There was no time to panic, only time to act as her father's hands tightened around her neck, suffocating her. Annie reached to his hands and tried to pry them off, but it was to no avail. Tears brimmed in her eyes, he was stronger than she was, and there was nothing she could do. He was going to kill her right now, and then commit suicide. Annie choked and coughed as she felt the pressure building up in her head due to the lack of oxygen. The pain was excruciating and it felt like her head was literally going to explode. Annie could feel herself becoming weaker by the second, and her vision became unfocused and blurry. She could just about see the tears streaming down her father's face, and by this point her own face was turning blue. The life was slowly draining out of her and she was absolutely terror-stricken. She didn't want to die, not like this. This was the worst way possible. He was doing this because of his own weakness, his inability to accept her mother's death and because he was unable to live without the woman. It had been the man's downfall and now he wanted to take her down with him. Annie had no sympathy for him and she did not want to die at his hands. Blackness started to cloud her vision and she was no longer able to see anything, it was terrifying.

Annie closed her eyes, no longer able to see anything anyway. As she did so, someone came to mind. It was Armin, the boy who had been by her side for the past few months. He was the person who had made her laugh and smile even though she had felt dead inside, the one who had the ability to make her feel again, the one who had showered her in nothing but kindness. He was the one who she had shared her first kiss, he was her first love and he had wanted to save her from this mess. If only she had let him, she wouldn't have been in this situation now. As she was drifting into an unconscious state she continued to think about Armin.

How will he react to my death? Even if he hates me right now, it would break his heart if I was to die, because that's just what kind of person he is. I don't want his heart to frost over. I don't want someone like him, who's so warm and full of life, to turn cold, like me. I want to be able to see him again, at all costs, no I need to be able to see him. To thank him for all that he's done for me.

Annie was not sure where the strength came from, but she could only thank Armin as she gathered enough of it to raise her leg and knee her father right in the groin. He let out an agonising sound and she felt his hands loosen from around her neck. She was finally able to breathe, if only just a little bit, for the first time in what felt like forever. She gasped the air around her and coughed so hard that she felt a burning sensation in her lungs. The blonde wasted no time in taking the chance to rip away her father's hands from her neck. She screamed insanely and kicked her father again with immense strength, this time right in the stomach. The man gasped loudly in pain, and already weakened by the attack to his groin, he stumbled backwards. As the oxygen was once again allowed to circulate Annie's brain, her vision fully returned and she let out another scream as a forceful kick met her father's chest. It winded him and he fell over, landing on his back; his arm knocked the table on the way down and one of the containers of pills fell to the ground and spilled across the floor. Annie was just glad he was drunk and therefore standing was already a difficult task, she wasn't sure if she would have been able to knock him to the ground like that if he was sober. Then again, she felt stronger than she had ever before.

The adrenaline pulsating throughout every fibre of her body was nothing like she had experienced and she went absolutely berserk. Tears streamed down her face and she found herself laughing rather manically as she attacked her father who had not managed to bring himself to his feet. All those moves he had taught her as a child were now being used against him, and it felt so good. She kicked him in the face and he shouted incoherently at her, trying to get to stop. For the briefest of moments, Annie panicked as his hands wrapped around her ankle, but she acted fast and got out of his grasp. His hands fell to the ground as Annie kicked again and she heard a harsh snap at the sound of her father's nose being broken. After being beaten by him for months on end, to finally be able to have the upper hand was causing her to shake with a mixture of excitement and pure rage. She saw the blood oozing from his nose and mouth, and she knew that she had weakened him enough so that if she made a run for it now she would escape and be fine. Annie resisted the urge to continue to beat him senseless and instead ran out of the door. A gurgling sound was heard as the man's mouth filled with his own blood and he coughed it up. The last thing Annie heard was his desperate voice calling out her name.

Annie ran down the corridor and the flights of stairs at such a speed that she hadn't even had the time to think. She did not turn back to see if her father was following her, and she doubted that he was able to. She jumped half way down the last set of stairs, and when she landed on the ground her ankle twisted painfully. The blonde let out a shriek of pain and immediately clutched it, "Fuck!" she cried. Annie knew she had to get out of there, and fast. She limped out of the building and was greeted by an unpleasant gust of freezing wind. The ground was covered in ice and Annie felt a wave of pure despair flood over her. She didn't think she had anywhere to go. What am I going to do? It was obvious where she had to go, though. She had to go and see Armin. She would have to explain everything to him. She would tell him anything he wanted to know, anything about her, or her family. Annie sobbed as she tried to run to Armin's house. The pain in her ankle was killing her and it was almost unbearable, she had twisted it badly and the ice and snow on the ground wasn't helping. As the adrenaline began to wear off, she could no longer run and Annie started to feel the full impact of her father's attack on her body. Her throat felt swollen and every time she breathed it pained her. Her head was banging, it was as if someone had smashed her repeatedly against a brick wall. Not only that, she was freezing. The blonde knew that she had to get to Armin's house soon otherwise she would end up collapsing from hypothermia. Annie wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug and continued to limp down the street.

