Wish Upon A Star

Chapter One

"Ashley!" I'd had enough of that voice. Always nagging at me to do something I didn't want to do.
"Ash, mummy says it's your turn to do the dishes." Tilly toddled into the room.
"I know sweetheart, I know." I picked my little sister up. "But tell mummy Ashley is busy, yeah?"
"No. Mummy will get cross."
"Mummy's always cross, ain't she."
"Only because of you. You wind her up."
I snorted. "She winds me up. She's just so..." I sighed.
"Please come and do the dishes. Or mummy will shout." Tilly sat down hard in the floor. "I don't like it when you and mummy fight."
"Neither do I, poppet." I murmured. "Alright. I'll do them. Just this once "
Tilly beamed, and I carried her back down the stairs. The second we got into the kitchen, mum glared at me.
"Put your sister down. You're hurting her."
"Am not. She likes it." I retorted.
"Don't be such an idiot. Go put her in bed."
"It ain't her bedtime."
"Babies go to bed at three in the afternoon." Mum snapped at me.
"She ain't a baby, y'know. She's three years old."
"That is a baby" Mum replied simply. "Put her to bed."
Tilly started to cry. "Look, she don't want to go to bed." I raised my chin.
"She's overtired. And you're hurting her." Mum complained.
"She ain't overtired. She sick of you going on and on at me every single day."
"Stop talking like that."
"Like what?" I sneered.
"In that horrible manner. Ain't and don't."
"Like you care." I felt sick inside, but I was determined not to show it. There was a moment of silence. Mum took Tilly off me and went and sat her in the other room. Then she walked back in shaking her head.
"You asked for it young lady" And she slapped me, hard. A red mark appeared on my cheek. "Now get up those stairs." She shoved me in the dark room.
"Mum, stop..." I cried out
"You'll stay in there until you learn some manners!" She yelled, slamming the door. I heard a key turn in the lock. I tried to stop the memories of being in here from flushing through my mind, but it was too hard. I remember I was locked in her for a whole week with nothing but a single bottle of water. The time I went three days without anything to eat or drink. The time she went away for the weekend and left me in here. The time she took the bulb out. There's still no electricity. I'm scared of the dark, and she knows it. She hates me, and I hate her. We both love Tilly. Ever since Dad left, mums been like this. She even stopped letting us see dad. I love my dad. I want to live with him, but mum says I won't get the discipline I deserve if I do. It hurts. It hurts every minute of every day. Tilly can't even remember him. The last time we saw him was over two years ago, when Tilly was just a baby.
I tell Tilly about dad. I never tell her about mum. Mum always tells her I'm at a friends house when I'm in the dark room. I never tell Tilly, I don't want to scare her. I wish I could like with dad and Tilly and pepper. Pepper is my half-sister. She's only six, but is so sweet and caring. I'd hate to live with tommy. He's peppers brother. He's the same age as me, and he sneers at everything I do. I hate it.

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