Fairytale: Escape from the Isarian Province

Fairytale

Escape from the Isarian Province

By Noel Johnston

Copyright 2011 Noel Johnston (Noel Salzano)

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To Every Little Girl Who Comes from a Broken Past.

The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. -- W.B. Yeats

Chapter One – A Broken Past

Once upon a time is a phrase immediately recognized by most children. It signifies the beginning of a magical adventure, the beginning of damsels, knights, and epic tribulations…the beginning of a fairytale. Once upon a time is also a phrase 15-year old Adaira Linton hadn't heard in more than ten years. To Adaira, fairytales were mere nonsense – stories invented by parents to placate their over-imaginative children.

Sure, there was a time when Adaira believed wholeheartedly in the stories her mother would invent about faeries and enchanted forests, unworldly creatures and dangerous escapades, but her childish belief in the mythical world didn't last long. Adaira accepted at a very young age that the world was a cruel place and that any happiness or solitude should be cherished because those moments were quick to dissolve into the empty void called reality.

Adaira reminded herself of this truth as she walked down Main Street, basking in the warmth of the clear morning. The early-morning sun seemed to be making up for lost time as it blazed furiously in the cloudless sky over Middlebury, Vermont. It had been raining nonstop for days, and the residents of the small cheery town hadn’t seen a single patch of blue sky in nearly a week. The mild rays beating down from above brought the community to life, rousing people from their beds earlier than usual that morning.

Neighbors called greetings to one another as they emerged from their houses to absorb the light into their sun-starved skin. Motorists on their way to work or school cranked their windows down to enjoy the balmy air, and hundreds of soaring birds whistled a joyful tune in celebration of finally being able to escape their muggy nests. Despite being immersed in the flooded soil, even the drenched ground foliage stood just a little bit taller in an attempt to stretch closer to the shining sun. It was the end of April and the temperature was only in the low 60s, but that felt warm to Middlebury’s 11,000 residents, who were more accustomed to freezing rain and snow most of the year.

Adaira smiled in spite of herself as she passed through downtown Middlebury, silently observing the rush of morning activity. The quaint, red-bricked antique shops, bakeries, and clothing stores that lined the street were opening for the day’s business, and the usual influx of weekend tourists began crowding the sidewalks. Founded in 1761, Middlebury’s rich history, mixed with its abundance of old colonial-style architecture, ski slopes, and unique gift shops, never failed to draw visitors from all over New England.

Adaira swung her backpack around her shoulder and pulled off her black hoodie, exposing the ruffled, pink blouse she’d found in the back of her closet while getting ready for school that morning. It was unusual to stray from her normal sweatshirt and jeans wardrobe, but she’d decided to celebrate the beautiful day by experimenting with something a little more feminine.

She pried the band out of the tangles of her messy bun and let her rosy ringlets fall down her back. The tender breeze was quick to caress each long tendril as she turned the corner onto South Street and crossed over the railroad tracks on her way towards Middlebury Union High School.

Morning glorious, Addie! Kevin Baron, Adaira’s best friend since the second-grade, waited for her at their usual meeting spot at the end of the bridge that crossed over the high school’s bubbling creek.

Hey Kevin – happy Friday! Adaira laughed, as usual at Kevin’s enthusiastic expression. Dressed in casual summer clothing, he looked perfectly comfortable leaning against the rail of the bridge, his face pointed towards the sky. His blue eyes shined beneath his messy white-blond hair and his exaggerated grin bared nearly all of his teeth. No matter how the day was going or what mood she happened to be in, Adaira could always count on her goofy friend Kevin to bring a smile to her face.

I can’t believe you’re wearing shorts and a t-shirt, aren’t you cold?

Me? Are you kidding? I’m like a lizard – put me in the sun and I’m warm. I’m not going to waste this beautiful day wearing another snow coat. Kevin chuckled as he eyed Adaira’s figure. Besides, look at you! I think it’s been a year since I’ve seen you wear anything but your infamous sweatshirts. He playfully pinched the cropped sleeve of Adaira’s blouse and flicked it away like it would bite him if he held on too long. Adaira smacked his hand and stomped off the bridge.

Well I thought it was a nice change, she voiced defensively as she made her way through the schoolyard. Kevin grabbed his backpack off the ground and ran to Adaira’s side.

