one place to another. The first stall where Maria stopped was the one with the vegetables as usual, owned by Mrs Von Trapp. Her husband had been elevated to knighthood after he saved his all crew while he was still in the navy. Why they were living in this small village and living like all the other people there when they were actually rich was beyond her. But she loved them dearly and saw them as her own family.
"Good morning, dear."
"Good morning, Mrs Von Trapp."
"The same as usual?" She asked with the same lovingly smile she always had.
"Yes."
The Von Trapps don't have as high prices as the others, because they are not in need of the money. Mrs Von Trapp just wanted to be a part of the little village, being like the other people and help. She only sold her vegetables because people insisted to pay something, and to those who didn't have enough money to pay for everything they needed, she just gave them away.
By now Maria was already moving on. There were also some stalls with beautiful fabrics, hair ribbons, necklaces and bracelets. She loved to look at those every time she was there. Again she was standing there in awe while feeling the light material of a light blue, transparent fabric. She was dreaming of a dress she could make out of it, together with another layer beneath it. But she knew it could only stay with dreaming. Since she was alone with him, she couldn't have anything for her own and god knows what happened if she tried and he found out. Maria had learnt her lesson. Still mesmerized by the light fabric, she felt a hand on her left shoulder. Pain overwhelmed her and she winced without wanting it. Her face was filled with pain and she bit her lip, trying to think of something else. The hand left her shoulder, then a young man stood in front of her.
"Maria?" Georg asked worried as he saw her face. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing." She lied.
Georg looked at her for a minute with a suspicious look on his face, then he grabbed her right hand and pulled her with him through the crowd. Nobody paid any attention at the two since they were too busy with providing themselves. Maria did not protest. She knew Georg could see something was wrong and perhaps it was time to tell somebody. Finally they arrived at his house and walked in, towards the sitting room.
"Maria, please tell me what's the matter ..."
She didn't answer.
"I know that look, Maria. I know you long enough to know there's something wrong."
She could still feel his hand on her shoulder, the pain ...
"Alright."
She turned around, so that her back was facing him.
"Can you please unbutton the top three ones?"
He looked at her with a fearful expression and even though Maria couldn't see his face, she knew what he was thinking.
"Trust me." She said.
Georg did what she asked and opened the top three buttons. She pulled the fabric away from her left shoulder. Then she heard his gasp. When Maria felt his fingertips touching it softly, she flinched a bit again.
"I would've opened it myself, but I can't move my shoulder up there. I already had enough trouble to button the damn thing up."
Georg couldn't bring out a word, he was just taken aback by seeing her shoulder like this. As if she knew what he was thinking, she asked him to unbutton a few more. Without protesting, he obeyed her. Now he could see her back wasn't looking good at all either.
"Maria, who did this to you?"
Maria could hear the rage in his voice. Carefully he was buttoning her up again. Then she turned around to face him.
"You won't believe it."
She faced the floor, her eyes welling up again by thinking back of those horrible moments.
"Please tell me."
By now, she was crying a little. She looked back up in his eyes and it was as if Georg had pain just by looking at her crying.
"It was Hanz!" She couldn't hold herself any longer, she burst out with crying and telling the whole thing. "Ever since my aunt has died ..."
"Hanz?!" Georg really couldn't believe it. "But he's a close friend to our family. He couldn't have done it ..." But with one look at her face, he proved himself wrong. He knew she wouldn't make a think up like that. "When did this happen?" He asked concerned.
"This morning. I had slept over and when I woke up, I immediately ran downstairs because I knew I was too late. I was even still in my nightgown. I should've made his breakfast. He was sitting there, in the kitchen, waiting for me to arrive. Then he started hitting me over and over again. At the end, he hit me so hard, I fell against the wall, hard, before falling on the floor. Everything became hazy. The last thing I remember was seeing his boots walking away from me in this blur. Then everything turned black. He's gonna kill me some day, Georg!"
"Not if I can help it!" He said confident.
"No! If he knows I told someone, you won't see me back again! Please, promise me you won't do anything."
Maria could see that wasn't what he was planning, but finally he gave in. He couldn't bear loosing one of his best friends. 'Not Maria! They can't have her!' He carefully put his arms just above her waist to embrace her, because he was too scared to hurt her if he would place his arms any higher. He felt her arms against his chest, and she was still sobbing a bit.
"We will figure something out, Maria. He won't get away with this ..." He whispered soothingly in her ear.
