The Cobra

Prologue

The sound of the whip comes first. The sting on my back comes second. The cry of my brothers on the other side of the door sounds third. My cries are never heard.

The fourth whip is served. The skin on my back already on fire. My teeth clench knowing how many more is left to go.  

Fifteen 

Fifteen more slashes to my back until he's done. Until I'm left in this dingy dark room until sunrise. The next slash breaks me from my thoughts. 

"Count you bitch" the evil man says from behind me. 

The next whip sounds, I take a breath in after the initial impact "six" I break out. The screams on the outside of the door get louder, I think it only fuels his rage. The next slash is coming faster "seven." I never cry, I refuse to, not since the first time. The first time my soul was tainted "eight". The heavy grunts from behind me show he's getting madder, the whip coming down harder. The sound of it cutting through the air sharper "nine" still no tears, my voice steady as I count. "Ten" the pain gets worse, and I can no longer hear my brothers cries from outside the door. "eleven" the air feels cold, the only warmth coming from the stings on my back. "Twelve" this isn't the worst I've gotten, and I try to keep that in mind as the lashes keep coming. "Thirteen" only two left and he'll leave "fourteen" the last one is always the worst, he puts all his strength into it, hoping to leave a bigger mark then the rest, my body tenses waiting for the last sting. The whip breaks through the air, the large smack on the center of my back. I take a deep breath keeping a hold on my emotions. "Fifteen."

I take more deep breaths trying to calm myself. As I take more control of my emotions, I start to hear the screams on the outside of the door dying down, but I can still hear their shouting. The sound of his whip hitting the ground makes my head turn towards the noise. He unties the bindings holding my wrists in the air, when they're undone my body crumbles to the ground not able to hold myself up after the toll it took. He scoffs at the action. His footsteps become quieter, indicating him getting farther away. The sound of the heavy metal door being swung open makes my head rise. My brothers run into the room, dropping on their knees next to me. He watches from the doorway his eyes narrowing at my brothers, he brings his gaze to mine and smirks.

It's a reminder, a reminder to stay quiet and listen. I smirk back, we both know I'm not going to do that. His smile drops, it's the one thing he can't get, the satisfaction of breaking and bending me to his will. I will never submit to him no matter how much pain it causes. He turns to leave slamming the door behind him, the sound of the lock being activated. Locking us in until sunrise.

I stare at the door lost in my thoughts. Arlo's cries take my attention and I turn towards him. His dark rich brown hair falling into his eyes, very different from Aries' short blonde strands, the color very similar to my own. I raise my hand tucking his hair behind his ear and give him a small smile.

 He's the youngest, not by much seeing were all close in age. Mom wanted us that way, so we could connect and relate with one another. She thought we would be closer like that. She would always mentioned the importance of family in our lives, its hurts to know what she would think about our family now.

Arlo and Aries hold me close to them, careful of the wounds on my back. Arlo has calmed down now, but Aries is still tense. He puts his head on my shoulder "I'm sorry," I roll my eyes. This is a common thing for Aries, he always thinks its his fault.

I hold his hand and turn to look at him "its not your fault Aries its none of ours, the only person to blame is him" his jaw clenches I know he doesn't believe me, but its true, and its not his fault, it never has been. He looks away towards the door.

"It is Maya" he nods "it's my fault, I'm the oldest I'm supposed to protect you"

Arlo scoffs from the other side of me, no longer crying, an angry look on his face now as he directs his comment to Aries "our father is supposed to protect us Aries, and look at us" he waves his arms in the air motioning to the dark space around us. He points to the whip marks on my back "does this look like protecting to you?"

Aries looks away not wanting to agree with Arlo even though he knows its true. The tension in the air is thick. It usually is after one of our father's stress relievers. "We're lucky to have each other" my voice thick with emotions "I don't know what id do without you guys" I hold them closer, my throat burning from unshed tears, but none of them fall. They never do.

We stay there for the rest of the night just holding each other wondering where everything went south. How we got in this position getting beat by our father. The once very loving man who would take us to pools in the summer, and carnivals on the weekend. The father who used to be the light in our life, along with our mother. The main source of our happiness is now the source of our nightmares. The Father who once showed love and kindness but now insures pain and fear.

But, we know when everything changed, and I don't know if that makes it better, the wound of the event itself already being to much. It all started when our mother died. That night the light behind my fathers' eyes dimmed and continued to dim with the days following, until it was only darkness, with nothing left of the father we used to know.