Oh come on, don’t be so touchy. How can you be a grump when the sun has blessed us with a day like this? Jumping in front of her, Kevin grabbed Adaira’s hand and raised it to the sky, spinning her around in a half circle. She couldn’t help but laugh at the silly look on his face. He smiled at her. And yes, it is a nice change. You look really… he hesitated as he tried to find the right word. Pretty, he stated sheepishly.

Ha! was all Adaira could think to say in response to that. She jabbed him in the side with her elbow and laughed. You’re getting soft on me, Kev.

As they walked into school, Adaira and Kevin chatted excitingly about their upcoming weekend plans. The next day, they were driving about an hour south to go on a day hike in the nearby Green Mountain National Forest with Kevin’s mom and older brother. Over the years, Adaira had been invited to accompany Kevin’s family on several of these hikes, and she always looked forward to them. She loved the serenity of the woods and felt drawn to the towering white pines that canopied the thick blanket of ferns and wildflowers on the forest floor.

One of her favorite things to do on these hikes was to find a secluded waterfall or spring by following the rivers and streams that stemmed from the basin of the Chittenden Reservoir. Adaira always seemed to find an obscure tributary somewhere in the woods, tucked beneath outstretched tree roots or shrubbery, and would drag Kevin and his family along behind her to follow it to a hidden oasis. She had never once failed to find some tranquil alcove within the forest where she and the Baron family would usually rest and eat their lunch.

Ever since she was a little girl, Adaira had always felt a powerful connection to the forest. She felt immediately at peace as soon as she stepped into the fluttering streaks of dust-speckled sunlight that beamed down under the awning of leaves. Oftentimes, if she didn’t have anything to do after school or on a slow weekend, Adaira would wander through the woods outside of town by herself, just to admire the peaceful stillness.

Adaira and Kevin approached the school’s courtyard and said their goodbyes before they headed towards their separate freshman classes. Adaira breathed a sigh of relief thinking about her hike tomorrow with the Barons as she walked towards her first period algebra class. Besides the complete serenity she felt from the forest, Adaira was looking forward to spending an entire day away from home so she could escape her father.

An only child, Adaira had been raised by her dad since she was four years old. Her mother died just before her fifth birthday; the victim of Middlebury’s only unsolved murder in a more than a century. Adaira’s mind once again forced her to relive the scene that had played out in her memory nearly every day for the past ten years. She was four years old, propped up on a creaky desk down at the Middlebury police station. She could still feel the raw sore her scream had torn through the flesh in her throat when the officer said that her mommy was never going to come home again. The officer, trying to spare her all the gory details, simply stated that her mother was found unconscious outside of the shopping mall on the outskirts of town.

As Adaira got older, she found out that her mother was attacked by a stranger while walking to her car after a shopping trip. She died from a knife wound to the throat; the medical examiner announced to the media a few weeks afterwards that Marlina Linton’s death was quick and painless. Even though all of Middlebury’s residents were questioned, the investigation hadn’t uncovered a single clue. There were no witnesses, and the police never had any leads.

Marlina Linton’s murder, which continued to be the talk of the town for years afterwards, weighed down on Middlebury like a dark cloud. In the months that followed, residents were afraid to let their children out of their sights and the majority of the community installed deadbolts on the doors of their turn-of-the-century colonial homes. It wasn’t until several years later that people began to feel comfortable in their own town again.

As the years passed by, Adaira and her father encountered fewer sympathetic frowns and comforting words when they appeared in public. Her mother’s murder gradually faded in the memory of the community, but it only seemed to pull harder at Adaira’s heart with each passing day. The night of the crime was implanted so vividly in Adaira’s mind that she still felt sick to her stomach every time she remembered the wave of horror that rippled through her being when when she realized that she would never again see her beloved mother. She also couldn’t forget the way her little body shook in fear at the thought of now having to face her father’s explosive rage all alone.

Dwayne Linton, who was prone to the drink long before Marlina’s death, never paid much attention to Adaira before the murder, unless it was to smack her around for somehow displeasing him. Faced with the responsibility of raising a daughter he never wanted, Dwayne slipped into an even deeper dependence on alcohol. As she grew older, it wasn’t uncommon for Adaira to hide the assortment of bruises splattered over her body from her father’s drunken fury. Besides donning a variety of bulky clothing, Adaira had developed some creative ways to cover her injuries over the years and never underestimated the power of liquid makeup.

