Ashes to Ashes

"Daisy, run! Get out of here and call the police!" Jessie screamed

"No! I'm not leaving you! He'll kill you!"

"Daisy, if you don't go now, we'll both be dead in less than ten minutes."

"Please, Jessie..don't make me leave," Daisy sobbed.

"I'm sorry. Go now!" Daisy looked at her older sister, tears streaming down her face. She got up as quickly as she could and made a run for the kitchen phone. She almost made it, when a hulking figure grabbed her around the waist and threw her to the floor.

"And just what do you think you're doing, little flower?" the drunken voice slurred.

"I....I...I was c.c.calling an amb..ambulance for Jessie," Daisy stuttered, fear evident in her green eyes.

"Oh? Were you now? Well we can't have that."

"W..w...why not?"

"Because people will ask questions, and take you two away from me. I don't want to lose my little ones." The man reached down and stroked Daisy's tear stained face. She started to calm down and didn't notice as his expression changed. Jessie could only watch in horror as to what happened next.

The man raised his hand and slapped Daisy across the face. He grabbed her deep, brown hair and dragged her out of the kitchen. She kicked and screamed, doing everything she could do to try and stop him. Nothing worked. He threw her back on the floor and gazed down at her.

"Please don't hurt me, Daddy!" Daisy yelled between sobs, "I promise I'll be good." He leaned down and out his face right up to hers.

"Oh, I'm sure you will." He picked up a lock of her hair and rolled it between his fingers. "You have such lovely hair you know." He sighs. "To bad it's too long." He pulls out a pocket knife and flicks it open. Daisy's eyes grow wide and she starts to struggle, throwing punches. Her dad just laughs and punches her in the stomach, immobilizing her. He takes his pocket knife and proceeds to cut his daughter'a hair, humming as he does. When he feels it is good enough, he leans back and admires his handiwork.

"Ah. Lovely." He traces a finger down her cheek. "So beautiful," his tone darkens, "too beautiful. Now we can't have that can we? Boys will want you and ravage you. No one will ravage my flower." He picks up his pocket knife again. Realization runs through Jessie. She knows what will happen. She finds her strength.

"No!! Leave her alone!!" she shouts. Her father looks at her, amusement in his eyes.

"Ahh. The slut speaks." He stands up and walks over to her, admiring her back. "Fascinating. I whipped you into an inch of your life and yet you still have strength." He chuckles. "It's amazing what the human body will do in order to protect the ones it loves." He steps on her back, earning shriek of pure pain in return. He pushes her with his foot and returns to Daisy's side. She has started to recover and is trying to crawl away.

"I don't think so." He grabs her foot and pulls her back. Pinning her to the floor, he picks up his pocketknife, examining it. "Now..where was I? Ah, yes. Now I remember. Saving you from ever being ravished." He puts the knife at the edge of her eyebrow and draws a line to the tip of her chin. Daisy screams, trying to fight but unable. Her father puts the pocket knife against the edge of her other eyebrow and does the same thing. He draws another line eyebrow to eyebrow and connects the entire thing, creating a perfect circle. Daisy no longer screams, weak from the loss of blood. The man chuckles and kisses her forehead.

"You are safe now sweet one." He gets up and leaves the room. Jessie hears the side door slam. She finds whatever strength is left in her and crawls over to her sister. When she reaches her, Daisy is barely conscious.

"Daisy. Daisy!" She shakes her, looking for a response. Daisy mumbles something. "What did you say?" Jessie leans closer putting her ear to her sister's mouth.

"Run....and don't ever look back." Jessie lifts her head and looks into her sister's eyes. As the green eyes met the blue, Daisy gives her final breath and lays her head down. Her green eyes lose all luster and glaze over. Jessie shakes her body.

"Daisy. Daisy! Daisy wake up! Please....please don't go." Jessie sobs. She lays her body next to Daisy's and somehow goes to sleep.

Jessie wakes up, not knowing what time it is. She feels the coldness of a body next to her. Not wanting to look at the corpse, she rolls over and stands up. She immediately falls down again, weak from blood loss. She stands up again and grabs a wall for support. She walks across the kitchen and collapses on the floor. She feels herself start to lose consciousness. She shakes herself awake, remembering what her sister said. Strength pores into her veins. She stands up one more time and dashes towards the door and flings it open. She runs down the steps and across her yard, to the woods. She keeps on going, ignoring the pain shooting through her back. She doesn't know how long she runs but she never looked back.

After hours of running, Jessie collapses. Darkness fills her sight, but not before she sees someone walk over to her. She feels herself being lifted and carried away, hearing a voice saying it will be alright. She lets herself sleep, praying this stranger was right.