It Chapter Three: The Offspring

Chapter One

I sighed in exhaustion while I stood in front of the door to the house. The wind gently played with my bright orange hair and caused me to shiver. I had just returned from my job, and God was it one shitty shift. As I was about to turn the knob I noticed a small wood carving on it. I squinted my eyes and looked closer to see some words.

'Hell on earth' It read.

Reading it caused a small smile to lift the corners of my mouth up. I remembered vividly the day I did it. I was ten at the time and I had received one of the worst beatings of my life from my mom which resulted in me getting a black eye. It was a very bright Saturday afternoon but the brightness didn't mix with my sadness. I remember crying a lot that day although it hurt like hell then I looked up at the clear skies and cried out in frustration and anger.

I couldn't even remember what I had done.

I wasn't thinking properly so I decided I was going to end my life that day. So, I stole a small pocket knife that was in my mom's drawer and put it at the base of my neck ready to kill myself. However, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was too cowardly to and I ended up dropping the knife and pitying myself for being, well.....Pitiful.

Defeated, I trudged back inside, wiping away my tears. But as I got to the front door I realized that if I wasn't going to use the knife to kill myself I might as well use it to give people a heads up on what they would expect before entering the hell called my home, and so I carved the words.

Mom was too blind to see the carving to my luck so I didn't get in trouble. Looking back now, I felt a little stupid that I tried to kill myself with a pocket knife of all things.

I should've used something bigger.

"Ria, you little rascal"I snorted.

My nostalgia took a turn and I felt fear rising in me once realization took its toll.

I was late.

I suddenly took notice of the blinding darkness and deafening silence around me as I felt my breath hitch. With a shaky finger I switched on my phone and saw 20 missed calls from my mom.

"Shit" I cursed.

I turned on my phone a second time and saw that it was a quarter past midnight.

"I'm so dead" I stated as I felt some tears in my eyes.

How could I have lost track time? I can't be late. It's like I wanted to die more than I already do. I'll be damned if mom almost kills me, or worse.

If you think I haven't thought of running away, I have and it did not end well. It still scares me how she found me.

Maybe I didn't succeed because she was awake at that time.

All I know is that running away is useless at this time. I have to go inside and deal with the consequences.

Hooray.

With a shaky finger and an accelerated heartbeat I gently put my hand on the door knob and slowly turned it. I prayed with all my might that the door didn't squeak, even a little because my mom has unnatural hearing. Hell, she heard one of our previous neighbors doing the dirty all the way from the living room and thought it was me fucking myself. It didn't even make sense because our house isn't even close to our neighbors.

The door slowly opened and I saw my mom sleeping on one of the seats in the living room. The television was on and gave out a glow so bright I had to shield my eyes. I felt my tense body relax upon seeing my mom deep in slumber and I swore that I had almost pissed my pants. Slowly but surely I gently closed the door and tiptoed upstairs and into my room making sure not to make any noise.