No matter how much she hated her father, keeping her familial discord a secret was something Adaira had promised herself she would do since she was a little girl. Shortly before her mother died, Adaira had looked forward to leaving her father for good. Only days before her murder, Marlina had promised Adaira that they were going to leave Middlebury and go back to her homeland, England, to escape the man she had naively married as a teenager.

But Adaira’s dream of escape died along with her mother, as did her belief that the world was anything but a dark void rotating in favor of human heartache and misery. With no known relatives on either side to speak of, Adaira remained loyal to her father by hiding the physical and emotional abuse she endured. After all, she was sure her father could express love; it was just buried deep in the bed of an ever-flowing river of alcohol. Adaira couldn’t bring herself to expose him for what he was because no matter how he acted, he was her father – the only family she had. Of course, as close as she and Kevin had always been, it was impossible to hide her troubles from him, and he remained her constant support throughout her struggles.

The soft chime of the school bell jerked Adaira from her trance as her fourth-period history teacher wrapped up his lecture on the Spanish-American war. Shoving her book in her backpack as fast as she could, Adaira sprang up from her seat and rushed towards the classroom door, hoping to make it to the cafeteria in time to get a good place in the lunch line. She sighed as she waited for the students in front of her to shuffle out of the classroom.

Hey Adaira, what’s up? Mitch, the most popular boy in the freshman class, leaned towards her as she squeezed through the door and stepped out into the hallway. Adaira’s brow creased in suspicion, wondering how this gorgeous boy knew her name.

Nah…not much, she stuttered. Her eyes narrowed, she wondered what he wanted. As far as her class was concerned, Mitch was basically a celebrity at Middlebury Union High School. He was defined by his egotistical reputation and rarely socialized with anyone outside of the popular crowd. Adaira stared into his eyes, momentarily hypnotized by his dark features and ridged jaw line.

Talk about a boring class. Mr. Carrey was so absorbed in that lecture that I don’t think he would have noticed if a fire had broken out in the middle of the classroom. Adaira grunted in feigned agreement. She’d often heard boys criticize something about Mr. Carrey, probably because they were intimidated by his appearance. Standing at least six and a half feet tall, Mr. Carrey’s huge frame, chiseled muscles, and heavy English accent were enough to make all the female teachers swoon. Most students were nervous in Mr. Carrey’s presence, but Adaira had never felt uncomfortable around him. Throughout her childhood, she had bonded well with him.

He wasn’t just her history teacher. In fact, Adaira had grown up knowing Mr. Carrey as her elementary school principal. Few people understood why, but he’d decided to change career paths and go back to teaching the same year Adaira had moved on to middle school. Coincidentally, he’d taken a teaching position at the high school the same year Adaira had transferred and once again, he was one of her teachers. She didn’t mind though. Since grade school, Mr. Carrey had taken a special interest in Adaira, constantly checking up on her and initiating casual conversation on a regular basis. Adaira always wondered why he favored her, but it didn’t matter – besides Kevin, Mr. Carrey was actually the only person she truly trusted.

Adaira continued to follow the crowd heading towards the cafeteria and Mitch eagerly kept up with her. So what are you up to this weekend? he asked, pushing his way through the stampede of students.

I’m going hiking. An awkward silence urged Adaira to continue. The weather seems like it’s going to hold out, so it should be pretty nice.

Cool. Mitch’s voice sounded taken aback. Adaira thought she noticed some sort of unmet expectation in his eyes, but she quickly passed it off as her overactive imagination. As they walked through the wide double doors into the cafeteria, Adaira hesitated, not sure if Mitch expected her to carry on the conversation. Luckily, she was saved when Kelly, a beautiful black-haired girl with deep brown eyes, called out and waved Mitch over to her table. She scrutinized Adaira with an arched brow. I’ll see you around, Mitch said, a sharp edge of annoyance cutting through his words.

Bye, Adaira replied, but Mitch had already walked away. There goes my place in line, she muttered to herself as she sauntered to the back of the lunch line. When she finally bought her lunch, Adaira maneuvered her way around the round tables haphazardly strewn throughout the cafeteria. She sat down in her usual place besides Kevin at the table they shared with their small group of friends.

