His challenge #3

Chapter 11: (Un)locked door

I was there again.

In that room, a knife to my neck and my father holding it.

The metal slowly penetrated my skin and I felt blood start to run down the side of my neck.

I looked at my own father, who had words coming out of his mouth, but I couldn't hear anything over my own screams.

I screamed so loud that I thought I would lose my voice at that moment before I lost my life.

The moment he was pulled from me by my oldest brother, I woke up from my sleep.

Suddenly I was sitting on the bed in the dark with one hand on my neck, near the scar, trying to calm down.

I tore off the duvet and found myself covered in sweat.

I swung my legs off the bed and felt the cold floor on my feet. I put my elbows on my knees, and put my head in my hands.

Trying to steady my shaky breath, I ran my fingers through my hair before exhaling heavily.

I looked at the half-empty bottle of vodka next to the bed and cursed under my breath.

Even that doesn't help scare away the nightmares anymore.

In an attempt to entertain myself, I went to take a shower. A hot shower that left red marks on my skin.

The pain in my body calmed the pain in my head.

I was getting out of the shower with one towel low on my hips and the other currently wiping the back of my neck when I heard my phone and saw the screen light up.

I went over to the table to see who was texting me so late at night.

I couldn't hide my surprise when I saw her name on my screen.

I immediately opened our conversation.

One part of me was glad she texted me back, but the other, louder one, screamed that it was three in the morning and she wasn't sleeping.

"No." I threw my phone on the bed.