Beatings and Greetings ll Enjolras + Eponine
“I didn’t mean to!” Eponine screamed, her voice growing raspy from her loud pleas. Her body shuddered violently, anticipating the beating which was inevitable for her wrongdoing. How was she to know what time of day it was? With the backbreaking labor that was forced upon her daily, her body needed rest, and she didn’t purposely go against her parents’ rules. If she had known how late in the day it was growing, Eponine would have forced her ragged figure to wake, and would have done her chores with haste. But it was too late now, and there was no way that she could dodge the harsh scoldings that were coming her way.
After a long struggle, Eponine gave in, and she stopped fighting the whip that was coming her way. When the elder Thenardiers had had their way with her, there were scarlet gashes scarred on her light flesh. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched her father walk away, satisfied, with a bottle of liquor in his hand and her mother on his arm. But Eponine did not cry in their presence, for that would be much worse than their torture. But she needed to let it out somehow, so with a groan of pain, she got back up and started on her way.
Holding her head up high, the brunette hurried along the cobblestone. It was imperative for her to flee her house as soon as possible, for her parents would load her up with work and cause her even more pain if she had stayed. Knowing exactly where to hide away, she walked with confidence, the pain of her wounds disappearing for a moment. Finally, her trek was over, and she arrived at the ABC cafe, where she would be far away from her parent's rage.
Exhausted, Eponine sat down on a nearby chair, gazing at the few people who were walking by. They all gave her strange looks, noticing her deep wounds or her ragged clothes, most likely. She was used to treatment like this by now, and being shunned and looked down upon was the norm. Although she normally would give them hostile looks back, she was too worn down to do so, and instead looked down, rubbing the tears and dirt from her face. The cafe was practically barren, so she wasn't worried about how strange she looked, vigorously rubbing her face to hide the tear stains. All that worried her was the unfortunate truth that she would have to return home eventually. She summoned up enough strength to sit up straight, glancing around out of mere curiosity.
