This story is titled Hometown. By me! I love feedback!
Chapter 1
Forced Marriage. Two words changed my entire life. I couldn't believe it.
"But I just turned 18 a week ago!" I cried.
I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I mean who would they match me with? Would my future husband be happy with me, Thena? With my waist length wavy red hair, curvy frame, and blue eyes? They would probably prefer my best friend Luci. She's gorgeous. Her long platinum blond hair, delicate body, and hazel eyes. I love her but honestly I'm sometimes jealous of her.
"I know Thena but the law is once you reach 18 you have to be married." said my mother, who was basically an older version of me.
Damn the laws. I thought. So many laws here in Hometown. Be at your house before 8 pm, never run away from Hometown, never talk to people wh aren't wearing a Hometown bracelet, never take off your Hometown bracelet, and don't ever tell a stranger about Hometown. Oh yeah and that little rule I was dealing with right now. You have to be married by the time your 18 or the marriage will be an assigned one. The punishments for these rules if they were broken are horrible. Anywhere from jail time to branding to death.
I took a deep breath. "Who is it?" I asked dreading the answer.
My mother just looked at me. "Who is it?" I asked again. Panic was beginning to creep in.
"It's....it's Jett Malkinson." she finally answered.
I almost cried. Right there, just hearing that name. I can never love him. He is one of the town's cheif officers whos wife just died. Which would explain why I was assigned him, he needed a new wife. He is a mean heartless man. I once saw him whip a child who asked him for money. The little boy couldn't have been more then 8 and he was obviously starving. His hair was dirty and matted, his face was hollowed in, and he was wearing rags that exposed his rib cage, which I could easily count the number of ribs he had. Did I mention Jett is also 33?
"Oh no....Mom please! Please there has to be something we can do!" I was fighting back tears. I hated crying.
"I'm so sorry. It's already being arranged. You're wedding will be in March." Mom said with pitty in her voice.
March? It's January now! Oh my God. Two months until my life ended. Then I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. I ran to my room and cried like I have never cried before.
Oh God, what would Luci say? She didn't turn 18 until July! Plenty of time for her to find a husband. With her looks it wouldn't be hard.
After about two hours of crying and trying to figure out what to do, I decided to go see Luci.
I crept quietly out the front door, not wanting to run into my mother, father, brother, or sister.
Luci immidiately knew something was wrong, she read my face like a book. We headed to her room and I told her everything, crying again. She comforted me and told me it would be okay.
"But Luci it won't be!" I insisited, "They're going to expect me to have kids with him!"
"I know it not fair." She replied.
My phone beeped letting me know I had a text.
Come home now. Love Mom.
"I've got to go. I'll talk to you later." I told Luci.
"Okay. Good night."
When I walked in the door I realized why Mom had wanted me home. We were having a family dinner.....with Jett.
"Sit down, sweetheart." my father said. The only open seat was next to my soon to be husband. I sat down at our small, wooden dining room table.
"Hello Thena. You look beautiful tonight." Jett greeted me.
I just smiled at him. Or at least I hope it looked like a smile.
To put it simply dinner was awkward. We ate with an occasional comment or two.
At 7:30 my mom sent my brother Flynn, who was 8 years old with brown hair and blue eyes, and my sister Misty, who was 11 with strawberry blond hair and blue eyes, up to bed.
My mother, father, Jett, and I all went to the living room. Jett and I were on the love seat and my parents were both in a chair.
Sitting next to Jett was awful. I could feel his warmth radiating towards me. I was disgusted. Not that Jett was you know hideous or anything. He had green eyes, blond hair that was starting to gray, he wasn't skinny nor was he fat, and he had frown lines.
Him and my father chatted about the wedding. I just sat there knowing they were talking about the end of my life. At about 7:45 Jett stood up saying he had to get home before curfew.
My mother gave me a look that clearly said walk him to the door. So repressing a sigh I stood up with him and walked him out to the porch.
The words "good night" were just forming in my mouth when he grabbed my wrist tightly and painfully and tried to kiss me.
I turned my face away. Which happened to earn me a very painful twist of the wrist.
"Soon enough you won't be able to turn away. We'll be married and you'll be my quiet, pretty wife, until the day you die" He spat the words at me.
I just stood there not trusting myself to speak. He gave my wrist another painful squeeze.
"I'll see you tomorrow my Thena." He breathed. Holy crap did his breath smell. With that he turned and walked away.
I pounded up the stairs to my room and sat on my bed wondering what to do. One thing I knew, I would not marry him. I had two options: to die or.....or run away. Not just from my house, no they'd find me easily, but away from Hometown.
I sat there thinking for hours. No one disturbed me. Death would mean it's all over. I'd be done. If I try to run away a few things could happen. One: I'd make it out of here and explore the world. Never ever coming back. Two: I'd be caught and either killed or branded with the Hometown mark.
I didn't want to die. I wasn't ready for that yet. So that left me one option. I'd have to run away from Hometown.
YouAreAbsolutelyBeautiful