BRUTAL LOVE || JOHN SHELBY

Prologue

1903

The caravan the family lived in was small and dark, the only light being formed was from the candles that were splattered around the room.

The little girls mother was preparing dinner for the 2 of them as her father was out with his brothers in the town of Birmingham on a piss up, a tense atmosphere surrounding the families caravan for the dangerous things ahead. When dinner was put on the table the mother and daughter stayed completely quiet with no words to speak.

The seven year old quietly spoke up to her mother, "Why don't we leave mumma? new start, new life? away from this abuse?"

Dabria looked up from her food with a melancholy expression on her face. "I can't leave, your father will always find a way to find us, no matter where we are. Baby I want you to have a good life and if it's not here I will never stop you from leaving, no matter how much it hurts me. I have a friend in Small Heath her name is Polly Gray, she lives at 6 Watery Lane, you have the time to leave before your father gets here. Polly will treat you as her own and I will visit as much as I can and I will write everyday."

Just as Libitina was going to speak her drunken father burst through the door. Her mother tried to take his hat and coat off but he wasn't having any of it. He hit her so hard she fell onto the floor so weak she couldn't stand back up. Her mother started shouting to the little girl standing in the corner of the caravan to leave. The little girl didn't want to leave her mum but she knew her mother was right, she couldn't keep living life like this no matter how hard it was to leave her mum behind. She gave her mum such a sad smile and ran out the door till she made it to Small Heath. She found 6 Watery Lane and knocked on the door frantically. A teenage girl answered the door terrified with the view in front of her.

The little girl could tell this was Polly Gray because her mum used to tell her stories about the teenage girl. Polly frantically let the girl in, when indoors she sat the little girl down at the dining room table of their dark home.

Libitina nervously picked at her finger nails, scared of being in the unfamiliar place with a girl she had only ever heard about from stories. She didn't know what to expect never having even left her mothers side before.

"Where's your mother?" Polly Gray asked softly to not scare the terrified child.

"She's still with father." Libitina answered hesitantly. She didn't know whether Polly knew of her fathers abuse or not, she didn't want to cause more problems for her already vulnerable mother.

Polly hummed softly. She didn't want to push the girl to far, she could tell she was close to her breaking point and for a child to feel so broken, Polly could only hope none of her nephews or nieces felt like this.

"You don't need to tell me anything just yet," Polly said, reaching over and grabbing Libitina's small hand in her own. "One day when you're ready you can tell me. I'll always be here for you from now on."

Libitina's eyes began to water, the silent promise Polly had made bringing slight sense of peace to the girl. She finally felt secure and it was all down to the teen sitting in front of her.