Winter Wonderland

[bookwurm21]

Chapter 1

I walked from the cold, snow-covered campground into the warm cabin. The television was on. Somebody was playing the Wii, again.

"Andrew, do you never get outside?" I asked, a little miffed. I was dripping with melting snow, having just been the victor of the first major snowball war of the season.

"Ayla, of course I do. I like playing this more though." He answered, not even looking at me. Rolling my dark, chocolate brown eyes, I walked over to the stove, putting a pot of water on to boil for some hot chocolate.

"So, who won?" Andrew asked, sneaking up behind me. I was used to having him do this, so I did not jump as he intended.

"Me, of course. Those wimps out there can't hit the broad side of a barn." This made him laugh. He was always telling me that I was a hick.

"You are soooo a hick," he said, sparking another argument about this.

"I am not, you oversized ape!" I exclaimed, turning to him in anger. I was tired of his teasing and mean comments.

He leaned over and kissed me. It was a surprise. He had never done that before. It made me melt at the knees.

Breaking the kiss off, he smiled."Ha," he said." I finally got to you, the Ice Queen."

I snorted."You did not. I am not gotten to. Keep trying, buster." I turned my back to him and added some chocolate powder to the boiling water, humming all the while. A blast of cold air hit me, making me shiver.

"Is that cocoa I smell?" a very familiar, and very welcome voice said. I turned to the love of my like, Nicolai Giavanni.

Smiling, I poured him a mug of the steaming hot chocolate and put whipped cream on top. "Here you go, darling," I practically sang, handing him the mug.

He gave me his most dazzling smile."Thank you, sweetheart."

I smiled back. "No problemo!!" I said, walking back to the stove with a bounce to my step. I hummed as I began the dinner preparations.

People began arriving in droves, my classmates and friends singing and laughing. This was the perfect Winter Vacation.

Little did I know that it would turn out to be the biggest, the worst and the most horrible nightmare in the world.

Chapter 2

I walked into my friend Shawna's room, a load of her clean laundry in my arms. I strolled over to her dresser, oblivious of everything around me, the iPod in my ears blocking all sound.

"Even if I say, it'll be alright. Still I hear you say, you want to end your life," I sang softly along to one of my favorite songs. I put her clothes on top of the dresser and turned to leave. But what I saw broke my heart. My boyfriend of 1 year was sneaking out of the room....butt naked.

I looked to the bed to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me, and, sure enough, there lay Shawna naked and looking very satisfied. She was sound asleep, so I left the room as silently as a ninja. After I left, I ran to my room, slamming the heavy wooden door shut. Sinking to the floor, it was then that I let myself cry. My sobs were hard, shaking my entire body. Someone came to my door and asked if I was ok. Of course I wasn't okay. I had just had my heart broken by the man whom I had thought loved me, having seen him cheat on me. It hurt. It hurt way more than I had ever imagined.

Finally, I cried myself out. Crawling to my bed, I fell into a deep, troubled sleep, feeling as if my world were crashing around me.


The next morning, I awoke to see my German Shephard, Isabella, and my Rottweiler Max sleeping on either side of me. Someone had kindly let my best friends into the bedroom. Max, somehow sensing I was awak, started licking my tear-stained face.

"Max, I think you are the only man who has ever been loyal to me. My first man cheated on me twice and got a girl pregnant and my second one broke up with me after he said he liked me. Now this. I guess I'm just not desirable." I sighed, stroking his big head. Stretching, I looked at the clock and sat up fast. It was already 6:40. Time to start breakfast.

I rushed to get ready. I didn't want to look like I had cried all night, so I showered and put my make-up on. I headed to the kitchen, Max by my side. Isabella was already there, looking after the two kittens I had found under the cabin.

I got the big frying pan out and placed it on the stove. I extracted some bacon and eggs from the refrigerator, along with some orange juice. Placing the bacon on the hot frying pan, I began the worst morning of my life. I was like a hurricane in the kitchen, preparing breakfast and cleaning up and feeding my friends. There was no stop to it. When it was all done, cleaned and spread out, I rang the breakfast triangle. I took my mug of coffee and my favorite book with me to the library and read while everybody feasted on the fruits of my labor.

