FicWad

The tears continued to fall recklessly from my eyes and down my cheeks as my father continued to yell. The obscenities pouring from his mouth, shear-ing the silence that once rested on the house before his arrival. My little sis-ter clung to me as his voices got nearer to the room. She shook with fear as his footsteps clunked against the wooden floor until they stopped just in front of our room. My breath hitched in my throat. Not tonight...not to-night. I didn't want to have to deal with this tonight. I didn't want my sister to have to witness this again tonight...not tonight.

I raced quietly to the door, trying to make my hurried footsteps quite, trying to make a gun shot inaudible. Just as I got to the door, he opened it and the door hit me in the face, leaving a numb feeling on my bottom lip, and send-ing me backward. His yelling and fierce expression sent my little sister into hysterics. Her cries rang through the seemingly empty house, drowning me further into my desperation. My father yelled for to shut up and she quickly silenced herself.

My tears were now uncontrollable as his death gaze set upon me. "You were always a worthless bitch!" he said, spitting on me and kicking me in the side. His work boots were heavy, and dense, making the light blow hurt more than normal. My sister's gasps were audible and I lay on the ground paralyzed my fear and pain. I stayed there as my father continued to rant, occasionally hitting me, spitting on me, or kicking me. My body was sore by the time he finished, and all of my tears were dried up on my cheeks. Words were lost in the confusion of pain and agony. I sighed a breath of re-lief when I saw his retreating boots and the door clicked close. That night I promised myself that my sister did not deserve to see this any longer...she deserved so much better, and I was going to give her the best.

That next morning, after not sleeping one bit, I watched from the window as my father walked out of the house, into his construction truck and drive out of the driveway. The second his truck disappeared down Arlyn Parkway, I rushed around the room quietly, throwing me and my little sister's clothes and belongings into a huge suitcase. It took me ten minutes tops to gather everything. The last thing I had to do was wake Isabella up.

"Isabella, wake up," I whispered lightly, shaking her awake. Her huge brown orbs fluttered open, and stared in wide confusion at me. "Is daddy home?" she asked, her little voice quiet and worried. "No he's not sweetie. Listen, you and I are going to go on a little trip alright?" "Daddy's not com-ing is he?" "No Izzy, he's staying here. But we'll be gone for a while okay?" "Where are we going?" "I'm not sure at the moment." "When are we leaving?" "Now."

TWO WEEKS LATER

I got a job at a bookstore and Izzy goes to preschool during the day. We don't really have a stable living situation, but my boss lets us camp out at the store.

One afternoon, I was restocking some shelves, and Leah, Ed and Brian all were taking their lunch break, leaving me alone. Just as I put the last book on the shelf, I heard the bell ring up front, and I turned to see some custom-ers had arrived.