I looked out of my window, a single rain drop rolling down the thick, stained glass. My own tears trailed down my cheek, stinging the sensitive skin there. I could feel the bruises beginning to sprout all over my body, and my head felt like it was about to explode, the pain in it shockingly excruciating.

I had been putting up with this kind of abuse ever since my mother had left. My father was an unforgivably cruel man, and needed to take his furious anger out on something, and I always seemed to just be there. It did not shock me though. It seemed almost like routine now. Wake up. Abused. Got to school. Bullied. Get home. Abused. It seemed like my life was only a circle of pain and mistrust.

But what made matters worse, was that none of my beloved brothers did anything to stop my raging father. Bryan, my oldest brother had moved out before I had even turned eight. Shaun, Byran's twin was still here, but he always turned a blind eye to my father's rage, grateful it was not him on the other end of fathers extended arm. Cody, the youngest brother seemed the only one concerned for me. He would often argue with father. But as glad I was that someone was fighting in my defense, it did no good for me when Cody left, leaving father in a foul mood and eager to give out a good amount of abuse.

Today had been no different. I found that my room was the only place I was safe. At night anyways. Father was always in too lazy to come looking for me. Staying in my room by myself seemed like the smartest and safest thing to do. Every little hope I had had of today being different had vanished as soon as I had been awoken. I thought that perhaps because it was my birthday, father would not be so cruel. I was wrong.

"Sophie!" My father had screamed, pulling me up off the rotting mattress on the ground to my feet."Get your lazy arse out of that bed!" This was the usual waking. My alarm clock. But even after years of this kind of awakening, the pain never lessoned, and I'd found myself losing my balance, only causing father to rip strands of my messy and knotted blonde bronze hair out of my head. He had pulled me out of my room and into kitchen, where I was to do the dishes.

Father loomed over me, sending shivers of fear up my spine. He had been making sure I did them properly. Did he really have nothing better to do?

I finished the dishes, and then father backhanded me across the face for not drying them. I'd fallen to the floor and hissed in pain. The shock hurt the most. He had not told me to dry the dishes. Had I been expected to read minds now too?

"Get ready for school you ugly mutt!" he roared angrily at me, kicking me across the carpet. His steel cap boots did not feel good at all. I felt them breaking my ribs, or what felt like it anyways. I had received this a million times, being treated like the dog I was.

Believe it when someone says that if you tell someone that they are something long enough and they will begin to believe it themselves. I believed I was a dirty, ungrateful mutt. Why else was could I possibly be being beat like this?

But I was not scared. Until, of course, his voice lowered so it was only a low warning on his lips. "Just for being a little shit this morning, be ready for one of our little 'friends' this afternoon when you get home. Maybe then you will think about your actions." With that he left.

And now I was in my room. That had been this morning. After receiving the teasing and name calling at school all day, I had to come home, washed, then go straight to my room then wait the arrival of out 'guest.'

The walls were stained and peeling, with no hope of really knowing what the original colour was. It smelled horrible, like smelly clothes, body odor and rotten eggs. I shared a room with my middle brother Cody. He had his own bed, and I had a pillow and a blanket on the floor with our dog Freggo. The carpet was stained with blood in spots and other spilt liquids. It was a nasty murky brown colour, although the original colour was close to cream white.

Cody's bed was in the corner of the room, and his clothes were in a pile in the other corner, opposite his bed. My 'bed' was opposite his pile of clothes in another corner, underneath the window. When father felt like being especially cruel, he would leave it open. I would shiver and my body would convulse all night long. Freggo would leave and I would have no body heat.

But of course, I could not move. Father sat at the door, a beer in hand, glaring at me all night long. His stare send more shivers down my spine, and I could not sleep on those terrible nights.

Suddenly, a familiar face popped up in front of the window. His bright smile made me feel like I was already safe. Like my father would never touch me again. Cody.

"Come one, Lil Sis!" my brother whispered, sliding my window open inch my inch. "Quick! Before Dad comes down here. Or one of his guests." The window didn't seem to want to open enough to let me through though. A small gap was there; perhaps enough to fit my legs through, but even that would be lucky. The stupid thing just wouldn't budge.

The look of defeat on Cody's face made all my hope of escaping disappear. What was I going to do? Father always let his friends feel me up. I could no longer handle being their slave. I had to get away.

I could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. I could feel my heartbeat quicken, and I began to attempt to kick the door as to make more room. But it just would not budge.

"Oi!" My head whipped around and saw father standing at the door with one his friends by his side. "What do you think you're doing?" he yelled, running over the room and pulling me away from the window by my hair, his long, dirty fingernails digging into my scalp. I screamed and began clawing at his arm and his wrist, pleading for him to let go.

Father threw me across the room, my head smashing into the wall, putting a hole in the drywall. I could feel the warm liquid beginning to cascade down my face, drenching my hair and staining my clothes. I whimpered in pain, cowering into a ball on the floor.