It was about 11 o'clock before anybody went in search of me. My friend Nicole P. found me first because she knew I loved to read.

"Ayla, do you think you could come outside with me? Everybody is worried about you." Indeed, her expression was that of a concerned friend.

I gave a small smile. Nikki was one of my best friends. We had been friends ever since the 7th grade, and in fact, she was one of the few who had been my friend all these years.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to worry everybody. I just want to sit here for a little while. I'll have lunch prepared by 12:30. Go have fun." I said with false cheerfullness. She knew it was false too, but she didn't push. She knew that I would tell her what was wrong eventually.

It was another hour before I stood up and went to make lunch, which was some Top Ramen. I also let Max and Isabella out to go to the bathroom. I was happiest when I was in the kitchen, when I didn't have to think of what a cesspool my life had become.

At precisely 12:30, my friends arrived for lunch. I was letting the dogs in, so I was in the wood-room. I could hear the conversation and I was surprised at what I heard.

"What the hell have you done to Ayla this time, Nick?" Andrew demanded, anger in his voice.

"Me? Why would you assume I had anything to do with this bout of unhappiness? She sinks into them at the drop of a hat." Nicolai said defensively.

"No, she doesn't. And I haven't heard her cry that hard since...well, since never! You are the only reason she gets so depressed." Andrew retorted, almost furious.

"Well, I have no idea what you are talking about. You have lost your mind." Nicolai sneered.

"He has not. I saw her this morning, and she was absolutely crushed. It had to be something you did, because the only thing that would cause this is if her dogs died, or one of us did." Nicole said, furious at his lying.

I walked in, my dogs by my side. They started growling immedietly when they saw Nicolai.

"Do you want to know what this scumbag did to make me feel this way?" I asked quietly.

Everybody but Nicolai nodded. "He had sex with Shawna yesterday. I walked into it, oblivious to his deceit. The only reason I know is because I saw him sneaking out of her room, naked. I was devastated. I'm sorry if this has ruined your vacation. I'll be in the library. Dinner will be at 6:30. Good day." I said, dispassionately. I was empty inside, yet at the same time I was a little warmed at my friends defending me.

I walked woodenly to the library, Max and Isabella at my side. I shut and locked the door. Then I put my gloves and scarf and snow boots on. Donning my warm jacket, I walked out the door leading outside. Max loped ahead, but Isabella stayed with me, sensing my depression.

"Oh, Bella, I wish I hadn't found out like that. It would have been better if he had told me." I sighed. The tears started again, but I angrily swiped them away. Now was not the time for crying. Now was the time for the fury that would replace the soul-searing agony inside.

I walked like this for hours, stopping only when it got dark. I knew where I was (I had always been good with direction), so I went to the nearest place of shelter, an abandoned cabin only 20 feet to my right. It was well kept, so I knew that I would not freeze. Maybe it would do them good to be without me for a night.

But I knew not the panic I stirred back at the main cabin.....

[bookwurm21]

Chapter 3

I wake up to the sound of my beloved-turned-hated calling my name. I rose out of the bed, all the world feeling like a ghost. I looked out the frosted window to see him approaching the door.

"Max, Isabella. Run to the Fir cabin and bring Mathew. Hurry," I signed to them, not risking talking. They slipped out the back dog door silently. As Isabella's tail disappears, he bangs on the door.

"AYLA!!!! I KNOW YOU AND YOUR MISERABLE MUTTS ARE IN THERE!!!!" Nicolai shouts.

I open the door, praying that he wouldn't kill me this time. A couple of bruises and fractures would be better than what he surely must mean to do to me.

As soon as I open the door, his hand goes for my throat. He slams me against the wall, his face only inches from mine. I can see the fury in his eyes, smell his alcohol-laden breath and the flare of his nostrils was pronounced.

