Livia Dawn knew it was a bad idea to follow three guys, who were probably criminals, into the woods.
Mistake number 1...
Now, her once quiet life will consist of things she only read in her books. Secrets, Romance, conflict, and maybe, just maybe, s...
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~39~
My head peeked around the corner of my room, the small hole in the wall I shared with my brother. The loud noises woke me from my sleep and the yelling caught my attention. So, quietly, I snuck out of bed and spied on what was causing all the noise. My glossy eyes staring at the scene in front of me.
What I saw was my dad holding Cliff by the arm, his feet dangling off the ground, and yelling in his face while he cried. On the ground next to them, a shattered bowl of goldfish was scattered on the ground, a few drops of blood dripping down Cliff's foot.
He must have been sneaking a snack and dropped it, waking dad from his alcohol-induced sleep.
"You fat pig! You ungrateful little ass!" Dad was yelling, alcohol spitting from his saliva.
Seeing Cliff's petrified face made my blood boil, and I knew it was wrong and I shouldn't get in the way of things like this, but I couldn't just watch him get abused like that. Being the older kid I had a job to protect him.
So, I made myself known and marched over.
"Let him go, let him go!" I yelled, pulling on dad's arm and making him drop Cliff to the ground. He quickly scurried off, dad watching angrily but then directing all his fury at me.
"What did you just say to me?" He growled, the sour scent lingering from his breath. I tried not to gag.
"I asked for the snack! Don't yell at him he's scared! Can't you see he's scared!" I yelled, "I asked for the snack it was me!" Yes, I was lying. Foolishly, knowing this would only get me in trouble. Oh well, all I could do now was stand my ground as best I could.
"You little shit." Now he had a hold of me. His strong hand gripping my arm and holding me still. He bent down, picking up a piece of broken glass and bringing it up to me. He got it to my arm and dragged it slowly down, blood seeping through the slice and dripping down my arm.
I held back a scream, knowing it would only upset him more.
Instead, I bit the inside of my cheek and squeezed my eyes shut.
This is for Cliff, I thought. I'm protecting Cliff.
"You think you can just lie to me like that? Me? Your father?" He hissed directly into my ear.
With my eyes screwed shut and tears rolling down them I shook my head no, "No no no no no-"
"I'm the reason you are not in that orphanage. I gave you a home and this is how you repay me! By lying to my face to protect your idiot of a brother!" His voice got loud again.
