CHAPTER 2
Serena woke up to the warm, crisp smell of fresh bacon. She got up and followed the mouth-watering scent to the kitchen, where Darien stood in front of the stove. She was conscious of the fact that her father might see her in the windows if he was home so she avoided them. "He left an hour ago." Darien told her without turning around.
Serena came over to him and snatched a piece of bacon off of the hand painted dish. "Hey!" He tapped her hand lightly with the pancake flipper.
They both set the table and ate breakfast in silence. Serena was beginning to fear going home even though it would be nine hours before she saw her father. She was already thinking of ways to spend her Saturday so she wouldn't think of the tyrant. "Darien, do you have to work today?"
"Yes." He replied solemnly, "But you can come if you want. I might need help."
Serena shook her head, "Dad works downtown, and if he comes into the store for some reason I'm in hot water. Then he'll also know I've been with you for a while."
Darien nodded and concentrated on his now empty plate. "Well, you should go home now to make sure everything's alright. I have to go pick up my mom at the airport in a few hours."
Serena rounded the table and gave him a hug. "I'll leave now. What'll I do if there's an emergency?"
"I'll leave my cell on."
She smiled then headed next door, to her house.
When Serena got home, the pieces of her mother's favourite vase crunched beneath her slippers. One piece cut through their soft bottoms and sliced her foot. She yelped in pain, and then heard a rustling from upstairs. "Sammy?" She called as she painfully made her way up the stairs to the bathroom. She noted that there were bits of ripped magazines and various other sharp items strewn across the cream carpet, and furniture was wrecked and upturned. She would have to clean that up.
Serena went to the bathroom and took off her slipper. The piece of glass remained implanted in the soft tissue of her delicate foot. She carefully pulled out the section of glass and cleaned the wound. Her brother stirred at the door. "Sammy! You scared me! Are you alright?"
Sammy was wearing the clothes from the previous night. They were torn and he was beaten almost as badly as she was. "Where's mom?" Serena asked as she shuffled through the cabinet's contents for something to wrap her foot in.
"Mom left…" Sammy said quietly, and without emotion.
"What do you mean she left?" Serena stopped everything she was doing.
"After you left, she did."
"Why didn't you follow her?" She felt irritated that he hadn't gone as well.
"I had to distract Dad to let her leave. When she did, Dad noticed and he fucking locked me in the basement for about two bloody hours! He went lookin' for you and mom."
Serena began to weep as she sunk to the floor. Sammy sat on the toilet seat lid and did his best to comfort her by patting her on the back. "Why would she just leave us? Why didn't she come back?" Serena sobbed uncontrollably.
"Who would want to? She's scared." Sammy held back his tears as best he could, "She probably went to her friend's house. She usually does after you run off to your boyfriend's."
Serena stood up finally. "Darien isn't my boyfriend." She said calmly.
"He might as well be." Sammy left to go to his room.
MEANWHILE…
Darien stopped off at the gas station five minutes away from the airport. He walked towards it hesitantly. The police could trace his cell number and find out who he is, but on the payphone they couldn't.
He dialed the number easily. For years he had the number memorized, but he never got further than dialing a couple numbers. This time he knew he had to do this. "Police Department, how can I direct your call?" The woman receptionist's voice answered.
"Um… I need to talk to someone about an abuse case."
"Children involved?"
"Yes."
"I'll connect you to Social Services. Constable Reeves will receive your complaint." She said as she connected him.
Sweat began to form on Darien's brow. He wasn't sure that he was doing the right thing. He promised Serena… And what if they didn't believe him?
AUTHOR: Hey everyone! Will the police act on Darien's complaint? Where is Serena's mother, and what will become of her family? R&R to find out! I need 5 reviews to post the next chapter!
Serena woke up to the warm, crisp smell of fresh bacon. She got up and followed the mouth-watering scent to the kitchen, where Darien stood in front of the stove. She was conscious of the fact that her father might see her in the windows if he was home so she avoided them. "He left an hour ago." Darien told her without turning around.
Serena came over to him and snatched a piece of bacon off of the hand painted dish. "Hey!" He tapped her hand lightly with the pancake flipper.
They both set the table and ate breakfast in silence. Serena was beginning to fear going home even though it would be nine hours before she saw her father. She was already thinking of ways to spend her Saturday so she wouldn't think of the tyrant. "Darien, do you have to work today?"
"Yes." He replied solemnly, "But you can come if you want. I might need help."
Serena shook her head, "Dad works downtown, and if he comes into the store for some reason I'm in hot water. Then he'll also know I've been with you for a while."
Darien nodded and concentrated on his now empty plate. "Well, you should go home now to make sure everything's alright. I have to go pick up my mom at the airport in a few hours."
Serena rounded the table and gave him a hug. "I'll leave now. What'll I do if there's an emergency?"
"I'll leave my cell on."
She smiled then headed next door, to her house.
When Serena got home, the pieces of her mother's favourite vase crunched beneath her slippers. One piece cut through their soft bottoms and sliced her foot. She yelped in pain, and then heard a rustling from upstairs. "Sammy?" She called as she painfully made her way up the stairs to the bathroom. She noted that there were bits of ripped magazines and various other sharp items strewn across the cream carpet, and furniture was wrecked and upturned. She would have to clean that up.
Serena went to the bathroom and took off her slipper. The piece of glass remained implanted in the soft tissue of her delicate foot. She carefully pulled out the section of glass and cleaned the wound. Her brother stirred at the door. "Sammy! You scared me! Are you alright?"
Sammy was wearing the clothes from the previous night. They were torn and he was beaten almost as badly as she was. "Where's mom?" Serena asked as she shuffled through the cabinet's contents for something to wrap her foot in.
"Mom left…" Sammy said quietly, and without emotion.
"What do you mean she left?" Serena stopped everything she was doing.
"After you left, she did."
"Why didn't you follow her?" She felt irritated that he hadn't gone as well.
"I had to distract Dad to let her leave. When she did, Dad noticed and he fucking locked me in the basement for about two bloody hours! He went lookin' for you and mom."
Serena began to weep as she sunk to the floor. Sammy sat on the toilet seat lid and did his best to comfort her by patting her on the back. "Why would she just leave us? Why didn't she come back?" Serena sobbed uncontrollably.
"Who would want to? She's scared." Sammy held back his tears as best he could, "She probably went to her friend's house. She usually does after you run off to your boyfriend's."
Serena stood up finally. "Darien isn't my boyfriend." She said calmly.
"He might as well be." Sammy left to go to his room.
MEANWHILE…
Darien stopped off at the gas station five minutes away from the airport. He walked towards it hesitantly. The police could trace his cell number and find out who he is, but on the payphone they couldn't.
He dialed the number easily. For years he had the number memorized, but he never got further than dialing a couple numbers. This time he knew he had to do this. "Police Department, how can I direct your call?" The woman receptionist's voice answered.
"Um… I need to talk to someone about an abuse case."
"Children involved?"
"Yes."
"I'll connect you to Social Services. Constable Reeves will receive your complaint." She said as she connected him.
Sweat began to form on Darien's brow. He wasn't sure that he was doing the right thing. He promised Serena… And what if they didn't believe him?
AUTHOR: Hey everyone! Will the police act on Darien's complaint? Where is Serena's mother, and what will become of her family? R&R to find out! I need 5 reviews to post the next chapter!