Prophecy Girl (Lacuna Valley #1)

Chapter Thirteen

 "You've been holding out on me, Samantha," their mother hissed from the sofa across the room. She was sitting in a corner, staring down at her hands folded neatly in her lap. The hair stood up on the back of Sam's neck. This wasn't something she normally saw, her mother waiting calmly. Unexpected was always worse.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sam stood up straight despite her shaking. Her terror had extinguished all sparks of anger as she walked through the front door. The room was quiet and dark. Violet had scurried inside and disappeared from sight.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Sneaking out to see a boy. Who'd have thought you had it in you? I did. You think you're fooling me, but you're not." She slowly shook her head from side to side, still staring down at her lap.

"No one's trying to fool you, Mother." She tried to swallow but her mouth was dry.

"I'M NOT STUPID, SAMANTHA!" She sprang up from her chair and charged at Sam, her arms out in front of her. Sam ducked and ran toward the back door, but was yanked back by her hair. As her head was thrown into the closet doorknob she caught sight of Violet cowering behind the kitchen counter. Good, stay there, she thought.

She hit the floor and it took her a second to pry her eyes open again. She didn't realize she'd been holding her breath, but then it came out in a rush. She gulped for fresh air and felt the tears spring to her eyes. She heard her mother still talking, but it sounded far away, like it was coming through a wall.

"You think you're fooling me, but you're not! You're so, so stupid, Sam. You thought your sister wasn't going to tell me anything? I've heard all about that boy you've been kissing. She tells me everything. She's my daughter." She laughed and clenched Sam's hair tighter in her fist, pulling Sam's head up. She had to grab the wall to keep her weight from dragging down against her mother's grip.

"Yeah? Then what am I, Mom?" Sam tried to pull her hair free, but it only made it hurt worse. The tears stung as they poured from her eyes, and she had just enough clarity through the pain in her head to feel ashamed. She tried to never cry in front of her mother; she wouldn't let her have the satisfaction.

"You, Sam, are an ungrateful little bitch." Sam leaned her weight against the wall to keep herself up and relieve the pressure from her mother's hold, but her mother grabbed her and thrashed Sam into the wall again and again.

Her mother was usually more careful than that. No marks left behind meant no questions. She always stuck to just hitting her in the head, where her hair covered any bruises. All she could think as she stared at the red splatter on the wall was that this was it. Her mother was finally going to kill her. A sob came up through her throat and then her body relaxed. There was nothing to do about this. This was always going to happen. It was over.

Violet screamed her name. Their mother's grip loosened immediately in surprise.

"Hit her, Sam! Hit her back! God, please, hit her back!" Violet pleaded through her sobs. Before she even said the words Sam felt the urge to fight building up in a way she'd never felt before. Stronger than the urge to grab the knife in that kitchen, stronger than the urge to breathe, she clenched her fists and hit her mother. She hit her so fast and hard she barely knew what she was doing. As her mother cowered and backed away Sam moved to shove her onto the ground. Her head made a loud crashing sound as it bounced on the floor. The urge to hit her dissipated. Sam and her mother stared at each other in shock.

"Don't you ever touch Sam again!" Violet screamed through her tears.

"Violet, baby, she was being bad. This really wasn't any of your business, you know you're not supposed to tell your mother what to do, remember? Respect your parents."