Chapter eight
The day passed quickly, as Aerion taught Charity and Halcyon how to make a sturdy bow and arrows out of normal bark and sticks. It amazed Halcyon just at the fact of how Aerion was so smart, but had no idea what a school was.
"Aerion?" asked Halcyon gently.
Aerion looked up at him with a smile ready to listen.
"Would you like to come to my school tomorrow?" asked Halcyon anxiously. Aerion's smile grew greatly and he tackled Halcyon.
"Guess that's a yes." Laughed Halcyon.
When the sun went down Charity hurried away to her home leaving with an exasperated sigh. Halcyon just smiled and waved her away, as he ran off to catch Aerion who jumped wildly from on treetop to another.
Charity tiptoed over the fence and held her stomach as it growled. Her school uniform was messy and had dirt stains on it. She smiled when she saw that no one was around to see her sneak into the house. She was home free until her Aaron appeared beside the doorway. He gasped, and smiled.
"Dad she's home!" he roared and vanished inside. Instantly A wave of fear shot through Charity; A deep fear that made her quiver. Why was her father home so early?
When the fear lightened she gathered her courage and stepped in. The first face she saw was that of her teacher's in the living room. The woman was old and wrinkly. When her black eyes me with Charity's, Charity became really scared.
"CHARITY! GET THE FUCK IN HERE!" she heard her father yell. Sobs of Charity's mother could be heard inside of the living room.
"Please be gentle with her!" blubbered her mother. Charity knew exactly what was coming. Thoughts rushed into her mind. Now! Now Charity run!
Suddenly her father appeared at the doorway cracking his knuckles.
"Daddy no!" Charity screamed; she turned and started running up the steps. Instantly her father took of behind her. Heavy thumps could be heard behind her. So much fear ran throughout her body as she cried running up the stairs. As she ran down the hallway she threw furniture back at her father to slow him down. She skidded at a corner and nearly slipped on the polished marble floor. Behind her father was her mother screaming; followed by Aaron who was crying also.
"Get the fuck over here Charity!" yelled her father. Charity grabbed a vase and threw it back at her father. The glass shattered into his eyes and made him bleed. It worked though, and slowed him down. Charity succeeded in making it all the way up to the attic.
The door slammed behind her followed by the clink of the door locking. She curled up in a corner shaking and crying.
"Please just leave me alone! Leave me alone!" she screamed. For a moment there was silence then the attic door cracked. Her father was breaking in. She got up and frantically began looking around for an exit. Then she saw it, the open window.
The attic door exploded into splinters. Her father looked around wildly breathing heavily with saliva flying out of his mouth.
"Charity!" he roared, then he saw her. She stood on the window edge staring down at the lawn below. Charity's tears flew off her face and all the way down to the ground below. She quivered and didn't speak. Her mouth had gone completely dry. Her father gasped and her mother screamed. Aaron ran in and toppled over at the sight.
"Charity stop this! CHARTIY!" screamed her mother. Her father quickly took a step forward. Charity turned to him and frowned.
"Take another step and I'll jump! I'm tired of being imprisoned here!" she screamed. But rather than getting the power she wanted in the situation, her father took another step forward. She screamed.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! I'LL FUCKING JUMP!"
Once again her father was not convinced. Her mother jumped forward at her husband and begged him to stop.
"This is my house! These are my rules Charity! NOW GET DOWN SO WE CAN DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY!" he bellowed.
For a moment everything became silent, no one moved. All that could be heard was Aaron's sobbing as he quivered in a corner muttering strange words.
Then it all happened so fast.
Her father jolted forward and Charity jumped. By a hair her father missed her leg and she fell. Her mother's jaw fell open as she screamed so loud, her voice failed her and it appeared as if her head was about to burst. Charity was nothing but a blur falling from the attic. As she fell she thought. Was it worth it to risk my own life for Halcyon…
A loud thump shook he earth as Charity crashed into the ground. For a moment her father stood there looking at her. Before he started quivering.
"What have I done!" he roared. Aaron had quieted down and now stayed mute in the corner of the attic. Charity's mother slumped onto the floor. She had fainted. Her father began screaming her name wildly, waving his fist at the sky.
Suddenly Charity whimpered. Her eyes opened slowly, her face was extremely pale. For a moment she just laid there staring up at the sky before she felt her father's eyes upon her. She did not meet with his eyes but just frowned and mouthed the words, "I hate you…" into the sky. For some reason these words struck her father hard. So hard that he fell to his knees holding his chest.
Charity rose to her feet with all her strength. She cried out in pain as she felt her broken bones send surges of pain through her body. Slowly but surely she vanished from her home, with out giving a second glance back.