Title: Enduring the Pain

Chapter One

Author: Kim O'Donnell

E-mail: lmo123@hotmail.com

Summary:  This story is an alternate reality fic that I had made up on whim 
and decided

to later associate Darien and Serena into this story.  It's sad and it's got 
some not so easy

approachable subjects but I think that's what makes it unique and 
interesting but also

causes me to rate it as PG-13/R.  I might change the rating throughout the 
chapters but

it'll mainly stay in that range.  It is a romance story where Darien and 
Serena have been

friends since childhood and soon realize they have hidden feelings for their 
best friend.

Its how Serena goes through a really tough time and how Darien helps her out 
and one

day might save her life.  It might start off kind of slow and I'm planning 
on making it a

long story so I don't know when it'll be finished but I promise I'll try to 
make it really

good.  It's my first story I've written so if you don't like anything I've 
said so far then I

suggest you read somewhere else.  Thanks!


Chapter One: The Truth Will Come Out

I knew if I went home now that my father would be there.  I had been out 
with Darien

tonight again.  He was my childhood friend and over the years we had grown 
even closer.

I had told Darien I had to leave over an hour ago otherwise my father would 
be mad

when I got home, but Darien distracted me and I lost track of time.  I knew 
for sure now

that the consequences weren't going to be light this time.  Father would 
shout about my

disobedience towards him and would punish me for my crimes.  No matter where 
I went I

couldn't escape the harsh beatings of his words and his hands, most of all 
his hands.

Father would always wash them before and afterwards though, I was unclean or 
so he

told me.  The devil had been brought up in his own home and no matter how 
hard he had

tried to beat it out of me it just kept on coming back.  We had been such a 
loving family

up until I was 5.  That's when mama went away.  He said I had poisoned her 
and made

her die, that's when the beatings had started.  He was careful to only hit 
in places that

wouldn't be seen very easily.  They had started light but as I grew he 
became harsher

knowing as age increased I became stronger.  In the 11 years I have endured 
that pain I

have never once told anyone about what he did to me, not even Darien.  Sure 
they

suspected but we were of high status and no one dared to put blame over my 
father.  My

friends were few and varied but never have I really connected with anyone 
except for

Darien.  Darien was 2 years my senior but we had been close still but I 
didn't always trust

him with my secrets.  I believe I'm scared, scared of what could happen and 
who they

might tell or what they would whisper as I walked by.


Tonight was like all the other nights as I stepped in through the gate of 
the house.

Making sure to take off my shoes and coat, I placed them neatly in the 
closet knowing he

would beat me if the slightest things were misplaced.  My feet tapped 
quietly against the

floor as I made my way down the hallway and into the bathroom to wash my 
hands and

then proceeded to the dinning room where dinner would be held in a few 
moments.  My

father was already seated at the head and the maid was carrying in the food 
that was

made by the chef that night.  Waiting for his permission I took my seat and 
then he

proceeded to ask me questions about how school had gone that day.  I had 
gotten an A-

on my math test and that was not to be permitted.  I was to get all A's and 
nothing below

or above because I was not to be to smart nor to stupid in his house.  
Before when I have

ever gotten anything lower he would beat me for it thinking it was what made 
me do

better.  That's why I was surprised when I asked to be excused and he 
allowed me to

leave without a breath otherwise.  Following dinner I quickly escaped to my 
room hoping

he would let it slip this time and not come to my room after he finished his 
dinner.  I

crawled into my bed and hid among the pile of white satin covers that 
stained my bed.  I

drifted off a little while later not being able to keep my eyes open any 
longer and fell into

a fitful sleep.  It wasn't until the middle of the night that I heard the 
door creak open.  My

eyes instantly shot open and I caught the stale smell of whiskey that hung 
around my

father when he was drunk and in the office with the smell of his cigars.  I 
knew he would

show no mercy if he felt it necessary this time.  I heard the first crack of 
his belt against

my skin, followed by many more.  I heard someone screaming and would realize 
later

that it was I.  Soon my body was so numb I couldn't feel anything and could 
only smell

the blood from my body mixed with the whiskey and the sound of the belt 
snapping, until

my world went black.

I woke up the next morning in agony.  The first thing I noticed was I wasn't 
in my room.

The walls were a deep midnight blue with an intricate pattern weaved through 
it in a

darker color, almost black.  The wood on the bed and dresser were all a deep 
cherry and

there were gold-laced knobs on the doors and cabinets.  I had been set on my 
stomach so

I rolled over to my other side only to cry out.

"AHHHHH!"  I felt so much pain radiating from my back.

"Serena?  Serena, are you okay?"  I heard someone shouting to me as they 
stumbled into

the room and towards the bed.  I had gone into complete shock and all I saw 
before I

blacked out again was a mop of raven hair looking devastatingly over my body 
in

complete distress.  I had tried to smile to reassure the person that I felt 
so safe with but

the pain was so strong and I was gone in a moments notice.

End of Ch. 1

Good?  Bad?  Comments?  Please send them to lmo123@hotmail.com.