Ugly : clifford a.u

Spencer

“Tag, you’re it!”

My heart fluttering in my chest I watched as my older brother Luke rounded on me, his blue eyes dark with excitement and a threatening sneer curling his lips.

Letting out a loud shriek I went tearing off in the opposite direction. Jittery with excitement, I ran down the cement sidewalk, my pink sandals slapping on the pavement. Luke’s labored breathing and heavy footsteps echoing in my eardrums as he chased after me.

I saw his shadow closing in on mine, and felt his fingertips ghosting behind me. Letting out a scream, I forced myself to go faster. My arms and legs pumping and beads of sweat dripping down my forehead and into my eyes I sprinted around the corner.

Filled with a mix of wild fear, excitement and determination to win, I dug deep, propelling myself forward at an even faster pace. Glancing over my shoulder, I was surprised to find Luke no longer behind me.

Figuring that he had taken a shortcut I decided to hide. Stopping infront of a chain link fence, I slipped my feet into two of the holes and reaching up, gripped onto the top. Looking over my shoulder, watching for Luke, I hoisted myself over the fence, dropping noiselessly to the soft, dirt ground on the other side.

Straightening up, I dusted the dirt from my knees, and my new shirt, and was just starting to turn around to look for a place to hide, when I heard a low growl from behind me.

My blood running cold with fear, I whirled around, to find a large black dog starting me down. His fur bristled along his back as he lowered his head, his jaws snapping, dripping with his foaming spit.

Letting out an ear piercing scream I lunged for the fence, however no sooner had my fingertips wrapped around the warm metal, then I felt the dog’s massive jaws clamp down on my legs, pulling me back to the ground.

Tears of horror and pain streaming down my face I screamed again. My eyes closed tight, not wanting to see the blood I could feel flowing, or the savage monster attacking me, it came as a surprise when I felt his fangs moving up my body. First my legs, them my arms, and finally to my utter horror, my face.

“Spencer!”

Letting out a shriek I sat bolt upright in bed. Finding myself twisted up in my sheets which were damp with sweat I kicked them off, before hastily clearing my tear filled eyes enough to see Luke, now ten years older, sitting on the edge of my bed, his eyes wide with terror and confusion.

“I can’t stop thinking about it.” I whispered, “When will I forget?”

Sighing in relief, realizing I wasn’t losing my mind and was only having a nightmare, he ran his fingertips through his sleep tousled hair.

“I don’t know.” He mumbled.

“It’s like I’m there all over again.” I sniffed, bringing my knees up to my chest.

“I’m sorry.” He sighed.

Wiping my still leaking eyes, I glanced over at the clock on my beside table, and my heart sank realizing our Mom wouldn’t be home from her job as the night shirt nurse at the local hospital for several more hours.

“Try and go back to sleep.” Luke yawned, patting my knee as he rose to his feet.

“I can’t!” I cried, terror taking hold of me once again, “If I close my eyes I’ll see it!”

Looking exhausted Luke sat down on the edge of my bed once again, “Do you want me to sleep in here?”

“You don’t have to.” I sniffed.

Ignoring me, he rose to his feet once again and disappeared into the hall, only to return a moment later with a pillow and a blanket. I watched him curiously as he dropped his pillow on the ground beside my bed and plopped down, pulling his blanket up to his eyes.

“Thank you.” I mumbled, well aware that at sixteen I should be more then able to make it through the night without waking the entire house up with my night terrors.

“Go to bed Spence.” Luke yawned.

“Goodnight.” I muttered, turning over and clutching the teddy bear I had been given the day I was adopted eleven years ago, tightly to my chest.

“Night.” Luke said quietly, already falling asleep.

I tried to do the same, however five hours later, when I heard Mom’s key turn in the lock I was still wide awake.

Careful not to wake Luke, I climbed out of bed and stepping over him, made my way out of the room and down the hall to where Mom was stood in her room, still wearing her pink scrubs from the hospital.

“Spencer?” she whispered, “What are you doing up?”

I shrugged.

“Did you wake up again?” she sighed.

Chewing my lower lip I nodded.

“This is getting out of hand.” She informed me, as if I didn’t already know.

“You look exhausted.” She continued, “Why don’t you try and get some rest.”

“I can’t.” I mumbled.

Massaging her temples, she glanced at the clock on her bedside table.

“If you’re not going to sleep, would you mind running a quick errand for me?”

“By myself?” I questioned.

“You’re seventeen years old.” Mom reminded me, “I think you can manage.”

“What do you need me to do?” I asked.

Crossing over to her dresser she picked up a small stack of DVDs.

“I don’t suppose you could take these back for me?” she asked, “Maybe pick some new ones out?”

“Why can’t you do it?”

“I’m taking a shower then going to bed.”

“Why can’t Luke do it?”

“He has school.”

“So do I.”

“Spencer.” Mom sighed, “I’m trying to help you here. You can’t just sit in your room all day every day, there’s a while big world out there, just waiting for you to leave your mark on it.”

“It’s already left its mark on me.” I mumbled, glancing at the mirror, then looking quickly away, sickened by my reflection.

Sighing, Mom handed me the stack of DVDs then began steering me towards the door.

“Luke is going to college next fall.” Mom sighed, “I’ve got work, you need to be able to function on your own.”

“I can function!”

“Then prove it.”

Kissing me on the top of the head, she closed her bedroom door in my face.

Scowling, I looked down at my pajama bottoms and the too big sweatshirt of Luke’s which I had worn to bed. I considered putting effort into my appearance but decided against it. I was already ugly, why even bother trying. Pulling my hair into a bun, I crammed my feet into my tennis shoes and taking a deep breath, walked out the front door and into the cool, damp, April morning.

The sun burned my eyes, my music blared, pouring out from my ear buds, and my sneakers scuffed along the sidewalk, as I made my way towards the video store.