Gray
By: Catherine Todd
Chapter 1 - Home Sweet Home"Why?!" I sob into my knees.
"Why can't I just be happy?" I whimper.
"I wish I could just be like everyone else! I wish I was happy!" I shouted muffling it with my knees, my arms now soaked with tears.
"Shut up with that useless whining girl or I'm going to give you a reason to cry!" I hear Mr. King shout at me angrily.
"Yes sir." I reply immediately in a scared whisper scrambling off of the floor and to my feet.
He grunts at me angrily and tells me to do my chores. Chores for most kids would be cleaning, maybe laundry or taking care of any household pets. My chores were basically everything that needed to be done around the house. This includes cooking, cleaning, bills, laundry, and well ...I really don't want to think about it. And so, with tears rolling down my cheeks I look at the clock on my bedroom wall.
It's 5:30 PM. I got back home and just sobbed for a while. I don't need to worry about homework because I did mine on the bus. The bus was always noisy so it's always hard to concentrate on homework but it's enough time to get it done.
I started to get to work cleaning. I have to clean dishes, clean up trash, do the laundry, sweep and mop the floors, and whatever else needs to be done.
I decide to work on laundry for a while, as I don't have much time till I need to make dinner for Mr. King. I walk into the small laundry room and put a load of 's dirty laundry in the washing machine along with an outfit for me to wear tomorrow. I put in the cleaning agents and turn the washing machine on.
While the washing machine is going I work on sorting the already cleaned laundry into sections: mine, , and other. When I'm finally done with that I match 's clothing into outfits and then do the same with mine. In the middle of me doing my outfits the washing machine dings, letting me know the loads done.
I throw the clean but wet laundry into the dryer and after 10 minutes I pull my clothing out. It's still damp but I don't care. I take my small basket of clean clothing into my room, and I neatly fold it and put it into my closet.
Stepping out of my room I see on the way to the laundry room, and I realize it's probably dinner time.
I turn around and, check the clock and see its 6P.M. so I head into the kitchen and make beef stroganoff for Mr. King to eat for dinner while making a small sandwich for myself to eat using only 2 pieces of bread, a slice of cheese, and a slice of ham.
I finished making the meals, and I serve Mr. King's food on dishes I cleaned recently. I look around the small house for him and I find him in the den watching his 'adult shows' and drinking beer like he always does, or at least like he's been doing since 'the incident' happened.
I hand him his plate carefully and I keep my head down so he doesn't see my puffy eyes from crying.
"F*** off girl." He scowls at me harshly, waving me away with his hand.
I hate it when he drinks. He's always angrier when he's drunk. But its not like I can do anything about it.
I leave the room silently. I try not to cry knowing that tonight will be a rough night considering how many unopened and opened bottles he had lying next to him on the couch.
I finish my work and I finally go back into my room. Checking the clock I realize it's 9:30 PM, and I decide it's time for bed. I close the door and sit down on my bed, it's a single but I never fall off. The bed's uncomfortable and springy but I know Mr. King won't buy me another, it took ages just for him to buy me a new pair of shoes because the other pair had three holes.
I turn on my little night light next to my bed, and I pull out a little box I keep hidden under my bed. I open it and take out my phone double checking the time and date."Fri, October 2020" it reads. It's nothing super fancy but it's mine. I was givin it for my 13th birthday by my-
I breaking out sobbing, screaming into my pillow. I miss her so much. She was the light of my life and the light of the lives of everyone she knew. I wish I could bring her back. She was as sweet as an angel. My mother -
"MARRY!" I hear my father shout, cutting off my train of thought. His voice is filled with a booming anger.
I quickly scan my room, searching for a place to hide. If I don't find good enough he'll probably beat me. He usually does when he's drunk like this.
I start to panic when I hear his furious stomping getting closer. Considering how many beers he had with him, he's probably so drunk he'll break my bones this time. The more he drinks the less he cares about me and the less he cares the more he hurts me.
I shake violently and I run around my room, searching frantically for a place to hide. I realize its hopeless as he already knows the few places I could hide and would find me instantly. There's no use in hiding if he'll find me because I've done or before and when he found me he was furious. I slouch down to the floor and wait for him to come, wishing I could get help. We live so far away from other people that it wouldn't matter if I screamed. I couldn't call anyone either because the only phone that had a service was 's and I already know what would happen if I tried to steal it.
He bombards into my room fuming with seemingly unending anger.
"YOU GOT HER KILLED YOU LITTLE B****!" screams menacingly.
"SHE WAS YOUR MOTHER YET YOU STILL KILLED HER!" He screams again.
"Please Father, I didn't mean to do it!" I beg sobbing uncontrollably.
"You know that's a f****** lie girl!" He continues, grabbing me by my neck.
"Please!" I beg as he throws me too the floor aggressively.
"Of course I will spare you just like you spared my wife!" He yells, and he kicks me in the chest when I try to get up.
I hear a loud crack and I know he broke a rib. I hear another loud crack as his foot meets my side, breaking another rib.
"You little s***, I would kill you if you weren't my kid!" He threatens, kneeling down to meet my eyes.
"Do you wanna know how I felt when I figured out your mother died?!" He demands.
"Please stop hurting me Daddy, please! I'm so sorry I hurt Mommy, I swear I didn't mean to!''I beg for forgiveness.
It's no use though as he wraps his hand around my throat holding me still and silencing me as he pulls out his pocket knife.
Squeezing the hand around my neck with my own hand I gasp for breath, hardly getting any.
"Shut up with the excuses b****!" He yells in my face, lowering the pocket knife to my face.
I scream in agony as the knife slices deep into my cheek drawing so much blood it drips off my face onto and under my shirt.
