Finding Home

Year

Another holiday.

Warning: This chapter won't be all happy and will have abusive elements.

-

Boom!

Lauren pulled Mrs. Martin's shirt. The older woman looked down at Lauren.

"What do you want?"

Lauren covered her eyes with a whimper.

Mrs. Martin rolled her eyes. "Go up and talk."

Lauren whimpered, as her eyes filled with tears. Another firework went off, and Lauren screamed.

"What the fuck did we say about making sounds?"

Lauren's eyes widened with fear.

The woman reached over and grabbed a handful of Lauren's hair. She pulled her. Lauren cried out, tears streaming down her face. Mrs. Martin dragged Lauren to the 'Naughty Closet' and pushed her inside.

"You're being a little bitch, and you are going to stay in there until I think you've been punished enough."

Lauren tried to fight back, tried to get Mrs. Martin's grip to loosen. Mrs. Martin suddenly stopped, and Lauren looked up at her.

She didn't see the raised hand until it was too late. Lauren whimpered when she felt a sting on her cheek. She was pushed into the room, landing on her hands and feet.

Lauren looked at Mrs. Martin, only for the door to slammed shut, enclosing her in darkness.

-

"Can we see dem?" Camila asked, looking at Dinah, a huge grin on her face.

Dinah shrugged. "I mean, don't we do that every year?"

"Yes!"

Dinah smiled, kissing Camila's cheek. "Go get dressed. Mama wants us to get go grocery shopping."

Camila climbed off the bed and ran out of the room. Dinah shook her head. She got off her bed and went to get dressed. Once she was ready, she went to check on Lauren and Normani.

The younger girl had become detached since Christmas. She didn't let anyone touch her, not even Normani. She took to sleeping in her own room, and no one knew why, not even Normani.

She knocked on the door, and saw Lauren laying on her bed, Nala in her arms. Her eyes were opened, and she was staring at the Dinah. Leo raised his head, before going back to sleep.

"Lo," Dinah whispered, walking close to the girl.

Lauren scooted closer to the wall, to get away from Dinah.

Dinah stopped and crouched down. "Hey, it's time to get up. Do you want to go grocery shopping with me and Mila? Mani might go with us?"

Lauren shook her little head. She pressed her face closer against the lion.

Dinah nodded her head. "Did you wet yourself? Can I check?"

Lauren nodded her head, sitting up. She climbed off her bed and walked to the changing table Ally had bought.

(They were still in the process of potty training Lauren. But the little girl would scream and cry whenever they moved her close to the toilet. Normani told them that the Martins threatened to have Lauren flushed down the toilet if she was bad. They were trying to show Lauren that it wasn't scary. But it was difficult with Lauren's sudden lack of trust. They were trying to figure that out before they went back potty training. But they had moved from diapers to pull-ups.)