Searching for Light
Prologue
It was a night like any other. Reens was just getting ready for bed when she heard her mother and father yelling at each other in the other room. This was a constant occurrence in the Maricina household, and she tried to block it out to no avail.
"When are you ever going to clean this mess up? Do you want people to think we live in a pigsty?"
"Well, maybe if you actually wanted to help me instead of lounging in that stupid easy chair of yours, it wouldn't be a problem!"
"Oh, so it's my problem this crap is everywhere? What about that no-good daughter of ours? She treats this house like she owns it or something!"
Reens sighed sadly. Her parents, mostly her father, always blamed her for something or other that was wrong with the house. What could she have possibly done to deserve it? She was only a small child, used to exploring the world and making little messes here and there. Of course, she almost always cleaned up after herself; it was her parents that needed a little more self-control.
Then, her bedroom door opened with a creak. Her father staggered into view.
"Daddy?" she whispered, trying not to sound as scared as she truly was. Her father was known for being harsh when it came to his speech, and she knew to expect it. She knew it was because he loved her, and she waited for his words to come.
What she got was different. This was the first time he had ever come close to physical touch. He had never hugged her, stroked her hair, kissed her forehead, or any of the comforting things that she would see fathers doing with their daughters. She braced herself for this new experience.
A slap across the face shattered her dreams.
Reens staggered from the impact on her bed, rubbing her sore cheekbone tenderly. Her light blue orbs settled on her father's normally calm and composed chocolate ones. This time was different. This time he was angry. This time he had been doing something he had promised never to do again.
He was intoxicated.
Another slap on the other cheek snapped Reens out of her thoughts. He proceeded with what he had come to do. With a growl, he pulled her by her braid out of the bed and thrust her upon the floor. It hadn't been cleaned in a while, and Reens received a mouthful of dust and crumbs from past dinners. He then started to talk; because of his drunken state, it was slurred and slow.
"You little rat. Why did I ever decide to put up with ya? I should've never… mumble, mumble, … You're so ungrateful! Treating this house like something you can just… mumble, mumble, …"
Reens tried to raise her hands and cover her ears, but her father had pressed his hands on top of her left wrist, rendering her unable to do so.
"Now you little runt, you're going to get what you deserve…"
He suddenly stood up as his name was being called from the kitchen. "I'll deal with you later," he growled as he walked away, giving Reens a sharp kick in the leg. "Stay there, rat." Reens complied, not willing to move, nor willing to make her father even more cross with her.
It was the first of many encounters … and certainly not the last.