Prison Escape

Chapter 10: The First Time

Chapter 10

            “So, Cassandra, nice of you to finally join us,” Eli says from behind the kitchen counter.

            I look up to see a shivering Liza standing behind the couch. Her eyes petrified. She knows what comes next, and so do I.

            “Now, Eli…” I say as I stand up. My legs feeling like jello.

            “Now, Eli,” Eli says in a tone mocking my own.

            “Elijah! Listen to me for two minutes!” I shout at him, no idea where my courage came from.

            “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?!?!” He demands.

“Um, I…”I say quietly backing away from him. I make at least a foot of space between us.

            “You little-”

            “Eli, please,” I say, continuing to back away from him. But then my foot catches the rug and before I know it I’m falling backwards and I hit my back. Pain pulsing through my body.

            “How DARE you?!” Eli screams down at me, “You left this place?! Without telling me?!” His hand flying back, then almost immediately towards me.

            At that moment I see a small figure run out from behind the couch. I hear myself screaming before I can stop myself, “LIZA NO!”

            I hear the sound of skin connecting to skin, and for once, I’m not the one feeling the sting. I push myself off my back and rush over to her small body. “Eli! What is wrong with you?!” I pull her up in my arms.

            Then I feel myself flying backwards on to the carpet, my cheek throbbing with agony.  Eli stood over me as he screamed at me.

            “GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!”

            “YOU CANNOT JUST HIT YOU’RE CHILDREN!!!” I scream back at him.

            In that moment he pulls me up by my hair, “You. Will. Not. Tell. Me. What. To. Do.” He says enunciating each word.

            “I’m…I’m sorry!” I say to him weakly as tears came to my eyes.

            “No you’re not,” he spits at me as he throws me back to the ground.

            I instantly begin to crawl to Liza, blood coming from her bottom lip. She had blacked out, and it was a good thing. I didn’t want her to have to feel the pain right now. Given she’d have a horrible headache later, but for now she is ok.

            “Look at our daughter! She’s hurt because of you!” I shout back at him. All my self-preservation gone. All that mattered was that he hit my daughter. Nobody hits my daughter.

            “You slut! If you hadn’t gone out she would be fine!” He shouts at me.

            Guilt hit me in the gut like a knife. He was right, if I didn’t go out today she would be fine.

            “I-I-I”

            “Not!  Get out of my face!” he says taking Liza from my arms.

            I run to my bedroom and put a chair again the door, trying to make sure no one can get in. I fall down on the bed and cry. This is entirely my fault. If I hadn’t gone out with Chase today this wouldn’t have happened. Liza wouldn’t be hurt, and I wouldn’t be crying about it. Given I would probably be upset about something, but not him hitting my little girl.

            She came to protect me. I was so weak. He hit a little girl! How did I allow him to do that? Well I didn’t, but still.

            All I could think of was Liza, how strong and brave she was. And how I was just the opposite, except for when I was away from Eli. He made me weak.

            Is it selfish that all I keep thinking of is myself? How I am the fault all this happened? How I’m  the one that left the house and Liza, so I could be with my friends?

            Liza was laying in his arms, but why did she try to save me. She knows what happen whenever I go out of this house. Without permission, I’m just asking for trouble.

            I just lay there for the rest of the night, trying to make myself feel better. Then I realize, I’m not going to feel better. Not as long as I’m in here just trying to comfort myself.

            I slowly stand and pull the chair away from the door. I pull the door back and walk through the hall. As I hear Eli’s snoring from the couch, I avoid him. As I walk through the door, I start praying she’s fine.

            Her little deep breaths fill the room. As I walk to her bed and look down at her, her lip swollen. I choke back tears, I have to be strong for her. She turns over so that I can see her face anymore. Sadly, she instantly turns back over, with a scowl on her face. I can’t hold it in anymore.

            I cover my mouth with my hands to try to muffle my cries, and sink against the wall. Tears stream down my face silently as I look at her little face. Earlier today it was flawless, but now the sore was visible as day.

            I can’t believe I let this happen.

            But while I’m sitting there, thinking about how I can prevent this from ever happening again.

            The only thing I can come up with that I never see Cooper or Chase again. Then the tears come even stronger. I feel like if I did that then I would be trapped here. With nothing connecting me to the outside world. If anything ever happened to me, no one would ever know.

            The thought sends a shudder through my body. I can’t stand that fact. I finally feel like there is someone who cares if I get hurt or even…die.

            I can’t be without my friends, I’ll just be more careful next time I go out. Making sure I will return at 3:30 every day. I guess it’s all I can do. I just wish I didn’t have to be so careful to have friends. But it’s what I have to do I guess.