Removing the knife from my face my father yells insults at me, telling me just how terrible of a peron I am. He pulls alcohol pads out of his pocket and opens the package they're in.
"Well let me show you just how much it hurt," My father tells me as my face contorts even more from fear.
He moves the hand from around my neck to my mouth and grabs the alcohol pads.
He gets the alcohol pads and shoves them into the still bleeding cut on my cheek. The scream that erupts from me is so loud not even his hand could stop the mind racking sound.
He is literally torturing me. may have problems but he's still sick. I wish I could get him help…..I'm scared one day he might get bored or beatinging me and he might rape me or just lock me up and leave me too die.
I start getting tunnel vision and close my eyes, embracing the darkness. For a moment I feel like there is more than just one person watching me, but the overwhelming fatigue takes over my mind and body. I only remain conscious long enough to feel let me go and hear him leave the room.
When I wake up and the sun is shining through the one window in my room. I'm still on the floor so I stay there for a bit collecting my thoughts. I tried to move but my body would budge, the broken bones hurting like hell. The cut on my check is bad but the broken bones are worse. After trying for a while I manage to pick myself up and walk to my bed.
I pick up my phone which was covered with a sheet so my father didn't see it. Turning it on I check the date. I was only out for the night, thank god. The time reads 8:12 A.M. and I immediately jump up. I'm late to make 's breakfast!
I immediately crumple back down when a sharp pain juts through my body. I didn't scream which was nice.
More cautiously I stand up and make my way to the living room. When I get their is just lying down on the couch asleep, surrounded by empty beer cans.
At least is asleep I assure myself as I make my wake to the kitchen deciding to make scrambled eggs and cheese for him.
When I get to the kitchen my mind goes on autopilot as I go to the fridge to get eggs. I crack three eggs open into a bowl, put cheese into the bowl with the eggs, and then I whisk the eggs and cheese. When they are airy I put them on a pan, turn the stovetop on, put the pan on the stovetop and cook the eggs.
After a few minutes of flipping eggs and waiting, the eggs are finally done. I season the aggs and put them on a plate with a fork.
I pick up the eggs and walk back into the living room. is still asleep so I just place the eggs on a side table near him and cover them up with a napkin so that it is still visible but bugs won't get on it.
Silently leaving the room I let out a small sigh of relief.
I hedd back to my room and look through my sheets to find my special box. I will myself not to cry and I open the box and take out the piece of paper on the top to reveal pictures of my family. All the pictures contain Mom. Oh how I miss her so much.
I pull out all the pictures and look through them for a while. When I'm satisfied I stack them up and take a moment to read my name carved into the bottom of the box.
"Angel"
I put them down and pull out a small mirror Mother gave me and I look at myself.
I cant help but let a few silent tears come out as I look at my hideous self. I've been told over and over again just how ugly and how terrible I am by not just my father, but my classmates as well.
I notice the cut on my cheek and I realize just how hard it's going to be to hide. It was 3 inches long and stretched the entirely of my cheek.
I undress and look at my body in the small mirror and through my own eyes. I covered from head to toe in bruises, cuts, scars and scrapes.
I walk to my wardrobe and pull out the outfit I washed yesterday. I pull out the bra, underwear, blue jeans, a blue short sleeved shirt, and a little blue jacket to keep me warm.
I'm happy I at least have something that fits me. didn't buy them for me though, I just pick up any money I find and I walk to the salivation army. It's only about a mile or so away if I need to to get new things, so that's convenient.
I put back the pictures and the mirror, hiding them in my little box. I put the box in its hiding spot under my bed and I sigh. I sight partly from relief, partly from pain, and partly just because it felt right.
It'll be a while till wakes up so I do all my chores, there not being too much as there are only 2 inhabitants in this house.
After what felt like forever I finish my work and check the clock. The clock reads 1 P.M. and I decid I want to take a walk, so I look for to ask for permission. He's in the den like he has been for the 4 hours he's been awake.
"May I go outside?" I ask, shaking.
He responds with a gross grunt as he nods his head once.
I thank him quietly and head out the door.
"Finally free." I whisper quietly to myself after 8 close the door behind me.
Taking in a big breath of fresh air I wince from the pain in my chest. "At least I will be okay for a while out here." I think to myself.
I turn around to face my house and sigh. Today was going to be a long day.
I slowly start walking behind my house, taking in the environment. I love the way the forest behind my house looks. It's so peaceful and calm.
I stand and stare into the forest for a moment. I see a shadow dart out from behind a tree and I jump back. Rubbing my eyes I realize it's just my imagination. Or is it? "Stop being stupid, Angle." I scold myself.
Thinking little of it I walk into the forest and feel a sense of joy that I haven't felt in a long time: a childlike joy of freedom.
Carefully, I make my way to the clearing I always go to when I take a walk. It's nothing amazing but I still love it. The small clearing is surrounded by trees, and in the middle grows a great oak. I love to sit down and daydream under that oak, and so I do.
Sitting down I relax, only for it to be ruined by the sound of crunching leaves. I duck and turn around and look for what's making the noises. I laugh and smile when I see a bunny rabbit hopping around.
"And there I was thinking another person had followed me out here! I'm so silly." I think to myself.
I turn around and scream. I shouldn't have thought. I just saw that shadow again, but closer. Why does my brain have to pick now of all times to act up?
The shadow steps out of the trees and slowly starts walking towards me in an almost hypnotic way. Wait….Is my mind playing tricks on me or- They pull out a knife and I scream.
Immediately I shoot up and sprint, not caring where I'm running.
"Am I going to die?" I think frantically, my mind racing through all the worst case scenarios.
The shadow easily catches up with inhuman speed. The scream that erupts from be also is inhuman, as the shadow pounces onto my back throwing me to the ground.
And with a thud my vision fades to darkness and I pass out.