Too Fragile to Function

Hi! Okay, so this is a story that I'm starting. I didn't really like where the other one was going, so I deleted it. So maybe hopefully, I'll be able to complete this one. (: I'm sorry if there are any errors or anything I didn't completely read it thoroughly. I really hope you like it. (:

- Callie. Xx

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Prologue

March 24, 2006. The day of my father's death. My dad was an amazing man. He was the town's chief firefighter. He was a strong Christian man. He loved everyone equally, even if they did not love him. He was my best friend.

My father died by having a heart attack while he was sleeping. My whole family thought that he was healthy. He was never sick and he never complained about being sick.

A week after he died we had the funeral. Everyone in town came and cried along with my family. The only person that did not come, though, was my older brother, Tom. He didn't really care about dad as much as I did. I don't know why but Tom made it his goal to humiliate dad every time he came to visit. But dad never let it show. He loved Tom so much.

Tom was a good brother. He was sweet, kind, and compassionate, until November 6, 2005- the day after his 18th birthday. The day of his birthday, Tom's 20 year old girlfriend, Amber, came to visit from college in Vermont. They spent the whole day together doing nothing but sit on the couch, watch movies, and cuddle. They were perfect for each other. Tom had told me that he was going to propose the day after his birthday before she left to go back to college.

That never happened.

They went to a club. They both drank illegally. When they left, Tom was driving the car and he swerved and hit a tree. Amber was killed on impact but Tom made it out barely alive. When he came out, he was a new person. He wasn't the sweet and gentle older brother of mine. He was the cold and harsh older brother.

Everyday after he was released from the hospital, he would come home from the bar and start yelling and screaming with my mother. They would get in arguments and after about 15 minutes, he would slap her and it would be finished. My father would always be out working at the station at nights. I wanted to tell him what Tom was doing, but i didn't know how. So i just kept my mouth shut. This continued for the next 5 months. Then, my father died. Tom was never around when dad was home, so he didn't feel the need to be around when it was time for day's funeral.

But towards the end of the funeral, the doors burst open. I turned around and saw Tom walk in and take a seat in the far back. No one paid any attention to him. I was the only one that saw him. After the service had ended, everyone said their apologies to us and went on their way.

An hour had passed and no one was in the room except for my brother and I. I was cleaning while Tom was just sitting. He asked, 'How?' I turned and looked at him confused, but then realized what he was asking. 'Heart-attack,' I whispered. He rose up quickly and took two steps towards me and pulled me up from my work, harshly. 'What did you say?!' he yelled in my face. He was holding me by the collar of my white button up blouse. I looked at him with wide eyes and stammered, 'H-heart a-attack.' The thing he did next would be the one and only thing I would grow accustomed to.

He beat me senseless.

After about 2 hours of him beating me, he finally stopped, kneeled down to my broken body on the floor and whispered to me, 'When you speak to me, you speak loud and clear. Do you understand?' I nodded my head and replied, 'Y-yes Tom. I understand.' He rose up from his spot, kicked me one more time, and left. 5 minutes had passed and I then burst into quiet sobs. No more than a few seconds later, I heard my mother come in. She walked over to me and kneeled down beside me. 'Are you alright Melissa?' she asked. I shook my head and cried in her arms.

For the next 6 years, this was what I lived with happening to me. I would go to school and the kids would notice the bruises on my body. The teachers would call home and ask. My brother would tell my mother to say 'It's nothing. Don't worry.' The next day, we were out of the Tennessee. We continued to move from place to place, school to school, home to home. I never had any friends or boyfriends. I didn't even talk. Tom had beat me so hard the first time to where the shock had made me mute. I have tried talking but nothing can come out. He's okay with me not talking though. He said that it would be better for me not to so that I wouldn't be able to smart off to him, not like I would if I could.

Now we live in South Dakota. I start my senior year at my 11th high school. This was supposed to be the year that I would want to remember. Now, I'm not too sure about that. I know I won't make any friends. I won't fall in love. No one will love me. Why? I'm just too fragile to function.

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Okay! Prologue- check. I don't know if I mentioned it in the story, but Melissa is 12 when her dad dies. And now she'll be 18. Just wanted to put that out there. Please share this with others. I really want people to read it. Thanks! Xx