"You humiliated me in front of your friends for the last time, my dear. This time, you will not be seeing them ever again.

My eyes widen in fear. This was worse than I had imagined. He did not intend to kill me, but it was much worse. He intended to lock me away. Forever. I gasped for air. I struggled to think of a way to escape. I now regretted sending my dogs away. They would have protected me from this savage.

He tossed me onto the floor and proceeded to punch and kick and slap me with all of his strength. I was used to this, so I did what I normally did: I escaped into myself, withdrawing from the pain. There was no where else to go when he was in one of his moods. He never hit me in the face or left bruises on my forearms, because i always bared my arms to the elbows. I hated long sleeves.

I felt a few of my ribs break and I knew I was bleeding. I could also feel the bruises forming under the force of his fists. This wasn't so normal. It took a lot of force to bruise me. In fact, when I was 10, I broke both my ulna and my radius, and I didn't have one bruise. Then when I was 12, I broke my toe. It only bruised a little bit.

When I came out of my reverie, the beating had stopped and i glanced about me, dazed. I was still in the stage before pain would cascade over my body. I picked myself up and went into the bathroom to relieve myself. I only glanced at the mirror, but I quickly looked again. That jerk had bruised my face!! I could not believe it. He seemed not to care anymore what people saw. They would now know that I was his punching bag.

"Why? Why now? I could have went the rest of break without this." she said, tears quietly leaking out of her face. She heard someone stirring in the bedroom next to the bathroom.

She quickly checked to make sure Nicolai was still sleeping, then went into the kitchen to prepare a meal for him. He would be hungry after the energy he had exerted during the beating. I scrambled some eggs, fryed some bacon and brewed a carafe of coffee for him. Then I went to shower. I wanted toget as much of the dirt off as possible. He would be pleased, and then he wouldn't hurt me anymore. Or so I hoped. I stepped out of the shower, only to find myself face-to-face with him.

"I'm hungry." He snapped.

"Your food is on the counter." I said, looking down at the floor. I was trying to please him as much as possible, so as not to get another beating.

He hurrumphed. "We'll see how well you did." He turned and stormed into the kitchen and started to scarf down the food.

Chapter 4

After he was done eating, I went to him and I decided that I wouldn't be his punching bag anymore. I realized at that moment that I had only put up with it because I thought I loved him.

"Well, you did good with the food. We'll see how good you do in the bed." he stood up and reached for me.

"No." I said, showing him the first bit of defiance he had seen from me since he met me. I'm a people pleaser, so I normally just go with what other people wanted.

"No?" He questioned. He looked at me as if I had grown another head.

"No." I repeated, glaring up at him.

"You will do it, whether you like it or not!" He snarled. He reached for my arm, to take me to the bedroom.

I jerked it out of his reach. "I will not be used for your pleasure any longer, you bastard. I realized that you are just a bully, and I won't take it any more." I kicked him in his groin, dropping him to his knees. I dashed out of the kitchen and out the door, only to come face to face to, no other than that coniving, malicious woman, Shawna. She was only about five feet tall, and I, standing at five feet five inches, towered over her, so it didn't even pass through my mind that I couldn't leave.

When she stepped in front of me, I stopped."What do you think you are doing, Shawna?"

"Well, I do believe I am stopping you from running away from Nicky. You don't know what you have in that man."

"I know perfectly well what I had in that monster. A tyrant. Now move, or else I'll flatten you." I snarled, casting her my best scathing glare.

She cowered for a moment, giving me my chance of escape, but it came to late. Nicolai had come up behind me and he now wrapped his beefy, muscular arm around my windpipe, strangling me.

"Thank you babe. I would have gone to a lot of trouble to catch this little witch." he said, giving that traitorous girl a dazzling smile. Then he tightened his arm. As the world started turning black, I thought I heard my faithful dogs snarling and barking....

I woke up sore and very frightened. Sitting up poker straight, I looked about me and saw a strangely familiar room. It was my room from the main cabin. Two warm bodies lay next to me.