Why was Mitch Graham talking to you? Kevin asked immediately, not bothering to conceal the disgust in his voice when he pronounced Mitch’s name.

Wait, what? Mitch Graham was talking to you? Lauren, a short, skinny girl with a light brown ponytail and glasses gaped at Adaira, almost contemptuously.

You saw that, huh? Adaira asked Kevin, ignoring Lauren and her exasperated glare. I don’t know; he was just asking what I was doing this weekend. I’m not sure why he would care. Lauren cocked her head to the side and cast a doubtful look in Adaira’s direction. Brian, a husky boy with black hair and red cheeks masked in acne, smiled across the table at Adaira and snickered.

Better watch out. It looks like Mitch is on the prowl for fresh meat. Adaira shrugged her shoulders indifferently.

Hey, can’t blame him – you’re hot stuff! Brian insisted, still laughing. Kevin glanced up at him, squeezing his soda can a little too tight.

Don’t inflate her ego too much, Brian. Do you want her to turn into one of those? Kevin scrunched his nose and his gaze shifted to the girls sitting at a table across the cafeteria. One of them was whispering something to a boy, twirling her long, curly blonde hair around the tip of her finger. The other, the one who had given Adaira the evil eye, was holding a compact up to her face, powdering her perfectly-shaped nose. They were the most popular girls in school, and for good reason. Both of them had flawless skin, perfect bodies, and expensive clothes – they looked like they could have been fashion models straight from a magazine. As beautiful as they were to look at, they were the most snobby, obnoxious girls Adaira had ever come into contact with in her life. Adaira glanced at Mitch, sitting between the two girls, laughing at something they had said. She looked down at her food tray before he could see her staring.

Yeah right guys, come on. Adaira blushed and flipped her hair over her shoulder self-consciously. Only recently had she been able to look into the mirror and feel okay with what she saw staring back at her. Her circular face, which had always been pudgy and childish, seemed to have elongated since her fifteenth birthday as it grew into the defined contours of her bone structure. The faint hue of faded light brown freckles around her nose was barely distinguishable anymore under her powdery white skin. Her eyes, electric green, sparkled under her fiery red-blonde hair, which dropped down to her waist in perfect spirals.

Adaira wasn’t used to sparking interest from a member of the opposite sex, much less being considered pretty. But recently, she had started to notice that boys were paying more attention to her. She also had to admit that the popular girls had taken a particular disliking to her, but she would never put herself in the same league as those perfect girls, nor would she go out of her way to primp and pamper herself just to satisfy the male population at her school.

A repressed grumbling sound from across the table captured Adaira’s attention. Lauren and the girl sitting next to her were watching Adaira, laughing about something she had obviously missed. They both quickly diverted their gazes when Adaira looked up. Not in the mood to be an object of gossip, Adaira pushed out her seat and stood up.

Are you done Kevin? I’m not really that hungry all of a sudden. Oblivious to the tension pulsating back and forth across the table between the girls, both Kevin and Brian got up and loyally followed Adaira out of the cafeteria. Want to walk around the field? Adaira asked them when they stepped outside into the courtyard. Might as well soak up some vitamin D while we have the chance.

Ayr… got t’do homework…nex period, Brian garbled as he tried to swallow the Twinkie he’d shoved in his mouth. See yah guys later.

That kid is going to have to lay off the junk food before he turns into a balloon, Kevin joked after Brian walked away.

Oh come on, don’t be mean. Adaira shot Kevin a reproving glance. He could come up with plenty of snide remarks to say about you too. Kevin smiled and pressed his lips together, pretending to zip them closed with his fingers. It was true that Kevin had no room to criticize Brian when he was such a huge nerd himself. Everything about him, from his extra-long gangly limbs to his Star Wars t-shirt, screamed geek. His rumpled blonde hair accentuated his immature face and his squeaky voice usually made people think he was no more than twelve-years-old. Regardless, he was like a brother to Adaira and his overly-upbeat, comedic personality always made her laugh.

Kevin and Adaira didn’t have many friends besides the ones they sat with at their lunch table. Adaira considered half of that group to be more acquaintances than actual friends anyway. It didn’t bother her though; she enjoyed spending her time alone with Kevin. Adaira laughed at Kevin’s jokes as the two of them walked around the football field, both content to once again be in each other’s company.

