THE HUNTED MIRROR:1

In a small town of England, in the later half of the 1800s, there once lived the Keynes family who were quite famous and highly-reputated in their locality as the family was the owner of a good-going business company.

The Keynes lived in a huge villa which was filled with treasures but not happiness. David Keynes was the owner of both the villa and the company. He had huge masses of trasures. He resembled to be a very good hearted man. But from inside, he was actually a devil in disguise.

His wife, Laura Keynes was a soft-hearted person but was always afraid of her husband as he used to torture her everyday. They had a daughter named Rosè. She was a very beautiful, soft-hearted and graceful girl. She had peering blue eyes. She held an intensity in her eyes and her face. People used to say that David was very lucky to get such a friendly and good mannered daughter. But David didn't much approve of Rosè as he was prone to a dirty thought that tells that females are inferior than males.

The Keynes' were not a happy family. David and Laura often had quarrels which lead Rosè to a little depression. And finally, one day in the year 1855, when David could no longer bear Laura, he stabbed her. Rosè saw the whole incident happen. She was just of 10 years then. She was very angry and at the same time she was mentally challenged and hurt. She wanted to kill her devilish father but before she could spit out her anger on her father, she was put into a shabby, dark and pungent-smelling room by her father which was very scary. She cried there for hours and hours for what had happened. She never thought that matters would turn so worse. She cried over her loss of mother. She felt all lonely and tortured. The next day her father came to see her but he was not alone. A lady of about 25 had come with him. Rosè was very scared. She thought that maybe now she would be tortured by that lady. But nothing of that sort happened. Rosè asked her father in a very terrified tone, "Dad, who is she?" "She is your new mother, Enola Rambo. Tomorrow we get married and then she would be Enola Keynes instead of Enola Rambo." answered David in a heavy tone. "She can't be my mother! A mother can never be replaced! Dad you cannot do such an injustice to me! I will never accept this woman as my mother!" replied Rosè in the highest pitch that she could ever dare to speak in. And then her father slapped her and said in a very angry tone, "You do not accept Enola as your mother! Huh! Now see what I do to you. How dare you say in such a high pitch? You have forgotten that how you should talk to your father! Wait for what I do with you!" And he started beating Rosè with his belt. After 10 to 15 of such painful beating, he stopped and inquired of Rosè, "Now say what is your decision! Say will you...." "Wait David! Why do you beat this little girl? Look at her! She holds such an innocence on her face. Please don't beat her dear. If you love me, then please do not beat her." interrupted Enola. It was the first time she ever spoke something since the time she came in there. Thus on her request, he stopped beating Rosè. David said, "I will not beat you. But, I will keep you locked up in this room forever. You will be provided with two meals daily, some dresses, but you will stay here locked up forever. You will never be talked about to anyone. I will never consider you as my own blood." and he left with Enola leaving Rosè all alone in that room. Thus, Rosè was concealed forever from the rest of the world. She was mentioned by neither David nor Enola. Those who knew her were either killed or sent to faraway, desolate lands. 

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