I'm suddenly awakened several hours later by a boot to the ribs. I feel a crack and a stabbing pain erupts where I was kicked. I squeal and clutch my side. I want to go home! I want my mo...

"Get the fuck out here! You have work to do."

I stumble out of my room and the man is standing there with an impatient look on his face. I drop my gaze to the floor remembering I'm not to look at any of them. I receive a quick snack across the left side of my face, which is already in excruciating pain.

"Can you get any slower bitch?! You ain't gonna last much longer if you keep this up!"

"It seems Revus had too much to drink last night and puked all over the floor in his room. Clean that shit up, and then clean up the empty bottles. There is a trash pile out by the woods. Don't even think about running. We will hunt you down and kill you."

I nod and start looking in the other rooms to find the puke. When I find it, I use the same technique as before. I scoop up the mess and walk outside. I wander around looking for this trash pile by the woods. Well, this whole place is surrounded by woods. It seems to be a hideout smack in the middle of a dense forest. There are several buildings in this compound, and it's arranged in a circular shape, so it can easily be defended from any side. I doubt I would be able to escape this place. I'm sure even if I tried to run some monster in that forest would kill me long before they find me. I'm not seeing any of the low-level bunnies I'm used to around here. This means this place probably has much higher-level monsters that killed off any lower-level ones like the bunnies back home.

I found the trash pile just inside the Forrest line behind the building on the opposite side of the compound than the building where my new "room" is. I deposited the filth and have to make several more trips to completely clean up the rest of the mess inside that building. On my way back to my room, a different guy grabs me by the hair. I squeal in pain as I'm forcefully stopped and turned around by my hair.

"Hey where you goin!"

He shoves a bucket into my hands. It's foul and smells like shit.

"Go clean out the latrine!"

He then kicks me in the back to send me on my way. I fly to the floor face first, my face abraded by the stone filled dirt. I spit out dirt and gravel, then I slowly get up, my back now in pain, and half ass dust myself off, too exhausted to properly clean myself up.

The latrine is on the way to the trash pile, but just inside the forest line. It smells like a sewer, which is to be expected, and now I have to clean it. How did my life turn upside down so quick?!

These people are disgusting. This latrine is nothing but a steel trough under an outhouse building. I had to scoop out the sewage with this bucket and take it far into the woods and dump it. I would have thrown up several times, but I got nothing left in my stomach. Instead, I get to experience extremely painful dry heaves, twisting my already battered guts.

When I have finished, I walked back toward the building where my room is. On the way back, I got my hair pulled yet again and then smacked again for no good reason by a random guy just walking by me. I will learn this to be a normal occurrence from now on. Nothing easier for bullies to pick on than a child who can't defend herself.

This has been my existence for the past several weeks, or has it been a month, or more? I haven't exactly been keeping track of time. I'm just trying to survive, which itself hasn't been easy. There have been many nights where I wasn't sure if I would wake up if I fell asleep. Unfortunately, I would wake up. Sometimes, I wish I would just die in my sleep, and move on to whatever next world there is. Fuck this world! My resentment of this world and everyone in it grows my the minute.

I do the most disgusting chores and it's not uncommon for the person who gave me the chore to hit me even if I complete the task. In fact, it seems I have become the punching bag of the group. I have been beaten several times, for no reason than for a way for whomever beating me to relieve their frustration. They don't even feed me. I have to forage through their scraps for food. I have resorted to stealing sips of water from their rations while they weren't looking as I don't even dare use my water magic. I don't want to even imagine what they would do to me if they found out I can use magic. I have even had to resort to taking swigs of their booze, just to get fluids in me. At least alcohol has the benefit of dulling the constant pain I'm in a bit.

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I have now lived like this for an entire year, again just a guess, my life is just a constant state of misery. My eyes are almost permanently black from being punched. I've lost almost all remaining baby teeth from being punched in the mouth numerous times. I almost always have a broken rib or arm. I'm in a constant state of agony. I'm missing chunks of hair from it being pulled out. I hurt everywhere all the time and it's not uncommon for me to vomit or cough up blood. I spend my nights, curled up in the corner of my room, crying until I fall asleep. I have to be quiet about my crying though, as any sounds I make will count as me talking, and another beating is the result.

