Devotion

Chapter 15: Hell On Earth

(10 years earlier)

"Get down here you useless little shit" Christina's mother yelled. The little girl quickly walked downstairs, In the kitchen she was met by her mother. The woman was holding a cigarette in between her fingers. She glared at her daughter, who shook, tears staining her face.

"Wash the dishes" the woman commanded as she took a drag of her cigarette. Without saying a word Christina did as she was told, not wanting to anger the woman. She grabbed the stool that was kept in the kitchen and stood on top of it, wincing as her body ached. As she started to clean the dishes her father came home. He had an angry look on his face, he ignored his daughter going to the living room. Christina did her best to wash the dishes but suddenly one of the plates slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor, the noise echoing throughout the home. Terrified, the little girl froze as her mother appeared in the doorway.  

"Look what you did you brat!" she yelled pushing the stool from underneath the little girl, causing her to lose her balance. She tumbled to the floor glass penetrating her skin. She cried out in pain as blood started to seep from the wounds. The woman growled as she dragged Christina by her hair and dragged her to the basement door. Without any remorse, she threw the child down the basement steps and slammed the door locking it behind her. For some time Christina lay on the basement floor writhing in pain as she continued to bleed. She did her best to remove the glass from her skin, almost unable to bear the pain it caused her. When she finally came to her senses she ran up the stairs and started to bang on the door desperately, ignoring the pain.

"Please let me out!" she begged and pleaded, only to be met with silence. She could hear the TV and some other noises, her parents wouldn't be letting her out any time soon.

"Please, I'm sorry Mommy. Please don't leave me here" she begged as she started to violently sob. Eventually, she stopped banging on the door, all the energy leaving her body. With a tear-stained face, the little girl slumped down the stairs and made her way to the dingy mattress that her parents gave her, at least it was something. Laying down, the child curled up into a ball and silently cried.