Duct Tape

Chapter 1 & 2

Chapter 1: Jamie alone

I ran out the front door fuming. Mother yelling behind me. " Jamie, get back here right now!" I kept walking. She was always hounding me about my grades." You'll never get into medical school with that temper of yours!" I stopped right there. I slowly turned around tears streaming down my face," yeah, well I don't want to go to medical school! I don't want to be like you. I want to be a fashion designer! I bet you didn't even know that because your never listening to me! Ever since dad left you dump all of your problems on me! I'm sick of it! You don't even know who I am!" Right then; I ran off. Ran towards the woods. I always went there when I was upset. What was I to do. I'm only 16;I can't drive. If I could I would have left by now. Just like my father had. The past few months had sucked big time. Between my father leaving, my bad grades, and my mother hounding me about this dream she had of me being a doctor. She does as much as possible to make herself comfortable in our home. But she doesn't realize how uncomfortable she's made me feel. For once I wish she would just open her eyes and see how miserable I am. Not to mention the horrible jokes and rumors at school. Everyone hates me. I have only one friend; Eli. He is quiet and goes unnoticed. He is tall with light brown hair that covers his hazel eyes; he is 2 years older than me. I am very short, with dark brown hair that comes down to my hips; and my eyes are a very bright green; I am 16.Not once in my life have I ever heard someone call me beautiful. Some times I wish a stranger would stop to say some sort of compliment. Instead of all the crap I get at school. Eli doesn't even know what happens to me. He knows that some kids call me names; but he doesn't know about the physical abuse I try to ignore. One day, it has to stop. It won't go on forever. I just need to tell myself that everyday. Then I'll be one day closer to the end of it. I've been tempted to tell someone before,but what about after that. Everyone hates me, so things at school would get worse. People would probably call me a snitch. I was brought out of my thoughts when I came to the edge of the woods. It was so beautiful. The way the sunlight just came through a few cracks between the tree branches. The flowers all over the ground. It looked like something out of a fiction book or movie. I started to walk down the familiar path in the woods. Making my way uphill. The path came to an end at the thick tree standing tall in the middle of the woods. I plopped down beside it, slowly shifting my weight against it. Silently, I cried for what felt like hours. It was getting dark and mom would worry. I'm already upset with her; why start another argument. Slowly, I stood wiping tears away with the back of my hands. Then turned to go home. I looked down walking along the path; it was night. Darkness now surrounded me; nothing but the small patches of moonlight strung through the trees. Suddenly, I bumped into something hard. Falling to the ground, I managed to let out a moan. "Watch where your going idiot!" I looked up to see a frustrated boy standing above me. "Sorry sir, I didn't think I'd have anyone to look out for." "Well now you do." He stormed past me towards the tree. I got up and kept moving down the path. Finally at the edge of the woods I glanced at my phone."11:30!?! Moms gonna kill me!" I ran towards the house in a panic. Boy would she be mad. I reached the porch expecting to see mother angrily waiting for me with some, your late for dinner remark. Or maybe a worried mother with the police. Mom has a way of over reacting a bit. But no; there I stood alone. Shocked by an open door, and no sign of mom. Slowly, I peered in. No one. Not a soul to be seen. I stepped in, the floorboards creaking under my feet. A corner of the rug was rolled up, glass on the floor from what looked like the remains of a flower pot. I walked in further; leaving the door open behind me. To the right, my practically untouched living room. To the left, a chair turned over in our dining room. I stepped in the dining room to see a messy kitchen. A pot of pasta turned over on the floor, an open oven, a few pots and pans on the ground. What had happened here? "Mom?" My palms began to sweat and I began to tremble. "Mom?" I yelled louder. I ran back to the entrance. I looked up the stairs with fear. My mother hates if one hair is out of place. This was not the work of frustration. But it could be from struggle. Struggle to escape something perhaps? The worry in me kept building. Was it really smart to go upstairs, or would there be some killer waiting with a chainsaw? I was suddenly brought out of my thoughts with a scream. Without thinking I made a dash up the stairs, listening for another sound to tell me where the person was. The first door on the left was my bedroom, the second door on the left was the library. The first door on the right was my moms room, the second door on my right was the upstairs bathroom. I listened for more noise. Suddenly I heard movement coming from the library. I went in my room carefully observing my surroundings for a weapon. There, a wooden baseball bat. I quickly looked around at the room and realized someone had gone threw my things. Open drawers and objects flung everywhere; I tried to build up as much courage as possible before I stepped into the library. Moments later, I stood close to the doorway of the library. Up against the wall I was ready to attack the intruder in my home. I cautiously turned the corner, to find a fallen book case and books thrown carelessly everywhere. I stepped in searching for the criminal, only to find my mother curled up in the corner. Her hair ruined and mascara leaving trails down her face, I ran to her side. Dropping the bat to the ground, my mother screamed in fear, continuing to sob and rock herself back in forth In the dark corner of our once elegant library. "Mom! What's wrong? What happened? Are you alright?" A hundred questions flooding my brain my mother screamed once more. "Get away! No, get away!" She continued to sob louder, taking deep breaths. "Mom it's me I won't hurt you. What's wrong?" "No! Stay away! I hate you! You don't belong here!" I tried to come closer to her, only to take surprising hit to the face. My own mother was beating me,hard. I screamed. "Mom!" I kept screaming for help. Would anyone ever hear. I remember hearing my name called as my mother kept attacking me. Then someone running upstairs; big black sneakers entered the room, and I blacked out, either from the numerous hits to the head, the sight and smell of my own blood,or the unbearable pain radiating through my small body.

