Family is Forever (Sequel to Running on Insulin)

Chapter 2

Samantha POV

My head hurt. Why did my head hurt?

I looked around. I don't recognize this room. Where am I? I tried to sit up, but something was holding me down. I looked down and saw something across my chest and my legs. I moved my arm to try and move it. I couldn't move my arm either. I looked at my hand. It was tied to the bed, too.

Where am I?

I looked around the room as best as I could. It was dark in the room, so I couldn't see very much. I tried to think. Did I recognize the room? It looked a little familiar, but I couldn't quite figure out why. I couldn't see a clock, there was just a tiny band of light coming in from under the door across the room. I couldn't see a window anywhere. The light under the door doesn't let in a lot of light, and I couldn't see any details clearly.

I tried to think. Could I think what happened? How I would have gotten here? Tied to a bed? That's the weird part. Who would have ...

Stanley. No. That doesn't make any sense. It definitely wasn't Stanley that picked me up from school. It was my new social worker. Mr. Gillingham.

Tyler and Jenna. They were in an accident! That's why the social worker came to get me from school! Maybe I'm in a hospital room? Maybe I freaked out and I'm tied down so I don't hurt myself.

I looked around the room. No. Definitely not a hospital room. Why did it look so familiar?

I looked harder. I could see some shelves on the other side of the room. They were empty. There was a desk at the end of the bed. Nothing on that. I could see my school bag was hanging off the chair. There was a dresser in the corner. Something was on top of it, but I couldn't tell what it was exactly.

And my head still hurt like crazy. Plus, I was getting thirsty and I really had to pee. I closed my eyes, hoping to maybe fall asleep and get rid of this headache.

---------------------------------------------

"Wakey wakey," a voice said, slapping my face.

"What?" I said, looking around.

"Told you I had friends. Told you I'd be keeping an eye on you. I told you that no matter what, I am still your father."

I looked into the face that was right in front of mine. Stanley. This had to be a bad dream.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Don't you get mouthy with me, you ungrateful little bitch!" he said, slapping me across the face harder this time.

I tried to shrink away, but he had my arms and legs so tightly bound I couldn't move any way.

He sneered at me.

"Where do you think you're going anyway, huh? Gonna try to get away? No. See, you're my kid, and I made absolutely sure you weren't going anywhere."

"Why are you doing this?" I whimpered.

"Why? Because you're my daughter. You're my kid. I get to decide what happens to you. I am the one who decides your life. No one else. Do you understand me?"

"You lost your rights. Jenna and Tyler, they adopted me. We already went to the judge. We came to visit you at the prison so you would stop."

He punched me in the stomach and knocked the wind out of me.

"My god are you stupid," he rolled his eyes. "Did you think I'd let something as little as some adoption order keep me from keeping my eyes on you? Making sure you're really taken care of?"

I coughed as I tried to catch my breath.

"Oh shut up," he said.

"Just let me go home," I said, trying not to cry, trying not to whine.

"But you are home. Don't you recognize your old room?" he sneered at me.

I looked around again. That's why the room seemed familiar. Except that everything I'd ever owned was gone. Everything but Mr. Hippo, lying on my dresser.

"Don't get excited. I only left him there so you'd see where you were. But I guess you're so stupid, you couldn't even recognize your own room."

I could feel tears burning behind my eyes.

"Don't even think about crying you stupid girl. You are exactly where you're supposed to be. In your bed in your home with your dad. But don't worry. It won't be for too much longer. I got lots of special 'fun' planned."

I didn't like the sound of that.

"Please. Just let me go home. Let me go to Jenna and Tyler's."

"Pffft. You are home baby girl. You are home," he lifted his fist.

White light filled my eyes and pain exploded in the side of my head. Darkness followed.

----------------------------------------------------

"Wake up you ungrateful little shit."

Stanley was back.

I opened my eyes. One of them wouldn't open all the way and Stanley was blurry.

"Here," he said, shoving something towards my face. I turned away.

"I'm not going to poison you, you stupid girl. Open your mouth."

I did. He shoved something in it. It was a granola bar.

"Eat it, you little shit. I'm not going to have you starve on me."

I took a bite. It had marshmallows and chocolate.

"I can't eat this. It's too sweet," I said.

He punched me in the stomach.

"You will eat what I give you, you ungrateful. Little. Shit!" Repeated punches after his last words.

He got up and slammed the door. I guess that was all I was getting today to eat.

I shut off my mind. I closed my eyes and retreated into the darkness.