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This is mischiefmanaged72 here. We hope you enjoy this chapter, we worked hard on it.
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WARNING: this chapter has mentions of abuse.
PERCY'S POV
I sit in front of the television staring at it but not really seeing. Suddenly a news update captures my eye. It is about that Annabeth girl who ran away. She hasn't been seen since her parents went out to a dinner party. Her parents are plastered across the screen. They start an endless rant about their daughter. Pictures start to flash about and they show her writing all over the wall, possessions lying in mud pile and of her room. Apparently almost unchanged from how it was. The television goes blank. I sigh. I wish I could do what Annabeth did. It is so brave but as much as I would like to do it I know I can't do it. My mother might come back.
It is so hard, you know, living in the place where I are not exactly rich, if you get what i mean. I live in the most scrungiest, dirtiest neighbourhood you will probably come. And by scrungy and dirty i mean that this is the kind of place where drug deals go down, or alcoholics come to drown their sorrows. It is not a nice place.
I decide that i will go downstairs, I have to get to my job on time; otherwise it's buh-bye the only source of income we get.
Yeah, Gabe, my 'stepfather', is a drunk bastard. He doesn't have a job, or if he does get one he only holds it for a few days - and not for the reasons you might think. The only reason he even attempts to get a job is to get social services of his back. And as for my mother? Well... I have no idea. One day she just disappeared. And I haven't seen her since.
I try to go down the stairs quietly, but freeze when one of the steps creaks. I am so dead. I just hope that he isn't too drunk.
But of course I forgot the one thing Gabe taught me: Hope is an illusion.
" Persssssy, M'boy? Where arrre you!" Gabe slurs drunkenly
I mentally prepare myself.
Pain is just a message.
Pain is just a message
Pain is just a message
He advanced towards me, beer bottle forgotten, the rage in his eyes evident. He raised his hand, and brought it towards me...
I could feel the bruises blossoming on me. My bones ached and i was still too sore to move. But at least he didnt cut me this time.
I try to stand up but I can't. Yep that definitely left a bruise and maybe a few broken ribs by the feel of it. I know I cant go into work today so I lie on the floor feeling useless. The doorbell rings so I drag myself to the door stand up and try to make sure I don't look like I have just been beaten. I open the door and see a lady smiling at me.
"Hello, my name is Connie Smith" She says, "I have just had a report that there has been shouts and screams coming from this house..." she pauses for a bit " this is apartment 21B, right?"
I curse under my breath and decide I will tell the truth...well...sort of...maybe not. I go on defensive, it is none of her business what goes on inside of Gabe's apartment!
I tell her so, " what's it to you?"
Connie doesn't seem ruffled with my bluntness. "well, I am a social Worker...so it is actually my job to stick my nose in other people's business!" she jokes.
but I am only concentrating on one thing; she is a social Worker? shoot!
I try to smile, but I think all I accomplish is a weird kind of grimace. " give us a minute "
"of cours-"
I am already slamming the door in her face.
"Gabe! Gabe, Gabe! where are you?" I conclude that he is not home...good.
I go back to welcome her in. every step hurts like hell, but I manage not to show any pain, I have had practise.
"come in Connie" I say, and usher her into the clean living room...well mostly clean.
I am horrified to see that there is blood on the floor, my blood. I see corrie looking at my blood in horror.
"oh yeah, we had fish and chips...and well.. I love tomato sauce" I explain and try to shrug, but it hurts too much so I stop.
"of course" Connie says, looking slightly bemused
An awkward silence follows...and I break it by asking if I can get her anything.
She replies "a cup of tea would be very nice"
Stupid, stupid me! we don't have a cup, let alone tea! I scrounge around in the kitchen and manage to find a chipped cup with a spider inside it. eh, better than nothing. I run the tap and rinse out the spider. I put more water in it. We only have cold so it will have to do. I run my finger along the window and it come back with a sizable amount of dirt. I scrape this into the cup and mix it around with my finger. what? it looks like tea!
I walk out of the kitchen and give the "tea" to her. "here you go" I tell her.
She gives me a funny look but accepts it anyway and take a sip. Her eyes bulge, her face turns red and she start coughing madly. Honestly the look is almost comical! I choke back a laugh and try to keep a straight face.
"What was that?" she chokes out.
"Homemade tea, Add a bit of dust cold water and essence of spider."
"what?!"
"Don't you like it? I made it just for you."
" Percy? what did I ever do to you?" with an air of calm around her.
what is wrong with this woman? is she like immune to anger, or something? but then I realise something...I never told her my name.
"how do you know my name?" I ask suspiciously
"uh...well...I looked up your records.." she pauses, and shoots me a look of sympathy " Percy, I know what Gabe is doing to you. it is pretty obvious, what with the bruises covering your face" she reaches out to touch my hand, and I shoot away from her.
she just wants to hurt me, like Gabe does.
"don't touch me!" I yell
she raises her hand, and I flinch.
A crashing from bellow bring us back to earth. I realise with a jolt it is Gabe. He yells for me and I scramble over to Connie and whisper to her "You need to get out NOW"
Connie looks alarmed but heeds my warning. She is about to get out when Gabe bursts through the door.
"shoot, shoot, shoot" I mutter under my breath.
I move to stand in front of Connie but Gabe knocks me sideways. Gabe continues to hit me and as I cower away from Gabe I shoot Connie a look which clearly says "get out now" Connie shakes her head and waves her phone in the air mouthing "I have called them"
I black out but my last thought is "Who is them?"
that was 6 months ago, but if I told you where I was now you'd never believe me.
hey girls and guys,
hope you like it, this chappie was a lot longer than our last one.
um...we spent ages on this chapter so if you could review we would be ever so grateful. please R&R :)
so which characters POV next chappie?
Luke, Piper or Hazel, Annabeth, Percy?
Mischiefmanaged72