"Max? Izzy?" I whispered. Or tried to anyway. I couldn't talk. That man had crushed my voice box.

Max raised his great black head, looking worried. I smiled, petting him. I was glad to see him again.

What happened?I signed. He stood up and jumped off the bed, tugging on my gown. I followed, opening my door. I saw Ian, my best friend, sitting outside my door.

Walking quietly, so as not to wake him, I followed my Rott out to the living room, where Nicole, Chelsea and Dustin were all sitting up, talking quietly.

[bookwurm21]

Chapter 5

Chelsea turned to me and grinned. I think she was glad to see me...

"Ayla!!!!"she yelled, then glomped me. I gave a silent chuckle.

Hi. How are you? I signed to her. She turned to Nicole, who was the only person other than the dogs that understood American Sign Language(or ASL).

"She said, Hi, How are you?" Nicole said.

"Oh! Well, I'm fine. Let's not worry about me though. How are you. Do you feel alright? Do you need to go to the hospital?" She was really worried about me, I could see this, but I knew that the truthful answer would upset her, so I shook my head.

No. I don't need to go to the hospital. What did you draw today? I changed teh subject to one that I knew she would completely focus on.

"I drew some really good comics. It has E.T saying that he'll get Mr.Sprouse." She said after Nikki translated for me.She laughed at the last bit. Her and I had decided to play a prank on him last year in October(he thought that E.T. had been a frightening movie when it first came out).

Chapter 6

Cool! I hope he shakes in his boots! I gave a small evil smile. I had a real ability to revel in some people's uncomfort, but I hated misery.

"Ayla, you know that somebody is coming today right?" Nicole inquired.

YesI signed, a little confused. Why?

"Because we wanted you not to worry about Him.." she answered.

I frowned. What happened to him anyway?

She sighed. Isabella tore his throat out. Shawna ran away, and we don't know what happened to her after that. She signed back.

How did you know to come so fast?

Max wouldn't leave us alone, so we followed him. We got there in time to stop him from killing you. Andrew caught you when he threw you to get away.

Good. That bastard deserved to die. Now nobody will know what it feels like to be the receiver of his fury.

"Ayla, are you feeling well enough to eat?" Nicole asked aloud.

I shook my head. My throat still hurt from the abuse it had taken.

I will make breakfast though.

I turned and started pulling pans out for french toast, the way my Mama makes it. With cinnamon and sugar folded in the middle, all gooed together with melted butter.

I listened to the chatter around me as I cooked. It was always a favorite past time for me, and I had earned a reputation in the house as an exceptional cook.

"Ayla!! Do you think you could come over here for a second?" My friend Cody called.

I turned to him and nodded. I flipped about 8 pieces of toast onto a plate with skill and walked to him.

He put his arm around my shoulders and raised a glass full of sparkling cider."To my brave friend Ayla for finally sticking up for herself and for learning to cook. Without her we would not be so well-fed, nor so happy." he drank.

"Here, here!" Cheered the cabin's inhabitants.

Chapter 7

There was a knock on the door as they all drank to Cody's toast. I was a little embarassed because I wasn't used to being praised, so I silently excused myself from the festivities to answer the door. To my utter surprise, there stood another of my best friends: Katie G., whom I hadn't seen since my 17th birthday in August.

"OMG Ayla!! WTF happened to you?" She gasped when she saw the finger-shaped bruises on my neck. I shook my head to indicate it was nothing, because, like most of my friends, she didn't understand sign language.

"I should have come sooner. I knew you'd get hurt. I don't know how I knew, but I did."She wailed. Then she glomped me, nearly knocking me off of my feet. I made a wooshing sound as she hit one of my broken ribs.

"Oh, Im so sorry! Did I hurt you."

"You only hit a broken rib. I doubt that she's in a lot of pain." Sean said sarcastacly. He was Ian's twin brother. For some reason, he had been in a foul mood the whole trip. I turned my head and glared at him. He just gave a small smile.

