Royal Flush

Chapter Two

Chapter two: Physically strong

I was walking from the dining table to the kitchen with the plate in both of my tiny hands. They hadn't given me much to eat, but I almost got full which I usually didn't. Suddenly I could feel the rug I was walking on slip against the floor and I fell forward, hitting my chin on the rough surface. The plate slipped out of my hands and I watched it as it flew in the air until it hit the floor and broke in front of me. I braced myself for what I knew would happen next.

"What was that?!" Oskar yelled from the living room since he had left me to eat alone as he wanted to watch soccer on the TV. I quickly got up to start picking up the pieces, but he was already on his way to come look at what I had done, I wouldn't be able to clean up in time. I could hear, even feel, his steps getting closer with how hard he was stomping with each step. Tears started to roll down my face as I cut my fingers on the sharp plate pieces, but I mostly cried because I knew what happened when Oskar got mad.

"You stupid child, what have you done?!" He screamed as he saw the mess of a broken plate and drops of blood on the gray rug. I turned around and quickly stood up from my knees. His face was red with anger as he walked toward me, my shoulders lifted to my ears in shame as I looked down at the floor. He lifted me up with his hands under my arms and sat me down on the counter top, for some reason he wanted to protect my feet from cutting on the sharp pieces. He wore slippers inside, because of that he stood on top of the broken plate with ease.

He adjusted my head to look at him as he still had the furious look on his face. I started crying because of how angrily he looked back at me.

"YOU are supposed to be CAREFUL! You should know that by now but apparently you're as stupid as I was afraid of, you are absolutely useless and weak!" He yelled as his hand collided with my face. I hoped that he would stop there like he usually would, but sometimes he got so mad that he didn't even care if he left bruises for me to wear to school the next day.

The fact that I was only seven years old meant that I couldn't cover it with makeup, and because of that I would have to deal with the laughter of other seven year old kids who didn't understand. The teachers couldn't care less either, no one cared about the kid who got beaten at home.

Suddenly the back of Oskars hand collided with the other side of my face and I cried out in pain. He lifted me off of the counter and carried me out of the kitchen where he put me down on my knees on the floor.

I heard him fiddling with his belt and I knew what was going to happen next. He would fold the belt in the middle and lift my shirt over my back and then harshly smack the belt against me.

My tears dropped down onto the floor and made a little puddle. The hardwood floor was blank and I could see my reflection in it and I could see how scared I was. I saw a bit of Oskars reflection as well when he lifted his hand up in the air, the belt in his hand and only pure madness was in his eyes.

"What's going on?" Marie asked, standing in the doorframe. Marie was Oskars wife, she didn't hit me, but she hadn't told him to stop once. With what I knew she could rather be encouraging him to do it, but she herself never put a hand on me. But when it was just the two of us, she was kind of nice. She acted like she was a bit scared of me though.

"The devil child broke a plate, I told you we should've given her plastic ones. From now on we will and you'll have no say in that," Oskar spoke back through gritted teeth as I looked at his reflection.

"Well it's just one plate, don't let her interrupt your soccer game. Make her clean it up instead," Marie said softly, gesturing towards me. I looked at her, shocked that she had saved me from Oskar and his belt, but I was incredibly grateful.