Hey, throwing another story out for ya'll to read. Maybe this one'll actually go somewhere. Read it and tell me what you think. Peace out.

Nickels

1782

The cold metallic numbers glinted in the sun. The blue hue of the door complemented their golden gleam. I, River Yakushki, brushed moon-silver hair out of my eyes, which stared blankly at the rather small house in front of me. My gaze drifted to the seasonal doormat that held a half sun on its rough surface.

"She's getting worse. We need to find some way to help her." The deep voice of Dr. Marvin drifted through the thick door of my cell. Golden light flowed down from under the crack in the door, the source allowing the silence to be broken. A softer, gentler voice joined the doctor's aged one.

"I was worried before but, we can't let her stay in that state. I never thought she would resort to this." I hugged my knees tighter to my chest upon hearing these words, brushing a scab with my knee. The razor must not have cut deep enough; I was still trapped in this torturous world. The doorknob clicked, a deafening sound that broke the silence I had not known existed. I kicked feebly at the sheets, and pressed myself against the wall of my chamber. Dr. Marvin stepped through the door and stalked swiftly to my bed side. I glared defiantly at his outstretched hand, and recoiled as it touched my sensitive skin. My dulled violet eyes shrank against the light shined into them. His hand dropped to mine, quickly grasping it against my fading will, and pulled it up to examine the still-bloody gashes. I tried in great vain to pull against the doctor's strong grip. The strain reopened the cuts, causing blood to gush from the now fresh gashes, the doctor to recoil, and my mind to go numb with pain. A shriek filled the room, full of agony, only for me to realize it was mine, though I felt no pain, only the world slowly fading around me. The last of my senses faded as anesthetics entered my bloodstream.

"We need to get her away from this place and…" I never heard the end of that sentence. The nurse's soft voice joined the void.

I clenched my teeth, trying to force the memory away. My hand slowly moved to the pocket of my baggy Levis, withdrawing a kitten key chain holding three shiny new silver keys. I inserted one into the hard cold deadbolt, which matched the numbers hanging above.

I stepped into a small but cozy living room, made of an oak hard wood floor and a low white ceiling. To my left there was a small LCD atop a bookcase only slightly lighter than the floor. On the opposite wall, there sat a fair sized coffee table holding a lamp, one of two lighting sources in the room. On either side hovered a window, the other light source. Thin burgundy curtains covered each.

I left the minuscule living room and made my way down the hall to the bedroom door on which someone had placed a piece of paper with my name on it. I threw my duffel bag of belongings roughly onto the full-sized bed against the wall and clicked on the radio in the nearby corner, turning it to WABB. I dropped my keys onto the nightstand before crawling into the bed, shoving my bag out of my way.

-----'-------

A sharp pain shot through my weak, helpless form as punch after punch assailed my body. I screamed in vain for the assault to end, the tears leaking from my eyes and dripping to the floor. I prayed and prayed for the torment to end, once and for all. How I could take much more was a mystery to me. Blood covered my clothes and darkness filled my vision. I was almost sure he meant to kill me once and for all.

Bzzzzzzrrrt bzzzzrrrrt bzzrr-

I reached around in the dark of my room for the alarm, slamming my arm onto the snooze button, only to remember I hadn't set it the night before. Full of frustration, I crawled out of bed and faced the perpetrator of my sleep. A small Latino woman greeted my anger-filled stare, her long brown hair falling behind her as she looked up into dull lavender eyes, two inches above her chocolate ones. Kary.

"You need to go to school today." I snorted and headed to the bathroom without protest. What was I supposed to do about it anyway?

In the confines of the small bathroom, I began the morning rituals: showering, brushing my teeth, putting on makeup to cover the bruises that refused to fade with the rest. I arrived in the spacious kitchen, large compared to the rest of the house, and took the toast Kary offered me with an uttered thanks. Glancing at the clock, Kary offered to take me to school, since it was my first day. I sighed before grabbing the backpack on the floor, I had brought it with me so at least it wasn't a completely horrible day, and followed Kary to her minivan. On the way to school, I kept busy convincing myself that it wasn't going to be so bad, going to school and all. I just needed to be careful to attract little attention, if none at all. Taking a deep breath, I opened the car door to the crowded parking lot. I couldn't let myself be nervous. Those animals could smell fear.

Hoped you likied. Sorry it's so sort it's just the opening chapter. I have, already, six more chapters to type. But, I will only do so if you tell me what you thought. Reviews encourage me to type. I really want to finish this story, and I will, but you will only get to read it if I get feedback people. Thankies for reading and please reply. I will love you forever!

Nickels