Adeline and the Ovunque's Key || Ongoing

008

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖 — 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

TW! Moderate mention of abuse

I could hear mum and dad talking in a hushed tone in the kitchen. The conversation slowly becomes erratically louder. Plates were shattered and thrown around the kitchen. Not long after, the space was filled with screams, shouts and cries.

Neither of them had heard me come down the stairs. My feet were carefully dragging me to the kitchen, and I stopped only when I got close to it, hiding myself behind the wall to listen and peek a glance.

Dad was standing near the counter; Mum was standing near the open door. Her brow was furrowed and she looked very sombre and broken. I could see fresh tears running down her face. Mum looked away for a moment, then bit her lower lip and looked up at Dad.

After a moment, I heard dad speak. His words were low but deliberate and distinct. "Is this really how you want it?"

"Frank, please dear, If you can't stay for me, stay for Addie. You have to stay for our daughter..." she said.

"I would have stayed, Carol! If you didn't get nosy and try to find out stuff that I do, I would have let myself stay till she's old enough to move out!" He spoke in a harsh tone.

"But she needs you, Frank!"

Seeing her reaction, only made dad angrier. He marched towards mum and I could hear the distinct sound of someone being pushed to the cabinet before I could hear the sound of a fist hitting someone.

I could hear my mother's screams of pain. I could hear her cries. I froze at my spot, unable to do anything but listen.

When I finally woke up, I remembered the dream.

I replayed it again and again in my head. It was a memory. A memory that reminded me why it was so hard for me to let someone in my life.

People would always say, forgive and forget. But what they don't know is that it's hard to forgive, and it's harder to forget. A traumatic childhood stays with you for as long as you live. You'd only understand if you've gone through it.

Sniffing my nose, I wiped some tears from my eyes. "I'm better off without him," I reminded myself. The room feels hollow. The scent of rain is high in the air. I shivered and pulled the blanket over me. Fog and trees are all I see outside my window. My eyes darted towards my feet. Feeling my whole body weigh on it, making me unwilling to part from my bed. I sighed heavily. If only I could lie back down and sleep the whole day, that would have been great.

But, of course, I can't do that. My point was proven when someone knocked on my door. A holler followed right after, telling me to wake up.

I groan. My eyes squint as I hold the side of my head, feeling extremely sensitive to every sound I hear. My feet made dragging sounds as they walked to the door. A forced smile painted over my face as I opened the door to greet the intruder. It was Pierre, dressed neatly in a blueberry-shade shirt.

I stared at him with empty eyes. His emerald green eyes stared back at mine, eyeing me up and down. He motioned a line down the side of his lips and pointed to my hair. I could only stare at him with confusion at his gesture. My eyes dropped to my attire and only then I noticed how I was still in my nightgown, quickly realising what he meant. A gasp was forced out of me as I slammed the door right in his face.

His laughter erupts from behind the door, echoing along the way as I dashed to the bathroom and took a quick bath and wash my hair. I quickly got dressed and braided my hair to the side. I gave myself a small nod in the mirror before opening the door.