TW: @buse
Dark, dim lights. I let my eyes adjust to the dark. It takes a moment before I can see where I am.
The basement.
I stand up off the mucky wet floor. I Look past the water heater to a corner where I can hear faint squeaking. I walk over to it and see a grey cat eating a rat.
I let the cat finish before trying to pet it.
"Who might you be?" I ask feeling his neck for a collar. When I find one I quickly grab the name tag and look at it. "Mr. Claws? How ironic."
I let out a soft laugh before picking the cat up gently. I rest it in my arms and walk to the stairs. I sit down and lean against the wall petting the cat.
"Where did you come from?" Claws nudges his head into my chest and do a spin before sitting down and purring. I pet him before gently setting him up the stairs. "Please don't get caught."
I whisper before I rush up the stairs out of the basement. I quietly shut the door and walk into the living room. I see my father sleeping on the couch snoring louder than a tornado siren.
I tip-toed past him up the stairs to my room. I quietly open and shut my door. I practically jump on my bed. I let out a loud sigh and roll over onto my back.
I hear mothers footsteps pounding through the hall charging towards my room. I quickly stand up and pick up random items on my floor.
I listen, The footsteps pass.
False alarm.
I sit back down on my bed before hearing the footsteps again. My door slams open and mother screams at me waking my father below.
She starts screaming about my room and how I'm lazy.
"WE DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU. AND THIS. THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US? YOU'RE SO LAZY. YOU CANT EVEN GET OFF YOUR ASS TO CLEAN YOUR FUCKING ROOM OR ARE YOU TOO BUSY SCREWING ALL THE GUYS AT YOUR SCHOOL." I hear father pounding up the stairs as mother lands a loud and painful slap across my face.
Father walks in and walks over to us, stepping on my sketchbook. He bends down and picks it up, revealing my sketches and paintings inside.
He looks at me and smirks. My heart sinks as I know what he's about to do.
"Wait! Please!" I shout as he rips the paper out of my sketchbook, into shreds.
"Clean it up." He spits before he and his mother leave. As they step into the hall mother kissed him and laughs. She shuts my door and I hear something click.
"Oh, you bitch-" I mumble before I hear it click again and open. Father walks in with the leather belt. It's his favorite with the metal laced around it.
He walks over to me and leans me over to the bed. He quickly pulls my pants down and gets the belt ready. He places a hand on the back of my neck to hold me down before whipping me.
"Count out loud." I feel a sharp stinging pain on my bum. I let out a sharp groan before he tightens his grip on my neck. "I SAID COUNT." He hits me again making me shift.
"T- two." I manage to get out before he hits me again. "T- three"
•••
"Twenty eig- NINE!" I shout as he whips me again. He does it one more time before pulling me up by my neck. He forces me to look into his eyes.
"Don't ever, and I mean ever, call your mother a bitch again. Am I understood?" I nod which lands me a slap. "use the words that we paid for you to get caught."
"Yes." I spit out through a clenched jaw. He throws my head down and leaves, slamming my door.
"LILLY. LILLY GET DOWN HERE." I hear a woman's voice call.
I feel hands placed on my shoulder, shaking me. I slowly open my eyes adjusting them to the blaring light of the sun.
"What time is it?" I mumble. I turn over and see my mom.
"Get up. You're late, it's eleven o'clock- com'on" she says taking my blanket off. She walks off as I curl up after throwing a fit about the cold air.
I slowly sit up and stretch before standing up on the cold floor. I walk over to my restroom and begin brushing my teeth and my dark amber hair. After, I quickly rush to my closet and throw on a pair of skinny jeans and a tight tank top with my favorite green hoodie overtop.
I run down the hall into the kitchen and grab an apple and my bag. I run into moms car and we drive off for about two seconds before she reminds me of my seatbelt.
We arrive at my school and I quickly run in to get a pass and head to my second class. As I'm running through the halls I bump head into somebody and tumble backward.
I look at the person, they have a black hoodie on over their head and a black nurse's mask with black trousers.
"What are you? A thief?" He rolls his eyes. His eyes, they're as green as an emerald. They're practically inhuman looking.
I look deeper into his eyes but can't find anything. No hint of human, just an empty black hole.