I heard the sound of something smashing, and someone yelling my name. Had what I'd attempted to do really annoy my father? Shouldn't he have expected me to try and escape one day? I had put up with the abuse for 8 years, ever since my mother had left when I was nine. Did he really think I wasn't stupid enough to run away? Or try to anyway.

"Sophie!" I heard the same voice yell again, only closer. Cody. "Hurry Up! Before he wakes up! We haven't got much time!" He prodded and poked me, pulling me to my feet and pushing me to the door. My head was spinning. How hard had I hit that wall? And where was father? His friend? What had happened to them?

"Sophieee!" Cody whined, pushing me towards the window again. I focused my gaze on Cody. He was so worried. His wonderful eyes were a golden green colour, his eyelashes long, like mothers had been. But I had mother's eyes; a wonderful bright blue. His golden brown hair swayed to the left, flicking across his eyes and spoiling his view. His skin was white and washed out, and I could tell that something was wrong with him. Was father picking on him too now? Never. Father hated me. I looked so much like my mother. He took out all the hate he felt for her on me. I reminded him so much of her. "Snap out of it! You have to get away before they wake up!"

I looked at the floor and saw father laying there, his tongue lazily poking out of his mouth. Next to him was his friend, who was stirring in his unconsciousness. I finally realized I had very little time to escape, and had to hurry.

I pulled myself on my own feet, and climbed out the window, Cody helping me up and over. Glass was everywhere. He must have smashed it open. I had deep cuts on my hands and knees, blood pouring out on the bricks and running down my legs. I turned around to help Cody out the door when he let out a yelp and was suddenly pulled away from me, out of my grip and into my father's arms.

"Thought you could get away, did you? Huh? I think not!" he yelled at me, putting his hands on both sides of my brother's head. "Any last words?" he growled spitting out saliva as he yelled.

"Go! Sophie! Just leave! Don't look back! I'll be—"

Snap! Father twisted my brother's head, snapping his neck before Cody was able to finish what he was saying to me. Shock. That was all I felt. What was I going to do? Where would I go? I had to get away. But the sight of Cody's lifeless body on the floor kept me glued to the spot. I kept telling myself that he was only being mean, and in on a joke with father. That he would jump up and yell 'surprise'.

Arms were suddenly wrapped around me, and I turned my head to see who it was. Father's friend. He had come around the back and crept up on me. I began kicking and throwing punches, my arms and legs going out of control, trying to escape from the perverted mans grasp.

I finally got loose enough to turn my head and bite down on the hand that held me tightly on the top of my left arm. He roared in anger, his hand flying away from me and to his chest. I kicked him once again for good measure in the shins then took off down the street. I was not a very fast runner, nor was I coordinated. I stumbled over my own feet, which were uncovered and bare.

The street was more like a very long driveway with a few turnoffs to other farm houses. I was in the middle of the Green Kingston Forest, a vast landscape of forest and no sign of human life. If there was one place I did not want to get lost in, it would be this forest.

Night had already fallen, and I was having a hard time finding my way through the trees and bushes, trying to find some kind of normal living area, a simple house, with a white picket fence and flowers in the front yard. A house that looked trustworthy was what I was looking for.

I could not even find a house though. I was lost in the middle of the forest. I had not left my father's house in over three years. Only for school at the local church which father drove me to and picked me up from. I had no way of knowing where I was.

What a birthday. I am the unluckiest person ever. Only this would happen on my birthday, I thought to myself.

I began to run. If I ran, then maybe I would find a road…or a creek. Anything that would lead me to somewhere useful. I tripped and stumbled my way through the forest my lungs beginning to tire and my legs sore.

It was soon dark. I forgot how long I was running for. I just kept running. It seemed like the only thing I could do. I soon tripped over a rotting log in the ground, pain exploding in my shin.

I lay on the ground for a few minutes, letting my body recover from my long run. It had taken my mind of Cody.

Cody. How could I have forgotten?

Hurt erupted through my body. My heart felt as if it would rip itself in two. Cody was dead. He wouldn't be coming back. No! He couldn't be! Cody couldn't die. He wouldn't leave me here on my own.

I felt tears begin to slide down my cheeks. The stains left make it feel as if my tears are made of acid. They sting and burn their way down. My eyes are soon swollen and puffy. I rub them, wiping away the tears, but more only take their place.

I hear nothing but high pitched screaming. Whenever I close my eyes, all I see is Cody's, his face pleading for me to leave. His bright golden green eyes, the light fading from them, the life disappearing from them. His lifeless body falling out of my father's arm and crumpling to a heap on the floor. His face just wouldn't go away! It burned into the back of my eyelids.

My sobs and hiccups send convulsions through my body. Each unsteady breath is like razorblades on my sore throat. My screams echo through the woods. No one can hear me. No one can hear my pleas. No one has ever heard. They never have and they never will.