Fire And Ice

10. Burns.

I walked up to my room and changed into pyjamas, so if mother looked, she'll think I was cleaning my room. It's nearly 7:30 pm, which means I spend more than an hour with Phil.

That's when I remembered that high school starts tomorrow. I looked at my full schedule, Homeroom, AP English, AP geometry, AP world history, Art, AP biology and Japanese, Gym. I can speak and listening Japanese but I'm not good at writing it so it doesn't seem like a waste of time.

I got up to wash my face, to try getting some sleep because I know too well that I wake up every two hours silently screaming because of horrible nightmares.

"Sang!" I heard my mother yell which made me stop in my tracks, I stood frozen for a second before running downstairs and saw my mother in the kitchen. She was supposed to be in bed. Taking rest.

"Yes, mother?" I asked.

"Where were you in the morning?" She asked her cold foreign voice making me shudder.

"In my room, mother." I said, controlling my shivers. Give me thousand bad guys I'll happily fight them but my mom, she was someone who can still give me panic attack just by thinking about her.

"What were you doing now?" She asked trying to find something.

"Cl-cleaning the room, mother." I said and my mother eyes narrowed as my voice cracked at the lie.

"Haven't I told not to lie to me?" My mother voice became taunting

"Yes, mother" I said looking down.

"Then why are you lying, you whore!" She screamed. I just stood there shivering, anything I tell would only make her angrier, so I looked down tears brimming my eyes thinking about her punishments.

"Liars, get punished." She said calmly, I heard sound of vessels. I stood there closing my eyes tightly.

After a few minutes my mother ordered, "Come and stand near the sink."

I did as she asked, confused, I heard the sound of water boiling which had me even more confusing. Just what exactly is she going to do to me.

She caught my wrist and pulled my right hand into the sink, then she took the boiling kettle and my eyes widened in horror, before I could react she poured the boiling hot water into my hands, the pain was excruciating as I let out a small scream. I grinded my teeth together knowing if I scream loud that she'll make it ten times worse.

Tears started falling down my cheeks, as the scalding hot water burnt my palms and fingers. After emptying the contents of the kettle she went to the refrigerator and collected something while I stood there shaking and in pain.

She came to me with a big bowl of cold water, and thrusted my hands into it. The water was cold, very very cold and I knew that this will only damage the burn even more that I wouldn't be able to use my right hand for maybe more than a week.

After few minutes, she left me, telling me to clean up and go to my room and not come down. I hurriedly cleaned up with left hands. I entered the bathroom, pulled out the roll of cotton and slowly wiped my hands.

Thankfully my fingertips and base of the palm weren't much affected. I closed my eyes, grinding my teeth, I covered my hand in cotton bandage and laid on the ground, sobbing as the pain was killing me.

I don't know why mother keep doing things to me, I know that she says men are bad and they will rape you or do bad things to you, but not exactly all men are bad like Phil, Uncle or even Nathan, Victor and his friend. I wish I could have a normal life, I took my diary and wrote the exact things, along with the pain and what she did.

It always helps to reduce the pain mentally but physically. No. That's reason I learnt to put a nonchalant expression on my face even when the pain is biting me.

I drifted to sleep after writing my diary in my secret code. I woke up thrice in the night due to the pain then I would apply some ointment for it which would help me sleep.

I opened my eyes, sweating and gasping for breath. I quickly took my diary and wrote the dream where a faceless person was trying to drown me and the feeling that I got when I woke up as if I didn't really breath told me I wasn't breathing. I laid back down calming myself down and slowly making my way to take a shower.

Taking a shower was really hard as every time the water touched the burn, the pain in my hands intensifies. I dressed in brown corduroy flare skirt that reached upto my mid-thigh, long sleeved black and white stripe top, along with black ankle boots, letting my blonde hair cascade down the shoulder as I didn't want to draw any attention.

I again bandaged my right hand, picked up my book bag which had couple of notebooks, pencils and pen. I walked into the kitchen ate an apple. I shuddered when I saw the sink which made my stomach into knots so I couldn't eat anything without getting a overwhelmed feel to vomiting everything out.

I walked out and saw Marie was already standing in the end of the driveway, she was wearing jeans and a dark blue t-shirt that looked too big for her, even on her tall frame.

She took a look at me, with a disgusted expression she asked, "What are you wearing? And why are you carrying a bag?"

"Everyone in our last school wore skirts. And I wanted to look nice." I replied being honest.

"Just stand away from me. I don't want to look like we're related." and before I could say anything, she stepped away from me until she was one the other side of the driveway.

I sighed I wanted a good relation between me and my sister but that doesn't seem to happen at all. I looked away from her, I can do what she wants, if she doesn't want me near her, I'll do it.

I turned my gaze to the opposite house where a boy is standing he is at least a head taller then me, and has a medium build with defined musculature. He has an confident upright posture, with shoulders back. He has fair skin, light brown hair, emerald green eyes that is hidden behind his black rimmed glasses and thin brows angled at the edges, and high cheekbones.

He was about to do something but the yellow school bus stopping infront cut the view of him and made me get in hurriedly, I found a corner and sat down, sighing.