Nita

Adam had taken me to see mum but I wasn't prepared for what I saw when I got there. She was lost in the bed her pale skin blending with the sheets. Everyone was rushing around her in a sense of disbelieve. How could she do it? How could she leave me? Did she not love me at all? She promised that we could go; get away from here and him. I thought we could be happy together, I didn't think it would be easy but I thought she would at least try. Instead she gave up on everything.

Adam and I stood shell shocked when we first entered rhesus. Neither of us wanted to believe it but everybody else did. It wasn't surprising since the way she's been acting since she almost died.

As soon as we were told mum would be ok dad practically dragged me out of the hospital and home to face grandma. Adam was nowhere to be found to explain to her why I left so I sat in silence in the taxi dreading what she was going to say to me when I got home. Well, what did I expect? Adam was still at the hospital, where I wanted to be, looking after mum. Not like dad who just left her there like he didn't care. He always held up appearances even to me and always in public, so why the sudden change of heart? He must have known that he drove her to it, if not by the way he treats her then by having grandma living with us.

We pulled up outside the house and I sat frozen looking at the house reluctant to accept my fate and go inside.

"Nita." My dad's gruff voice stirred me causing me to slowly open the door and step out onto the street. He got out beside me and limped up the stairs and opened the front door, still I didn't move from the curb.

"Inside now." His voice filled with impatiens and irritation.

I quickly ran up the stairs slipping in between him and the door into the house unwilling to angry him further.

Just as I expected grandma was waiting for me and stood hands on hips in the hall and I knew what whatever I was in for it wasn't one of her run in the mill telling off's. I gulped in fear taking a step backwards only to bump into my dad.

"Sorry." I murmured half heartedly keeping my eyes trained on my grandma. I saw my mistake in her eyes and I quickly looked down trying to avoid what was coming next.

"That is no way to speak to your father. Look at me when I'm speaking to you." I quickly brought my gaze up. Her face was red with fury. I'd never seen anyone that angry not even my dad and it was then that I realise what could happen. I was alone with them with no one to help me. What if she took her anger out in the same way as dad did? Surely dad wouldn't let her touch me? Would he?

My shield fell and so did my tears as I found myself feeling vulnerable and helpless stood in between two people I was supposed to trust, but didn't. As my grandma advanced on me my only option was to back away and hope that my dad would stand up for me. After a couple of small shuffles I banged into him again but instead of trying to talk to grandma on my behalf he grabbed my shoulders pushing me towards her before moving around us and up the stairs with out even a backward glance.

I couldn't believe that he had left me alone with her. I didn't know what she was going to do but in the pit of my stomach I knew that it was going to be something dreadful. I was stood centimetres away from her trembling with fear. I jumped as she grabbed hold of my shoulders an evil smirk appearing on her lips radiating to her eyes.

"So, I can finally teach you some manners." It terrified me how thrilled she looked at the idea of what she was going to do to me and she reminded me of how Miss Trunchbull looked when she was locking Matilda in the chokey. She grabbed the arm of my hoodie tugging it sharply towards her so I fell at her feet. I looked up at her not knowing what to do. I'd never been treated this way. I'd heard it happening to mum and sometimes even witnessed it but I was never the victim of the anger and violence and now suddenly I was and I didn't know what to do.

"I-I-I'm sorry." I stuttered trying desperately to make up for what ever I'd done to make her so angry.

"What for?" I starred at her tears silently running down my cheeks. Normally I would have cared if she saw me crying I would have tried anything not to do it in front of her but at this moment I was too scared to care. All I cared about was getting the correct answer to her question, if there was one.

"I-I'm sorry for, for leaving with Adam I know I shouldn't have but I really wanted to see mum. I wanted to make sure that she was alright. I'm sorry." She seemed please with my answer but she wasn't quiet finished yet.

"What about your father?" I looked at her blankly. When she realised I wasn't going to answer she went back to her furious state glaring down at me enraged.

"You need to apologise to your father."

"What for?" before I realised what had happened I was lying face down on the carpet holding my stinging cheek. I looked up at her new tears welling in my eyes, I knew I shouldn't have spoke back.

"You will apologise to him; and me for being so rude and when you are finished you will start on dinner." I didn't move. "Go." I scampered up from the floor standing timidly in front of her.

"I'm sorry for being so rude."

"Now your father." I didn't want to go anywhere near him, but I did as grandma told me to and trailed up the stairs and knocked on his bedroom door.

"Come in." I opened the door slowly and edged into the room a couple of inches before stopping. Dad was laying on the unmade bed his hands under his head. I quickly looked around the room and was appalled to see a blood stain on the carpet beside the dresser.

"I'm sorry for being rude earlier." He didn't acknowledge me so I turned and left heading down stairs to start on dinner.