The Paths

30

(Maddie) 

(A flashback occurs several times throughout this chapter)

Harry looks at my Mother blankly. "What could she possibly need work on?" He asks with a frown forming slightly on his lips.

"For starters," Mothers chuckles quietly. "She needs to work on that mouth of hers. It makes me want to wring her neck at times..."

.....

(Fb)

"Pick it up now." Mother demands.

I look at the article of clothing that had missed the hamper. I cleaned everything, only making one mistake. I just started my homework in the late hour of 9:00 at night. I don't understand why I did such a bad job... I worked so hard.

I let a puff of air escape from my lips out of frustration. "Mother... I did everything else. Can't I finish my homework before anything else?"

Her glare turns darker. "I said now. Do it." She growls.

..... Present

"Madison!" Mother scolds causing me to look up and make eye contact. "Elbows off the table, now. We are in public." She hisses.

Being pretty out of it, I do as she instructs. I pick up my fork and take another bite of my food.

"Maddie is such a messy, unmannerly eater. Isn't she Harry?" Mom jokes. "I remember she used to always manage to stain her good clothes. Her clothes... I would have to clean them again and again to get a stain out." She laughs.

.....

(Fb)

I begin to clean the bathroom yet again. I check it for anything else I could have possibly missed. I finish by 9:30 but she was watching me the whole time which was making me irritated.

Mother watches me as start to walk away so I turn around. My nerves defeat my better judgment. "I didn't think giving me a few more minutes to finish my homework would have hurt you." I exclaim out of my frustration.

Before I can blink she has already made numerous paces toward me. Unknowing of her next action, I back into the hallway and my back hits the wall. She goes to grab my chin but her hand misses her target and grabs something else instead; My neck.

"Let go of me!" I scream and plead.

She pushes my back and head further into the wall, her grip not ceasing. "You don't talk to me that way. You are fifteen years old! You do what your told and if you don't like it, there's the door!"

"Let go of my neck!" I scream the best I can.

Out of the corner of my vision I see my father watching the scene play out. He pauses the TV show he was watching. Mother's husband, my father, rises from his seated position but instead of helping, he stands and watches.

"Help!" I yelp.

Seeing no one would answer my plea, I start screaming. This causes her grip to tighten again for a few more seconds before she finally releases me.

"Oh my god." I gasp repeatedly as I flee to my bedroom.

I lay on my bed and hold onto my pillow as if it was a lifeline. In realty, it could do nothing to protect me. I sat there and rocked back and forth in silence. Tears roll down my cheeks at an ongoing pace.

What might she do next time?

I hear them... The footsteps approaching. My breathing quickens. Father enters the room first followed by her.

"I did not grab your neck Madison." Mother says calmly. "Look, you can see the marks where I grabbed you."

I wanted to yell so badly that I can feel where she left the marks. They were on my neck. I wanted to yell about how there is so many things wrong with that statement but I stay quiet while I glare at them with wet cheeks and red eyes.

"Don't look at us like that." Father snaps. "If you would keep your mouth shut this would have never happened. You are lucky. I would have knocked your head into the wall."

I remain silent.

"I didn't mean to grab your neck. I meant to grab your face." Mom sighs. "You want to know what I did? I went like this." She reaches her hand out and I slap it away.

..... Present

"Get away from me!" I scream, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Maddie?" A soothing voice asks and I peel my eyes open.

I am standing with my chair pushed far away from the table I was previously sitting at. Now I am standing. My chest is heaving up and down violently. A single tear rolls down my cheek. Everyone in the restaurant gawks at me and an eerie quiet has fallen over the building.

"H-Harry?" I ask in a shaky voice, my vision blurring from my watery eyes and shock.

In an instant, Harry pulls me to his chest tightly and I hide my face in his shoulder. I grip onto his shirt like I had gripped onto the pillow that night. I can see why this episode was triggered but I just feel overwhelmed. It's like I am there again. People are staring at me and I am helpless,

"Take me home." I gasp breathlessly. "Take me home..."