I'm still wearing the same clothes from that night they dragged me away from my home. Of course, they wouldn't give me new clothes. There are no other kids around, so the lack of clothes could be just that, but I don't get the feeling that they actually care about me enough to buy or even steal new clothes for me. They don't even waste food or water on me. I find some comfort in wearing this shirt though, as the stains of blood from my mother are the only thing, I have left of her. Her blood makes me feel like she is still near me. That morbid thought is the only positive thing in my life.

I sigh as I am faced with another day of hauling puke, trash, and shit to the forest. I have learned this group of people are simple raiders. Each night a group of them leaves and they come back the next day with stuff that's obviously not theirs. It seems they find unsuspecting victims and rob them of everything they got. It wouldn't surprise me if they killed every one of their targets. I know firsthand that they have no problem slaughtering people. It's not uncommon for them to return with fresh blood stains in their clothes. I'm the one that has to wash the blood stains out of their gear.

It seems this is the life my father warned me about. This is what happens when you don't register with the government. You have to resort to raiding people's homes and stealing what you can to make money. Even then it's hard to legally sell their items to a merchant as every legal merchant requires ID for every transaction. It's law. Now that I see how people live when they shun the government and society, I can see why my father was so adamant about registering me with the government.

Well, let's get this shit over with. I hate this forest. It gives me the creeps every time I come out here. I always feel something watching me. It turns out something was watching me, and today it was hungry.

GROWL

"What the fuck!"

I turn around quickly and about 10 meters from me is what looks like a Coyote. It looks like it just found dinner. I'm by the trash pile so I start searching through the rubbish trying to find something to use to protect myself. I search while keeping an eye on this predator that's slowly creeping closer. My hand feels something hard. I pull it out. Yes! It's a large bone that I just threw out with this load of trash. I grasp it with both hands and back up away from the predator.

"Oh shit!"

I trip on a root from a nearby tree and land on my ass. The Coyote takes me falling as its signal to attack. It sprints at me with shocking speed. I scramble to get to my feet, my pain momentarily numbed by the massive surge of adrenalin coursing through my veins. I get up just as the Coyote jumps at me, aiming straight for my throat!

CRACK!

I swing the bone and it connects with the coyote's jaw, teeth and blood flying from its mouth. It hits the dirt hard, shaking its head violently back and forth. I swing again hitting it square in the ribs. I hear several cracks. A high-pitched whine escapes the coyote's bloody mouth. I lift the bone high over my head and bring it down hard on its head, like I'm chopping firewood.

THUD

THUD

THUD

CRACK

THUD

The Coyote makes a pathetic attempt to stand back up after my onslaught. I take aim and smash the bone on the side of its head again. The Coyote loses consciousness, but I don't stop hitting it. My emotions take over. This past year of pain, agony, the pain of losing my mother, and the absolute hatred toward my captors, is all I know. I hate everyone! I hate everything! It all come pouring out, as a darkness begins to fill me. All of it focused on this unfortunate Coyote.

I see red, literally and figuratively. I have several broken ribs, but I don't feel a damn thing. I swing and swing and swing and swing. The bones of the animal are shattered; I only feel dull thuds with each swing now. I lost count of how many times I hit this Coyote, as I was in another world, a world where my rage reigned. I regain myself after a bit and I stop and look down at the bloody sac of fur, crushed bones, and liquefied organs. I start laughing. I don't feel any remorse over killing this animal like I did with that first bunny I killed all those years ago. No, this feels good. Scratch that, it feels GREAT!

New Level Acquired!

New Level Acquired!

New Level Acquired!

Holy shit! The notification flashing across my vision snaps me out of my bloodlust. How long has it been since I have seen that? How old am I now? It's summer now, so 6 and a half maybe? So, it's been about a year and a half since I even so much as even looked at my status. So much has happened that I even completely forgot about this! It is hard to think of anything else but survival these days.

[Distant] "Hey bitch! Where are you! Get your ass over here, NOW!"

I snap back to reality as I drop my weapon and run back to the encampment. Last thing I want is to be punished for taking too long.