Burning Dove

Hi, this is my first time uploading anything to Wattpad, so please just be cool with anything I've done wrong. I'm only in year 9, so my vocabulary, punctuation, grammar etc. aren't the best. This was a school asignment, and we didn't get to choose our topic/stimulus, so just to let you know this is from a five year olds point of view, so some of the words are spelt incorrectly because of how they pronounce them. Hope you enjoy reading it! :)

The sound of the car roaring to life jolts me from my daydream. The feel of the old leather seat against my bruised skin is uncomfortable, but I quickly forget when I gaze at my mum. She looks strange.

"Are you okay mum?" I ask carefully, unsure if she'd been with dad today. She wasn't wearing much makeup, and I couldn't see many bruises. That didn't mean much though, hers were usually left where they can't be seen; just like mine.

"Everything fine, honey." She responds as she drives the car out of the car park. She almost clips another car in her rush. She started to tap the steering wheel. She hasn't yet asked me about the origami dove in my hands.

She continues to drive faster than usual, and I begin to worry. Had dad stayed home today? Mum must have felt my gaze on the back of her head, as she looks at me in the review mirror.

"I'm all good Xoe. We're just going to the pharmacist." As she talks, sweat beads on her forehead. She is still tapping the steering wheel.

"But the famosist is the other way" I question, watching the speed dial increase. 45km, 50km, 55km, 60km...

"We're going to the big pharmacist in the city. Don't worry."

"But dad said that we aren't awowed to go outside of town."

After a while, she simply replies, "Don't worry." I hold my origami dove, in my little hands, closer to my chest.

Silence fills the car. As we pass the town limit, mum seems to become even more strange. The tapping increases, and her eyes keep darting to the road. Suddenly mum's phone rings, breaking the deafening silence; we both freeze. I know that the only person that ever calls mum is dad. Ever so slowly, mum grabs the phone. She presses the big green button and holds the phone to her ear.

"Hello Axel" mum says. She speaks so calmly, I almost think she's not afraid. But then I see her shaking hands. Xoe and I are just going to the shops, and it might be a little while before we get home."

"Shut up!" He screams into the phone, the sound muffled by mum's fingers. "Sasha, you backstabbing bitch! I thought I could trust you! Fuck'n hell! I am going to kill you slowly..."

My eyes widen, and I start to tremble. I'm so scared. I can imagine his black eyes flashing in anger, his jaw clenching and his face going red. Fear claws at my throat; I can't breathe.

"We haven't broken any of your rules" my mother pleads. "We haven't talked to anybody, or gone out of the town limits..."

"Liar!" He interrupts, screaming again. Mum muffles it again, but I can still make out some of the words he shouts. "Can't believe you Sasha... tracker in your phone... know exactly where you are... you thought I was so drunk that I wouldn't notice... taking my kid... I loved you..."

"I don't think you know what love is. Goodbye, Axel."

"I'm not finished talking to you bitch, you..."

I watch mum hurl the phone across the car. It smashes on the opposite door with a loud CRASH! I flinch, and mum cringes at my reaction.

"I am so s-s-sorry honey. I sh-should have left a long time ago. I love you so much. Always r-r-remember that." She stutters, looking like she is going to cry. I want to tell her that I love her too, but I am frozen in shock. I sit in stunned silence. "It'll be o-o-okay Xoe. I p-promise." I want to believe her. Too many beatings and broken promises stop me.

Up ahead I can see the headlights of a car, swaying from side to side, as if the driver can't keep a steady hand on the wheel. For a second I think it's dad, and my heart lurches. As the car drives closer, I breathe a sigh of relief. The driver's hair is shorter, and his eyes are blue, not black. The only similarity between him and dad that I can see from here is that the driver is also drunk.

Suddenly, the squeal of tires against the road pierces the night. SCREECH! I hear the screech of brakes, and my blood runs cold. The other car's headlights turn towards us, and I squint to see the car heading directly for us. BANG! CRASH! BOOM! Everything goes dark.

I wake up, and my ears are ringing. There's a bloody taste in my mouth. I don't understand. What happened? Everything smells strange. I can't see mum. There is blood and glass everywhere. Why are my ears still ringing? I'm scared. It's so dark. The other car is on fire. I cough on the smoke. I can't see anyone. I try to move, but pain shoots up my arm. It hurts so much. I whimper. Everything hurts. I still can't see mum. I'm so scared. I finally see mum, bent over the steering wheel. I cry out! There's blood all over her! Her eyes stare back at me, not blinking.

"Mum!" I yell hoarsely. I stumble out of the car. Blinding hot pain shoots through me and I fall to the ground. Everything hurts. As I lay on the ground, wishing that this wasn't real, I spot my origami dove. The fire spreads, reaching it. I watch as it slowly burns away. Then, once again, everything goes dark.