Beyond the Deep Water

Courage

The night falls, and the darkness spreads all over town. The shadows lurk with ease while finding their way to Camille. The walls cave in as the dark energy creeps over her body. He's coming. They're calling the monster. Thanks to the fatigue and pain, she's fallen asleep, but her senses wake up in a panic. Even though her eyelids are glued to each other, her brain is awakening those horrible dreams.

Camille turns in her bed while her pores open up with cold sweat, her brain fires alerting waves through every nerve. The monster is coming with his vile thirst for pain, for revenge. Dragging his feet in the hallway, he makes sure to announce his presence. He grins with pleasure while imagining Camille's face after he's done with her, his hands twitching to break every bone of her body, dying to see tears and blood. The thought of hearing her pleading for her life gives him an adrenaline rush. The shadows laugh mockingly as the foulest monster Camille has ever known stands outside her door. Steve, her father.

It's the middle of the night, Camille jumps awake. She pulls the covers over her head as chills run down her spine. He's here, and she's unable to breathe without fear. Camille shuts her eyes to pray, hoping that Steve is too drunk to try anything, but he will always find the strength and thrive to make her suffer. Her trembling hands cover her mouth to keep her voice inside.

"Well, hello, there..." he studders with maliciousness as her heart accelerates in a painful rhythm.

"No!" Camille screams in desperation as his dirty hands grab her legs.

Although her injuries from the night before give her a disadvantage, Camille will give a fight no matter how strong this man is. She'll fight for her life. But her courage only causes Steve to laugh while she squirms to free herself.

"Oh, Camille, when will you learn?" He grabs a handful of her hair and drags her out of bed.

"Let Go!" She slams the hardwood floor; still, she won't give up. Camille keeps breathlessly trying to pull herself back by anchoring her nails on the floor. She winces in pain as the loose splinters pierce in between her toenails. "Let go..."

Annoyed by her counter-attack, Steve delivers a powerful blow right on her abdomen, making her lungs burst as she coughs in agonizing desperation.

"Steve!" Camille's mother cries in horror in the doorway.

"Step back!" He struggles to stay balanced, and this is something Camille takes advantage of while her mother makes a run for it and grabs him from behind.

"Let go of me!" Camille stumbles her way back to her feet, thin, unhealthy, but with enough courage to launch herself against the unsteady man, she pulls his hair with all her might, but it's not enough.

Steve takes her on without effort, thanks to the dark forces taking over his body. He turns around and lands a punch on Camille's mother. She falls to the floor, fighting to stay awake.

"Don't you dare!" Camille pulls his attention back to her. She needs to be strong for her mother. She moans in pain as the back of her head slams on the wall, her sight becomes blurry with tears, but she refuses to fall, not when her mother has seen the monster in Steve.

"Look at you. Are you ready to face me, Camille?" Steve swings his hand across her face as he questions her mockingly. His breath reeks of alcohol.

Camille tastes the blood on her lips. She's nauseous and weak; still, she forces her brain to stay awake. Ignoring the pain of reopening old injuries. There are more bruises she can't hide, more pain to bear, but she's finally tired of staying in silence.

Camille wipes the humiliating tears off her face, refusing to give Steve the pleasure to see her cry. Steve mocks her attempt to stand up to him.

"Steve! Please, I beg you, stop-" Camille's mother begs, desperately trying to get back to her feet. Unfortunately, thanks to the evil shadows, she doesn't have the strength.

"Shut up, this is all on you!" the monster stutters without losing focus of his target. His green eyes look empty and cold. "That little boyfriend of yours..." the corner of his eyes crinkled as an evil grin took over his face, sending chills through Camille's body. Her eyes snap awake as Adam's smiling face pops up in her mind. She knows the shadows were lurking when they were at the lake. They saw his determination to save her.

The smell of alcohol fills Camille's personal space, making it more difficult for her to stay alert. Her heart clenches with remorse for letting a disgusting, disgraceful human being mention Adam's name.

"Look at you, turn into a little beast. Are you challenging me, Camille? Huh, are you daring me to do something?" he pulls her close to his face.

"Stop that. No, Camille!" Camille's mother pleads. Camille fights the tears because she's done being a victim of her father and the shadows. She's tired of enduring so much, to the point of risking Adam's wellbeing.

"It's okay, mom..." She mouths out the words to her mother, an action that makes Steve giggle hysterically.

"Aah! Does that little boy give you the confidence you need? Do you think you can break free from this?" He whispers in a disgusting tone that makes her sick to the bone. Camille looks at Steve straight in the eyes. He smirks, taking on her challenge. "Tell me, Camille. Come on," he takes her by the neck.

"Camille!" Her mother cries as her heart accelerates. An ominous smile crosses his face as he adds more pressure to his grip. Steve watches the blood drip down the corner of Camille's mouth while she struggles to breathe. Her chest starts to burn, making her face heat up. Without oxygen coming through, Camille starts kicking with desperation.

"You'll kill her!" Camille's mother cries behind the monster, but she's glued to the floor. She's powerless against the forces gathering around them. Steve chuckles while he slams his fist on the girl's face.

"You're not following the rules, Camelia!" The drunk man struggles with his words. "You know she's not allowed to be happy!" He lets go of her neck.

Camille falls back to the floor, wiping off the disgusting taste of blood from her mouth; she tries to collect her voice. Although her soul hurts, she manages to stand gain, pulling her shoulders back. Taking one last breath, Camille looks at Steve.

"Why am I not allowed to be happy? Why do you hate me so much?" Her violet eyes peer at him as her chest hyperventilates, and her blood stains the floor. Pulling her hair away from her eyes, Camille leans on the wall for support to patiently wait for an answer.

"I deserve to know why my father is such a monster..." Camille demands, exhaling loudly to release the strain.

Camille knows that her mother tries to make up for all the abuse she's endured, but it's no longer enough. For sixteen years, she's been knocked down, beaten up, dragged on the floor, but blaming alcoholism isn't an excuse. It's never been an excuse.

"Just tell me ..." she breathes deeply, hoping to calm the intense torture that it is to live every day begging for mercy. The only thing she can expect now is to be clear and end it for once and for all.