How is he going to react…? Armin, please don't hate me, please. All Annie could do was pray that he wasn't mad at her and would let her inside. She had literally no one else in the world that she could turn to.

Annie did not even want to contemplate what would happen if he turned his back on her now. She was too cold to even think straight by the time she got to Armin's door, her body felt numb, and her fingers were blue. She was shaking violently and Annie knew she was on the brink of collapse. After several moments, Annie brought her frozen-stiff hand to the door and knocked once. Her tired heart pounded against her chest as she anticipated seeing Armin. She waited, and it seemed like a lifetime until the door finally opened.


Armin stood in front of her and she worried that she was hallucinating for the second. That was until he spoke.

"Annie...? Oh god…" Armin made no hesitation to wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace. She returned it and began to sob violently against his shoulder. "Annie…" he whispered her name with a sense of relief in his tone. Armin could feel her shaking and her body felt like a block of ice against his, "Oh Annie, you're freezing…are you okay? W-what happened?"

Annie could not talk, she opened her mouth but it was almost like she was suffering from some kind of panic attack. The words were literally caught in her throat.

"Ssh, ssh. It's okay." Armin soothed and put a hand to the back of her head, gently pushing her face into his warm chest. "Let's get inside."

"A-Armin…" Annie finally managed to stutter out as she was brought into the hallway. Her breathing was extremely erratic and she was sure she was going to pass out.

"Annie, calm down. Breathe, try to breathe slowly. I'm here for you." Armin's eyes were wide and his hands did not leave the small girl as she continued to shake under his touch. Now that she was in the light, he could see bruises in the shape of hands on her neck and he felt sick to his stomach. Had he tried to strangle her to death? Annie still couldn't get any words out and she was taking long deep breaths to try and calm down.

It was late by now, already way past eight o'clock at night. Armin's grandfather suddenly made an appearance at the top of the stairs, wondering what all the noise was and who was visiting at this hour. He made his way down as quickly as he could, "What in blue blazes is going on?" he looked at Annie's state and his mouth formed into a creased line, obviously highly concerned for the girl.

Annie for the life of her could not regulate her breathing. She clung to Armin's shirt and tried to calm down but it didn't seem possible. Her throat and lungs felt like they were on fire. Not to mention how her head felt like it was going to explode for the second time that day.

"Armin take her to the living room and sit her down, I'll go and get some water." Armin nodded while his grandfather disappeared into the kitchen.

Annie tried to do what Armin's grandfather had asked, and that's when Armin noticed she was limping. He took her arm and put it over his shoulders so that she could use him as support. He would have carried her if he could have.

Once they sat down Armin looked at her face, he wiped the tears away with a gentle hand and rubbed her back with the other. "You're safe here, I promise. I love you." Armin soothed her, and when he noticed what he had said his face burned bright red.

Annie heard what he said and she almost couldn't believe it. She wanted to be able to tell him she loved him too, but she couldn't speak. At the very least, his words did help to ease her mind and her breathing did improve just a little. A second later his grandfather was back in the room with a glass of water.

"Here, drink this dear." Annie took the glass from the old man's hand, her hand was shaking vigorously and some of the water spilt over the edge of the glass before she was able to take a sip. Armin continued to rub her back and his spare hand met with Annie's that rested in her lap. Armin's grandfather quickly noticed the marks on her neck and gave Armin a very concerned look, Armin met his grandpa's eyes and his eyebrows scrunched together in response. His grandfather decided against asking Annie anything yet, as he assumed bringing it up would set her off again. She was only now just starting to show signs of calming down.

"Did you walk all the way here? It's freezing out there!" his grandfather suddenly realised, Annie simply nodded in between taking sips of water, "I'll go and get a blanket."

Moments later Armin's grandfather returned with a huge blanket, he handed it to Armin who wrapped it around Annie. When Annie finished the water, Armin's grandfather took the glass and decided to give the two a bit of space, sensing that she probably wanted to talk with Armin in private. The old man announced that he would be in the kitchen if they needed him and Armin gave him a nod. The blond boy stared at Annie whose eyes never left a certain spot on the floor, it seemed like she was in a daze. At least her breathing was back to normal, except for the fact that she was now hiccuping as a result of her sobbing earlier.