"I have to go now, finish doing errands, or else it will be even worse ..." She said while she parted from Georg's embrace.
"Let me come with you. He won't do anything when I'm around. He has never done that, so--"
"It will only be worse for me afterwards."
Georg's eyes widened of total disbelief and shock.
"You mean he has beaten you before just because I was around?"
"Only when you came with me while I was supposed to get him things. He says I only do that because he won't do anything then, so he gets me back later." Maria told him honestly. She could better tell him everything now, so he knew what was going on and wouldn't bring her into more trouble.
"But wh-why didn't you tell me? Why didn't say I couldn't come?"
"You know me, I can't say no to a friend, besides, I didn't want you to stay away. If I told you that, you might get angry and I'd lose you."
"You'll never lose me! I promise!"
Maria gave a little smile, even though it was really hard for her at the time to smile, before she stepped away. Suddenly, she turned herself around just before she reached the door.
"Please don't tell this to anyone ..." She asked pleadingly.
"You have my word."
Then she left, leaving Georg alone with a terrible fear for losing his friend.
This is not a happy story like True Love, I felt like trying something else, especially since I've read this book and it wasn't really a happy one as well. I guess I was in the mood of my book ...
The characters aren't quite the same and the storyline is kinda different as well. Everything will become clear further in the story, if not (cause I'm still doubting how to bring this) I'll explain everything. Let me know what you think ...
----- ----- -----
He smacked her through the room. Maria bumped hard into the wall and fell down on the cold floor. Everything began to get hazy and if she tried to get up, dizziness overcame her, so she stayed where she was. There was not a place on her body that didn't hurt. Slowly the world around her grew dim and total darkness overcame her.
Maria opened her eyes. She was still laying on the cold floor in the kitchen with her nightgown on. Her whole body felt sore, but her left shoulder along with a great deal of her back were the worst. She remembered how she was smacked into the wall and felt her left shoulder and a part of her back hit it with full speed. Her sight was still a bit blurry as she was glancing through the room. 'No sign of him.' As quick as she could, she hoisted herself up via the table and tried to feel as little pain as possible. It was Friday, market day. Maria ran upstairs, ignoring the pain, to get dressed. She was already more late than normally. She grabbed her dress on her way to the bathroom. There she threw in on the edge of the sink and started looking for her toothbrush and comb. When she had found them, she walked over to the sink and looked into the mirror. This time she didn't have any bruises in her face or neck. She let the water run and put her hands underneath the flow. It felt nice for her hands to cool down a bit. Next she moved her hands with water to her face. As she moved her shoulder, the pain was so bad, she just had to put it down again. Something was clearly wrong there. She pulled out her nightgown and turned a bit, so she could see her shoulder and her back in the mirror. One big bruise had formed there. Tears started to form in her eyes. It was the worst beating she had ever gotten, the first time she had ever passed out.
"He's gonna kill me someday." She murmured fearfully to her reflection in the mirror while she kept glancing at the enormous bruise.
Quickly she put on her dress, followed by brushing her teeth. In the same pace, she grabbed the comb and went through her hair with it. Then she rushed downstairs to get her basket and some money. While she went through the door to the market, she put up a list in my head so she was sure she wouldn't forget anything. 'Vegetables, fish, meat, bread, eggs, milk, ..." It was pretty crowded again, people walking from one place to another. The first stall where Maria stopped was the one with the vegetables as usual, owned by Mrs Von Trapp. Her husband had been elevated to knighthood after he saved his all crew while he was still in the navy. Why they were living in this small village and living like all the other people there when they were actually rich was beyond her. But she loved them dearly and saw them as her own family.
"Good morning, dear."
"Good morning, Mrs Von Trapp."
"The same as usual?" She asked with the same lovingly smile she always had.
"Yes."
The Von Trapps don't have as high prices as the others, because they are not in need of the money. Mrs Von Trapp just wanted to be a part of the little village, being like the other people and help. She only sold her vegetables because people insisted to pay something, and to those who didn't have enough money to pay for everything they needed, she just gave them away.
