Because of Karson

Chapter 1

I lay under my soft bed sheets as I stared at the white plastered ceiling above me. I looked over at the clock on my nightstand reading 5:32am.

"Ughhh," I groaned, slightly pulling my hair in frustration.

Knowing there is no way in hell I will be able to go back to sleep, I slowly lifted my legs over my bed and put my feet on the creaking hardwood floor beneath me. I got out of bed and stretched my sore muscles as my fingers gently traced over the thick bandage placed around my arm, suddenly remembering the events from last night.

I slowly opened the front door to our 2 story house, peeking inside to make sure my mother wasn't in the living room. When I realized she wasn't there, I turned around to face Jace and Olivia.

"Ok, you know the rules. Go immediately up to your room and I'll bring some food to y'all as soon as I can," I whispered to my younger siblings that stood in front of me.

"Promise me you'll be safe, okay? You know how mom gets when we get home late," my 15 year old brother said to me, fear flashing through his blue eyes.

"Yeah, what Jace said, I don't like seeing mommy hurt you, she's scary," my 5 year old sister frowned, slowly wrapping her arms around my legs, attempting to hug me.

I crouched down to her level and wrapped my arms around Olivia's petite body. I could gradually feel myself getting angrier by the second, knowing that my 5 year old sister has to deal with this lifestyle at such a young age. She should be playing outside with her friends and laughing until it hurts to even smile. She shouldn't have to worry about her older sister getting hurt by their own mother! It's beyond infuriating and I hated my mother for putting them through this.

"You know I can't control what mom does," I whispered, looking towards Jace.

I then looked down to Olivia, "Sweetheart, you know mommy loves you very much, she's just...having a hard time right now," I tried to explain it to her, but she just furrowed her brows in confusion.

I released her body and grasped her hand, pulling her inside as I watched Jace carefully follow behind us. Trying to be as quiet as possible, I gave Jace a nod, hinting at him to "go upstairs, now". He understood as he slowly picked Olivia off the ground and carried her to his bedroom. Once I heard the door close, I walked around the house, trying to search for our mother. I walked past the living room and stepped into the kitchen, seeing her sitting at the island, and automatically smelling the smoke coming from the cigarette she held between her slim fingers.

"Why are you 15 minutes late?" My mother hissed, inhaling the smoke from her cigarette, then blowing it towards my direction, making my nose scrunch up in disgust.

"Well, since you think it's better to drink the day away and smoke like it'll fix all your problems, I took the opportunity to try and give Olivia a somewhat normal childhood by bringing her and Jace to the place we used to get ice cream years ago," I snapped, slightly raising my voice. I was so done with her shit.

"Who's Olivia again?" She asked, confusion taking over her facial features, genuinely wondering who that is.

"She's your five year old daughter you dumbass!" I fumed, my patience slowly going down the drain, until there was nothing left.

"What did you say to me you little bitch?" She yelled, slowly getting up as she clutched a beer bottle in her hand, as if her life depended on it.

"How could you possibly forget your own damn daughter?!" I exploded, giving a humorless laugh. "You are actually unbelievable."

It all happened so fast.

One minute I was pacing the floor, and the next I was slowly sliding down the wall, clutching my throbbing arm as blood gushed out of the wound.

I lifted my head up and looked around to find a beer bottle laying next to me, with different pieces scattered around the floor. Realization hit me like a brick and I finally figured out that my mother just threw her beer bottle at me, the glass cutting my arm in the process.

I got up, ignoring the pain in my forearm as I picked up the glass pieces. I saw my mothers figure walking right past me as she slowly approached her room, not giving a damn about what she just did. I threw the pieces in the trash, got some food for my siblings, and walked up the stairs, heading towards my brothers room.

I knocked on the door, seeing Jace as he slowly opened it. He looked down at my bloody arm and his eyes widened for a split second, before going back to normal, realizing this has happened many times before. He sighed, leading me into his room. I glanced over at Jace's bed, noticing Olivia sleeping under his covers. I looked at her, admiring the young child, wondering how a pure soul came from such a monster. I shook the thoughts away as we walked to his bathroom to get the glass piece from underneath my skin. He carefully cleaned the cut, and wrapped a bandage around my arm, trying not to inflict anymore pain.

I saw guilt and anger flash through his blue eyes as he finished wrapping the bandage around my forearm.
"I know Jace, I know. As soon as I turn eighteen, we are getting the hell away from this place, I promise," I whispered with a sad smile. He hesitantly nodded, knowing we really can't do much before I turn eighteen. He wrapped the final piece around my arm, and we just sit in silence for the rest of the night, not having much else to say to each other.

I block out the memory as I got ready for the first day of senior year. For the first time in years, I'm actually excited to go to school. It meant that we are one step closer to finally getting out of this toxic household and escaping my mother's wrath. Just the thought of it put a small smile on my face as I went through my closet to find the perfect outfit for today.

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Helloooooooo

Hope you like it so far....if you have any tips, just leave them in the comments!! Love you all

-Lauren :)