"A-Annie…" Armin continued to rub her back, "Did he…?" the boy was unable to even finish his sentence.

Annie didn't turn to look at him as she finally began to speak, "Armin…I…I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for never telling you anything about myself, but I was scared…" she paused briefly, trying to refrain from having another panic attack as she explained herself. "I was s-scared because I thought you might turn your back on me if you knew. Please don't get the wrong idea, it's just my dad turned his back on my mom and me and after that, I've not been able to trust anyone. I know it was wrong of me to judge you by his standards and I'm a terrible person but I really can't help it—"

Annie was talking far too rapidly for Armin to take everything in, "Annie, it's okay. You don't have to feel bad about a single thing" he interrupted to reassure her.

Annie took in a deep breath and exhaled, her voice turned into a quiet whisper, "He… he's been beating me for months. After my mother was diagnosed he became depressed and turned into an alcoholic. Then after she died, he started to beat me...and tonight he tried to...kill me."

Armin swallowed a lump in his throat. He was completely overwhelmed; the boy frowned deeply and found it difficult to take it all in. He remained silent and felt his mouth turn dry and stomach churn as Annie continued to talk.

"I l-left school early…after what happened today at break…" Annie felt a pang of guilt after recalling what she did to Armin at break earlier that day, "…When I got back home I fell asleep for hours. My dad woke me up and it was already dark by then…he was acting s-strange. He was apologising to me…he said he didn't want to lose me or something." Annie breathed in and then exhaled slowly again; "…I didn't understand what was going on until I noticed a bottle of pills on the table. He then started to strangle me, at first I thought I was really going to die…But I somehow managed to fight back and escaped…" Annie finished the sentence at an almost inaudible volume.

"I think it's my fault." Armin suddenly felt racked with guilt. It was because of his encounter with her father earlier on that day.

"What are you talking about?" Annie looked to him suddenly, completely confused.

"I went to your house to see you after school but nobody answered. I guess it was because you was asleep, anyway, I happened to bump into your dad and I think he got the impression that I wanted to steal you away from him. I must have triggered him…I'm so sorry Annie, it really is my fault, I provoked him…and look at those bruises on your neck!" Armin felt himself tearing up but he held them back for Annie's sake.

"Don't be stupid Armin…! None of it is your fault, he's insane…he was drunk out of his mind…!" the last thing Annie wanted was for Armin to feel guilty over this. It had nothing to do with him.

"You could have been killed…" Armin whispered it as the realisation finally sunk in. The thought that Annie could be dead right now terrified him. She was always so fierce and strong, in contrast, her laughter was so light and cute. She was strong willed but at the same time somewhat shy and refrained from showing too much emotion but that rare smile of hers was something he'd give his right arm to see more of. The fact that Armin might never have been able to see Annie again made him realise how much he really loved every trait of hers, and how much he appreciated the fact that she was sitting beside him right now.

"I fought back, I went crazy Armin…" Annie began to shake again and Armin quickly wrapped his arms around her. He breathed in her scent and treasured it, beyond grateful that she was alive and breathing.

"You're safe with me." he whispered.

"I smashed his face in…I don't even care if he dies…" Annie spoke quietly after a minute or so. Armin pulled back from the embrace to look at her face, she was deathly pale.

"We have to phone the police…" he said after a few moments. Armin knew that his response was probably not the most sensitive, but he was always one to think rationally, and if her father was badly injured, the best thing to do was to call the police. Annie couldn't go back there, so they had no choice.

Annie's eyes widened, she hadn't even thought to contact them. Armin quickly stood up and went to the phone. The blonde watched his movements and her heart started to pulsate, Annie's breathing became heavy again and her vision began to blur, she felt like she was going to pass out, "Armin…wait…" she begged and of course he came back and sat down beside her again. He had the phone in one hand while the other wrapped around Annie's and their fingers entwined.

"Annie, I'm not abandoning you. I just wanted to get the phone so we can contact the police. You can't go back to your house and your father needs to be attended to, whether or not you want him to live or die. Personally, I would love him to rot in hell for what he's done to you, but it's best we handle it this way." the blond gave her hand a squeeze, and Annie's breathing instantly calmed down again. Armin's calm manner completely juxtaposed how he was feeling on the inside but he knew he could not show any signs of being weak right now. His eyes were filled with deep concern for Annie but there was also a look of protectiveness and determination present, and she knew that he was not going to leave her.