By now Maria was already moving on. There were also some stalls with beautiful fabrics, hair ribbons, necklaces and bracelets. She loved to look at those every time she was there. Again she was standing there in awe while feeling the light material of a light blue, transparent fabric. She was dreaming of a dress she could make out of it, together with another layer beneath it. But she knew it could only stay with dreaming. Since she was alone with him, she couldn't have anything for her own and god knows what happened if she tried and he found out. Maria had learnt her lesson. Still mesmerized by the light fabric, she felt a hand on her left shoulder. Pain overwhelmed her and she winced without wanting it. Her face was filled with pain and she bit her lip, trying to think of something else. The hand left her shoulder, then a young man stood in front of her.
"Maria?" Georg asked worried as he saw her face. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing." She lied.
Georg looked at her for a minute with a suspicious look on his face, then he grabbed her right hand and pulled her with him through the crowd. Nobody paid any attention at the two since they were too busy with providing themselves. Maria did not protest. She knew Georg could see something was wrong and perhaps it was time to tell somebody. Finally they arrived at his house and walked in, towards the sitting room.
"Maria, please tell me what's the matter ..."
She didn't answer.
"I know that look, Maria. I know you long enough to know there's something wrong."
She could still feel his hand on her shoulder, the pain ...
"Alright."
She turned around, so that her back was facing him.
"Can you please unbutton the top three ones?"
He looked at her with a fearful expression and even though Maria couldn't see his face, she knew what he was thinking.
"Trust me." She said.
Georg did what she asked and opened the top three buttons. She pulled the fabric away from her left shoulder. Then she heard his gasp. When Maria felt his fingertips touching it softly, she flinched a bit again.
"I would've opened it myself, but I can't move my shoulder up there. I already had enough trouble to button the damn thing up."
Georg couldn't bring out a word, he was just taken aback by seeing her shoulder like this. As if she knew what he was thinking, she asked him to unbutton a few more. Without protesting, he obeyed her. Now he could see her back wasn't looking good at all either.
"Maria, who did this to you?"
Maria could hear the rage in his voice. Carefully he was buttoning her up again. Then she turned around to face him.
"You won't believe it."
She faced the floor, her eyes welling up again by thinking back of those horrible moments.
"Please tell me."
By now, she was crying a little. She looked back up in his eyes and it was as if Georg had pain just by looking at her crying.
"It was Hanz!" She couldn't hold herself any longer, she burst out with crying and telling the whole thing. "Ever since my aunt has died ..."
"Hanz?!" Georg really couldn't believe it. "But he's a close friend to our family. He couldn't have done it ..." But with one look at her face, he proved himself wrong. He knew she wouldn't make a think up like that. "When did this happen?" He asked concerned.
"This morning. I had slept over and when I woke up, I immediately ran downstairs because I knew I was too late. I was even still in my nightgown. I should've made his breakfast. He was sitting there, in the kitchen, waiting for me to arrive. Then he started hitting me over and over again. At the end, he hit me so hard, I fell against the wall, hard, before falling on the floor. Everything became hazy. The last thing I remember was seeing his boots walking away from me in this blur. Then everything turned black. He's gonna kill me some day, Georg!"
"Not if I can help it!" He said confident.
"No! If he knows I told someone, you won't see me back again! Please, promise me you won't do anything."
Maria could see that wasn't what he was planning, but finally he gave in. He couldn't bear loosing one of his best friends. 'Not Maria! They can't have her!' He carefully put his arms just above her waist to embrace her, because he was too scared to hurt her if he would place his arms any higher. He felt her arms against his chest, and she was still sobbing a bit.
"We will figure something out, Maria. He won't get away with this ..." He whispered soothingly in her ear.
"I have to go now, finish doing errands, or else it will be even worse ..." She said while she parted from Georg's embrace.
"Let me come with you. He won't do anything when I'm around. He has never done that, so--"
"It will only be worse for me afterwards."
Georg's eyes widened of total disbelief and shock.
"You mean he has beaten you before just because I was around?"
"Only when you came with me while I was supposed to get him things. He says I only do that because he won't do anything then, so he gets me back later." Maria told him honestly. She could better tell him everything now, so he knew what was going on and wouldn't bring her into more trouble.
"But wh-why didn't you tell me? Why didn't say I couldn't come?"
"You know me, I can't say no to a friend, besides, I didn't want you to stay away. If I told you that, you might get angry and I'd lose you."
"You'll never lose me! I promise!"
Maria gave a little smile, even though it was really hard for her at the time to smile, before she stepped away. Suddenly, she turned herself around just before she reached the door.
"Please don't tell this to anyone ..." She asked pleadingly.
"You have my word."
Then she left, leaving Georg alone with a terrible fear for losing his friend.