Chapter 4-Dark Eyes
"Where have you been?" My father asked after he closed the door.
'So close,' I thought to myself, 'I was almost in the clear.'
I turned around and face him. I took a deep breath to steady myself. I walked over to him.
"F-Father, I went out walking this morning after you left. And I-!"
Pain. Searing pain.
"And you went to see him?" My father screamed at me. I looked down to see his fist disappearing into my stomach. Blood dripped to the floor as I opened my mouth, trying to catch my breath. I fell down into my knees.
"F-Fath-?"
I flew back wards as his knee came in contact with my lower jaw. I spun in the air and hit the wooden floor, skidding to a painful stop.
Agonizing pain shot up and down my right arm. I could feel the broken Ulna bone in my forearm grind against itself as I tried to lift myself. Falling back to the floor, I cried out as my father walked closer. The lightning flashed and the thunder growled outside.
Suddenly, the look of my father's form terrified my very soul. My body convulsed into a shaking mass of pain and tears.
Reaching down, he grabbed me by my hair and shook me.
"You!" He hit me in the gut again, "You will stay away from that-that-!" He threw me to the ground. "That contemptible mutt! He will be the down fall of this family!" He shook me violently again, "Do you hear me?"
He lifted me off the ground and tossed me across the room to the far wall. I slowly rolled on to my side, trying to get on my hands and knees to crawl away. The rain fell harder.
Nita heard her sister's screams. She woke up with a jolt. "Big sister…" 'What had caused him to go off this time? Father has never beaten any of us on Christmas before.' The sound of things crashing echoed through the house and down the hall to her room. She quietly got out of her bed and opened her door. She snuck down the hall and peeked around the corner.
'If I can just make it to the hallway, then I sho-!' My thoughts were cut short as I felt a strong hand wrap its fingers around my ankle.
My eyes quickly opened wide. I dug my nails into the floor as I wished to be safe in my bed, wrapped in my down quilt. My hands slipped free and I crashed into another wall. My breath was gone, my arms were cut and bruised, my vision was blurry.
"Stop!" I saw my mother run towards me as she came from the hall. "Please, leave the child alone!" she came to my side, kneeling down next to me. She brushed the hair from my eyes, "I'm so sorry…"
She didn't have time to respond. She didn't have time to say anything before she was yanked away. Father had her by the throat, her feet barely touching the floor beneath her.
'No… Don't…touch her…' I watched in horror. His hand was firm on her neck. The veins and arteries in her neck were pulsing from being clenched so tightly closed. "No!" I don't know how but I got up to my feet and charged at him.
Nevertheless, his foot came in contact with my left temple. I fell to the ground five feet away.
My mother struggled for breath as his grip on her neck tightened. Her mouth opened, I could see her try to make-out words with her mouth.
'Run…away…' A tear ran down her cheek. As did one go down mine. I didn't want to leave her, not with him. But then, I saw him turn towards me. He looked on through the darkness, straight to my frailty. He took a step closer to me.
They moved by themselves. My feet pushed my body up, off the floor. Turning, they carried me on their own accord out the front door, into the freezing thunderstorm. I didn't stop nor did I turn around to look, I knew what was back there, my mother being choked by my father.
My little sister was probably crying away from fear. Hiding in her closet, and hoping father doesn't come after her next.
I ran, just ran. Faster when I heard my father screaming my name. Tears streamed from my blue eyes. Every bone, muscle and nerve in my body ached. Pleaded for a rest, and for warmth. The freezing rain not aiding any type of help, only adding to my struggle for escape.
