57Deadly Love
By Erin Norris
Chapter two: Snowdrop
I struggled to sit upright, my face burning with tears. As quietly as I could, I sat up straight to face Howard still standing over me. Eric gave me one last look before he dragged Nikkei outside.
Run away...and don't come back for me Eric...never ever. I love you! I thought sadly. As I struggled to stand, Howard brought his steel-toed boot onto my own foot. Giving a cry of pain, I bounced up and down on one foot, even knowing that this would only cause me more pain by Howard's hand.
The burly man in his late forties grabbed a fist-full of my hair and pulled me upright the rest of the way.
"Damn you Cassandra!" he spat drunkenly, his nasty breath billowing into my face with each word, "Why'd you do that?"
"They...they had to get away from you!" I managed to sob out as he slammed my head against the wall of the hallway.
"Even if that causes you pain?" Father laughed at me and I suddenly found the courage I needed to fight him. Bringing my fist backwards, I hit him across the face as hard as I could.
Father pulled away, his face contorted with anger and surprise as he stared at me with his beady eyes. I felt the urge to run, but knew that I had no way to escape from him. I looked down at my toes and was not surprised when he brought his fist into my stomach.
My breath left me in a whoosh and I collapsed on the ground, struggling to suck air into my lungs. Grabbing a fist-full of my hair, he dragged me upright. My choking sobs racked through my body and only seemed to please him more. Shut-up! I thought to myself as his palm struck my cheek and my head whipped against the wall. Shut-up and he'll stop sooner! Drawing in another shaky breath, I waited until my father had had enough.
"I-I'm going to b-bed father..." I managed to choke out after he was starting to disappear into the sitting room, to watch the football game, no doubt.
"Fine!" Howard yelled back at me. "See if I care at all you damn tramp!"
I winced as he called me his favorite insult and watched as he walked through the doorway and into the kitchen. I sighed as I heard him turn on the television to a college football game.
"-A&M fumbles...Oh! Colt McCoy picks it up...TOUCHDOWN FOR THE LONGHORNS! TOUCHDOWN FOR THE LONGHORNS!-"
I began to walk up the stairs, each step slow and painful because of the steel-toe of my father's boot. I clutched the railway for dear life and continued to struggle my way up the stairs. One of the few windows that the house had was on the wall bordering the stair-case and the light seeping through it made a little pattern of light on the wood paneling on the floor.
I crept farther up the stairs, ignoring the shouts of my father as he cheered on the Longhorns, and into my bedroom.
My bedroom was painted red. Cherry red. It reminded me of my mother's favorite dress. I didn't have many memories of my mother, seeing as she had died when I was only three, but the memories that I did hold, I held close for comfort. My bed lay against the wall, close to the window and closet. It was small, but I liked small things...they gave me a sense of comfort. My kitten was curled up underneath my bed. My father didn't know that she existed and I was determined to keep it that way.
"Snowdrop? Come here Snowdrop." I whispered as loudly as I could without my father, not that he would know what the hell I was talking about, hearing.
The little white cat poked her head out from underneath the bed and came bounding towards me. I reached up onto my bed and held out a small tinkling ball. Rolling it towards Snowdrop, she pounced onto it. The tinkling noise made by the kitten batting at the ball made me laugh and I had to stifle the laughter for my own good.
"Good girl Snowdrop." I sighed as I went to the window and opened it. "Here you go girl, go and catch something for your dinner," I giggled, "and don't bring it home tonight!" I whisper-yelled at her retreating back as she made her way down the roof and onto the car that my father drove.
Sighing, I went to my bed-side table and began pulling out my diary and pajamas. I unlocked my diary with the little key dangling from my neck and began to write:
November 23, 2007
Dear diary...
I helped Eric and Nikkei escape tonight...and got my ass kicked for it. Oh well, you know? I like the thought that they are now 20 miles away from this hellhole...I have some things to take care of before I can get out myself...that is, unless my father doesn't kill me or kick me out first! Snowdrop is out like always at this time of night. I feel bad for her. She's so young and she gets to listen to Howard's yelling. It is one thing for the twins and I to listen to it...well, it is one thing for me to listen to it, but for her to be subjected to it...I want to let her run free, but I am just way to selfish to do it...If something happens to her...well, it is an understatement to say that I will feel terribly for the rest of my life.
G2G diary!
I closed my diary after writing the brief summary of my day and locked it quickly before tossing it underneath the small pile of socks in my bed-side drawer. Yawning, I stretched my arms over my head and began dressing in my favorite pj's: my happy-bunny pants and t-shirt that said, 'College prepares you for the real world...which also sucks.'
I sighed and closed the window until only a small bit of space was left open. Crawling under my comforter, I snuggled up against my blue dog stuffed animal. Closing my eyes, I began to drift...