Liberosis

Chapter 18

A short chapter ahead but might help you understand some things in the last chapter :)

Songs to listen to while reading:

Skinny Love - Birdy

Trigger warning: slight violence and drug use.

Harry's perspective.

Flashback to 2007, 14 years old.

I'm taking the long route home, mum was in a bad mood this morning so I really don't want to go home just yet. She's been taking heroin and drinking throughout the day for the past couple of weeks.

We learned about drugs and alcohol at school last year, it didn't take me long to realise that mum wasn't drinking juice and eating flour.

Mum always says that the pain stops when she drinks and takes drugs, maybe I should try them... I would do anything to stop the pain that I feel inside.

I know that eleven painkillers don't stop the pain. I thought they would because that's what they're supposed to do... Pain... Killers... But they just caused me to become sleepy and mum to yell at me for using up all of the painkillers.

Maybe I should try taking some of the stuff mum takes, she always says that they stop the pain that she feels because of me.

I take extra-long steps to play along with the game where I challenge myself to not step on any of the cracks on the sidewalk.

I hear a laugh in the distance behind me which makes me stop in my tracks. I know who's laugh that is, it's Tommy Jones. Tommy is a horrible excuse for a human that goes to the same school as me, he's three years older than me. Him and his friends are always causing trouble by stealing or fighting. They scare me...

I don't turn around in case he hasn't seen me but start to quicken my steps now to try and get home faster.

"Hey, little bitch!"

Oh god, please don't...

I ignore him, hoping he isn't talking to me. A hand clamping down on my shoulder causing me to stop walking unfortunately answers my question.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going, hm?" He spits at me, I clamp my eyes shut and shove my hands into my pockets so that he can't see that I'm trembling.

"H—Home..." I stutter. They all laugh at my response; it sounds like there are three of them.

I open my eyes and look at Tommy hoping that he might feel sorry for me if I make eye contact, "Please let me... Please let me go Tommy."

This causes them to laugh even harder, "No can do..." Tommy replies once he has stopped laughing. "Give me all of your money." He states, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't... I don't have any money, I'm really sorry."

"Well you know what has to happen now little bitch..."

I squeeze my eyes shut to try and hide the tears that have started to pool in my eyes, I just want to go home...

I don't get the chance to say anything else, Tommy's fist collides with the side of my jaw with force. I stumble backwards from the impact and hit the back of my head on the concrete.

It's fine, I'm going to be fine.

It's not like you don't deserve this Harry...

The other two guys start kicking me on my sides, forcing me to become winded. I feel like my ribs are caving in. Tommy just walks around the scene in a circle, analysing the situation to decide what his next move will be. I keep eye contact with him, hoping that he'll feel sorry for me and stop this any second.

I try to sit up but the pain in my body stops me. I don't know how I'm going to get out of this. Maybe they just won't stop and help me out...

Whimpers leave my mouth as his friends take turns kicking me while he starts to kneel down by my head. He grabs a handful of my hair and pulls it with all of his strength, I try to grab his wrist to stop him but I'm not strong enough. I'm never strong enough...I hear a tearing sound and realise that Tommy is actually cutting my hair with one of his knives.

Why is there never anyone to help me?

After Tommy cut all my hair off to leave me with patchy hair, he punched me another four times before they left me on the sidewalk, bleeding and bruised with tears sliding down the side of my face.

I don't know how much time passes before I was able to find the strength to sit up. All I know is that the sun has started to set so it must have been a long time. I wince at the pain that radiates through my face and stomach area.

I get to my feet after two failed attempts and shuffle back home in a hunched position since I can't stand up straight.

I hope that one day, if I make it, I will never have to go through any of this again. My mum, the kids at school, any of it...

I make it back home after what felt like a very long walk, I walk through the front door and pray that mum is sleeping.

I step into the lounge area, silence. Thank god...

My eyes fall onto the coffee table and to the half empty bags of white powder that mum sniffs. I don't even second guess it when I grab one of them and shove it into my pocket, there's still another seven bags on the table, mum won't notice that one has disappeared.

I walk into my bedroom and close the door behind me.

Let's see if my pain will disappear...

Authors note:
How's everyone doing?

I just know this is everyone right now:

We're meeting the gang leader in the next chapter and then we have some exciting things coming up ;)

I love you. Yes you, who's reading this right now...

See you in the next one!

~Jess💜