Chapter 1

The house was damp and smelly, old news paper, empty take away boxes where cluttered everywhere as were empty beer cans and the house was empty, except for a little girl who was lying on an old mattress underneath the kitchen table shivering and the only company she had was a dog. The girl was called Jody Jackson and she had been left at home by herself as her mum and two older brothers Baz who was Seventeen and Ste who was Fifteen had gone out drinking despite the two boys being two young to drink and the three of them would often abuse and neglect Jody like they were doing now, leaving the frightened Ten year old girl all by herself in the dark and damp smelly house while they went out drinking.

"Why do they always treat me like this?" she whispered to the family pet who was a friendly Beagle which Jody called Kevin "you're the only one who likes me." Kevin was snuggled down next to her and Jody was stroking the top of his head "I wish we could get away from here." Growing sleepy, Jody layed her head on the old mattress and drifted off to sleep with Kevin snuggled next to her. She was woken up about three hours later by her mum and older brothers coming back from their night out but she layed completly still, pretending to be asleep as all three of them were really drunk and the abuse was much worser when they were in this state.

"Hey, where's the rat?" Baz asked as he flung his jacket on the floor "I want to get her back for being in my room earlier." Their mum who was called Paula staggered into the kitchen and found the little girl laying under the table with the dog seemingly asleep.

"She's under the table" she slurred "you can deal with her if you want, she needs to be taught a lesson that she can't go snooping around other people's rooms." Baz then staggered into the kitchen and dragged Jody out from under the table.

"Get off me" she squealed.

"Oh sorry Jody, did I disturb your beauty sleep?" Baz asked sarcasticly "well remember when I caught you snooping around in my room earlier?"

"I'm sorry" Jody said, her voice shaking "I already told you I was sorry then."

"That's not good enough rat, you need to be taught a lesson" Baz sneered in her face. His breath smelled of Alcohol and it made Jody feel sick, she couldn't stand it.

"Ste, run the bath" Baz told the younger boy as he lifted a kicking and screaming Jody over his shoulders and began carrying her upstairs as paula passed out drunk on the sofa. When they reached the bathroom, Ste turned the tap off and Baz put Jody down on the floor.

"Now rat, maybe this will teach you to go snooping around in other people's bedroom" Baz sneered before he put Jody fully clothed in the bath and pushed her under the water. Scared, Jody tried to push herself up but Baz was holding her down and she was begining to feel light headed.

"Baz, maybe you should stop now" Ste said " she's going to pass out." Ste wasn't as bad as Paula and Baz but he still would often mistreat his sister even though he didn't want to, he would just do what Paula and Baz would tell him to do.

"She needs to be taught a lesson" Baz replied before he looked in the bath and saw that Jody was now unconcious.

"Get her out man, she's going to drown" Ste said in a panicked voice. Sighing, Baz pulled Jody out of the bath and layed her down on the floor.

"She bought this on herself" Baz said before leaving the bathroom but Ste stayed behind and began giving Jody CPR because he was the only one in the house who actually cared for Jody but was too afraid to show it incase Paula and Baz got angry, even Jody didn't pick up on the fact that he was the only one who didn't like mistreating her, he just did it because Paula and Baz told him to. When Jody began to cough and splutter, Ste rolled her onto her side and quietly left the bathroom and went downstairs.

"Where have you been?" Baz asked as Ste entered the room "where's the rat?"

"I left her in the bathroom" Ste replied "she's still alive, just unconcious." Baz shrugged and pointed out that she'll be alright, they had done this to her before and she was still alive.

When Jody finally came round, she felt really groggy and she also felt cold. She slowly sat up and realized she was laying on the bathroom floor in her wet clothes.

"Why are they treating me like this?" she asked herself, she was only Ten years old and she had done nothing to be treated like this, even her dad was a bully when he was alive but he had died from Alcohol poisoning two years ago. She tried to get up but she felt too tired to move, so she just sat up against the wall and closed her eyes for a little while but quickly opened them when the door flew open and Paula walked in.

"Have you been in here all night?" she asked as she knelt down next to her "how are you feeling?"

"Cold and wet" Jody muttered sarcasticly. Paula sighed and sat down on the floor next to her.

"Look Jody, you shouldn't have gone into Baz's room, you know he doens't like it" she told the little girl "he wouldn't have to have done this if you stayed out of there."

"I'm sorry" Jody mumbled.

"Let's just forget about it shall we, now I'm going to let you have a little lie down in my bed for a while, as long as you promise to behave from now on" Paula told her. Jody nodded and Paula lifted her from the floor and carried her into her room, telling her that she was her best girl. When they arrived in Paula's room, she put Jody who was now sleeping onto the bed and put the thin blanket over her but she didn't leave the room herslef, instead she slowly shut the door and looked down at the sleeping little girl with a smirk, mumbling "you really are my best girl" before heading over to the windows to shut the curtains so that people walking past didn't know what that wicked woman was doing to that poor helpless little girl.