Chapter 2: Women beats daughter

I woke up with a pounding in my head. Looking around the room, I realized I was in a hospital. To my right a nurse, checking something on the table next to me. To my left, Eli?!? He was sound asleep in a chair beside my hospital bed, his head resting on by my arm. It took me a moment to realize he was holding my hand. I tried to move my hand without him noticing; attempt failed. Eli jumped up and wrapped me in his arms. "Eli, what's going on?" Tears formed in his eyes and he stared at me in what seemed like horror or fear. "What is it ,Eli?" "Jamie, it's alright," he breathed while hugging me again. Now I was silently crying into his shoulder, waiting for an answer I already had. I slowly sat up with his help. "Are you alright dear? You took quite a hit to the head." The nurse now turned to me stared with worried eyes. "I'm fine. Thank you." "Alright, I'll be back soon with some food." With that she left me with Eli. He softly pulled away enough to look at me, brushing away my tears with his thumb. "Are you alright Jamie? You had me so worried." He hugged me again, really tight; I hugged him back around his neck. We stayed like that for several moments. When I pulled away, tears streamed down his face. "What's wrong, Eli?" He wiped away his own tears and handed me a newspaper. "Check it out." There, on the cover of the newspaper was 2 pictures, one of me and one of mom. I read out loud our story heading:

"Women Beats Daughter"

I was horrified as I read our story:

Jamie Smith came home on Friday night, after a walk in the woods. She came home to wrecked house and terrified mom. When 16 year old Jamie went to comfort her mom Francine, she was attacked by her own mom. Thank goodness for Jamie's friend Eli Burns, who called the police and ambulance before tearing Francine from an unconscious Jamie. Jamie is currently in the hospital in a coma. Eli is waiting for his friend to wake up as Francine has been sent to an unknown area for tests. Doctors believe Francine has snapped and may have to be sent to a asylum because of her aggressive behavior. We hope for poor Jamie who may be out for days,weeks,or even months.

I stopped reading to look up at a worried Eli. Crying once again, Eli gently set down the paper. He turned back to me and took my hand. "You're gonna be just fine Jamie. I promise." He sat down still holding my hand. I lay down still crying in silence, staring up at the ceiling in horror. My mother, gone bonkers? The very thought boggled my mind. She was fine when I left. Perfectly sane.