The hallway was awash with colors. Flashing red and blue lights coming from the window in the family room. Brynn was frozen under the thin fabric of her covers, waiting for something to happen. The last time the colors had appeared, her dad had gotten angry. In his rage, he had knocked her mother unconscious, and then turned on Brynn once she was out. Brynn still remembered the feel of his breath on her neck while she cried and he violated her; he'd smelled like whiskey.
A few minutes later, the lights were gone. The handle on her door turned, and she jumped when her dad entered the room. He didn't come close to her, simply stood scowling down at her from the doorway.
"Your mother is dead." He stated bluntly.
Brynn stayed silent, but her heart rate began to speed up. "Did...did you do it?"
He bared his teeth at her. "No, I didn't kill her, you stupid brat! You'd know if I did!"
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me again!" She cried, instinctively bringing her hands up as he stalked up to her.
His hand shot out and grabbed her wrists roughly, making her yelp. Tears fell from her eyes as she squeezed them shut, not wanting to watch as her father began the routine he'd done for so long.
"Please, daddy...don't do it--"
"Shut up!" He barked, slapping his hand across her face. She cried out, turning her face into the pillows. She tried to struggle while he started tearing away her shorts.
She could still smell the whiskey lingering on his skin as the ritual began again.
Brynn woke up the next morning at five o'clock, as per usual, on the floor in her room. She looked up and saw that her father had left the room sometime after throwing her to the ground. She stood up and stumbled into the bathroom to shower before school. She changed into a black sweater, jeans and tennis shoes and then headed into the kitchen. Thankfully, her father wasn't there yet. She still had time to fix him breakfast so he wouldn't get mad before she had to leave.
She was getting the carton of eggs from the fridge when a memory from that night hit her. Her mother...she was dead.
Tears sprung up in the corner of her eyes at the realization. Sure, her mother hadn't ever been there for her when her father did those things, but she was her mother. And now she was gone.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Brynn jumped at the sound of her father's voice. He had entered the kitchen with a scowl, and it deepened when he saw that she hadn't made his breakfast yet. "You lazy bitch! Don't you know how to respect the one who lets a spoiled brat like yourself have a place to live?"
"Yes, I know! I know, I do respect you!" She said automatically. He scoffed and stormed forward, taking a fistful of her hair and yanking her head backwards until his lips were against her ear. She whimpered as he brought his other hand around and grabbed at her chest, hard enough to make her flinch from the pain. Unfortunately, the action only encouraged him to push harder. "Get your lazy ass to school, and when you get back...you're in for it."
He shoved her head forward, and she stumbled into the cabinet, banging the side of her face on the corner. She fell to the floor, gasping and crying while he stomped away. After the pain had faded to a dull throb, she picked herself up, grabbed her school bag, and ran from the house to school.