Aleyah: a-lay-uh.
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When men assigned under the mafia are sent out to retrieve a well overdue debt and a missing shipment from a raging alcoholic and drug addict they are surprised to find what he keeps...
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I lay still, numb to my surroundings listening silently to the rain dancing on my window. The heavy droplets keeping me trapped in my thoughts. The almost calming rhythm of the merciless splashes fill the room making me reflect on earlier events. Tears fall from my eyes, copying the rapid pace of nature's cries. A loud rip of thunder fills the atmosphere throwing me back into reality. Reality where I'm beaten and broken.
The door to my room creaks open, making me stiffen again. I focus on the distant rattles of the air conditioning before I am greeted by a shadow. My favourite shadow.
"Go back to bed" I softly whisper my voice hoarse from not being allowed to speak. The floor boards to my dull and worn out room groan as the shadow approaches, even under the small weight of my little 7 year old sister.
"I can't sleep" she cries out in a whisper "I'm scared". "It's just a storm, it's gonna pass over soon" She gives me a look as I know that she doesn't mean she's frightened by the storm. She's frightened of him. Our brother.
*Hours earlier*
"Sissy it's play time" I hear his sickening voice spilling the words I dread hearing the most. Thumping footsteps make their way towards my room as my drunken brother knocks on my door. "Little bitch, little bitch let me come in"
When he gets no reply he slams the door open, stomps towards me with two steps and drags me off of the dirty mattress that I sleep on. With a handful of my hair he drags me to his 'play room' which is just the mouldy basement.
As I'm dragged down the steps I notice my little sister with a bruised eye, shivering in the mouldy corner of the room. My eyes widen in realisation. She's almost 8 years old. That's when he first hit me. Being used to this process by now, I stay silent knowing that it's worse if he hears me.
"I'll be nice today, I'll let you choose" he says with an evil smirk whilst pointing to his collection of belts. My eyes skim over the array of belts. Most of them had pointed spikes and were coloured red from my blood. Eventually I find a plain black belt, the one he used to use up until I turned 12. I shakily point to it and he immediately drags it from the rusty table and whips the back of my legs. This causes me to flinch whilst breathing deeply, not letting out a sound.
My sister on the other hand whimpers as she stares at the bright red line across my legs. Joseph turns to her stomping his dirty boots in her direction until he is towering over her. She looks over to me for help and I know that nothing will stop him. I slowly bring my index finger up to my pale lips indicating her to stay quiet. She blinks back tears as she is dragged to the bench.
Joseph throws her down and bends her over giving him full access to her legs. He savagely whips her three times as I just stand there listening to the blood curdling screams of my baby sister. I can't stand to see her like this so I try to yell out "stop". It came out as a croak rather that a shout. He turns to me with a devil like glint in his eyes.
