Chapter 4

Hannah woke up and noticed she was alone now. The room was dark and there was a blanket over her. She wondered if what happened had been another nightmare.

Reaching out for her bedside table she turned the desk lamp on and lifted the blanket, looking down at her body and trying to find bruises. The dim light didn't reveal any. She sighed deeply, almost believing it had been a bad dream and sat up. That was when she felt how sore she was and looking down she spotted smears of blood on her tutu and on the bed sheets.

Before she block it, vivid memories from a few hours ago flashed through her mind and she felt tears filling her eyes. Feeling psychologically and physically exhausted, she laid back, pulling the blanket over her head and crying herself back to sleep.

When she woke up again it was already morning. She used all her strength to get up and make her way to the bathroom. Stopping in front of the mirror, she unfastened the tutu and let it fall to the floor, next was the leotard and then her underwear. She looked at her reflection and saw dark bruises on her hips and arms and some scratches on her thighs. There was also a hickey on the side of her pale neck and a cut on her bottom lip.

The teenager closed her eyes for a moment wishing the bruises would disappear when she opened them again; but they didn't. And wouldn't for a while.

When she stepped into the shower she crumbled down and sat on the floor, hugging her knees. Hannah felt hurt, broken, numb; but still she couldn't hate him. Even though she was afraid, she pitied him, because psychopathy is a disease and he can't control it.

Someone knocked at the door and she almost jumped, startled. "Who is it?"

"It's mom..." Her mother's voice echoed in the bathroom. "Sid told us you fell down the stairs... I didn't want to wake you up last night when we arrived."

Her stomach dropped. He lied to their parents to justify the bruises, in case they were seen, and their absence at the recital.

"Hannah?" The woman called again as she tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, mom." The girl replied without much conviction.

"I'm sorry you missed the recital, but don't be sad... you'll have other opportunities..." Her mother said softly, supposing that was was the reason her daughter's voice sounded so faint. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything, okay?" And after that she left.

Hannah didn't know why, but she didn't want to tell her mother what happened. She didn't want to tell anyone.

Stepping out, she wrapped herself on a towel and walked out of the foggy bathroom, her hair dripping water all the way to her bed. She threw herself on her bed and buried her face on her pillow. She felt a hand on her shoulder and rolled on her back, expecting to find her mother, but found her brother instead.

"What do you want?" She asked holding the towel tighter against her body.

"A kiss." He said leaning down, aiming for her lips, but she averted her face and his lips landed on her cheek.

"Get out." She commanded, avoiding his gaze. His face was still hovering hers, only a few inches away.

"You didn't tell her." He answered absent-mindedly, running the back of his hand down her arm, his eyes following the invisible line he was tracing. "Why?" He stopped and raised his gaze to her face.

"I don't know." She muttered, looking up at him.

He pressed his lips to hers softly, but parted when he heard footsteps coming from the stairs and fled to his own bedroom. She heard when he slammed the door shut.

A/N: This chapter was extremely short and I'm sorry for it! Next ones will be longer!