Show No Fear

Chapter 12

 I didn't flinch as a bottle shatter right next to my feet, Aliza however jumped as she trembled in fear looking up at our father whose face was red, swaying on his feet. "Father she didn't know. She's only three." I spoke calmly, as I looked up at him.

"Shut up brat!" He slurred as he took a staggering step forward. "I wasn't talking to you." He spoke as he pointed at me with a shaky finger. Aliza flinched as she cowered behind me, her little hands holding tightly onto my leg. She let out a scream as father grabbed her by her arm roughly, lifting her off the ground and dangling her in front of him. Tears streamed down her cheeks as he hand reached out to me before contracting towards her body.

"You never. Ever. Go into my room! Do you understand!?" He screamed in Aliza's face, her eyes tightly shut as her body trembled. I just couldn't understand why she was so afraid of him. I wasn't afraid of him ... I actually don't remember feeling afraid. When Aliza didn't respond he shook her roughly screaming, "Do you understand!"

"Yes daddy!" Aliza's shakily voice responded, gazing up at him with fear filled eyes.

"Don't tell me that you are not a baby anymore. It's father now." He scoffed, throwing Aliza back onto the ground. She scurried away from him to hide behind me once more. "And you." He hissed as he stomped up to me, grabbing me by the hair as he crouched down. I clenched my teeth as I winced in pain, anger beginning to boil in my veins. "Do your job and keep your sister out of trouble." He explained, as if he was explaining to one of his workers that messed something up in the test.

"You mean stop having her act her age?" I snapped back, meeting his gaze with a glare of my own. He didn't seem to like that comment as he let go of my hair and backhanded me, knocking me to the ground.

"Sissy!" Aliza screamed out as she crouched down next to me.

"Watch your mouth. Don't forget who allows you to live." He growled before stalking off, hearing a door slam shut.

I know exactly how it's going to go tomorrow. He will wake up, fix us breakfast, apologize, promise to never do it again, go to work, and repeat. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, rubbing my cheek lightly. I glared in the direction he went before looking down at Aliza with a small smile, placing my hand on her head. "Don't worry, tomorrow will be a better day." I'll take all the hits for you sister.

************

"W H A T?" Dust questioned as he stood frozen in front of me, his pin pricks disappearing, only showing black sockets. He was frozen in place, unsure of what to do as he seemed to be reliving his own past.

I picked up the book where I read about his world, holding it out to show him, "I got bored so I did some reading and learned a bit about your world along with most of the others." I spoke as I flipped to a random page, showing a picture of a dusty world. "I read your story." I added, looking up at him in sympathy as a small smile spread across my features.

"A story ... huh." Dust spoke as his frown turned into a grin as a chuckle left him. "Just a story." He let out a sigh, I glanced behind me hearing a small hiss leave Jack as he glared in Dust's direction. He let his arm drop to his side as his grip tightened on the bone in his hands as his gaze dropped to the floor.

"It is." I watched him flinch as his pin pricks returned glaring up at me as he pinned me against the desk, holding the sharp bone to my throat. One of his pin pricks glowed a purple glow, similar to the bone in his hand.

"Those were living beings I was forced to kill just to stop that ... that demon." He growled as he pressed the bone closer to my throat. "And they are just part of a story huh?" Dust's pinpricks narrowed as it began to shake.