Fixing You

chapter three

Bonjour people (you'd never guess i'm failing french)

i've seen one or two comments refering to a cast for the story...... i am TERRIBLE at those but i'd really love to know your suggestions!!!!! message me or comment below

now chapter three................

Ashling's POV

I looks around, satisfied with my work. I had just finished unpacking my belongings in my new bedroom, and I had to say, it looked great. I bit my lip and looked at the door. I had been avoiding my aunt and her family for hours, and I knew I should just bite the bullet and face them. I couldn't hide forever, and this was not the time for embarrassment.

I had arrived at my aunt's house that morning to live with her, her husband and my cousin Jay for the foreseeable future. The reason for my move? I had finally worked up the courage to tell people about the emotional and physical abuse inflicted upon me by my parents. I had flown from Ireland that Friday morning, and I was to enroll at the local school in Oakland, Maryland on Monday.

I was about to go downstairs when I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I called.

The door opened and in walked my cousin Jay. He looked around the room and nodded appreciatively. "Well done, the room looks great," he said with a smile.

I returned his smile and thanked him for his compliment. Before now, Jay and I had rarely seen each other, what with him living in Maryland and me in Ireland. I was sixteen and he was seventeen, so we had always been close. When he and his family moved to the States ten years ago, we made it our mission to stay in touch. In fact, it was Jay I first told about my parents abusing me, and he convinced me to go to the police. It became much easier once others knew, and the problem wasn't only mine. Jay's mom, Sarah, my mom's sister, now had full legal custody of me.

"You hungry?" Jay asked. There was no longer any hint of an Irish accent in his voice. "You've been decorating non stop all day. Mom says dinner's ready."

I hadn't realised I was hungry at all until my stomach growled involuntarily.

Jay laughed at my reddening face. "Come on," he said, and I followed him downstairs to the smell of a beautifully home cooked meal, something I hadn't had in years.

"Smells great," I told Sarah who had just set down our plates.

"Thanks, Ashling," Sarah smiled, giving Jay a meaningful look.

"What?" he questioned indignantly. "Yeah, yeah, the food is aesthetically pleasing and all that."

Sarah rolled her eyes and began questioning me about my bedroom. Dinner at the Murphy household turned out to be much different from what I was used to. Rather than eating in silence, the four of us ate together and there was a constant flow of conversation. Everyone was just happy to be in each others company. There was something painfully comforting about it.

Towards the end of the meal, I turned to Jay. "Where's that forest you told me about last year?"

Jay shrugged. "About ten minutes from here. Why?"

"I kind of want to go for a run."

Half an hour later I was ready to leave, having memorised the route Jay advised me to take. Sure enough, no less than ten minutes later I arrived at the edge of the forest. It was deserted except for one car, and looked beautiful under the twilight sky. I couldn't wait to clear my mind and just let go, like I used to when I ran at home. The move had been a harder adjustment than I'd let on.

I chose a slightly visible trail that looked as though it had not been used in a while. I loved the feeling of complete, serene isolation that came with running. The forest was overgrown and dense with bushes, so I had to watch my step, but I loved it nonetheless.

The crisp night air felt amazing as it filled my lungs. I ran faster and faster in an attempt to forget everything, but it only succeeded in bringing me back to where it all began.

I was six and we were at a neighbour's house. I lost my grip on a glass of water and it crashed to the ground. I didn't miss my father's red hot glare, but I thought nothing of it.

When we got home, he grabbed my bicep so hard that I yelled out and tried to pull away. But this angered him even more, and he roughly shoved me away from him. It sent me flying towards the stairs where I hit my head hard. My father, in his blind rage, continued to punch and kick me, shouting about what a waste of space I was. I begged him to stop until everything went black.

My mother never helped me. While she refrained from physically hurting me, she would often say something nasty enough to break me. It was because of her I started slitting my wrists when I was twelve. At least when my father beat me, I could count on passing out eventually, but with my mother, there was no escape.

I stopped running. In my anger at my parents I had over exerted myself, and now I was completely drained. The sky was completely black. I doubled over and put my hands on my knees, panting in exhaustion. I wished I'd thought to bring water.

I reached for my phone to text Jay and ask if he would mind collecting me. I was just too worn out to run home.

Suddenly, I was hit by something that carried the force of a truck. I tumbled backwards, reaching my arms out blindly. As luck would have it, there was nothing to grab ahold of. Within seconds I felt a stabbing pain in my head. It was a horribly familiar feeling, and several memories of my father's beatings ensued. I shuddered and brought my hand to my head. I could feel the warm, sticky liquid that was my blood seeping from the back of my head.

I succumbed to the darkness, like I always did, like the coward I was. I was always giving up but never fighting back. This made me mad, so I struggled for a few moments with the relentless tendrils of the everlasting realm of darkness before predictably giving in and letting it wash over me. The last thing I heard was someone asking if I was okay.

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SOOO?????? what do you guys think of ashling????? she hasnt quite grown on me just yet, but you have now met all six characters ...... any favourites yet????

sorry it was short i promise they will get longer from here

as always i am writing this story with @ObsessiveBookworm .................go fan her !!!

next update will be ...................... SATERDAY!!!!!!!!!

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