𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 [ 𝐡.𝐬]

CHAPTER FIVE

"Demmy, look at all the fishes!!" I was shouting at my brother who was a few feet from me, he was looking into another rockpool. It was my ninth birthday and his thirteenth. We had travelled miles to the sea, and we were both having the time of our life. At this moment we were fishing in rockpools, or at least Demmy was, I was too protective over the fishies.

Our mum was sat on the beach behind us, the beach was fairly empty, she was playing Fleetwood mac out of a small speaker. I turned and waved, earning one back.

"found any fish yet Andro?"

"not yet mummy!" I shouted back. Mummy was the only one to call me Andro and I loved it. I looked back at Demmy who had a crab in his hand. He came running towards me and I jumped over the rocks, bounding from pool to pool trying to get away. That's when my foot got stuck and I went flying forward. I heard Demmy shout my name and saw him stand in front of me.

"Ane are you ok?" it was Demmy and he had guilt plastered over his face. Mum came limping over, hand on her stomach, obviously in pain.

"sweetheart does it hurt?"

"no mummy" I smiled, getting up and walking towards her for a hug. That was the best day of my life.

5 years later its my fourteenth birthday and Demmy's 18th, but he's not here, it was the first year we hadn't celebrated our birthday together. Smera had been around earlier but had left now, I was sat on the sofa waiting for Demmy to return. It had gone midnight when he returned with a lot of people. And I mean a lot, so I retreated to my room, where I thought about mum, and how different it would be if she were here now.

In the morning there was a knocking on my door and Demmy walked in, he mumbled a good morning and begged me to help him clean. Least to say that the living room was trashed, and I was mad.

"Demmy, how did you let this happen." I picked up the glass that had shattered from the photo frame, it was of mum, Demmy and I at the beach 5 years ago. My anger increased. "you used to be my best friend Demmy! Now you're a monster, a careless, reckless monster. I never even got a "happy birthday" yesterday!!!"

And that was the first time it happened. He hit me, straight around the face. The hit was sharp, and a shot of pain ran through my body. Never in a billion years did I think my own brother would slap me. I pulled my hand up to my face, feeling the skin there. Demmy showed no regret, and honestly, I didn't have the strength or courage to push him back. Words have always been my weapon.

"what would mum say?" and with that I left, I slept at smera's that night. I told her everything. But we both knew I had to go back, Demmy was now my legal guardian. The abuse never stopped.

I abruptly sat up on my bed, a layer of sweat across my forehead like dew on a leaf. I felt movement behind me and a comforting arm around my waist. Pulling me closer, Harry whispered into my ear,

"bad dream?" I just nodded; he didn't need to know. "come on tell me"

"if you tell me who was on the phone" I figured that I could use this situation to my advantage.

"Annie that's blackmail"

"yep"

"I was on the call to a business partner" I eyed him suspiciously.

"that was about my brother"

"vague"

"like yours"

"common love" he pulled me back onto his chest and he began to hum songbird by Fleetwood mac. I was back asleep in minutes.

I woke up again and rubbed my eyes, my head was on a pillow rather than Harrys chest, I frowned and kind of wished he where here. Where was he? I sat up, on my way to review the situation. I brushed my hair and walked out the bedroom door that had been left open a tad. I found Harry in the kitchen, head over the stove. The smell of bacon filled the room.

"good mornin' love" he must have heard me coming as he spoke without turning.

"heyyyy" for some reason I knew he was cooking for me, but too had to be sure. "who you cooking that for Harry?"

"the ghost in the cupboard" and at that I giggled. He gestured to the table and even pulled out a seat for me. That's when I noticed a candle in the middle, probably one I had never used before. The flame was rolling around in the wax. Melting it and causing it to pool in the middle of the jar. I smiled at the flame.

"what's all this for Harry"

"well" he said, placing the bacon in front of me, "when I do something, I do it right"

"ahh interesting to know" he placed the bacon on his mat and sat down, smiling at me.

"is this a romantic gesture?" I smiled back

"it's whatever you want it to be, love"