The Days and the Nights

The secret

Chapter seven:

TW: mentions of abuse, abuse, mentions of blood

he hadn't been here for awhile, I'm starting to wonder

Elijah's father walked into the house with him following. He spotted his mother on the couch in the sitting room reading her favorite book to his sister. When he met her eye, he looked down in shame. Her eyes darted to his cheek seeing the red hand print now fully formed on his face and the cut that was dripping blood onto the carpet. His mother closed the book and stood up.

"What did he do now?" she asked, looking at her husband and her son.

"Naomi, leave." her father said, his face contorted into one of pure anger.

She sat there not moving, shock written all over her face.

"NOW!!" her father screamed.

"Henry." sounded her mother's voice.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and looked into her mother's eyes. She looked at her silently pleading with her to leave. She looked at her mother, then her father and got up. As she walked by her father he raised his hand and hit her with much force that she fell over. As soon as the back of his hand collided with her face, Elijah pulled his father away and threw him on the ground. His mother ran over to her daughter helping up the crying child.

"Elijah." He heard his mother's voice, it was firm but he could hear the fear seep through, he reluctantly got off his father. His mother left as his father stood up.

"You're in for it now boy." he said, removing his belt. He held out his hands knowing what his father was going to do next. Without warning the leather of the belt came down on his hands making him flinch. He kept hitting him over and over again until his hands were red and cut.

"Henry, that's enough." His mother appeared in the doorway. Elijah was holding back tears trying not to let them slip.

"Now, if you'd be so kind as to tell me what the hell is going on?" her eyes stared daggers into her husband's.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Do not hit our children."

"I will do whatever I please with them."

She ripped the belt from his hands and directed him to sit. He glared at her, reluctantly agreeing with her direction. She put her arm around her son's shoulder and motioned him to sit with her on the other side of the room.

"Now will someone please explain what all this was for?" she gestured between the two of them. His father leaned back and put his hands behind his head.

"Your son has been sneaking around with a girl from the other side."

"Tell me this isn't true." she said, turning to her son.

He eyed his father giving him a look of pure death. Then he turned to his mother, his eyes softening.

"Yes mother, it's true."

His mother sighed.

"Elijah, you know the rules, you know you can't be seeing her."

"I know mother." he looked down at his feet.

"So why are you?" his father's voice boomed.

"Henry please."

"No, I will not have my reputation ruined because of him!!" he yelled.

"Your reputation?" his mother scoffed.

"Elijah go."

"But mo-"

"Go." his mother's voice was firm but her eyes were softly telling him.

He got up sending his father a glare then walked out.

He walked up the stairs to his room, slamming the door falling on his bed screaming in his pillow. Because the house was so big and his screams were muffled, his parents couldn't hear him. After what seemed like a lifetime his screams became cries then his cries became sniffles. He heard a soft knock on his door. He straightened up and sat up.

"Come in," he said quietly.

"Elijah?" It was his sister.

She walked in. Even though the dim light of his room didn't allow him to see much, he saw a bruise on his sister's face along with a knot from where she hit her head when she fell. Her eyes were puffy and red already filled with tears, her cheeks were stained. Elijah held out his arms beckoning her to come over to her. She ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck and starting to cry.

"Shhh, hey it's ok, it's alright." he whispered in her hair holding back his own fresh set of tears.

"What do you think he'll do to her?" she asked, now sitting on his lap playing with his hoodie strings.

"I'm not sure." he said honestly, he was rocking her back and forth to try and keep her calm.

"I'm scared." she whispered.

"I know, I am too."

They stayed like that until she fell asleep. Elijah held her in his arms and took her to her room catching part of the fight that was still going on downstairs. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead. He held her hand in his and looked over her, his eyes grew heavy but he still stayed with Naomi until his eyes shut and he fell into a deep sleep.