"You useless piece of trash! I don't even know why I put up with you anymore. Your father will be hearing about this when he gets home!" my step-mother(if you could even call her that) shrieked. I rolled my eyes used to the constant yelling and threats. I mean it wasn't that bad, all I did was skip my last three classes.
"Sure. Every time you say that you're going to tell him, you don't." I taunted. It wasn't the smartest thing to do knowing what the consequence would be if she ACTUALLY told him again. She looked pissed,
"If you don't shut that smartass mouth of yours I WILL call him, right now!" Something told me I shouldn't mess with her just then but then again, cautiousness had never really been my thing.
"Nah. You're just going to finish yelling, say your disappointed, and run off to watch your soaps." As soon as I saw the look in her eyes I knew I had gone too far. She stormed out of the room heaving me scared as shit at what she was going to do. She returned a few minutes later with a smirk, cold eyes portraying nothing. I noticed a phone in her hand with growing horror.
"W-" my voice faltered,
"What did you just do?" I cursed myself for showing the fear I felt.
"I called Richard. He's very upset and said he'd be home in a few minutes. Come to think of it, he said that a while ago…So he should be here any minute." I froze and not a moment later the door slammed open,
"Laura!" my father roared, his voice reverberating throughout the entire house. My breath hitched and I grew cold. I knew there was nowhere I could run to get away in time and my body knew it too, so it shut down, preparing for what was to come. He approached me quickly and raised his hand drawing it back before lashing it at me full force. My face stung horribly but he picked me up by the shoulders and threw me into the glass coffee table. 'He's never been like this before.' I thought panicked, 'He always starts out calm and works himself into a rage gradually.' I made impact with the glass which shattered on contact with my body sending shards everywhere and cutting me in several places. He began approaching me again before something hit the window.
"Stay RIGHT THERE!" he hissed and went to find the source of the noise. I listened hard and heard the sounds of people playing catch. It reminded me of better times when I didn't spend all my time locked up in my room, 'MY ROOM!' If I could make it before he got back I'd be safe. Safe to sleep, safe to cry, safe to read the book that's kept me going through everything, The Labyrinth. I did my best to sit up quietly but just moving was a problem and once I was up I staggered several times, glass sliding off of me like snow. My next problem presented itself to me in the form of stairs. I crawled up them painfully, leaving blood on each step. Only the thought of getting to my room and my book, and escaping this world kept me going. 'Just three more and I'll be near my door. Two more. Last one.' I thought, hope growing inside me.
"Laura!" he screamed again. 'No just a little more! Please! Oh god Please!' He appeared at the bottom of the stairs, "Oh no you don't." he began ascending the steps. He reached the top just as I arrived at my door. I flung it open as quickly as possible but when I went to slam it close a force kept it open 3 or 4 inches. He had gotten his foot in the door. 'No No No No No NO NO!' I hit it with a textbook and he retracted it by reflex but he was still pushing it open. I leaned against the door and pushed with all my strength, planting my feet firmly for leverage but it wasn't working. The door opened bit by bit as I slid back.
"NO!" I finally cried out into the still air of my empty room, or so I thought.
"Stop! Go away! Please someone, please save me!" I slid back a few more inches, he'd be in soon. Tears ran down my face as I resigned myself to my fate. I nearly let go of the door when a hand with a silver ring shot past me shoving the door roughly closed. I quickly locked it then collapsed knowing who my savior was by his signature ring.
"Toby." I managed to get out.
"Shh Laura it's ok, he cant get you." he stayed there for few minutes, trying to calm me down.
"Laura" he finally said, I looked at him dizzily. "We have to get you to a hospital, or at least my place. We need to stop the bleeding. " I looked down to see I was sitting in a small puddle of my own blood. "Not the hospital. I have bandages in my bathroom under the sink." I protested. He got them and soon we were attempting to wrap all the places that were still bleeding. We were both novices at best and we soon ran out. He stood up,
"I have to get more, there's a convenient store on the corner that sells them. I'll be right back." I nodded reluctantly as he climbed back out the window, I'd be fine while he was gone…right?