"It's O.K. Keke. It don't hurt too bad." I croaked. It was barely louder than a whisper, but I was able to talk. I did a little dance in my head. Now I could speak without an interpreter.

"Who did this to her?" Keke demanded, glaring at Andrew.

"Not me, if that's what you think. It was her dead boyfriend."

"Dead? Nicolai is dead?" She said, shocked.

"Yes."

"Who killed him?"

"My dog." I answered.

"Why? What did he ever do to you that caused murder?"

"He nearly killed her, is what. He beat her, raped her and isolated her for a year. I think he deserved what he got, don't you?" Ian snarled, coming out of the hallway.

"Well, yeah, I guess. But how do you know what he did to her while they were alone?" Keke asked, suspicious.

"Because he kept a journal. He wrote everything down. Even the way he did it. That bastard was a sick one. He and Shawna had actually planned to kill her." Ian said, looking somewhat guilty. He probably hadn't planned on telling me these things. I suppose that he wanted to protect my heart from more hurt than it had already received.

"Come, Keke, I'll show you to your room." I whispered. I had to dress anyways. And I needed a shower. The nastiness was starting to get to me. No way would I have ever have survived with him. I knew that, but I was still hurt that he wanted me dead.

I showed Keke to her room, which had been prepared yesterday and went into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me just as the tears started falling. I thought that I had had no more tears to shed, but I did. These were over what my poor Isabella had had to do.

And for the child growing inside of me.

[bookwurm21]

Chapter 8

"Everybody, gather around please."I said to my friends. "I have an announcment to make."

They looked at each other, confused. She had never before made them gather around.Then they looked at me expectantly.

I gulped. I had never had to do anything so hard."I'm...I'm pregnant." i stood, my head bowed, waiting for the censure sure to come. I must have waited five minutes before I looked up at the crowd.

"Really? I wonder why?" Dustin said with a wicked smile.

"You know why. That stupid SOB."

"Ahhh, that's it. What do you think about this Sean?" Dustin looked at Sean wiht one eyebrow raised. I was confused. Why should he care? Unless....but no, it couldn't be. We barely ever hung out. I must be wrong.

"I don't think anything. It's her life being flushed down the toilet." he sneered. He then stormed out of the house.

"What was that all about?" I asked, stunned. I looked at Ian, surprised by the look on his face. He was furious. He raced after his brother.

"well, I'm going back to bed. Anybody else wanna give me a blow before I do?" I asked. Nobody did, so i went to my room and lay down with my dogs on either side of me. I was asleep instantly....

DREAMING
I was running through the woods, to somebody. His face was blurry, making it obscure. Then I was running towards my mother. She had died only a few months ago. That was why I had planned this trip. I needed to get away from home. I was now living with my biological father, and it was hard.

"Mom!!" I screamed, excited. I missed her terribly. No matter how mad she made me, I still loved her. Now she was gone.

"Mom!!" I screamed again. She was fading."No, don't go. Not yet. Please." I pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but you don't need me anymore. You have your own child to think of.I love you." She said, then she was gone.

"Noooo!!!!!!" I gave a heart wrenching cry.

I awoke abruptly, the last dredges of the dream clouding my head.

Chapter 9

I sighed, sort of releived. I wish that my mother was still with me, but now I knew that she had faith in me. There was no way that I could ever believe that she didn't want me to go on with the baby. At least I knew what I was up against. My first real boyfriend had cheated on me as well...twice. He had actually gotten a girl pregnant, and now he was a father. I felt no ill will to him. In fact, I should be thanking him. Without his insesitivity, I would not have been able to choose to leave Nicolai.

"Max, I wish that you could talk. I wonder what you would say." She said, falling back asleep.

#$#$#$#$ #$#$#$#$ #$#$#$#$

Ian and Sean had come back about 20 minutes after I had went to bed, still arguing. They were quiet about it, probably trying not to give cause for gossip, but they didn't succeed.

