Welcome to my new story, whether you have read my previous story or you are new to my work, I appreciate your time you are spending in reading Run. I'm having a go at writing with the Cullen's as vampires this time, so this is like new territory to me so it will be fun for me to see how this goes. I really appreciate reviews and am always grateful to everyone who reviews so I can't wait to hear what you think! Enjoy!
Bella POV
Life could be hell. I watched as Charlie walked away from me, both our bodies shaking. His through anger, mine through fear. He had finished beating me now, but this wouldn't be the end, he would come back again. Whether tonight when he returned home from Billy's or tomorrow or even in a weeks time. Charlie was never going to forgive me for Mom's death. I listened out for the front door to close behind Charlie before I unfolded myself from my position on my bedroom floor. My muscles were sore and new purple bruises were beginning to form along side the bruises from previous days, which were now yellowing. My face was fine but Dad always knew never to hit me on my face. Bruises on the face couldn't be hidden whereas bruises on the body can be covered with clothing. This was part of Dad's plan, he would beat and abuse me almost every night but he would never want anybody to know what he was doing. Instead I had to keep quiet and hide away the evidence everyday while everyone else believed I was living my life happily.
My Mom Renee had died six months ago in a car crash. It had always been my fault in Charlie's eyes and I had soon believed him too. Charlie had taken the death very hard and would very often be heavily drinking or be shutting himself away from the world. His drinking really didn't help matters, he had already lost his job as Chief of Police here in Phoenix and as a family we were really struggling to live off just my wage from a couple of nights work at the local diner. I was trying to keep a regular amount of food in the house but Charlie would take much of it towards his drinking fund.
I made my way down to the kitchen slowly, allowing my muscles to adjust to the pain. My body was used to the beatings now, but it still needed a couple of hours to recover after each of Charlie's sessions. I pulled the ice tray out of the freezer and made myself an ice pack, which I put onto my arm. My whole body was throbbing as I slumped down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. I really didn't know how much longer I was going to be able to take this. Dad was hurt just as much as I was. We had both lost somebody close to us. His wife, my mother but we both had to go on with life. I just didn't know how much more of my life I would be able to take.
I was asleep in my room when Charlie returned home from Billy's. The front door slammed behind me waking me from my dreams instantly. I stared out into the darkness as I listened for Charlie's footsteps moving around downstairs. He went into the kitchen directly below my room slamming cupboard doors as he went before I heard him begin to climb the stairs. My mind was pleading with whoever would listen not to make Charlie to come in my room. To make him decide to go straight to bed but there was nobody there to hear my pleas. The handle of my door began to turn and I pulled my body into a tight ball underneath the covers on the bed hoping these would help to save me. As the light from the landing crept through the door and steadily got brighter, I screwed my eyes shut and waited for what was to come.
I heard Charlie's heavy footsteps make their way across my room. I kept my eyes screwed shut but listened out for what Charlie was doing. I heard a drawer in my chest being pulled over. I didn't have a clue what Charlie was looking for but it couldn't be good. Before I could think anymore about it, I felt the quilt covering me being pulled back and I had no choice but to stare up into the eyes of my Father. His breath as he leaned over me was thick with the smell of alcohol and it made me want to vomit, but I swallowed it all back and tried to remain looking confident as I continued my stare. Charlie moved his gaze from my face and moved to my arms, sitting me upright before pulling my arms behind me and tying them behind me. It was then when I realised what he had been in my drawers for. It was my favourite scarf, now being used as restraints. He pushed my body back down onto my bed and that was when the pain started. Charlie brought his hand down hard across my face, leaving my cheeks to sting. I held back my yell of pain as Charlie then brought his other hand down on my other cheek.
This attack continued, becoming the worst beating Charlie had ever given me. Not holding back on any part of my body. He punched my breasts and stomach repeatedly before moving up to my face. I heard my nose crack as it broke, the pain excruciating. I kept my screams quiet, letting them just deafen my mind but I couldn't hold the tears back, which were now streaming down my stinging face. Finally when I was wishing for death to come and take me away, the beating stopped. I kept my eyes tightly closed as I heard Charlie stomp back across my room and down the landing to his own room. I waited till I could hear his drunken snores before taking action. I jumped out of bed. There was only one choice left for me now. I had to leave now if I didn't want to die. I reached for my secret place under my bed pulling out my college fund I had stashed inside an old sock. I had continued to save as much money as I could from time to time in hopes of one day going to college once I finished school, but now it was needed for something much more urgent. I packed a few clothes quickly into a rucksack along with my treasured possession, a photo of Mom and me. I walked over to the map of America I had pinned on my wall, which used to help me with my geography homework. I couldn't go somewhere obvious. They would be the first places Dad would try to come and find me. I had to go somewhere new, a place I would never have dreamed to visit before.
I closed my eyes, ignoring the stinging coming from my objecting face and moved my finger around at random before placing my finger down on the map. I opened my eyes and stared at where my finger had landed. Forks would be where I was to run.