"You're not going to be in any trouble." Armin said after several moments of silence, "I'm going to call the police now. Then after, you can stay here with me for as long as you want. Of course I'm going to have to tell my grandpa everything, too. I hope you understand." Annie did not speak but nodded, and Armin made the call.

The events that occurred next seemed to pass by while Annie felt like she was in some kind of daze. The police had arrived and questioned her, and she was then informed that her father had overdosed and was currently in hospital being treated. He had followed through with his plan, without her, and failed. Annie found it very unfortunate that he hadn't succeeded with his suicide attempt. She didn't think she was being cruel, because after what that man had put her through, she really believed he deserved to be dead. Annie's only concern was what would happen to him after he recovered. The police, together with social services knew everything and told her that he would go to a rehabilitation centre. Annie made it clear that she never wanted to see the man again in her life. All the while, Armin was there by her side supporting her, and she was beyond grateful.

Social services inspected her bruises and ankle and told her that she should go to the hospital but she refused, she had just wanted all of this to be over and for them to leave. However, she did want to know what was going to happen to her, considering her father wasn't going to be coming out of rehab for a very long time, and even when he did get out, he most likely faced a jail sentence. Annie knew it was going to be complicated, just like everything was in her life. Thankfully, they agreed to allow her to stay with Armin for the night and until further arrangements could be made. Annie wasn't sure of the time when they finally left and she felt guilty for Armin and his grandfather who had to put up with the police and social services at their home. Both of them didn't seem to mind though, their only concern and priority being Annie's well-being.


Annie had not felt so calm and relieved in years, the feeling was practically alien to her; to finally be able to just enjoy the present moment without worrying about anything was wonderful, even despite feeling completely exhausted. It was all over now, though. She would never have to endure her father again, she could live her life.

Armin's grandfather had gone to sleep and the two were in Armin's room. Annie found herself leaning against Armin's chest as he sat up against the headboard of his bed. The blonde sat in between his legs as he played with her hair. This was undoubtedly the closest she had ever been to the boy. Annie could hear and feel his heart pounding under his shirt and she couldn't lie and say hers wasn't doing the same.

"Your heart…" Annie whispered quietly.

"I can't control it when you're so close to me…It's not annoying you, is it?"

"Of course not, I love the sound of your heart beating. It means you're alive after all." her words came out bluntly but Armin couldn't help it as his heart raced even faster after hearing them.

"I'm glad…" he said as he continued to play with her golden hair, "How are you feeling? Do you want another pain-killer?" Armin asked, he was still really concerned about Annie, the bruises on her neck looked bad and he had encouraged her to go to the hospital but she was stubborn and refused.

"No, I'm fine." Annie knew that it was extremely late, and Armin really should have been in bed asleep but there was still so much more to be said. She wouldn't go to the spare room just yet, not before she had said what she wanted to.

"Armin…thank you" Annie looked up to made eye-contact, "Thank you for everything…and I'm sorry…."

"You needn't be sorry." Armin smiled sadly, wondering why Annie still felt the need to apologise to him after everything that had happened to her today.

The blonde girl did not say anything and instead reached into her hoodie to pull out the necklace from around her neck, she held the ring in between her fingers, "This belongs to my mom" her voice was quiet, "Can you help me remove this, Armin?"

At first Armin was confused, but he did as she asked. He very carefully unhooked the necklace from Annie's neck and she put the ring around her finger. The blonde girl smiled softly as she looked down at it, "Finally…I can wear this the way it's supposed to be worn."

Armin looked down at the silver ring, still not fully understanding but glad that Annie seemed happy.

"She gave me this before she died. She always had it on and I'm not sure where she had acquired it, all I know is that it wasn't my father who bought it for her. I know it's only a simple ring, but it's the only thing I have of hers. My dad decided to throw everything else out." Annie explained as she admired how the ring fit perfectly on her. "I know you probably don't know what to say…but I want to be open with you from now on Armin, I'll tell you anything you want to know about me."

"In your own time." Armin said softly and rested his head on top of hers.

There was more silence for several moments and then Annie spoke once more, "I love you."

Armin raised his head at her words and she turned to look at him properly. Armin watched as her face turned scarlet. His mouth turned upwards into a large smile and he placed a kiss right on the end of her nose.

"I love you too." he didn't think that it was possible but Annie's face turned even redder.

"Y-you're…really cheesy aren't you?" Annie mumbled.

Armin let out an awkward laugh and smiled sheepishly at Annie, the blonde girl returned the smile, and probably for the first time, he was able to see a light shining in her blue eyes.