Since her mother's passing she felt alone and drifting against the tide.
But he made her feel grounded.
A fight between addiction and love, she wanted to be free. A haunting past she can't keep running away from.
"People do bad things when they ar...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As the car was cruising through the wind, I let my hair run wild out of the window taking in the sea salt air and summer breeze of OBX. I was returning home. Home to my family. By family I mean the Pogues. Man I've missed them.
I moved to OBX when I was five years old. That's right, I'm British. My mum had a job as an artist and decided she wanted somewhere with more landscape. Her and and my dad threw a dart to a map and well there we found Outerbanks. Home.
Two years I'd spent away from Outer banks. It's also two years since Mum passed. Since that day my life has never been the same. Dad on the other hand, had been the same since I can remember.
Mum passed away of 'cancer' from what Dad told the town, stage four and that she got given two weeks to live. Apart from it wasn't that. I witnessed my Dad beat my Mum till there was no inch of her soul left in her body. That day will always replay in my mind, the nightmares I have never left since.
Dad has always been a selfish, manipulating drug user and what my mum saw in him I will never know. I remember the times as a child where Mum would pack our bags and tell me we are finally leaving but it never came. The reason my dad beat her till she died was because he found a suitcase hidden in my wardrobe with passports and our belongings. He knew we were trying to escape so he did what he knows best. Got his own way.
As we were driving, the Outer banks sign was within sight. Paradise on Earth us locals called it. It's sandy beaches and waves to surf on was my favourite part. Everyone knew each other however there were two sides to the Outer Banks. Figure Eight where all the pretentious snobs and rich people resided. Then the cut where us poor people and hustlers were. The only reason I ever travelled to Figure Eight was to see my best friend Sarah Cameron. We met in middle school and haven't looked back since. She was rich and pretty but never looked down on me. She always made me feel welcome and didn't care if I was a Pogue. Even so, she has since joined the Pogues and since I left I discovered she is now dating my life long friend John B. Us Pogues were the bestest of friends, family even. There was me, Sarah, John B, JJ who will get himself into trouble in any situation, Kiara the sensible one but also stunning and then Pope the smartest of us all. I smiled to myself itching to see my friends.
I was hoping to see Rafe to, that's Sarah's brother. I hated his guts but some strange part of my heart told me that I'm slightly attracted to him and have been since I was about twelve years old. It must have been his confidence and cockiness as he was an arsehole and didn't care about anyone but himself. He never looked at me twice and if he did it was a look of disgust. Me on the other hand would get a butterfly feeling every time he walked in the room. His presence taking over dominating every inch of me.
As we rode into the cut I see my childhood home. It held so many memories, mostly bad, but so many memories. We left two weeks after Mum died as Dad couldn't handle the stress and questions.
We pull up on the makeshift driveway, the weeds overgrown around the front door. A boarded up window and old ragged curtains closed.
I sighed. "Get your shit out of the car Eliana," Dad scolded. I huffed in response and dragged my case out of the boot of the car. I made my way inside and the musty smell hit my nose straight away. I found my old room and smiled at the photos still placed on the wall. There me and Mum was laughing on the beach. I reached into my bedside draw and found some old paintings I did. I loved painting and so did my mother. We found peace in it seeing as we couldn't get it anywhere else.
I texted Sarah telling her I'd arrived home.
*Hey girl I'm back in OBX, what are the plans cause I'm not staying in this shit hole with him*
*OMG!!! I cannot wait to see you, there's a beach party later us Pogues are throwing, you comin?*
*Too right I'll be there!*
*Okay I'll meet you in the beach at eight! Don't wanna come and piss off your Dad*
Sarah knew all the shit my dad does. She's begged me to leave so many times to live with her but she knows I can't.
"Eliana where the fuck is my coke," Dad came barging in the room. He gripped my shoulders and shook me. "I don't know Dad did you leave it in the car?" I quiver. "Don't try and fucking lie, you've taken it you stupid little girl," he shouted as he back handed me across the face. He then gripped my hair and threw me knocking my cheek of the corner of my bed. That's gonna bruise. Tears rolled down my face as he repeatedly punched me in my sides. He then slammed my bedroom door making me jump and shouted "and don't you dare think you're leaving this house tonight!"
I began to sob hard gripping onto my face. I look in the dusty mirror and see blood coming from my eyebrow and mouth. "FUCK!" I scream. The thing is, this wasn't even the worst thing he's done to me but it's the first time I'm gonna see my friends and my face was a fucking mess.
I patched up my face with some butterfly stitches from a make shift first aid box I found out my bed. My mum gave me it when I was seven so then if Dad ever did anything I could clean myself up.
I waited till it was half seven, Dad sure would be passed out on the couch by now from all the vodka he drinks. The swelling had eased on my face slightly so I decided to cover as much up as I could with some makeup and fixed my hair.
I slid open my bedroom window on to the patio roof. I took a leap and ran to the beach.
———————————————
A.N- Hey guys! I know it was really intense as a first chapter with lots of mention and actual abuse but I wanted you to get a feel so Eliana's home life
