Chim - Mirrors

CHAPTER 7

Chapter Seven

My phone rings loudly, pulling me out of my dreamless sleep. My eyes feel heavy and gritty, dry tears making my eyes sore and I rub them quickly, yawning.

I search for it beside me, fingers grasping the sheets until I touch something cold. I flip it open with a sigh.

"Hello?" I yawn.

"Hi." I sit up in bed, wide awake and alert the second I hear her voice.

"Cheryl?" It's barely a whisper that escapes my lips. And I can almost hear her smiling on the other end of the line.

"Yeah. I just wanted to check up on you..."

"I-I'm okay." I say simply, sighing. Wait until I tell her that I got suspended from school-

Sh*t. I was supposed to get Cindy alone to sign the paper...

I take a deep breath, not wanting to get upset over Cindy being hurt by Robert. Cheryl chuckles lightly.

"Good...that's good. Look, I was thinking maybe you and I could-"

"KID! GET IN HERE AND CLEAN THE KITCHEN!" His voice is loud, demanding. And I think the reason he doesn't call me by my name is cause he can't remember it. I grit my teeth, pushing down my anger.

"In a second!" I shout, moving the phone away from my mouth.

"RIGHT NOW!" He roars loudly. I hear a glass smash and I wince, my heart racing. There I go again, antagonizing him like a fcuking idiot...

"Kimberley? What's going on-" Cheryl says anxiously, and I quickly put the phone back to my ear.

"Cheryl, I have to go, sorry." I hastily hang up on her and get up, rushing into the kitchen.

I've barely taken a step into the living room when he charges at me and wraps his hand around my throat, squeezing tightly. He shoves me against the wall and I can feel my ribs burn as soon as they make contact. I cry out, but it gets caught in my throat. I can feel the oxygen cutting off from my lungs and I gasp for air, clawing at his hands anxiously.

"When I tell you what to do and when to do it, what are you supposed to do?" He snarls, his face inches away from mine. His breath is putrid, alcohol mixed with smoke and something else disgusting. I can feel bile rising in my closed throat, and I'm genuinely fearful he will kill me right here and now.

"Come straight away." I choke out. 

"Exactly!" He hisses. He lets me go and I almost drop to my knees, coughing and spluttering like a mad woman. My heart feels like it's about to explode out of my chest and I stand with shaking knees, taking in a shuddering breath. 

I look up just as he pulls his fist back, about to hit me square in the face.

And on natural instinct, I duck. 

He howls in pain as his fist makes contact with the wall, a hole punching through and I look at him, my blood boiling.

I've had enough.

My neck is throbbing and I know bruises are gonna appear. And something snaps inside me at the very thought.

I'm done. Done with him, done with her, done with being adopted, done with everything.

"FCUK OFF!" I shove him, hands smacking into his shoulders and he stumbles, a look of shock on his face.

"FCUK YOU! AND FCUK YOUR STUPID WIFE! I'M *Ducking* OUT OF HERE! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" I can feel my voice box tearing from how loud I'm screaming, my whole body trembling from it, but I can't help it. I'm not doing this anymore, I'm not taking beatings and being treated like sh*t.