Ben.
Trigger warning: abuse.
"I'm sad that we don't have more pictures from when we were little." Briley whispered to me, her head leaning on my shoulder as we looked through the box of pictures that I had hidden under my bed.
"I know- mom was the only reason we have these." I exhaled, still feeling the hole in my heart that she left us with.
I suddenly heard the door slam shut.
"Get in bed." I spoke sternly to her, watching her immediately run to her bed, covering up and pretending to be sleeping as I rehid the box under her bed, leaving her room and shutting the door.
Just as I got to my door, I saw him, making me stop.
"Ben" he nodded to me firmly.
"How was your night, sir?" I asked him, seeing him nod.
"Decent." He responded, heading in the direction of her room.
"W-what are you doing?" I asked him.
You don't get to go in there.
"I was planning to tell your sister goodnight- unless you have a problem with that."
I could tell from him tone, it was one of the really bad nights.
"She's just already asleep." I nodded firmly.
He got so close to me, I could smell the whiskey on his breath.
He grabbed my face, shoving me away by it.
"I have trained you since your mother left!" He yelled suddenly.
"I realize you aren't my son, but at what fucking point will you listen to me!" He yelled again.
From there, he hit me many times.
"Now, the first day you actually man up and prove to me that you can be a man- I'll gain respect for you, and I'll never hit you again. But until then- continue to expect this from me."
He left me there.
I felt my eyes shutting and opening.
I needed to get up.
Just give your body a five minute rest.
I woke up to a wetness touching my face.
"Stop" her voice spoke as I tried to wipe the wetness off, making me open my eyes, seeing her.
"You should be asleep- we have school in the morning-" "we already missed it, it's ten am." She spoke quietly, continuing to apply something to my face.
"How did I get here?" I asked, referring to how I was sitting on the bathroom floor.
"I was scared he would wake up and see you on the floor and hurt you again, so I drug you here, sorry I couldn't get you all the way to your room-" "don't apologize, thank you." I told her, watching her eyes look into mine for a split second before looking away.
"You should leave." She told me, closing an ointment that she had been applying to my face.
"No" I told her, knowing what she was referring to.
"It's never going to get better-" "not until I know that you are safe." I stopped the conversation, watching her pick up bloody tissues and such.
"Ben" she mumbled lightly.
I continued to look to her
"He's my dad, not yours"
"You shouldn't be taking beatings that are intended for me."