"You like her, Sean. Admit it. Why do you deny that?" Ian demanded.

"Because, Ian, what would be the point? She wouldn't take me, not after this fiasco."

"You don't know that. She could just need to calm down. That was a pretty big blow to her, you know." Ian pointed out.

The hot Grabinski twin sighed."You're right, as usual. Do you know what she would say to me if I asked her out?"

Ian shook his head. He didn't know anything about dating. He had never had a girlfriend.

"Ok, I'll talk to her tomorrow. " Sean said, then he left to go watch some television.

Ian went to check on Ayla. She was sleeping soundly, her two trusted hounds laying next to her. He wondered what had transpired in that little cabin to make Nicolai beat her so badly...
#$#$#$#$ #$#$#$#$ #$#$#$#$

I woke up feeling refreshed and energized. There was nothing better in the world like waking up feeling good. I stretched, then i went to my dresser, looking for some clothes. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Then i yanked a hoodie out of my closet. I was never without one.

Laundry day at the cabin was hectic. There were only 4 washers and dryers, so that only four people could do their laundry. I was always the last one because i didn't have all that much laundry to do since i always wore my jeans at least twice before i wore clean ones.

I made myself a sandwich while everybody was doing their laundry, seeing as I hadn't ate yesterday.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Sean approaching me. I wonder what he wanted...

[bookwurm21]

Chapter 10

"What is it Sean?" I asked after seeing how hesitant he was to approach me.

He cleared his throat, looking around nervously."Well,um, I know how tough it's been for you the last few days. First Nicolai, then the baby. But I want you to know-" just then, there was a knock on the door.

I smiled gently at Sean."Sorry, I have to get that." I said, excusing myself. I walked to the door, furious that someone dared disturb this very important discussion.

Opening the door, I stared at the person responsible. It was a stranger.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I snapped.

"Ayla, I'm so hurt! How could you not recognize me?" The stranger pouted, her eyes not showing hurt.

I only raised my eyebrow.

"It's Teasha, silly! You should have recognized me." She pouted some more.

"Oh. That's who you are." I stated. Then I slammed the door in her face. I didn't know how she'd gotten the address, and I didn't care. I didn't want to see my faithless ex-friend at the current point in time.

She knocked again. I opened the door, glaring at her , incredibly furious.

"What do you WANT?! I practicaly snarled.

"I wanted to see all of you guys again."

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you took off 4 years ago, with not a way to get ahold of you." I sneered.

"Ayla, let her in. I want to hear what she has to say to us after all of this time. There must be a reason she's here." Sean said, the only one of us to have a clear head.

I nodded. Stepping back, i waved her into the cabin.

"This had better be good Teasha." I groweled, waiting for what would surely be the worst explanation a person could give.

Chapter 11

"Well, you see, I had no way of getting any kind of contact. I've been living in a shack for the past four years, so i couldn't get a phone call. We had no mail box to recieve letters in and I didn't have a computer to get e-mail, so even if you did try, it wouldn't have worked."

"That's BS, and you know. The computer could be used in the public library and there are still payphones around, so you really do have no excuse whatsoever to say that you couldn't at least tell us you're alive. We thought that maybe you had died or something." I scoffed.

Fury washed over her face when I said that."Fine, if you must know, I didn't want contact with anybody from my old life. I'd been losing weight and stuff, gaining popularity at my old school and I thought to myself, hmmm, maybe this can be a fresh start for me. Is that so terrible?" She stormed.

"Yes. It is. You just dropped us like a hot potato, with not a word as to your decision. " I said and did something I had told myself I would do when I next saw my unfaithful friend. I hauled back and punched her in the face. I know that I shouldn't have done so, but I couldn't help it."Ian will love to see you now." I gave an evil laugh as I turned and left the room. Sean followed me.

I turned to him and asked him, " What did you want me to know?"

"I think I'll just show you." He said, and grabbed me and kissed me. It was a coaxing kiss and a searching one too. He wanted my answer. I kissed him back fiercely. Yes, I silently shouted