At the end of the school day, after Adaira and Kevin parted ways at the little bridge, Adaira dragged her feet towards town, delaying her arrival home as long as possible. She was about to turn the corner onto Main Street when she jumped, startled. A shrill voice squealed behind her.

Hey! Adaira, is it? Kelly, the black-haired popular girl – the one Mitch had sat next to at lunch – ran up behind her and stepped directly in Adaira’s path. Her blonde friend, Raquel, stood loyally by her side. Adaira nodded without responding and tried to keep walking, but they blocked her path. A few other students in the vicinity who were also on their way home from school casually glanced over at the three of them.

I saw that you were talking with Mitch today, Kelly said accusingly. From the tone of her voice, Adaira knew these girls didn’t stop her for a friendly chat. Not wanting to encourage their childish drama, Adaira smiled condescendingly and pushed her way forward between the girls.

You obviously aren’t aware of this because you’re a loser and don’t have any friends, Kelly said, snatching Adaira’s wrist to stop her, but Mitch and I are practically dating. She briefly met Raquel’s reaffirming eyes and arrogantly pursed her lips together, waiting for Adaira to make her amends. Barely missing a beat, Adaira snickered at her use of the word practically and laughed in their faces.

Good for you – I bet you’re very proud of yourself to be ‘practically’ dating someone – what an accomplishment. She shook her head at the girls as if she were speaking to preschoolers. If you’ll excuse me now, I need to get on my way. Adaira pulled her wrist out of Kelly’s grip and Kelly almost stumbled from the force. She walked straight ahead and didn’t look back when Kelly yelled after her.

We know how jealous you are! Mitch would never be interested in a loser like you! Both girls screamed insulting profanities down the street after her, but Adaira marched forward, pretending not to hear them. Last time she checked, a conversation wasn’t a crime, nor was it an offense worthy enough to warrant that kind of behavior from those snotty girls. She just wished there hadn’t been anyone else around to witness the little altercation – now she would have to deal with being the chosen topic of gossip at school for at least the next week. Adaira paused to reach in her backpack and fish out the bulkly sweater she’d started the day in. She pulled it over her head and flipped the hood up to hide her face. Positive or negative, she hated being the center of attention.

Chapter Two – Fairytales

Adaira! Get over here this instant – what is this mess! Dwayne Linton’s voice boomed through the hallway from the kitchen as soon as Adaira stepped into the foyer of her house. Adaira dropped her backpack near the front door and mentally prepared herself for an argument. She walked to the back of the house into the kitchen. Trash was strewn all over the floor – the trashcan rolling around as if it had just been kicked – and sharp fragments of what used to be her mother’s cherished fruit bowl were scattered on top of the kitchen table.

Dwayne, who had just woken up for the day, wore an enraged scowl. His forehead creased in a deep V and his upper lip curled tightly beneath his nose, as it usually did when he was angry. He stomped over towards Adaira and bent down until his face was level with hers. Adaira inhaled the faint, rustic scent of his favorite ale, still lingering in his breath from his bout of drinking last night. What the hell happened in here? he asked, his voice threatening a swift smack in the face if she answered incorrectly. Adaira backed away and her eyes darted around the kitchen.

I don’t know, she muttered nervously. Dwayne’s eyes narrowed accusingly, compelling her to continue. I woke up when you came home this morning, around three probably. I heard a crashing sound and came downstairs to see what happened but… she paused, trying to better assess her father’s mood. His dusty brown hair was disheveled and matted down on one side of his face. It looked like he hadn’t shaved in a week and his hazel eyes were cradled in deep brown bags.

But what? Adaira took a deep breath and then quickly spit out what she was trying to say.

You were laughing and throwing bottles across the kitchen. I didn’t want to bother you so I just went back to bed. Dwayne looked appalled. He stood straight and towered over Adaira, his overweight frame jiggled when he moved.

You’re telling me I made this mess? Adaira looked up into her father’s face and remained silent. She knew better than to respond – any reply would give him more than enough of a reason to smack her. She also knew that her father would believe her story, because the same drunken scene had replayed itself many times over in their household. Dwayne slammed his fist down on the kitchen counter and raised his voice again, making Adaira shudder.

Don’t you accuse me of anything! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! Before he had the chance to scream anything else, Adaira rushed out of